Loudest Gibson Acoustic

[skeeterbuck]

I currently play a 2005 Gibson J-60 Walnut and it's the loudest acoustic I've ever played. That's one the the reason I like it so much. You can strum it lightly and it produces a nice moderate volume, but the harder you strum the louder it gets. It doesn't seem to hit a threshold like some other guitars.

 

The bracing is based on the AJ hence the reason they're referred to as the "Bonecrusher II".

 

What's the loudest Gibson acoustic you've ever played?

 

Chuck

[grampa]

My Gibson F-25. It scared me the first time I played it in 1983. Insanely loud and others who have played it said the same. I don't really know why but I kind of think it has to do with the obvious rough life it had before I found it. It has a poorly refinished top and strange marks and scars that indicate some weird abuse and I think this guitar was waiting for someone who appreciated it to really open up.

[hovishead]

My J-45 is very loud and the loudest Gibson I've owned but not as loud as the HD-28V I used to have. That was incredibly loud. I found it's power (and bass) a bit overbearing though and am much happier with the straight braced D-28 I bought as it's replacement. I appreciate power, but I like a guitar I can dig in with and play vigorously. I often find with the really responsive guitars they tend to get a bit muddy when played full throttle.

[MissouriPicker]

My Gibson J60 rosewood is the loudest acoustic I've played. It can drown-out banjos or any other acoustic. Three times at bluegrass jams I've had people come across the room and ask me what model of Gibson I'm playing and they tell me they can hear it clearly amongst all the racket. It's louder than my other four Gibsons, although the J150 is in the ballpark and the Dove ain't bad. To my ears it has a clear and thumpy bass and real strong mids. The bass and mid tones dominate. If I play with a pick, we're talking lots and lots of volume. Bonecrusher is the right name for the J60.

[jrplefty]

My J-200 just based on total volume is definitely the loudest Gibson I've owned/played; however, I have a new LG-2 American Eagle that is much louder than my J-45 and J-200 when playing fingerstyle

[skeeterbuck]

My Gibson J60 rosewood is the loudest acoustic I've played. It can drown-out banjos or any other acoustic. Three times at bluegrass jams I've had people come across the room and ask me what model of Gibson I'm playing and they tell me they can hear it clearly amongst all the racket. It's louder than my other four Gibsons, although the J150 is in the ballpark and the Dove ain't bad. To my ears it has a clear and thumpy bass and real strong mids. The bass and mid tones dominate. If I play with a pick, we're talking lots and lots of volume. Bonecrusher is the right name for the J60.

 

 

I hear yea MP, but it's kinda hard over that J-60 yer play'in.

 

I think that those J-60 maybe one of the sleepers in the Gibson acoustic lineup.

 

Chuck

[Dave F]

For me it's my AJ with the walnut back and sides.

Loudest guitar I've ever played.

[Stubee]

AJ Reissue, the original RW back/sides model.

[zombywoof]

I have never really thought of Gibsons as being especially loud guitars. Full and just good sounding yeah but loud - nah. Always figured it had something to do with the shorter scale. The two loudest guitars I have yet to hold in my hands are a friend's Westerly-built Guild D-55 and another friend's pre-War Martin D-28.

[MR GIBS]

The loudest is my MR GIBS SJ200 Custom Elite.

[tpbiii]

If we are talking Gibsons, these

 

 

If Martins, then these:

 

There is one more super powerful one -- the 43 SJ RW not shown.

 

As a group, the mid 30s Gibsons, the 30s and WWII Martins, and the SJ are all similar in power (I am talking about ours -- I don't have enough experience to make a more general statement). The Gibsons often don't get credit for how good they are because they are so rare. The RW tonal properties sometimes are ranked above mahogany because they growl and the Trojan and RSSD also because of their raw tone.

 

LET'S PICK,

 

-TOM

[zombywoof]

I think Gibsons do get credit. When an original AJ or late 1930s J-35 walks into the room there is generally a pretty good hush. But they sure as heck do not have the price tag of a similar vintage Martin. In comparison Gibsons look like downright bargains.

 

But Tom made the point well. I have played a gazillion guitars and never thought of Gibsons as being "loud" guitars. No particular one stands out in my brain in terms of how much air it moved. If there was a surprise it was the J-200s which I find relatively quiet for their size.

[j45nick]

If we are talking Gibsons, these

 

 

 

There is one more super powerful one -- the 43 SJ RW not shown.

 

As a group, the mid 30s Gibsons, the 30s and WWII Martins, and the SJ are all similar in power (I am talking about ours -- I don't have enough experience to make a more general statement). The Gibsons often don't get credit for how good they are because they are so rare. The RW tonal properties sometimes are ranked above mahogany because they growl and the Trojan and RSSD also because of their raw tone.

