Difference between gibson j-45 buddy holly an j-45 standard

[danforth]

Hi,

 

I want to buy a second hand Gibson J-45. This weekend I'm going to try out 2 different J-45's. One is a 1996 J-45 buddy holly, the other is a 2003 J-45 standard. Looking at specs on the internet I found that the Buddy Holly model has a sitka sprice top and hog B&S. Banner headstock logo, buddy holly trussrod cover and closed butterbean tuners. They were made in 1995 and 96, 300 were made each of these years. The standard also has sitka spruce top and hog B&S. Tuners, logo, trussrodcover is different. There's a really big price difference between these 2 guitars.

 

So can anyone tell what's special about the run of buddy holly models?

 

Cheers!

 

Danforth

[ParlourMan]

Two words.... Perceived collectability.

[danforth]

Two words.... Perceived collectability.

 

Yes, I could figure that out myself, but I was thinking more in terms of wood used, sound, build quality, etc.

[jannusguy2]

Probably nothing. Do yourself a favor and save some money. I have had 3 J45s, a TV, a garden variety '96 and a '51. I still have the '51 for the perceived collectibility. The overall tonal difference and playability between the newer ones was negligible to my ears.

[ParlourMan]

both are sitka and hog back & sides, so the diffrence will be in the blurb and the details like tuners, the banner (cough cough ye can get a banner on a J-35 one of their cheapest models) the TR cover and the paperwork/certificates that come with it. Perhaps it has a special case maybe, I dunno... but all pedantic guff aside it's a dressed up J-45 standard really... While it may be coveted at the minute due to limited numbers, ie, 600 overpriced sig models, it might not always be the case, there could be future Holly related stuff that appels more to the market at that time...

 

but there's two camps, those who believe you might be on to something special and the rest of us who'll see it as a dressed up J-45 std with an artist association and inflated price-tag.

 

I'm not one ot tell another man how to spend his money, so it really boild down to what tickles your fancy and how deep yer pockets are.

 

Good luck with your choice.

[danforth]

Hey, thanks for your answers so far.

 

I'm not a collector but a player, so the minor differences and a nice case won't win me over. Anyway...I'm going to play the guitars and let my ears decide.

[MorrisrownSal]

Danforth where are you located? I ask because there is a smoking deal on a few new Gibby's in NJ tomorrow and Sunday I could tell you about.

[blindboygrunt]

Buy it and when he dies Itll be worth a fortune !

[Jerry K]

There is a youtube video of a guy playing a 96 Buddy Holly J-45. It looks like a square shoulder J-45 with all sorts of anachronisms as they often had in the late 90's. I would suspect that a recent model would sound better. But you never know.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ccoGy3DnPo

[gov]

I can't speak to why the BH costs more in this case but I can say that sometimes there are other differences like tuners, bracing, construction details, specs

 

for instance, besides the sheryl crow name on the orange label of my sj, it also has waverly tuners, bone saddle, nut and pins, modified v taper neck (negligible if any difference), was noted the bracing was different (30's advanced--not sure how to quantify that other than to say it was far more responsive than the std models i played), hide glue (have heard conflicting answers on this though) and double rosette (could care less myself).

 

all those things add up to a difference in price beyond the name with some obviously more-so than others.

[zombywoof]

If I recall that Buddy Holly model was kinda an odd duck with its white banner and a white block logo and all. From what I can gather they are worth no more or no less than any other of a number of variations of the J-45 made in the 1990s. They did come with a nice case - brown exterior and pink plush interior.

[danforth]

Here are some photo's of the j45 BH.

[blindboygrunt]

There is a youtube video of a guy playing a 96 Buddy Holly J-45. It looks like a square shoulder J-45 with all sorts of anachronisms as they often had in the late 90's. I would suspect that a recent model would sound better. But you never know.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ccoGy3DnPo

 

My dog stopped eating his dinner when I played that.

 

 

How can there be a square shoulder and a round shoulder buddy holly guitar ?

[Martin 1940D28]

Jerry K and Blindboygrunt, You sure hit the nail on the head! Buddy Holly J45 was a slope shoulder. Something is amiss here. The only ones I've seen, one pictured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and in person at Mr. Music in Allston, Mass. The mag in the January, 1996 issue, and in person at the same time, were sloped shoulders, with the early small bridge. Was Gibson that far off back then, too? Martin 1940D28 BBG, Your dogs taste is???

[jannusguy2]

There is a youtube video of a guy playing a 96 Buddy Holly J-45. It looks like a square shoulder J-45 with all sorts of anachronisms as they often had in the late 90's. I would suspect that a recent model would sound better. But you never know.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ccoGy3DnPo

Well, there's :45 seconds I'll never get back! That guitar ain't right. Should be a slope shouldered.