Jinny Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 I have been playing for just over two years and I think it's time to start looking for a good guitar. THE guitar. I have one of the laminate Martins, the DCXE. I like the size, but it just does not have a magical tone (surprise). My friend has one of the Masterbuilt Epiphones that sounds great, but it is a large bodied jumbo that is uncomfortable to get my arm over so I don't play it for very long. It seems my playing tastes are falling toward mostly fingerpicking improv and blues. I want a smaller bodied guitar that is easy to play, but generally don't like the boxy sound of a parlor style guitar. Looking over the different web sites and reviews, it seems the CJ 165 might just be the perfect investment. Not too big, not too small... just right Before I go out to track one down to play, I'd like suggestions of other models from anyone who might have similar tastes and similar experience. Thanks in advance, Jinny
amp Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 The 165 is an excellent guitar. I have the rosewood one and it sounds much bigger than it is. And very easy to play. I also have a L-00, another small body guitar. It is also easy to handle. Being a very nice Gibson, it also sounds terrific. I've decided the L-00 size is the perfect thing for me, but the 165 is pretty much the same size, just a different shape. Anne
Jinny Posted January 2, 2009 Author Posted January 2, 2009 I'll try to find an L 00 to check out too. It seems most shops around here like to stock mostly big dreadnoughts or jumbos, but I am off this weekend and may just spend a day driving around looking. If I happen on something used, even better. Thanks!
jchabalk Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 Play some J45's too, they may be just up your alley. I've got a TV with red spruce top and it's quite fantastic..
Jinder Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 I really like the 165. The Rosewood and Maple versions are completely different to one another, so you have goodly variation available when searching for 'that' tone. They are a very comfy guitar to play too, just the right size and shape. I had a Maple one which was amazing, I had to part with it for various reasons but I miss it a lot. Happy searching!
Hoss Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 I'd recommend a good used guitar. If you have the $$, look for a vintage L-00 or LG2. Both have a bit more room for fingerpicking than the J165. (at least, the older LG2 will have that feature) Both excellent for bluesy fingerpickers. I'd also advise for a used guitar, since you haven't been playing that long. THere's a good chance that sometime in the next couple of years you'll run into a guitar that you REALLY really like, or even find that you're more interested in a different kind of music. You should be able to get your money back on the sale of a used guitar. It's quite a bit harder to do this if you start with a shiny new one.
Rambler Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 Id 2nd Hoss re buying used. There are deals to be had out there. Re the 165: your musical interests (blues ,fingerstyle) might point in the direction of maple/mahogany--rw can sound impressive but might be too bassy/ringy for that particular application. At least, that's been my experience. Whatever you set on, try if at all possible to play before you pay. Until that happens, you just wont know how its going to feel in your hands and sound to your ear. At least preview some clips online. Good luck.
ajsc Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 Play some J45's too' date=' they may be just up your alley. I've got a TV with red spruce top and it's quite fantastic..[/quote'] What "jchabalk" said!! I have an 05 mahogany, that I recently picked up for about a grand that just kicks my butt!!
Modac Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 I'd look around for a used Martin 00-18v.....and see if you still have the bug for a small Gibson. The 00-18v models are in another league, entirely, from either a j165 or a modern, garden variety L-00----and you should be able to get a good used one for less than either of those, new. If you're thinking bigger, then a J-45 (without the electronic stuff) could fit the bill----especially if you can find a good one from the mid 90s----some of them are quite lightly built, and sound great.
Hoyt Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 Jimmy, If you are still in Atlanta, go to MidTown Music. It is near Decatur on Druid Hills Road. I was in there a month or so ago and they had a 165; an Emmy Lou Harris model which was cool; several J200s, two very nice LG2s; an L-OO; all types of J45s; a couple of Doves and Hummingbirds; Songwriters; 185s and numerous customs I was afraid to touch. I've bought from them for years, best shop anywhere for that type of thing. Perhaps the only store I've seen that has a similar selection of Gibsons is Fullers, but it's too far to try things out. If you are into electrics, Fender and Gibson, they specialize in some nice choices there too. You won't find a better amp store either. I bought a L00 Blues King last year and love it. But, I'm getting the hankering for another trip.
