rar Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 I would love to see a pic of the original along side the Legend though. Eldon's J-45 is pictured on p. 56 of Fab Flat-Tops. I also recall at least one color photo on The Whitfords website, which shows the color and shape of the 'burst on the Legend is right on the money. BTW, the three-ring "J-35 style" rosettes were extremely common on early (9xx and 20xx) J-45s, as shown by a quick perusal of the Banner Gibson registry. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aster1 Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Some people, especially those without a friendly 5-Star dealer nearby to negotiate with, might appreciate saving $1700 on what is possibly the best guitar Gibson has made in modern times. I guess some people did, since the deal sold out. Sorry if I offended you and some of the others with the prospect that some people would spend that much on a guitar. Red 333 Didn't offend me Red. Now it that dang thing was $45,000 or even $10,000 I might change my tune and go "flat" for sure!!! I guess I wouldn't have very many that would be $5k but I wouldn't rule out 1 or 2 that were extra special I reckon. Aster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted February 15, 2014 Author Share Posted February 15, 2014 Here's a nice summary of the Legend J-45: From American Songwriter, Feb 4, 2010 Written by John Bohlinger My friend Larry DiMarzio, (mad scientist, genius inventor, tone guru, collector of killer guitars) owns an ancient J-45 that optimizes that pure Gibson magic. I’ve never heard one as good as Larry’s until I test drove this spanking new 1942 J-45 Legend straight out of the Bozeman, Montana plant. Master luthier Ren Ferguson set out to replicate a 1942 J45 owned by historian Eldon Whitford. Ren’s replication process included X-raying the original, copying the bracing (including the saw blade markings) and using hide glue throughout. Everything on this guitar is period-correct. Short of retrofitting a DeLorean with a flux capacitor and harnessing 1.21 gigawatts of power, picking up this ‘42 J-45 Legend is about as close to time travel as you’re going to get. This J45 is very light, which seems to be a trend amongst booming instruments. Paradoxically, it is dovetailed with a big, chunky neck that’s comfortable, in spite of its size. You feel like you’re playing a grown-up guitar here. The truly great Gibsons have a sweet spot that resonates with your body. You can feel it in your sternum. This guitar has that magic, particularly in open G. The sound is not quite perfectly balanced (the warm lows and mids slightly overshadow the highs), but with a tone like this, who cares? That’s just part of the charm. Perhaps it is the Gibson “X” bracing used on the top, but this ‘42 J-45 projects a natural compression when you really bludgeon those strings. No wonder the J-45 was nicknamed “The Workhorse.” It can handle anything you throw at it. Now, why would somebody buy a brand new vintage guitar when you may be able to find an old one for close to the same price? Because you’ll be hard-pressed to find an old one that plays this well and has such solid intonation. This guitar has that vintage mojo without the attrition of 67 years of hard living. Gibson’s Bozeman plant currently produces guitars that would have shined at any time during the company’s long, illustrious history. Who knows? Maybe the guitars from Gibson’s Montana team will someday be as revered as the work of Lloyd Loar in 1919 or the electrics that came out of the Ted McCarty’s tenure through the 1950s. by John Bohlinger American Songwriter Feb 4, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Eldon's J-45 is pictured on p. 56 of Fab Flat-Tops. I also recall at least one color photo on The Whitfords website, which shows the color and shape of the 'burst on the Legend is right on the money. BTW, the three-ring "J-35 style" rosettes were extremely common on early (9xx and 20xx) J-45s, as shown by a quick perusal of the Banner Gibson registry. -- Bob R Dating Banners is apparently not the easiest thing in the world to do. But in his book, John Thomas places those FONs in 1943. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Dating Banners is apparently not the easiest thing in the world to do. But in his book, John Thomas places those FONs in 1943. JT's current dating is revolutionary. The 9xxs and 20xxs are the ones with the features -- firestripe pickguards, etc. -- that have traditionally been used by dealers and collectors to identify J-45s as being 1942s. These include Eldon's, which was the model for the Legend, which is why the Legend is called a '42 -- in 2006, everyone thought Eldon's was a '42. Most people still do. (The one pre-900 batch of J-45s, 7721H, has a rather different and unique set of features -- J-35 bridges and tortoise pickguards, for example. Definitely not what most dealers or collectors mean by "1942 J-45".) -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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