brannon67 Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 For all you guys who have or played a J35, is it all that, or is it just a low priced piece of Gibson fudder to try to take our money, and for those who cant afford a real J45? Tell me, I want to know. Is it legit, or is it a Walmart special Gibson? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I've played a few and they are very good. Sorry to disappoint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 The Walmart Special Gibsons are called Epiphones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeljohnr Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I really liked the one I played, and if I was in the market would have taken it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phelonious Ponk Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 E one I've played was the real deal. A little brighter than the J 45 standard I played in the same store, but very nice. Â P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottnfld Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Mine sounds great...its the real deal for sure. Incredible value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR GIBS Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Mine sounds great too. Sharp and crunchy. Not so much low end. Not a J45, but different. Very easy to play for me. For fingerpicking, for strumming, for solo. This is a loud instrument - needed some time to "tame" it... The J35 voice just "breaks trough". For a singer-songwriter as I am the instrument is good and I use it. Yes, the J35 is cheaper than the J45. I had the money for the J45 but I prefered this one because of the interesting (to me) sound and the easy neck. What I don't like - I don't like the pickup. 1. This is a piezo - I don't like plugged in piezo sounds. 2. The volume knob is on the soundhole-this prevents me to put an O-Port in the soundhole... 3. The battery is inside the guitar-to change it I have to loosen the strings and I hate that! 4. I hate batterys inside instruments. What if this thing leaks off? It will harm the wood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I`ve played a couple of J-35`s and found them to be great, and a bit on the zingy side. I have also played a few of the new IB-64 Texans, and to be honest I couldn`t hear any real difference acoustically, which was a surprise and the Texan seemed to play better for me. Perhaps I prefer the longer scale. Â Â Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I've played one J35, and thought it had a very nice tone, even if just a bit brighter than what I prefer. Â But what impressed me the most was the build quality. First rate all the way. This is a guitar being sold at a price point - nothing low buck about the construction, and as such, a lot of value for the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR GIBS Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 But what impressed me the most was the build quality. First rate all the way. This is a guitar being sold at a price point - nothing low buck about the construction, and as such, a lot of value for the money. Exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbuck Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 There must be "legit". There are too many favorable reviews for this not to be the case. The one I played was nice, not my favorite Gibson ever, but at the street price I could definately enjoy it if that's all I wanted to spend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvguit Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 The J-35 is absolutely for real. In fact, I believe it is the greatest value for the money of any USA made acoustic guitar on the market today (just my opinion thought). I play all vintage Gibsons but my main guitar is my 2013 J-35. Â It looks like you are about 3.5 hrs away from one of the best 5 star dealers in the country (they were the 2012 Gibson Dealer of the Year). Right now they have at least 4 J-35s in stock. Call Keith at Bailey Brothers in Birmingham and tell him you are coming to check out the J-35s. He's a forum member here and a straight shooter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbuck Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 The Walmart Special Gibsons are called Epiphones. Â ZW, I thought the Walmart Gibsons were Maestros. LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 ZW, I thought the Walmart Gibsons were Maestros. LOL! Â Â Good Point, I had forgot about those. I did not mean to imply that Epis are crappy First Line kinda guitars - just Gibson-esque instruments for the less well heeled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 So Gibson gets bad mouthed one day for making guitars most mere mortals cannot afford and then the next for putting out cheaper knock offs of their line. Â From my limited hands-on experience I would agree that the J-35 is voiced brighter than a run of the mill round shoulder guitar. Does not make it fodder for the Walmart denizens though. It is a Gibson through and through and one that will appeal to both Gibby traditionalists and those would like a more "modern" voiced instrument. Â I can live without all onboard electonics though. I would rather just pay for the guitar and then nake them pluginable down down the road Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 +1 on the electronics. I just dropped off a 165 to get all that pulled out, among other things. I really wonder how many buyers actually end up using that? The end plugs often become loose and is harder to put a strap on, the wires inside get loose, the battery is a pita... It's probably a selling point. I have no use for those things. If they dropped the pickups and lowered the price it would be even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Ive had a chance to play a few J-35's now and have to admit my initial excitement for them is starting to wane a bit. I think they are a realy 'fun' guitars to play but I find the tone a bit thin and bright after a few samples. Â Having said that its not a 'cheap' Gibson, it sounds like Gibson all the way, just a bit on the 'thin' side .