Leonard McCoy

That is some serious buckle worming with some deep indentations. There is no easy fix; it is there to stay.

It's a J-180/Dove Custom Shop, a Montana reissue based on a special-order guitar made in the 1960s. In Japan, these kinds of guitar middlemen that list guitars from unaffiliated Japanese guitar shops for international sale are legitimate; it's standard business practice there even. It's still cheaper to buy from the shop directly—if they allow it because often Japanese guitar shops don't deal with foreign customers. That's what the middlemen are there for.

The new line-up gives the acoustic department direction and it's also so much less confusing for the customer. If you want the old stuff, you go Original or Historic. If you want the new, you go Modern. If you have a big purse you go custom shop, and if you got a smaller one, you go production line. Bravo!

I've been doing some house-keeping on some of the older guitar tabs that I revisited for a touchup. Thinking ‘Bout You (2009) https://catstevensguitar.wordpress.com/yusuf-songs/thinking-bout-you/ A gorgeously descending base line makes this song a pleasure to play, and listen to, on guitar. Best played fingerstyle with thumb and index finger only, swinging the latter like a pendulum. An ideal song to play for the L-body style Gibsonists out there! One Day at a Time (2006) https://catstevensguitar.wordpress.com/yusuf-songs/one-day-at-a-time/ The composition is very sophisticated, yet simply sublime. First-time players will enjoy the arpeggios and its spiel on alternate or descending bass notes. Miles from Nowhere (1970) - for guitar https://catstevensguitar.wordpress.com/tea-for-the-tillerman-1970/miles-from-nowhere/ “Miles” very much reflects the stage where Cat stood at the time on his spiritual, self-seeking journey after his reconvalescence from tuberculosis. The song’s arrangement is typical Tillerman, with Cat singing and playing guitar, but a prominent, Floyd Cramer-like piano (also Cat) was being added later on in the recording process which would prove to be the driving force in stage performances of this song along with a 12-string guitar accompaniment.

Does that mean that bolt-on neck acoustics are back? The specs sheet of the new Martin acoustic-electric (koa veneer b/s, "select hardwood" neck) doesn't read favorably but then again it's priced accordingly at least.

Probably user error.

All the more progressive J-45 (Studio, Modern and Generation series) have a fretboard with a 16" radius.

The strap button at the neck seems to be blinking in and out.

Don't worry, I'm here to stay to crap on your pie and make you eat it too. But in all seriousness, he who praises everybody and everything praises nobody and nothing. Only because I told you that your Honda Civic was a shite car doesn't mean I'm gonna build or buy you a new one—a mere child knows better than that.

From a business standpoint I understand Gibson's desire to satisfy every portion of the market, but once you water wine down enough it becomes just that—water. I have also yet to hear a good-sounding guitar made of walnut.

Gibson's official tips on lacquer care and maintenance are still worth a look (link).

I'd be interested to know what measures Gibson themselves would recommend doing in this case. Personally, I would swap the backplates completely with new ones from the Gibson shop or custom-made ones. Gibson seem to have used a new manufacturer for the ones used on your Les Paul (structured back) and they don't fulfill their purpose of shielding at all or the finish was statically charged from the beginning and the control cavity and covers don't offer the necessary protection. Especially touching the screws of the backplates seems to unleash a wave of static popping. Apart from buying new backplates I'd do the following: Check the wiring especially the ground wire for anything out of the ordinary. The wires should also not be standing up tall like an antenna, for then they function as one. Put some shielding/grounding tape on the back of the plastic backplates if you decide to stick with the old ones. These are made of a new type of plastic and apparently prone to such issues. It should be mentioned that this normally isn't necessary with a Les Paul. Also, run a strip of shielding tape (copper) from the bottom of the cavity along the side of the cavity up to the top so that it touches the now-shielded backplate.

A gorgeous-looking guitar. Though I'm not a fan of the pickguard since it doesn't follow the curvature of the body.

Can't Keep It In (1972) Clocking in at fourty hours, the time spent on the recording of this one album track was enormous. Co-guitarist Alun Davies went even so far to say, “It hung like a cloud over us for ages. I nearly went mad. I’d go out of the studio, pace up and down and end up banging my head against the coffee machine out of sheer frustration. I couldn’t see anything wrong with the first take, but I was really impressed that, after all that time we spent on it, Steve could still make it better.” Guitars and vocals were recorded in the upstairs studio at Morgan Studios, London, while for some reason for the recording of Gerry Conway’s drums the musicians had to transfer to the downstairs studio. For the metallic sound at end of the song, Steve threw a miked up metal tea tray from the canteen at the floor, the timing of which was so difficult to get down that the effect alone took a couple of takes. In terms of playing the song makes excessive use of palm-muting in a percussive rhythm which takes some getting used to.

I find that since Ren Furgeson's revival of the acoustics department Gibson make their best, most consistent acoustic guitars with all the knowledge, techniques, and foresight of modern luthiers but never forgetting their rich legacy. Speaking of Ren...

Don't use microfiber or paper towels on Gibson guitars; they are better used on poly finishes and generally scratch the surface of (soft) lacquer finishes on a Gibson guitar due to their slightly abrasive nature even if it's only miniscule microwhirls of scratch. It's best to use soft, clean polish clothes made of flannel in combination with any of Gibson's guitar polish (Gibson offer both products in their store).

You can compare the grain of the wood inside the guitar with that outside. Just pick a memorable spot. If it matches, it is solid wood.

The guitar should have just an adjustable single-action truss rod. Is the nut loose or can you really remove the rod itself? Pictures would help. It looks like you bought it on the secondary market. I suggest you initiate a return immediately.

Two Fine People (1975) The original 1975 studio recording, which shortly aired on radio networks, didn’t age well due to fairly weak instrumental arrangement with mostly keyboards and synthesizers employed. That the song was written on and for guitar can perhaps best be glimpsed at from Steve’s various life performances of this piece on the Majikat Earth Tour in 1976, where he performed the song several times improving upon the original studio recording. This guitar tab takes the live version into account. In terms of composition, while this song is based on “Wild World,” as Steve has stated multiple times on stage, it quickly trails off into its own direction.

If there is but one thing the forums can count on it is both (i) your perfect timing to come out of the woodwork to rise your ire against that particular luthier as well as (ii) your ludicrous ideas on woodworking devoid of any rationale, real-world application or the repair job at hand. And yet your sprouting nonsense fails to even entertain. (Though saying that made me remember that at one point you suggested that in order to better fit a heel to a dove tail was to wet it instead of using carbon paper, which made everyone have a good time who has ever used, or watched someone use, an actual chisel.) That guitar finishes is the field that is the farthest away from Jerry's forte is hardly a point of surprise or contention.

At a converted USD 8,543.99 (from Australian dollars) the price seems in line with the secondary market (even though the model has overall little collectibility). It's also a consignment piece. The coloration of the guitar is a little strange (or perhaps the colors of the photo are off), as those models usually don't go full tobacco on you over time, even though they can take on a darker hue of sorts. Who knows how the thing was handled or stored! If it was refinished, which I doubt, they got the Gibson burst right, though.

Whether cracking in the binding can be fixed and how expensive it is going to be depends on the extent of the damage. If all else fails, the entire binding can be completely replaced if your pocket is big enough.