onewilyfool Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 As some of you know I recently trades some Martins for some Gibsons. I traded two Beautiful Martins , which went to truly the perfect players, for two Gibsons, which have really become my favorite guitars. I don't usually do this, have two so similar guitars....that have turned out to be sooo dis-similar!!! First up was the AJ, short scale, Mahogany (kind of like a J-45TV with AJ appointments (from everything I can read up on it), and the second is the J-45 Pure Voice Adi/Hog (This guitar I can't find too much info on) The AJ, is bright, woody, percussive bassy, and LOUD. It has a "RAW" sound to it, the Gibson Growl that we all have come to know and love. Did I mention it is loud? Also, I like to do a lot of "percussive" playing where I mute the strings and use the guitar as a rhythm/drum sound in the song. BEST guitar I've ever had for this type of playing. This has got to be my favorite Gibson, that is, until the J-45 PV came along. Acoustically, the PV has a piano like sound. Very even across the strings, BUT I think it has even more Bass than the AJ. And that is saying a lot. Highs are more scintilating than on the AJ, sound is more refined than the AJ, and has a soft even strumming that is just a joy, but I can really attack it strum-wise and it will not distort. I mainly got this for the PV pickup, but am truly blessed with the acoustic presence on this wonderful guitar. I know you can't make blanket statements about models/brands, but if you get a chance to try either one of these, please do. All Gibson Jumbos are NOT created equal, and each guitar on it's own merit disclaimer added of course. I think they are both discontinued, but they come up used now and then and are worth a look/see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GDC Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Nice post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherofpearl Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I agree owf great guitars and the pup is superb. But I sold mine when I got this one Both excellent guitars. I love the pup is like to get it in another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 I don't think you can buy the "pure voice" pickup as an after market pup. It is a Gibson proprietary pickup, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I would love to get a couple of purevoice pups for my other Gibsons... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherofpearl Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I'm pretty sure the trance amulet mono is the exact same pup owf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbpicker Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I too, recently went from the Martin camp into the Gibson camp. Martins are wonderful guitars but I was becoming dis-interested in the Martin sound(I had many Martins over the years). I really like the clarity of the Gibson voice... I think my aging ears like it better, as the Martins were sounding a bit muffled to me.. I now have a 45 natural, 45 TV, and a 35. Each has its own distinctive voice, but all pure Gibson.. My first good acoustic guitar was a new Gibson J45 Cherry burst in 1963. I traded a Rickenbacker electric for it. My bandmates thought I had lost my mind.. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbpicker Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I too, recently went from the Martin camp into the Gibson camp. Martins are wonderful guitars but I was becoming dis-interested in the Martin sound(I had many Martins over the years). I really like the clarity of the Gibson voice... I think my aging ears like it better, as the Martins were sounding a bit muffled to me.. I now have a 45 natural, 45 TV, and a 35. Each has its own distinctive voice, but all pure Gibson.. My first good acoustic guitar was a new Gibson J45 Cherry burst in 1963. I traded a Rickenbacker electric for it. My bandmates thought I had lost my mind.. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 OWF - the "Pure Voice" is Gibson's marketing title for the Trance Amulet Mono. They can be had for about $300, and with the new instructions and tape installation, it can even be self-installed. I had one of my amulets pop-off on the road, got some of the tape from Trance, a piece of cardboard, a siccors and 2 golf tees, and re-installed it - piece of cake. I can relate to the Martin trade-off thing - year and a half ago I had 3 Martins, and one Gibson, not 2 Martins, and 4 Gibson's - and looking to add more as soon as I can figure out how to sell my wife's piano without her finding out... Intrigued by your short-scale AJ - I love the short-scale - do you suppose these can be found w Rosewood ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 OWF - the "Pure Voice" is Gibson's marketing title for the Trance Amulet Mono. They can be had for about $300, and with the new instructions and tape installation, it can even be self-installed. I had one of my amulets pop-off on the road, got some of the tape from Trance, a piece of cardboard, a siccors and 2 golf tees, and re-installed it - piece of cake. I can relate to the Martin trade-off thing - year and a half ago I had 3 Martins, and one Gibson, not 2 Martins, and 4 Gibson's - and looking to add more as soon as I can figure out how to sell my wife's piano without her finding out... Intrigued by your short-scale AJ - I love the short-scale - do you suppose these can be found w Rosewood ? Dan, I think RAR knows something about these special run AJ's, some Store in Indiana had them made. I think they were made in Rosewood, Maple and Mahogany. I've never seen one before I traded for this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Hull Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 Hi OWF! Congrats on your recent purchase of the J45 PureVoice Custom...I got to play several of those last year, and each one was an incredible guitar. DuluthDan is absolutely correct about the Trance Audio/PureVoice connection. This pickup is just a re-branded Trance Audio MVT, our new mono system with a soundhole-mounted volume and tone control. You can buy an Amulet M system (complete with high-quality electronics) starting at $279. These can be easily installed yourself with no messy glues or adhesives, saving you the price and time of having to have it professionally installed, AND we provide the necessary simple installation tools with the system. Check out pur website at: www.tranceaudio.com There's also lots of information on our "vault" page about our systems, and acoustic pickips and amplification in general. