Played 2 New J-45 '42 Banner Reissues

[jdd707]

Wandered into Bailey Brothers yesterday and hanging on the wall was, not one but, two of the awaited reissues. You'll remember that it is based on a banner belonging to a friend of JTs and JT loaned it to Gibson. So here are some thoughts.

 

Very nice and retro looking, from the burst to the tuning pegs. In fact, I especially liked the tuners which looked antuque and were indeed factory aged. The buttons were a bit white and probably should be yellowed some (for my taste).

 

The fit and finish was excellent, like all the Bozeman Gibsons. And, wonder of wonders, the pickguard was actually positioned correctly !

 

The neck was chunky! For those who like chunky, this is your guitar. Don't like that much myself, but otherwise this guitar was nicely playable in a way one would expect from a new J-45. Set up was standard Bozeman, a tad high for me but just right for a hard strummer.

 

The tone, you asked? Well it sounded like a J-45, no better and no worse than the many new J-45s I played in my life .... off that same wall in recent years. The guitar was well balanced with typical Gibson lows and nice clear mids. On the high side, one of the guitars was very good with clear balanced tone on the B and high E strings .... the other guitar, not so much being nice but not quite so crisp.

 

The cost seems fair, being a few hundred more than a J45 standard.

 

Verdict ... this is a nice guitar for the person who wants a new J-45 and really wants one with chunky neck. One will pay a little more for this reissue but, to a certain segment of buyers, this will be money well spent.

[GotTheSilver]

Thanks for the review! This is the first hands-on review I have seen of this guitar. And that you got to play two of them is great!

 

So, I am getting from your comments on tone that this guitar is probably on par with the J-45 Standard or maybe the True Vintage, is that correct? I wonder if you have played a J-45 Legend and can compare the two, as this is a 1942 reissue and so is the Legend (of a specific 1942 guitar).

 

As for the chunky neck, the first time I played a J-45 Legend I thought the neck was ungodly huge! I just could not see playing it. Over time, I tried out a few more Legends and it did not seem so outrageous to me. I now own a Legend and it did not take long at all for me to get very comfortable with the neck. If anyone likes this guitar, but is afraid of the chunky neck, I would encourage them to spend some time with it, maybe try it out a few times and start to get used to it.

[zombywoof]

One of the things that hits home, especially after reading JT's book, is that of all the Gibson guitars ever made it is the Banners that have a mystique about them. Even the answer to who decided to adorn the headstocks with the "Only a Gibson is Good Enough" remains elusive. By all accounts these guitars should have been some of the most sloppily built and possibly worst sounding in the company's history. But the build quality and sound of the instruments those untrained ladies built defies all logic.

 

The folks at Bozeman and those who put this run together can capture the sound and feel of these instruments. But what they can't capture is the picture of those women putting these things together which just automatically seems to creep into your head causing you to mutter a quiet thank you. In 50+ years of playing old guitars I have never experienced that with any other instrument.

[jdd707]

Thanks for the review! This is the first hands-on review I have seen of this guitar. And that you got to play two of them is great!

 

So, I am getting from your comments on tone that this guitar is probably on par with the J-45 Standard or maybe the True Vintage, is that correct? I wonder if you have played a J-45 Legend and can compare the two, as this is a 1942 reissue and so is the Legend (of a specific 1942 guitar).

 

As for the chunky neck, the first time I played a J-45 Legend I thought the neck was ungodly huge! I just could not see playing it. Over time, I tried out a few more Legends and it did not seem so outrageous to me. I now own a Legend and it did not take long at all for me to get very comfortable with the neck. If anyone likes this guitar, but is afraid of the chunky neck, I would encourage them to spend some time with it, maybe try it out a few times and start to get used to it.

 

Yes you are quite correct about the tone ..... very much like a Standard ..... did not remind me of my J50TV or any of ther J45 TVs that I've played. I've not played a Legend but I agree with you about the chunky factor ..... repeated playing will render the neck comfortable to most.

[chipss36]

Wow this sounds interesting , love larger necks , just hitting all the right spots for me anyway

[jt]

Thanks for the report! I only saw the first one, and then only for a few moments. So, I wasn't able to inspect it carefully to see if it matched the original or to play or listen to it.