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkolo Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I've played a few and I have to agree they sound "brighter" or more "modern", but quality fit and finish looks to be right in line with the J45. Nice guitars, I'd love to hear one after a year or two of break in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfbird Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I seem to have less luck than many on the board. While I've found quite a few 'take me home' Gibsons, I've also found a fair share of Gibson guitars that sound no better than the Ibanez/Yamahas of the world. Â It is extremely important that YOU play as many models as possible and that you find the sound you're looking for. Â That said, while I've never found a J35 that sounded as nice as the best J45s I've played, the builds have been as others have found -- very, very good. Â I would never buy a J35 just to have a Gibson. It would be great if you could go and have a blindfold test and see which guitars speak to you. Â But then I confess my own prejudice appears to be towards bigger guitars with a fuller-lower end. (I love my J-200, my Hummingbird, my Martin D28 -- and I'm personally eyeballing a Martin D17M as my next amazing guitar) Â If I were looking for a smaller Gibson, I love the vintage LG2s and3s I've played. (Though finding one for the price of a J35 is likely impossible). Â Just food for thought from someone who has yet to hear a J35 in person that blew him away -- but who is not a Gibson basher, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Though I didn't mind the electronics on my J-35 I never really used them (maybe that's why I didn't mind them). Â I took the electronics out myself the other day, took about 30 min all in. Pretty easy to take them out, little bit of naptha to remove the sticky residue left by the stick on wire holder pieces. I still have to plug the end jack and fill two tiny screw holes on the neck block left by the battery pack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 That said, while I've never found a J35 that sounded as nice as the best J45s I've played, the builds have been as others have found -- very, very good. Â Â I think that it is not an issue of not sounding as nice as much as it is of sounding different. I would think there would be no money in putting out a guitar which was a spot on sound alike for the J-45 for less scratch. I am guessing this is why the Working Man guitars met an untimely demise. Gibson is a corporation and exists to make money. It just so happens they make their money off of something that brings us a whole lot of enjoyment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I think that it is not an issue of not sounding as nice as much as it is of sounding different. I would think there would be no money in putting out a guitar which was a spot on sound alike for the J-45 for less scratch. I am guessing this is why the Working Man guitars met an untimely demise. Gibson is a corporation and exists to make money. It just so happens they make their money off of something that brings us a whole lot of enjoyment. Exactly  I own a J-45 TV and J-35 for the above reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Though I didn't mind the electronics on my J-35 I never really used them (maybe that's why I didn't mind them). Â I took the electronics out myself the other day, took about 30 min all in. Pretty easy to take them out, little bit of naptha to remove the sticky residue left by the stick on wire holder pieces. I still have to plug the end jack and fill two tiny screw holes on the neck block left by the battery pack. Â It's not an under-saddle transducer? Part of my object in removing pickups is getting that out, necessitating a new saddle, all of which would take me more than 30 minutes, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarLight Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I`ve played a couple of J-35`s and found them to be great, and a bit on the zingy side. I have also played a few of the new IB-64 Texans, and to be honest I couldn`t hear any real difference acoustically, which was a surprise and the Texan seemed to play better for me. Perhaps I prefer the longer scale. Â http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5ow7ybFLLI Â Steve. Â Clearly the Epiphone Texan is the better value, and certainly has the better tone, and look. And with Epiphone, at least you will know that the fit and finish are correct. But SHHHH! Don't let Gibson know this or they will discontinue the Texan. And I can understand why. How can Gibson explain that the Epiphone sounds, and looks better than the $1600 J-35? The Epi cost just $399. There isn't an audience member in the world who would discern the difference in tone, and 99% of them would prefer the fine burst of the Texan, over the drab brown J-35. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeljohnr Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I`ve played a couple of J-35`s and found them to be great, and a bit on the zingy side. I have also played a few of the new IB-64 Texans, and to be honest I couldn`t hear any real difference acoustically, which was a surprise and the Texan seemed to play better for me. Perhaps I prefer the longer scale. Â http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5ow7ybFLLI Â Steve. Â Wow. Â Over my PC speakers, that Texan sounded much better that the J35. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.