mojoworking

Yes, a J200 with an aftermarket Fishman pick-up

Thanks Jeff, I'll look into that. Someone suggested the lack of "Made in USA" on the back of the headstock could mean the guitar was made for the Japanese market. As I said, there was evidence the guitar had spent time in Japan, judging by the items in the case. I was hoping the Gibson factory could tell me where the guitar had been originally shipped, or at least clarify the exact model run.

Thanks. I think they transposed or messed up a couple of lines there. I'm sure it should read Top: Sitka spruce Back & sides: Mahogany Bracing: Traditional Hand Scalloped X-bracing

Thanks Bob. I wrote to Gibson, hoping they could tell me where the guitar was originally shipped and/or how it was marketed, like a special run for a store etc. Andrew at Gibson Customer Service very kindly replied with a spec sheet, but it didn't really tell me much I didn't already know. This is what he sent me: · Series: Limited Edition · Body Style: Round Shoulder · Mahogany: Top · Bracing: Sitka spruce , Traditional Hand Scalloped X-bracing · Neck Profile: Round Profile · Neck: Mahogany · Neck width: 1.725’’ · Neckjoint: Compound Dovetail Neck-to-body · Fingerboard: Rosewood · Scale length: Short · Number of frets: 20 · Nut: Bone · Inlay: Mother-of-Pearl dot · Binding: Multiply top Single-ply Back · Bridge: Rosewood belly up, adjustable saddle · Tuners: Grover · Strap: Cream Button · Plating: Nickel · Electronics: None · Pickup: None · Case: Black Gibson Hardshell

I recently picked up this J45 ADJ. From the serial number it's a 2013 model, but other than that I can find no info about it. The store had no idea either. Here's the specs: It's a Custom Shop guitar with no electronics It has a regular 8 digit serial number, not a Custom Shop number No "made in USA" on the headstock Cherry red finish with adjustable bridge and large pickguard (ie 60s appointments) "Only A Gibson Is Good Enough" banner logo (ie 40s headstock) I've searched the internet but found nothing. Any ideas? Was this a special order? The guitar seems to have spent time in Japan as some of the products in the case have Japanese writing.

I wonder if that's a borrowed sunburst J-45 Ralph is playing in the Folk Cottage pic? He was only a year away from his first LP in 1967 by which time the guitar had been re-finished. In the UK Gibsons were the stuff of dreams in the 60s. Most people couldn't afford them and even if you had the money, they were hard to find, especially outside London. So cheaper brands like Harmony, Hagstrom and Levin were popular. They weren't nearly as good as Gibson or Martin, but they were perfectly serviceable for folk club use. Growing up in the UK in the 60s, I was always amazed and insanely jealous whenever I saw footage of American students on campus. Whenever a guitar appeared it was invariably a Gibson or Martin, something we could only dream of in Britain. It seemed like great guitars were cheap and freely available to 50s/60s kids in America.

The last picture shows Wizz Jones (centre with glasses) playing an Epiphone Texan. As I've mentioned several times in this thread Wizz still uses Texans, although he favours natural finish examples these days. The picture was taken in 1967 at the Folk Cottage, a famous folk club in Cornwall http://kernowbeat.co.uk/folkcottage.html

Not that short-lived. John Renbourn played his famous Gibson J-50 on all but the first of his solo LPs from 1967 up to "The Hermit" in 1976 and right though the first incarnation of Pentangle. It was retired only after being damaged by an airline. The J-50 was repaired and is still around today owned by a guitarist named Remy Froissart and can be seen at the annual John Renbourn Guitar Workshops, which have continued after John's death. Likewise Davy Graham used his J-50 on all his Decca LPs from 1964 to 1969. After playing a J-50 on his first LP in 1968, Ralph McTell STILL uses a modern custom shop J-45 or J-50 today. Wizz Jones has played Epiphone Texans from the 60s right through to the present day. Martin Carthy has always used small-bodied Martins, never Gibsons.

Davy went off to North Africa in the early 60s and came back playing African and middle eastern music arranged for guitar, at a time when folk music was still rooted in the pre-Dylan three chord era. He's credited with introducing the DADGAD tuning into popular music, which was picked up by Jimmy Page and the like. His peak was 1964-69 and his records were patchy after that. But even in the late 70s Davy was recording albums of music from many countries on all kinds of instruments.

Bert Jansch never played Gibsons. He was mostly associated with high-end Yamahas in recent years, while his early LPs were recorded on a small bodied Martin, possibly a 00028. In the early years he also used custom built guitars by John Bailey a British luthier. Bert is pictured onstage with a 60s sunburst Epiphone Texan in the booklet of the CD "Young Man Blues - Live In Glasgow 1962 - 1964" a collection of early live recordings, but it's thought that was a borrowed guitar.

