bram99 Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I surely don't need one, but lately I have been really wanting a J-45 Legend. I am hoping to get some info on how it stacks up to the J-45TV and also how it might differ from the Banner J-45 reissue that was part of JTs Kalamazoo gal project. Also I am seeing some on-line retailers that have "new" 1942 J-45 Legends in stock and ready to ship....I thought these were only offered for a couple of years or less (2006-2009?). Is the 1942 J45 Legend the same as a J-45 Legend? Any knowledge and perceptions passed along is greatly appreciated... Dan...how does the Legend compare to your J-45TV? You have both and chose to keep the TV over a Martin you are selling....how different are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fp Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 I presently have one of the 50 made 1942 J45 reissues, not the Legend. I used to own a 2007 Legend prototype. I like this one I have now more then I liked the Legend. The 1942 is lighter in weight [ which I always consider a good thing ] I didn't think the Legend was that great of a sounding guitar. The 42 sounds good and better then I remember the Legend sounding. The legend did have Madagascar rw for the fingerboard and bridge which I consider an upgrade over the Indian rw of the 42. I also think this 42 I have is a better looking guitar then the Legend. I didn't care for the overly tinted binding on the Legend. IF your interested in hearing a sound clip and seeing a video of my particular guitar, Music Villa did one and it can be found on YouTube, or you can do a search for Gibson 1942 J45 reissue and you should be able to find it. Oh and if you don't like big necks you won't like the 1942 reissue. I don't know how the necks are on the new Legends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 I surely don't need one, but lately I have been really wanting a J-45 Legend. I am hoping to get some info on how it stacks up to the J-45TV and also how it might differ from the Banner J-45 reissue that was part of JTs Kalamazoo gal project. Also I am seeing some on-line retailers that have "new" 1942 J-45 Legends in stock and ready to ship....I thought these were only offered for a couple of years or less (2006-2009?). Is the 1942 J45 Legend the same as a J-45 Legend? Any knowledge and perceptions passed along is greatly appreciated... Dan...how does the Legend compare to your J-45TV? You have both and chose to keep the TV over a Martin you are selling....how different are they? Can't help you on the Banner J-45 reissue but for comparison I have the TV and Legend a '53 J50 and used to have a J45 standard. IMHO- Of my guitars, the standard was real a real nice guitar and had that classic sound but it wasn't much different than my '53 so I sold it to another forum member. Seeing all the great vintage guitars the other forum members had got me yearning for one but except for over the internet I could not get my hands on one. I bought the Legend from a 5-star so if I didn't like it I could return it. Looks great and sounds great and the biggest feeling difference is the baseball bat chunky neck which surprisingly is not that difficult to adjust to. I think the high price tag is for the painstakingly labor they do to reproduce to the sample original all the way down to the saw marks on the bracings. I plan on keeping his guitar. I would love to get this guitar in the hands of someone like Tom who has a lot of experience with the real things just for his opinion. I recently bought the TV just because I was able to play it first and got it for a great price. Looks wise and sound wise it rivals the Legend and has the more modern neck shape. I don't regret getting the Legend but if I had the TV first I would have probably not been looking at the Legend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 I just acquired the J-45 Legend this past summer. It is the same one Tony plays in the MV video, declaring it not to have the volume he expected. Plenty of volume with the light gauge Martin SPs I put on it, the existing strings were just nasty old. Cannot speak to the 42 re-issue, never played one, nor can I speak to fp's Legend, never played it. Proto-type? Mine was built in late December 2006. Wider fretboard than the TV, 1.75 vs 1.72, thicker neck profile by a mile, tapered headstock, and I love the sound, its a robust woody rumble. This past summer playing in the Bozeman song-circle with perhaps 15 other guitars going, this guy walks in and declares he can hear somebody playing a Legend, and I never use a pick, and am a fairly soft strummer. Between this guy sitting on one side of me, and Jeremy Morton sitting on the other, I wasn't sure I'd make it out of that room with my guitar. Ren let me play his J-45 Standard, and JM let me play his JB, both wonderful guitars, but I would prefer my Legend over either. The Martin D-18A is on the selling block, because it ought to bring in enough to cover the cost of the Legend, along with the SJ I sold. That Martin D-18A is just not me, not by a long shot. The J-45 TV suits me better in so many ways. The Legend anf the TV do not sound the same in my book, the Legend has a very warm full wood tone, the TV has great tone, but edgier. If that makes any sense. If I was any good at recording I'd do a comparison, but I ain't so I won't. Here's the guy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
