Buc McMaster

The J-35 I traded in for the blue Hummingbird.....very loud and crisp, yet very similar in tone to the J-45. Hence the Hummingbird, which is much louder than the 45.

Good work, men! Don't have much that rocks recorded, but here's a bit of tejano-Texican rockin' from somewhere around 2008. The phrasing of the lyric has changed since this was recorded and I still alter the delivery live, but it's still a nice tune........I think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUojUJDZJYI

From myself. I know exactly when and where a performance stumbles and, having high expectations of myself, I know what needs attention and more work. I also know my limitations, accept them and work within them. It is true that family and (most) friends will gush about how great you are, but most of this is just patronizing crap if I see it otherwise. Don't put too much stock in their evaluations - learn to trust your own ear and senses. Just as at the day job, whatever that may be, you know when your coasting, getting it wrong, phoning it in. Honest self examination should be your best measuring stick.

Exactly. As I said, tortoise is not translucent like tiger stripe and will not show areas of non-adhesion on a wide-grained top. Unless the top is fine-grained, a translucent guard will show areas where the adhesive does not contact the bottom of a valley between grain lines. Red spruce is much more prone to this than Sitka owing to its' generally wider grain pattern. In the end, it's a cosmetic issue that has no bearing on the instruments' performance.

While I cannot speak to your particular install, I do know the guard I put on my 45 has small, un-stuck areas due to the peaks of the grain of the spruce. Red spruce, in general, has a wider grain than Sitka, and the surface of a guitar top often has distinct peaks and valleys. The guard material is much to stiff to lay down flat in those valleys. This is not visible with a tortoise guard but is there nonetheless if you have a wide grained top. The translucent color of a tiger stripe guard does show areas of non-adhesion on such a top. Not really noticeable with a casual glance and no big deal to me anyway.....the guard still does its' job of protecting the spruce. If you don't like the look of it, you should perhaps go back to a tortoise guard.

Many possibilities here. Using a pick? What kind, what tip? Strings can make a big difference. I like Martin Retros on my 45 for a thumpy, warm tone. It is true that some guitars just don’t like a particular string........got to experiment. I’m not a fan of the tusq that used as nut/saddle material on the new 45s.......too hard and can add brittleness to tone. Hope you find a solution. J45 can be a terrific instrument.

As the old saying goes, all things must end.....production of the J35 included. I'm very happy with mine. More articulate than the J45 Vintage, brighter and louder, I've been switching between the two while working this new cover tune and there is a distinct difference in their voices. Like the original run of 35s, perhaps in 100 years these will be treasured as a rare Gibson model.

So will the new P3 replace the Heritage as your goto capo?

Another reason that active systems suck.......all kinds of crap hung inside the instrument requiring futzing with. However, I understand some folks like 'em, so to solve your problem I recommend 3M Dual-Lock. This stuff is very good, vastly superior to velcro. As it snaps together it does require a bit of pressure to lock it in, but once locked it keeps what you put where it's should be.

Very nice looking instrument, sir! And apparently well worth the wait to land it. I think the only guitar that would tempt me these days is a 180-185 body, maple or mahogany. 200s are quite nice but a bit on the large side and long scale, neither of which appeals to me. New wood in the house!

Just as some perceive tonal changes in an instrument when changing bridge pin material (many do not), some perceive such changes behind the use of a Tone-Rite. Where does the truth lie? In the ears of the listener. A Tone-Rite is a more expensive experiment than bridge pins, but it is nonetheless an experiment with results that seem to vary with the listener and, to some degree, with the instrument. Some hear dramatic changes, others hear none. And just as different ears perceive results, different instruments may well produce different results. I do know that my 12 fret J-45 sounds very tight and congested for the first 15-20 minutes of play, at which point it definitely seems to relax, generating more warmth and a smoother voice. The 14 fret Vintage demonstrates no such tonal change.......it's ready to go right out of the case. This indicates to me that a guitars' tonal response to vibration varies from one to the next and that some instruments do, in fact, sound better when "warm". I must also point out that I get the same tonal shift every time I play the 12 fret. Perhaps in time this guitar will retain it's warmer voice when put away, but for now it is a temporary condition that is re-manifested each time out of the case. Your results will most certainly vary.