...and the guy who literally inspired Renbourn and McTell to pick up those J-50s, Davy Graham. For those who don't know this guy, he's credited with starting the entire UK folk blues guitar movement, he virtually invented world music and influenced just about every player who came after. A poor singing voice and a debilitating drug habit seriously curtailed his success, but those who know about guitar will tell you Davy was THE man. His 60s Decca LPs (issued on the London label in the US) are unbelievable. In case of confusion, he later spelled his name Davey. Another much underrated UK folk guitarist is Wizz Jones. He's from the same folk blues generation as Bert Jansch, John Renbourn etc and has long been associated with 60s Epiphone Texans

I paid AUD$2000 for the J15 (reduced from AUD$2300), while the J29 was AUD$3400

Thanks Hollowdan. I actually tried out a J35 and a J29 in the store at the same time, but went for the J15 for two reasons. It played better than the others (their necks were too chunky for me) and it was at least a grand cheaper. No contest. The only quality control flaw I've noticed is that end of the fingerboard over the soundhole has not been varnished, otherwise I'm very happy with the J15

And look at those other budget Gibsons that started out bottom of the range in the 50s & 60s: Les Paul Junior SG Junior Melody Maker Firebird I All of them are hugely collectable vintage instruments today (well, maybe not the Melody Maker so much, but you get the idea)

That should be Gibson's new strapline for the J15 next time they take out a full page ad in the guitar mags. "The new Gibson J15 - one step up from firewood" I had a look at "quarter sawn" on Wiki and although it was complicated, it kind of made sense and I can see the advantages. But I'd still like to hear one of the experts here explain why flat sawn is so bad,

Thanks hogeye. For those who don't know (ie me). Can you explain the difference between flat sawn and quarter sawn?

And Cody, when you say 5 piece neck, does that include the two wing pieces on the headstock?

Thanks, I never knew that. I'm clearly out of touch. I assumed it was the budget/economy end of the market which used multi piece necks

Thanks Jalex. If it's the same construction as a J200 I'm feeling better already!

Perhaps I'm barking up the wrong tree here, but I assumed a one piece neck was the sign of a higher quality instrument, while multi piece necks were more of a budget, cost-cutting thing? I'm happy to be proved wrong here.

Thanks DenverSteve. I suspected as much and asked in the guitar store about the 3 piece neck before buying. The assistant wasn't sure, so he went on the Gibson website and looked at the J15 specs where it says NOTHING about this. I'm a little disappointed to find it is a 3 piece neck.

Thanks Rev, looks great. Just like mine in fact ;-)

Thanks, just had a look. We would never see unusual variations like that in Australia

I've not seen the sunburst J15. Any chance of a picture? I was looking for a blonde round shouldered acoustic to compliment my J50, but all I could find locally (in Australia) was a new J29 and the J15. I found the J15 much more playable than the J29 and it was around a thousand dollars cheaper. It took a while to get my head around the walnut/maple construction thing, but now it's fine and I'm used to seeing a white neck on my Gibson jumbo. Here's a few more pictures

Just bought a brand new Gibson J15 jumbo and I'm loving it so far. Here's a few thoughts. The maple neck and walnut fingerboard, back and sides are something of a departure for Gibson. But the sound is great: big, warm and resonant, virtually indistinguishable from the mahogany built J45 shaped guitars we've known and loved. And the price was very reasonable for a US built instrument. The dark decorative stripe in the back of the neck seemed odd at first and may offend traditionalists, but it breaks up the white maple perfectly and I'm happy with it now. I had to get the saddle shaved on the bass side as the action was set too high for my taste (it was fine on the treble side) otherwise it was nicely set up right out of the box. I also changed the strings from the factory supplied 12s to 11s because I like to play single string blues with a lot of bends and while the 12s were great for chords, I find them hard work for what I do. The mini Grovers initially seemed tiny compared to regular sized tuners, but they aren't any smaller than the original button tuners found on vintage instruments or (dare I say it) almost all Fenders. If I was to nit-pick, the only complaint I have is the somewhat austere bridge. It's very plain looking and I would have much preferred the traditional J45 style belly-up bridge. The teardrop pick guard also seems much thicker than it needs to be, but that's no big deal. All in all a great looking round-shouldered guitar with a great sound. Anyone else got a J15 and if so what's the verdict? Here it is (centre) with my J45 and 1963 Texan