 

LET'S PICK,

 

-TOM

 

Tom, I bet that AJ is a monster......

[retrorod]

My '48 SJ is 'no slouch' in the loudness category......and might I add 'articulate' as well. Tis whatever you fancy her to be.....just like the 'perfect woman'....

[Motherofpearl]

I hear yea MP, but it's kinda hard over that J-60 yer play'in.

 

I think that those J-60 maybe one of the sleepers in the Gibson acoustic lineup.

 

Chuck

 

I agree with the sleeper part no doubt about it!

But I also agree with zomby. Gibsons just aren't real loud guitars and I don't believe they are meant to be. The AJ no doubt is a monster.

If you go grab a Collings or the like they just Boom.

Also if I may add the JB model is no slouch either. I really find 12 fretters to be very projective and a little warmer in tone.

[zurdo]

Hi all!

I am sorry to break your hearts especially in Christmas, but one of the loudest Gibson you'll ever hear is a Mark 81, yep, that one.

 

and it's not just loud, but it is "refined loud". Loud and refined enough to be heard with a pleasant chimey sound, instead of

sounding like a tin-can when played hard.

 

Merry Christmas!

[Sitedrifter]

My J-200 is loud and powerful but you need to put some umph into your playing to get that power out of it. However, my SWD is a cannon, almost freakishly. Square shoulder dreadnought with that AJ bracing puts this one over the top for me.

[Dave F]

Just for kicks I setup a decibel meter and strummed a few of my guitars just to see what they measured.

I tried to strum them all the same and noticed it took quite bit more or less to get a noticeable difference.

The meter was about 3 feet away.

Surprisingly they measured within 1 decibel to each other.

I did notice if I pushed them some responded stronger on the bass side.

Here are the guitars I tested.

Gibson J200 RW B&S

Martin D41S

Gibson AJ Walnut B&S

Gibson J45 Legend (this had the strongest bass when pushed)

Gibson Jackson Browne

Gibson '53 J50

Next time I'll set the meter further away and see if there's a difference.

 

 

[skeeterbuck]

Just for kicks I setup a decibel meter and strummed a few of my guitars just to see what they measured.

I tried to strum them all the same and noticed it took quite bit more or less to get a noticeable difference.

The meter was about 3 feet away.

Surprisingly they measured within 1 decibel to each other.

I did notice if I pushed them some responded stronger on the bass side.

Here are the guitars I tested.

Gibson J200 RW B&S

Martin D41S

Gibson AJ Walnut B&S

Gibson J45 Legend (this had the strongest bass when pushed)

Gibson Jackson Browne

Gibson '53 J50

Next time I'll set the meter further away and see if there's a difference.

 

WoW…thtat's interesting Dave. I would have guessed that the AJ and the Jackson Brown would have been the loudest.

[tpbiii]

There is a natural tendency to think of loudness to be the same as intensity, but it is not. The ear and the brain is a wonderful combination that does a lot of processing before we perceive the sound. The simplest and most obvious manifestation of this is the frequency variable of the ear -- both low frequencies and high frequencies are attenuated compared for the middle band. Thus if you have two signals of equal measured intensity, but one has more energy in very low and very high levels than the other, then it will sound less loud.

 

Now this is not saying that intensity is not correlates with loudness -- it is just not exactly the same thing.

 

Best,

 

-Tom

[Rambler]

There is a natural tendency to think of loudness to be the same as intensity, but it is not.

As a for instance, the AJ I once had could be driven hard and not break up, and most likely would have kep up in a string band (never got the chance), but it did not have a 'big' sound. Mine was a very cut and dried /spit em out sound without much presence. Nothing like the explosive high end crack and booming bass of, say, a Martin dread. But that's Gibson's thing, isnt it? Gutiars engineered for chording (that is, inside jazz chords): quick bark without a lot of overtones.

[JuanCarlosVejar]

I think that big body guitars not always equal loud guitars .

 

a small body guitar with ladder bracing and maple back and sides certainly can be loud :

Arlo #1 :

 

 

 

 

 

Arlo #2 :

 

 

 

In my opinion the sound of both those example show that you don't always need a D 28 with brazilian and pre war style x bracing

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not saying vintage martins aren't great but I'm saying gibson can make some nicely loud maple small bodies

 

 

 

JC

[Rambler]

--"I think that big body guitars not always equal loud guitars" they may not project as well.

--"a small body guitar with ladder bracing and maple back and sides certainly can be loud" nolo contendre.

--"you don't always need a D 28 with brazilian and pre war style x bracing" Whoa. Depends on the app. Sure helps in bluegrass..

[Joesanphoto]

Loudest guitar I ever played is my j-60. 1st guitar I ever played that made me buy it on the spot.

[seamonkey]

Loudest Gibson, an AJ. Loudest acoustic, hands down a '75 Guild F50 Blond