sbpark

It’s not as much work as you think, and yes it most likely will create a noticeable difference. What will also determine how much of a difference you’ll hear is what material you decide on for the new saddle. if you stick with the stock Tusq material or go with bone, etc. You could also just use a hardwood shim. Bob Colosi sells a shim kit that has rosewood shims, but honestly, shimming the bottom of the stock Tusq saddle is almost as much work as just buying a pre-shaped saddle and fine tuning with some sandpaper. It’s a pretty simple job that might take an hour or two. Benefit of getting a new saddle is you can keep the stock saddle and return the guitar it to its original condition later on if you decide to ever sell the guitar or if you want to put the stock UST back in, etc. I’ve replaced the stock Tusq saddle on a couple J45 Standards and have always preferred the sound of removing the UST, regardless of if I used bone or Tusq for the new saddle, sans UST. Both yielded a noticeable improvement to my ears with the UST removed. My J45 Standard I have now has the UST removed, installed a K&K pure mini pickup and a bone saddle, bone nut and Kluson 3-on-a-plate tuners and have no regrets. I’ve also owned a J45 True Vintage and newer Vintage model and still prefer my modified J45 Standard.

Sort of reminds me of an Eastman ES-20SS I had for a hot minute. Great guitar, well made, etc., but obviously had its own sound and although it looked very similar to a Gibson slope shoulder dread, it sounded nothing like one, which depending who you ask could be a good or a bad thing.

Did you work for Billy Bragg when he did the Tiny Desk concert when he was playing the J45 Standard?

Some are good, some are bad and some are great sounding. You just have to get out there and find one you like, or roll the dice if you order one online that has a good return policy, but know that many online vendors will not only charge you return shipping, but also charge you what it cost to send you the guitar if you decide to send it back simply because you don't like it and there's nothing wrong with it structurally.

I also said I have a fire/tiger stripe guard on my AJ and it doesn't look like that. And the tort guards I have are actually translucent in spots. I even have a few spots on my "OEM Gibson "Vintage" J45 pickguard that I installed on my J45 Standard (after 2 of the OEM rubbery pickguards failed to adhere) that's downright clear in a few spots and have also made my own and never had this issue or have seen it on my AJ with a stock fire/tiger stripe guard.

The stock fire stripe pick guard on my 2012 AJ doesn't look like that, and I've replaced quite a few J45 pick guards (tort, not fire stripe) including one that was an OEM Gibson pickguard that is sued in the "Vintage" models and a couple of the thicker, rubberized pickguards that are used on the "Standards", and have even made my own from blanks and applied a 3M adhesive sheet to it (the blank and adhesive sheet bought from StewMac) and have never had any of them come out looking like the OP's. I've never had any pattern like that under the pickguard. To me the Op's doesn't look right. Looks like either air trapped between the pickgaurd and the finish, or even wood/finish that was ripped off when the previsions pic guard was removed, but I doubt that's the case given the uniform pattern.

I never liked the "newer" J35's. I played several, and owned one for a hot minute. Too bright for my taste. I think the combination of the bracing pattern used (same as the AJ I think) with the short scale neck and mahogany back and sides just didnt work for me. Now, my AJ with the same bracing pattern, long scale neck and rosewood back and sides is a beast. I also have a J45 Standard that I love, and felt like the J35 was just a weaker, thinner sounding and less complex sound compared to the J45.

I just leave my J45 out on a stand all the time in front of my bass amp.

I don't know why the guy in the video is complaining. If there really are that many horrible new Gibsons out there should be backlogged with Gibsons that need tons of work and he should be a rich man by now. If that really was the case though he'd probably be way to busy to take the time to film and edit a video complaining about Gibsons. Obviously I am a Gibson fan. I also like Martins and I've had "issues" with both new models from each company, usually minor. With the Gibsons it's been the "flubber" pickguards they put in the J45 Standards. I've had two that have peeled off, but both times Gibson has come through and covered sending me new ones under warranty. Also bought an SG that had a cracked tenon cover and cracked pickup surround. Again, Gibson came through and send me replacement parts free of charge. I had a Martin that was less than three years old that Martin even admitted needed a neck reset, but they wouldn't cover it and instead only authorized that the bridge be shaved down by an authorized Martin repair shop. But with all that said, I do tend to agree that I've come across more new Gibsons in stores that have HORRIBLE factory set-ups compared to Martins, that seem more consistent. Of course the setups will be a tad on the high side because everyone has different specs that they prefer, and it's MUCH easier to lower action and nut slots than it is to raise them, but man, Gibson for the life of them just cannot seem to cut nut slots properly. They really do have horrible factory setups.

