How The J45 Standard Stacks Up

[DenverSteve]

People are always asking how the J45 rates in the world of high end and boutique guitars. Well, here's one guitarist's answer. I recently received a J45 Standard as partial trade for a guitar I was selling. It's not my first, or only, J45 variant but it is my first Stamdard. It has been set up with a new bone saddle and the UST removed and I was going to sell it. However today I went over to a local folk center that carries many brands of steel-stringed acoustic guitars. I was looking for a Collings or Santa Cruz. I played many different guitars including several Martins and those already mentioned and decided that I have no need to sell this gem of a guitar as it held its own amid anything below $5,000. One Santa Cruz 0000 had a magic tone (over $5,000) but not necessarily nicer than the J45 - just different. This J45 plays as easily as everything else played and nicer than most. Its sustain and wonderful tone ring forever and it is stunning looking as J45's are. So, if you've been wondering if Gibson has passed its prime or lost a step - I say (emphatically) nay nay. With Martin MSP4100 strings it sings like Alison Krauss.

[Jjunk]

Always great to hear these stories. I certainly feel the same about mine... it's just such a versatile and beautiful guitar. So many other (much more pricey) guitars sound hollow to me after playing my 45.

[6stringTom]

I certainly agree as an owner of a 1995 J-45 standard. The tone we hear and like is quite subjective and personal. We are lucky to live in a time when there are so many options, although I think some of the variations within models are more about marketing--and cosmetics, which can matter to some degree. It took me a long time (and quite a few changes in string types) to learn how to appreciate the J-45's sound and make it my own. I still love my Martins too. As a player, picking up a guitar is irresistible, regardless of make and model. As long as the playability is good it will be hard to put down. As for the J-45 standard, it hasn't stayed around as long as it has without a good reason. I'm glad you like yours.

[MorrisrownSal]

I was in Matt Umanov's yesterday, playing and swapping guitars with Matt. He had a few Collings, and several high end guitars, all side by side with the old J45s punctuating the wall. I asked him about the "boutique" builder slopes, and how he thought they all compared. He told me that while he sells a lot of stuff, and that Collings makes a great guitar with its own voice, aside from them there are two types of acoustic guitars... Gibsons and Martins, and those that try to copy Gibsons and Martins.

Thanks for your story. Nothing sounds like a Gibson, and j45s are timeless.

[GuitarLight]

It's great to hear these positive responses about the J-45 standard, and I may want one as a mate to my Hummingbird some day!

[Lefty55]

Reading this thread has really got me psyched for delivery of my new J45 Montana Deluxe Lefty Sunset Burst next week. My Martins may be lonely for quite a while after it arrives.

 

[retrorod]

I hope its good to you lefty,

 

Something about Gibson acoustics (J45 is THE standard) that grab a player and make them 'better' IMHO.

 

 

 

[BluesKing777]

I recorded a couple of tracks with my J45 Standard I bought 4 or 5 years back - I prefer it with old strings and guess what - yep they are old:

 

 

 

 

My version of the Beatles' "Til There Was You" (I was going to just record the chords/riffs but couldn't help myself singing in the guitar mic - came up good so here it is):

 

 

 

 

 

And some blues riffs like David Brombergs' version of "It Takes A Train To Cry"

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

[DenverSteve]

That sounds great. What "old" strings are those they sound excellent.

[BluesKing777]

That sounds great. What "old" strings are those they sound excellent.

 

 

Thanks Steve.

 

 

The old strings would be Gibson MB PB12s.

 

 

BluesKing777.

[DenverSteve]

I do love those. They seem to "grow old" faster than some others I like. The Martins seem to last longer however, yours sound great.

[uh66]

My version of the Beatles' "Til There Was You" (I was going to just record the chords/riffs but couldn't help myself singing in the guitar mic - came up good so here it is):

 

Lovely! Thanks for sharing that. Made my day.

Nice arpeggios.

[kwalker201]

I wonder how much sound distinction there is between standard and custom for 700 more dollars?

[MorrisrownSal]

And some blues riffs like David Brombergs' version of "It Takes A Train To Cry"

 

https://soundcloud.c...takesatrain777a

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

Bromberg's rendition is just... perfect. AND YOURS. BluesKing is quite approp.

[BluesKing777]

Thanks for that!

 

 

 

I remember going to a music shop to possibly/fairly surely... buy the J45 TV after reading lots here!

 

Well, they advertised one but of course, didn't have one, but they had a J45 Standard I tried but didn't take to, and a J45 Legend which was too much cash for me at the time. So I kicked all their guitars over and went home (kidding! I would have liked to, but... )

 

I was at a different shop a few weeks later and they had a TV and a Standard, (also a new Hummingbird and a Humm TV and a J200 blonde and all kinds of things to lead me off my chosen path, but after exhaustive testing (2 tunes each guitar with sweaty salesman holding my wallet), I opted for liking the J45 Standard for my playing style....and that is the very one you hear in the sound clips above, nicely played in with a happy home......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

[ElChris]

I have yet to find a guitar I adore as much as my j45 standard. Not to say I won't find one in the future but I wouldn't trade it for any of the guitars I've played so far. Never. Beside the Leica rangefinder I once discovered the Australian west with a few years back, I have yet to grow so fond of a "dead object". Only difference being that I will (hopefully) never part with my j45, as i learned my lesson when parting with that beautiful camera. Some things are just meant to stay with you and I suspec the j45 is one of those objects.