Martin Retro 12 on my Vintage model. Did not like them on the 12 fret........Sunbeam 12 on that one. I've learned that one's taste in strings changes more than once over the course of years........who knows what they might be wearing this time next year.

If the extra set included were MB 80/20 it is very likely the guitar is strung with the same. Why would they not be? In any event, 80/20 is quite bright in appearance right out of the package but will tarnish pretty rapidly, even if unplayed. Phosphor bronze are more a copper color out of the package. My money is on 80/20 on the guitar.

Nice, Doug......! What kind of pick are you using on the strumming track? Hearing a lot of click in it.......pick click, I reckon it is. Sounds like a relatively thin one.

The switch for these active onboard systems is in the guitars' output jack: if a cord is plugged in the circuitry is ON and the battery is being used. Hurrah for passive systems!

It's just terrible that that 1% is so distracting to you.......maybe wear blinders? or resist the temptation to look inside? And "Mr. Gibson" has been building guitars with little glue drops and rough sanded braces for a very long freakin' time. Reckon if it was gonna bite him on the arse it would have happened by now. Jumping on the forums' namesake with your first post is not a good way to make friends and influence people. You like the guitar, like no other one you've ever played......great!.......not everyone can say that..........play it and don't sweat the small stuff.

:blink: You joined the forum just to tell us this?

If you perceive my comments as rude, the answer is yes. And, much like the imperfections in your new guitar, you'll have to get used to it.

Wow dude. You didn't think to look in the sound hole before you laid down your money? I say that's your bad, not Gibsons'. You have high standards and you let this get by your QC. That's on you and after-the-fact it's too late to whine about your error. Get over it and play the damn guitar! <_<

Welcome to the forum! There are those that see such cosmetic things as deal breakers........they seem to have no tolerance for imperfection of any kind in an acoustic guitar. Honestly, this is an untenable position. Nothing, including acoustic guitars, can be held to such an impossible standard. Then there are those as myself for whom such cosmetic issues are part and parcel of the products of human hands. Aside from the annoying little glue residue and the insignificant mark on the heel (neither of which is "very much noticeable" to anyone but you), does the guitar play as you expect and have a pleasing tone? Yes? Play it......and don't sweat the small stuff. If it does not meet your standards for sound and playability consider returning it, but be advised that the next one may have cosmetic issues that annoy you even more. In a perfect world..........

Ever tried the Hummingbird? Considered by many to be the singer/songwriter guitar. Short scaled, squared shouldered sound machine!

Rock on, brother! Houston here as well...........need another vocal/guitar on occasion?

Your thread title says it all: flavor of the month. Lots of players of acoustic instruments change guitars like they change socks. What strikes one's fancy can be a fleeting, fickle thing. I suppose for some it's a "been-there, done-that" thing, for others it's eternal experimentation, seeking the holy grail that's just up ahead......somewhere. Once the new wears off of stuff it's much like the stuff you had before.....and the next stuff you'll get. I admire those that can be happy forever with a few pieces of gear and never get the wandering eye that leads such fools as myself to always be looking for the next one. I'm as guilty as anyone on that front, likely the worst of the lot of you! Pursue your flavor of the month and don't let the rest of 'em have much say in it.............. Now go spend some time with that Hummingbird you've been raving about!

Well done,sir! Your voice is sounding strong these days........very nicely done.

In defiance of the video police, here's a great old tune I'd guess everyone on the planet has heard at least once. Played on my new Kamaka HP-1D Pineapple Deluxe, just in from Hawaii a couple weeks back. Very sweet toned instrument............ http://youtu.be/NnsLnypqaXg (hmmmm.......videos used to embed on the forum........sabotage?)