bobouz Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Just took delivery of a natural finish J-185 made in Oct 2012. Didn't think anything could top my pleasure with a recently purchased LG-2 AE, but oh my gosh, Gibson delivers again - big time! Over the years I've played a few J-185s that made me weak in the knees, including one that got away back in 2001. So it's been a holy grail guitar for a long time. This one's got that tight popping maple tone I love for fingerpicking, along with the playability & simple beauty that has drawn me to J-185s in the past. Sorry I'm not a pic guy, but it looks just like the one currently on Gibson's website (standard J-185), and has the Fishman Ellipse Aura soundhole-control pickup system. Want to thank Gibson once again for producing another amazing instrument, and for providing a very happy start to the new year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 It's one of my favorite models. I've tried several of the TV version, too. The standard takes a little longer to wake up than those lighter versions but it is very good if you have a somewhat aggressive right hand. I use John Pearse PB New Mediums (medium on 1,2 and 6, rest light) on mine. I may go to mediums on my next setup. It has plenty of power on bass, the usual strong Gibson mids plus the clear maple trebles. What's not to like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Great guitars. I hope you like yours as much as I do mine. It's my favorite maple I've played to date and it's very comfortable to play. I've had mine a couple months. It does not have a pickup. Enjoy it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 It has plenty of power on bass, the usual strong Gibson mids plus the clear maple trebles. Yes indeed. The good ones I've played have had more than enough bass, but it's the overall clarity & percussive nature of fingerpicked notes that I find so impressive. Body size is super comfy, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 . Well you're certainly pleased with your new J-185. Having that to play is a great way to enjoy the new year. Congrats. How about a pic or two? . B) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 . Well you're certainly pleased with your new J-185. Having that to play is a great way to enjoy the new year. Congrats. How about a pic or two? Thanks BK. As mentioned, I'm not a pic guy & don't know why that process scares me so, but I can easily do email photos once I take some pics of the guitar for insurance purposes (I'm not much of a techno guy at all, but am being pushed into the 21st century, as my wife just gave me an I-Pod 5 for Christmas). Anyway, a big part of my immediate excitement is the fact that this model has recently become so darn hard to find. Even though the J-185 is still listed on Gibson's website, it appears to have been out of production since the end of 2012, and I'd been actively looking for one throughout the past year. So I'm feeling very fortunate to have come across a mint example, and in particular a tonally good one. The fact that my preference is for the natural finish version is frosting on the New Year's cake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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