I have a 2012 AJ that's my #1 (and currently only acoustic, as I recently sold my Waterloo WL-14 and J45 Trie Vintage). AJ is kind of the jack of all trades and in an interesting combo with the long scale neck and rosewood back and sides. Mine has been through the ringer a bit with a previous owner as it's reported to been on the road a bit, has a few battle scars and a repaired broken headstock, but I love it. Has a lot of the warmth of a traditional rosewood back and sides guitar but without the muddiness and still retains a crisp, clear high end. Shines as a fingerpicker and is just as good strummed. More projection and louder voice than a J45 but even though it has warmth, it does sacrifice a little compared to the J45TV I had. Mine has a very slim/low profile neck that I usually don't go for, but this one feels great for whatever reason. It can be a pretty loud guitar, but I just dial it back while playing and it can sound sweet and delicate as well. If I want a little warmer sound I use a 1mm nylon pick. Really great all-arounder. One thing worth mentioning though...the stock Grover open tuners absolutely suck! They get worse and worse over time, and have had these same tuners crap out and just not work very well on other guitars, and have been meaning to pull the trigger onside wavily replacements.

Agree 100% that forever reason 13's "choke" all the J45's I've tried them on, including several J45 Standards and my current J45TV. 13's actually worked well though on my Advanced Jumbo, but I still prefer the sound and feel of 12's on that guitar.

Regular old, off the shelf, run of the mill D'Addario EJ16.

How did you "dent" your windshield?! I'll never own a black car. Way too much work to care for a black finish and if you don't keep up on it, it will start looking like crap pretty darn fast after you drive off the lot. Scratch X is awesome for polishing guitars to get rid of light swirls, small surface scratches, etc. I've used it on Gibson Nitro finishes and it's great.

Thats nothing. Honestly I'd just live with it. Over time it will get dirty and just become part of the character of the guitar. Like I mentioned above, if that scratch annoys you, a bad repair will annoy you even more. Take it to a pro. You paid a lot of money for that guitar, don't cheap out and do it yourself to save money unless you know what your doing. I do a lot of work on my own guitars (set ups, cut my own nuts when I'm not lazy, have made saddles form blanks including slotted saddles for my AJ), but know when the work at hand requires a real pro.

Depending on where it is on the guitar, I'll agree. If you're that worried about a scratch I'd take it to someone who knows what they doing, otherwise it could end up looking worse than the scratch itself, like a poor cover-up job of a bad tattoo!

I have thought that most of the J35's tend to not have a very big, warm low end across the board. I think it's the bracing. It's the same bracing pattern as the Advanced Jumbo, and even though that guitar has rosewood back and sides, it's still a fairly bright guitar with a very punchy and articulate low end, unlike other dreds that have rosewood back and sides that and to be a little muddier and blurry in the low end. So combining that bracing pattern with mahogany seems to make the J35's a little too crispy for my liking, but on an AJ it's a great combo.

Build quality is no less for the two guitars you mention compared to any other Gibson acoustics. Not sure how the particular cut of a piece of wood dictates the the guitar will be built to lower standards than something else that has a piece of wood cut differently? It's the same guys/gals making them. Also, I'd personally compare the way the guitar sounds and use that as more of a deciding factor, but that's just me. I'd rather have the one that sounds best instead of the one that appears "to be put together with a bit more care" (whatever that means). You've been mentioning that you've been "reading on the forums about..." but you'd do better to get out there and play more of them in person so you can make your own decision, especially since you mention that you're a bit hesitant given the amount of money you may end up spending. As far as knowing what you're getting for the price, keep in mind price does not automatically equal customer satisfaction and spending more doesn't guarantee you're getting the guitar you want. More expensive isn't always better. Find the guitar that has the looks and sound your after in a price point you can afford. You could spend $10,000 on a guitar and just because it cost that much doesn't mean it's going to be what you're looking for.

I think it was the way he did it. the title of his thread screamed drama from the get go. Whenever someone posts an "Urgent" or "Need Help!" thread, it's bound to be drama.

Glue drops don't bug me. I wish they could cut a proper nut from the factory. Why bother PLEK'ing the guitars when you can't get the nut right (on both their electrics and acoustics)?

Yep, you definitely "ned help".

To get a good look at the underside of the top just pop your smart phone in there and take a pic. No mirror necessary.

Those glue drops aren't an afterthought. They are there for a reason. Just like a luthier tap-tests tops when they are picking out wood for guitars, they later add the glue drops after the guitar has been assembled to fine-tune the guitar. It brings out and enhances those desirable resonant frequencies, or tames undesirable ones. So be aware, if you remove those glue drops (I call them tone blobs) your guitar will probably end up sounding worse.

+1

Oh, trust me I personally didn't think you were out of line. I actually appreciate the blunt and to the point replies. Others tend to get offended much more easily. Being blunt doesn't mean you're being rude.

True, it was a bit of a blunt reply, but I have no place talking, since I can be a bit blunt as well. But in Buc's defense, the OP's title was a bit dramatic with the "need help" part. Reminds me of posts when people throw nothing like, "urgent, need help ASAP!" in a title, and you find its a thread where they are asking which guitar they should buy. Basically they are saying something along the lines of, I can't decide which guitar I should buy, so I need al of you total strangers who don't know me at all to hold my hand and make my decision for me! People get a little over-dramatic sometimes.