father_of_pearl Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 I have not played any of them, I just own a J45TV. But to my ears and only judging by these two videos, the Legend sounds way better than the 1942 Reissue. In fact, the 1942 RI sounds more like a True Vintage dressed with more historically correct Banner Era appointments (don't know about the tapered headstock on this one though). Dan's Legend is warmer, woodier, deeper sounding and definitely delivers THE vintage J45 tone that I love (Dan if you ever wanna get rid of it, I'm first on the list!). I don't care about volume, it's all about TONE. BUT, as Dan said, this particular Legend is a 2006 and with very old strings, while the 1942 Reissue is brand new with new strings I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bram99 Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 J-45 TV..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Father - thanks for linking those two video demos. Makes me want both. The Legend video at 1:06 shows the bridge, and what appears to be rather odd string spacing - the G string appears to be slightly out of whack. I am convinced that the thicker necks on both these guitars contributes a great deal to the depth of tone - both of these guitars exhibit nice tone in my book. I love the chunky neck. I'll try and take some comparison pictures later today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Appears to be one of those optical delusions (camera angle; ck the string break of the 1st & 2nd strings as well) at t = 1:06, Dan. In the video showing the whole guitar, the G seems to be equidistant from the D string it's entire run. But I will echo your observations about the beefier neck/tone correlation; that's one of the things that put the original banners into the legend category to begin with. As the battery begins to fail on my clip-on tuner, it's ability to read the low E is still there on a baseball bat-necked guitar. Maybe someone (?) could shed some scientific light on how/if the neck affects perceived tone difference in a 12-fret guitar (energy transfer, etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 ... But I will echo your observations about the beefier neck/tone correlation; that's one of the things that put the original banners into the legend category to begin with. As the battery begins to fail on my clip-on tuner, it's ability to read the low E is still there on a baseball bat-necked guitar. Maybe someone (?) could shed some scientific light on how/if the neck affects perceived tone difference in a 12-fret guitar (energy transfer, etc). We need the legendary RAR back for this one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Appears to be one of those optical delusions (camera angle; ck the string break of the 1st & 2nd strings as well) at t = 1:06, Dan. In the video showing the whole guitar, the G seems to be equidistant from the D string it's entire run. But I will echo your observations about the beefier neck/tone correlation; that's one of the things that put the original banners into the legend category to begin with. As the battery begins to fail on my clip-on tuner, it's ability to read the low E is still there on a baseball bat-necked guitar. Maybe someone (?) could shed some scientific light on how/if the neck affects perceived tone difference in a 12-fret guitar (energy transfer, etc). I saw a scientific paper on this once. The writers measured wave forms as they ran from the nut through the neck, and looked to see if they were effected by scarf joints (yes) and neck mass (yes). I don't think they came to any conclusion about WHAT the impact was exactly (as you'd probably have to have a way to attach the different necks to the same body and soundboard. However, I think it's safe to say that a guitar is a system--the different parts interact with one another--and differences in performance in one place can effect the performance of another part, and manifest itself audibly, if mostly subtly. I for one do believe the mass of the neck makes a difference. In addition to a Legend and True Vintage J-45, I have a Fuller's J-35 Reissue. Essentially, it is very similar to the TV. Both have the AJ's wider x bracing, red spruce tops, and mahogany bodies. They differ in that the Fuller's J-35 also has the AJ's lower and wider back braces, and a beefier neck. The Fuller's J-35 is drier and woodier, for sure. The Legend, on the other hand, has an even bigger neck, but lighter back braces. It's got the same darker, woody quality of the Fuller's J-35, but with additional resonance and overtones. I also have an Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-500RC, and it also has a fairly chunky neck. It's easy to hear the same darker and woody quality. Anecdotal evidence, at best, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. As to 12 fret