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J-15


bill67

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Posted

I'm not sure how anyone could really answer that. Since it has the standard Gibson slope jumbo body shape, and presumably the standard modern top bracing pattern, it should at least have a strong family resemblance to other new guitars in the J series.

Posted

My J15 is a loud guitar. Aside from it being a guitar that I found very playable, it also projects very well. What other guitar it sounds similar to, I don't know. For me it probably sounds closer to maple than other woods. All depends on who you ask I guess. Whatever I'd say about it can likely be said to varying degrees about my other guitars as well. If you're interested in a J15, find one that literally calls your name when you play it. If it feels comfortable in your hands and is very playable for you, then perhaps it's a guitar you will bond with. I suspect it sounds a bit dramatic, but for me picking a guitar is usually a very personal thing. For me to really bond with it, it has to almost be an extension of who I am. If you're looking for one, I hope you find the one you need.

Posted

My J-15 has a very bright, loud and clear tone. I'm curious as to how different strings will effect the sound, but I do like a bright sounding acoustic. I know I've told this story before on this forum, but in May I visited the Gibson Factory and show room in Memphis, where I played as many guitars as I could get my hands on (well you would wouldn't you). The acoustic that stood out was the cheapest one in their range, the J-15, far better than guitars costing twice as much. Even my Wife commented on how good it sounded (as far as She's concerned, a guitars' a guitar's a guitar!).

When I arrived back in the U.K I went looking for one, but I had to play several before I found one as good as the factory's, however, interestingly one that I played, initially left me cold but I played it again a couple of weeks later and it was then quite good.

 

Happy hunting,

Ian

Posted

I am gathering from what I have read here that one of the hallmarks of new school Gibson tone is volume which I would guess is a by-product of the Ren-designed bracing. I keep wondering if it more a difference in balance with the Bozeman guitars being a brighter sounding.

 

Since many, if not most of us, have never played a J-15 would be hard to compare it. It gets even tougher in that answering your question would take having some serious time with other big box walnut body guitars under our belt. I just do not run across that many in the course of any given month.

 

Comparing guitars though is bad business. Just take them on their own merits. Can you find a guitar that has that Gibson sound - you betcha. Will you end up paying through the nose for it - most likely as you are probably talking about Kopps, Walkers and the like.

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