Rambler Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 "I'd look around for a used Martin 00-18v" 2nd Modac on this, tone and price point. Great lil ol' bluesy fingerpickers (recent L00s can be a little....brassy). Might be premature at this point to get hung up on brands, at least until you find one that makes your socks roll up.
rustystrings Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 Count me among those suggesting checking out J-45s. They feel and handle like smaller guitars than they are, something I attribute to the shorter scale and the smaller upper bout - which are identical to those of the smaller LG-2. They feel a LOT smaller to me than Martin dreadnaught shapes. My first Gibson flat top was a 1960 LG-2, which was a great guitar. It was pretty good for blues, assorted fingerstyle, faux Celtic, etc. - but now I play a J-45 that does EVERYTHING the LG-2 did, with more warmth, bass, and presence to die for. It's hard to beat spruce over mahogany. Best of all, there are lots of J-45s out there, and the recent production ones from Montana go for very reasonable prices used.
Jinny Posted January 2, 2009 Author Posted January 2, 2009 Hoyt, I do live about 5 minutes from Midtown Music, and I think that is where I will start tomorrow. Great idea. I'd love to find a guitar with a little, or a lot of age on it. I'd like to put the money saved (if any) into more lessons :) I sometimes see the L-0 and others on ebay, but am afraid to buy something I haven't played, It'd be like an arranged marriage or something. I'm also keen now to try the J 45 and see if it feels too big. I'm in no hurry on this, and find the search itself a wonderful adventure. Tonight after dinner we almost piled into the car to go look in Nashville. You've all been really helpful, thank you .
ballcorner Posted January 3, 2009 Posted January 3, 2009 You can't go wrong with a Martin OM-21 for the styles of music you are describing. Certainly, from a comfort point of view, this is an instrument you want to try.
fortyearspickn Posted January 3, 2009 Posted January 3, 2009 Jinny, Consider that after playing for 2 years you may find your tastes change in both music and instrumentin another 2 years. I like GIbson as a brand because they aren't the result of an engineered process. I think the player is only half the equation - those who built the instrument are the other. I had an LG1 for years and never would have thought I'd grow to really like an SJ200. So, don't dismiss a mid-sized and focus only on small bodies. A j45 mahog might give you more range/possibilities as you develop your style and preferences. G'luck today.
Jinny Posted January 3, 2009 Author Posted January 3, 2009 I did not get out shopping today as planned, so I was "window shopping" on ebay, and there seem to be some really cheap L-0's and L-1's. It seems when I looked a few weeks ago, they were all priced in the thousands. I guess some years/styles are more collectible than others. I wish I weren't so wary of buying something I haven't played.
Jinny Posted January 3, 2009 Author Posted January 3, 2009 Where? You Tube has lots of different clips. Its hard sometimes to get a good idea of the tone, but there are some really good.... and not so good player out there. 20 + years ago I went with a friend to buy her first "good" guitar. We shopped for weeks and finally an exasperated sales-guy brought a Martin Dreadnought out from the back. She'd played several others, but from the first chord, the hair on my neck stood up and I got the chills. It simply blew all the others out of the water, no contest. That will be when I know it's "the one". I don't care if it's $2 or $2,000. She's still got it, here's a guitar-porn video we did not too long ago:
suburude63 Posted January 3, 2009 Posted January 3, 2009 I would also like to kick in my 2 cents here. The J185 is a comfortable guitar with a large sound also. They are an acquired taste. I had a 165, nice but not for me. OO18 is nice as well as the oo17s. Lat but not least for about $700-$1000 a used B25. Small but very very nice sounding Gibson. I also second looking at You Tube lots of clips of all kinds of guitars and styles! suburude
Jinny Posted January 5, 2009 Author Posted January 5, 2009 I finally got out of the house yesterday. The only shop open near my house was the Guitar Center. It was "Sunday regular day" which I took to mean the day every tone deaf teenager comes in to play "Sweet Child of Mine", which according to the sales guy is the new "Smoke on the Water". It was too loud, even in the listening booth, to really get a good idea of tone, so I just picked a few models off the wall and picked a little to see how they felt. They had a Larrivee Parlor style, some Gibson Songwriters/Makers, an J-45, and the L4-A. I also tried the Eric Clapton and John Mayer Martin models. No Small Gibsons to try, and no CJ-165. I am afraid however, that the small comfortable models just don't have the.... magic growl ... of the larger models like the J-45. It's still a bit big for me to get my short arms around, but even in that loud room, I could still feel it singing to me. S***. Well, I have tied the purchase to losing 50 pounds, so I have several months to torture myself at Midtown when they re-open. I had discounted the possibility of having a custom made for me, but I am rethinking that for the future. I have a cousin who's a luthier. It'd be really nice to have one "in the family". Has anyone gone through the experience of getting a custom instrument?
jefleppard Posted January 5, 2009 Posted January 5, 2009 i played the L4a yesterday and loved it. i didnt plug it in but i had a nice, rich tone unplugged. cool shape and beautiful (as always) finish. how does this guitar differ from the j-185 cutaway?
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