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have, and we'll be happy to help you outfit your instrument. Glad you're enjoying the system! Cheers, Gary/Trance Audio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share Posted July 31, 2013 Hi Gary, thanks...I think you guys are over in Santa Cruz CA, right? Can I come over and have you guys install one for me on one of my other guitars??? Hi OWF! Congrats on your recent purchase of the J45 PureVoice Custom...I got to play several of those last year, and each one was an incredible guitar. DuluthDan is absolutely correct about the Trance Audio/PureVoice connection. This pickup is just a re-branded Trance Audio MVT, our new mono system with a soundhole-mounted volume and tone control. You can buy an Amulet M system (complete with high-quality electronics) starting at $279. These can be easily installed yourself with no messy glues or adhesives, saving you the price and time of having to have it professionally installed, AND we provide the necessary simple installation tools with the system. Check out pur website at: www.tranceaudio.com There's also lots of information on our "vault" page about our systems, and acoustic pickips and amplification in general. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have, and we'll be happy to help you outfit your instrument. Glad you're enjoying the system! Cheers, Gary/Trance Audio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Hull Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 Hi OWF! I'm sorry, but we don't do installations here at Trance Audio. HOWEVER... I'm not kidding when I say that you can do the installation yourself (imagine me pointing my finger here for extra emphasis). It's seriously easy if you follow our very well documented procedure. It doesn't involve messy adhesives or superglue (!!??!?!) that might get on your guitar and ruin the finish, and we include the necessary clamp and beautiful personalized Trance Audio golf tees (don't leave home without 'em) when you buy a system from us. Doing the installation yourself will save you a fair amount of time and money, and provide you with a true sense of smug self satisfaction. Here's a link to our illustration-laden installation manual: http://www.tranceaudio.com/manuals/TranceTemplateInstall.pdf Now, if you don't want to do the installation yourself and if you're in the SF Bay area, you can check with Tall Toad Music in Petaluma, or Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto. They are both excellent establishments, and dealers and installers of our systems. They both also have many fine guitars that you absolutely cannot live without, so don't bring any more money than you are prepared to spend. Seriously. Cheers, Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherofpearl Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 Hey Gary thanks for posting! Not to be a stick in the mud here but if its that easy why aren't you guys installing the pickups? Just curious. Also does trance have a Canadian dealer? Jamie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 First up was the AJ, short scale, Mahogany (kind of like a J-45TV with AJ appointments (from everything I can read up on it)... Wily, I think it's more accurate to think of the short-scale hog AJ as a Fuller's J-35 with AJ appointments. The Fuller's J-35, J-45 TV, and short-scale hog AJ all share the wide x top bracing, but the J-45 TV has higher and thinner back braces. The Fuller's J-35 and the short-scale hog AJ have the low and heavy back braces. Glade you got two such great slopes. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Hull Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 Hi Jamie: We don't have any Canadian dealers, but you can buy a system directly from us. Like most pickup manufacturers, we aren't set up to provide installation services, but we're happy to answer any questions you or your local luthier/guitar repair person might have about installation and about our systems. Please feel free to email or call us! Cheers, Gary/Trance Audio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherofpearl Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 Great Gary thanks. We will be in touch. Jamie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted August 2, 2013 Author Share Posted August 2, 2013 Wily, I think it's more accurate to think of the short-scale hog AJ as a Fuller's J-35 with AJ appointments. The Fuller's J-35, J-45 TV, and short-scale hog AJ all share the wide x top bracing, but the J-45 TV has higher and thinner back braces. The Fuller's J-35 and the short-scale hog AJ have the low and heavy back braces. Glade you got two such great slopes. Red 333 Good to know...Red, you have one of these in Maple right, if my memory serves me well???? All I knonw is this one is LOUD.....also has bound fretboard, which I like the looks of...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 Good to know...Red, you have one of these in Maple right, if my memory serves me well???? All I knonw is this one is LOUD.....also has bound fretboard, which I like the looks of...... Yep. I have a a maple one. I haven't measured it, but the fretboard on mine feels wide-ish. Is yours? Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted August 2, 2013 Author Share Posted August 2, 2013 Yep. I have a a maple one. I haven't measured it, but the fretboard on mine feels wide-ish. Is yours? Red 333 The spec says 1.77"...I MEASURE mine at 1/32" over 1 3/4", so a little wide...My L-20 is 1 13/16", my widest Gibson nut width. I actually like that 1.77" on the AJ SS, VERY comfy for my hands... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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