[fortyearspickn]

BK7, Wow. That was great! THANKS! Very enjoyable. A little enviable too!

Yeah - the guitar is wonderful. But - you make it sing.

[DenverSteve]

I wonder how much sound distinction there is between standard and custom for 700 more dollars?

 

I can't say exactly but I can compare the J45 Standard to my other J45 - 2013 Southern Jumbo Late 40's Classic. There is very (very) little difference. The SJ 40's Classic Custom Shop guitar listed for about $1,200 more than the Standard. Value for the price difference =0. Both have the same electronics and are almost identical (except for bling) to view. Tone and volume - identical.

[sbpark]

I am no aficionado on acoustic guitars, and I am not a cork sniffer. I recently picked up a J-45 Standard. i wanted a solid, proven, american made acoustic that I would keep forever and be able to hold it's own in pretty much any genre. I played many others, and was actually interested in a smaller body acoustic at first, but found that while many of the smaller body acoustics excelled in one area (fingerpicking), they would fall short in others (hard strumming). On the flip side most dreadnoughts are great cannons and sound huge, but fall short when played softly and just didn't have the sweetness that the J-45 had. The J-45 performed exceptionally well with both fingerpicking and heavy strumming, combined with a simple, no-frills, understated look, is what sold me on the guitar. It really is a very versatile, true workhorse. Sure, it doesn't kill the competition in any one area, but unlike many others, it does pretty much everything well. If you're like me, where you can't afford an arsenal of many different high end acoustics, but still want something special and timeless that you can be proud of and have for a lifetime, I can't see you going wrong with a J-45 Standard.

[E-minor7]

The 45 Standard is a magnificent 6-string and has been celebrated a lot here recently. Deserved !

 

I would be the last to dive the True Vintage, but from the video where Polocastro shows the 2 tops from underneath, there can't be any real quality hieraki - hide-glue or not - between the 2. Still of course some difference in sound and nature.

 

The few TV's I've played have been superb, but so was many of the Std's, , , not to mention the rose Customs. . .

 

My own 2010 Standard was so new when I got it that I had my girl friend take off the plast protection from the the p-guard while I filmed it.

Besides the neck was literally bloppin' with black grease for months, , , must have been the almost not dry lacquer (and maybe the extreme hot summer chimed in).

 

Apart from that, it played and sounded excellent - however had a strange rather obvious compressed ceiling, which I spoke of many times here and which clearly represented limitations to the instrument - strum-wise fx.

My good pal has a approx. '03/05 Historic Collection - bought inspired by mine - and couldn't get over how much this compression dominated the nature of my 10'er.

 

Only now this winter the sonic roof is beginning to evaporate and the guitar feels freer every time I pick it up, glad to say.

 

Btw it's much stronger, louder, bassier than the HC and many the TV's I've tried - in fact a bit of a monster, , , yet poetic and tender. . .

 

 

 

So much for my voice in the praising tribute-Standard-choir - apart from that I'm about to lite up the D-35 the comin' days. . ;-)

[sbpark]

The 45 Standard is a magnificent 6-string and has been celebrated a lot here recently. Deserved !

 

I would be the last to dive the True Vintage, but from the video where Polocastro shows the 2 tops from underneath, there can't be any real quality hieraki - hide-glue or not - between the 2. Still of course some difference in sound and nature.

 

The few TV's I've played have been superb, but so was many of the Std's, , , not to mention the rose Customs. . .

 

My own 2010 Standard was so new when I got it that I had my girl friend take off the plast protection from the the p-guard while I filmed it.

Besides the neck was literally bloppin' with black grease for months, , , must have been the almost not dry lacquer (and maybe the extreme hot summer chimed in).

 

Apart from that, it played and sounded excellent - however had a strange rather obvious compressed ceiling, which I spoke of many times here and which clearly represented limitations to the instrument - strum-wise fx.

My good pal has a approx. '03/05 Historic Collection - bought inspired by mine - and couldn't get over how much this compression dominated the nature of my 10'er.

 

Only now this winter the sonic roof is beginning to evaporate and the guitar feels freer every time I pick it up, glad to say.

 

Btw it's much stronger, louder, bassier than the HC and many the TV's I've tried - in fact a bit of a monster, , , yet poetic and tender. . .

 

 

 

So much for my voice in the praising tribute-Standard-choir - apart from that I'm about to lite up the D-35 the comin' days. . ;-)

 

That's very interesting that you mention the 'compression ceiling' regarding your J-45 Standard. I've only had mine for three days now, and am also experiencing EXACTLY what you described. It seems like it has a threshold, then after that just stops, and almost implodes on itself. The guitar still sounds fantastic at moderately heavy strumming and amazing at lower-energy strumming and fingerpicking. I'm hoping over time it will start to open up. I love the guitar. Sounds great recorded as well.

[Martin 1940D28]

I have a Gibson J 45 I bought brand new, in 1996, the year it was built. I play it often, I like it, it has its own sound. Never have I played two identical guitars that, in my opinion, sound the same. I believe that the '90's Gibson Flat tops are some of the best to have been built since their so called dark ages. I've had a couple of the "bad" times Gibsons, that compared to the great stuff of today, were pretty much equal. Just my opinion.