guitars (have one of those, too!), their difference in tone is certainly due to the bridge location: to keep the scale length of the guitar true, the builder has to move it further on down the top, into a meatier part of the soundboard. As to the question of J-45 TV vs Legend: I would never discourage anyone from auditioning a TV. Mine is wonderful, and most other owners and reviewers say the same about theirs. The Legend, for me, though, has (and I think someone already said this in thread) even more of everything I like about the TV. I was on quite am acoustic buying clip for a while--I have something like twenty, including ten Gibsons. I bought the Legend a couple of years ago. It was the last one I bought, and I haven't felt a strong desire for another since. But, guitars are like snowflakes; opinions are like elbows. Try as many as you can and hold on to what you like, regardless of the make or price or pedigree. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 As to 12 fret guitars (have one of those, too!), their difference in tone is certainly due to the bridge location: to keep the scale length of the guitar true, the builder has to move it further on down the top, into a meatier part of the soundboard. Red 333 R- Thanks for the reminder... locating the bridge further down into the lower bout- definitely a main ingredient in the 12-fret recipe. But, guitars are like snowflakes... Red 333 Beautiful. That just about sums it up. We need the legendary RAR back for this one... I was thinking of Bob (rar) when I was making that post. Thanks Dan : ) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bram99 Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 Is the JT project, 42 banner J-45 Model number RS42VSNH1 ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Is the JT project, 42 banner J-45 Model number RS42VSNH1 ? Thanks for allowing a slight detour from the OP, Bram; always good to remember the people who breathe life into these guitars. 'Don't know if even JT could tell you if the RS42VSNH1's were those modeled after one which he loaned to Bozeman. I suppose he could be messaged over at the UMGF. Maybe Hogeye might check in here. I just spoke with GC Atlanta regarding the one they have; 'was told "one of 50". Asking $3299. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fp Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Is the JT project, 42 banner J-45 Model number RS42VSNH1 ? You are correct, that is the model number on my paperwork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotomsdos Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I just acquired the J-45 Legend this past summer. It is the same one Tony plays in the MV video, declaring it not to have the volume he expected. Plenty of volume with the light gauge Martin SPs I put on it, the existing strings were just nasty old. Cannot speak to the 42 re-issue, never played one, nor can I speak to fp's Legend, never played it. Proto-type? Mine was built in late December 2006. Wider fretboard than the TV, 1.75 vs 1.72, thicker neck profile by a mile, tapered headstock, and I love the sound, its a robust woody rumble. This past summer playing in the Bozeman song-circle with perhaps 15 other guitars going, this guy walks in and declares he can hear somebody playing a Legend, and I never use a pick, and am a fairly soft strummer. Between this guy sitting on one side of me, and Jeremy Morton sitting on the other, I wasn't sure I'd make it out of that room with my guitar. Ren let me play his J-45 Standard, and JM let me play his JB, both wonderful guitars, but I would prefer my Legend over either. The Martin D-18A is on the selling block, because it ought to bring in enough to cover the cost of the Legend, along with the SJ I sold. That Martin D-18A is just not me, not by a long shot. The J-45 TV suits me better in so many ways. The Legend anf the TV do not sound the same in my book, the Legend has a very warm full wood tone, the TV has great tone, but edgier. If that makes any sense. If I was any good at recording I'd do a comparison, but I ain't so I won't. Here's the guy: Hi, duluthdan. Very glad you happen to have a 2006 J-45 Legend. Right ? Would you please give some words concerning following question ? ============== What stuff is the bridge of another 2006 J-45 Legend (below) made of ? Honduras rose ? Madagascar rose ? URL: http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/134845-what-do-you-think-of-first-year2006-j-45-legend/ best, Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 FOP, thanks for the videos. To me, the 42 sounds like a very good modern guitar, very open. The legend sounds like the Blue Ridge, coal country, the Carter Family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotomsdos Posted December 16, 2017 Share Posted December 16, 2017 I used to own a 2007 Legend prototype. Hi, fp. Regarding J-45 Legend, wonder if you can do me a favor ? http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/140671-helpany-certificate-pic-of-2006-2009-gibson-j-45-legend/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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