I want to buy my first Gibson Acoustic

[tatman49]

I am going to buy my first Gibson acoustic and would like feedback from the forum as to the preference over the Hummingbird compared to the J-45 custom. I have only had Martins in the past that would stack up to the Gibson's.

[E-minor7]

Hey tatman - First try to get your double-thread-post deleted. Call it down yourself and let's concentrate on this one.

 

Your Q is quite big and above anything you'll have to try the models out in real life. You'll find significant differences.

 

Others might be able to guide you better than me here, but start on the Tube and put on some earphones. Listen to mahogany vs rosewood, then zoom in on depth of projection.

 

A good idea to get things in perspective, would be to tells what Marts you had before. By that we'll know more or where you come from.

 

Welcome

[E-minor7]

First try to get your double-thread-post deleted. Call it down yourself and let's concentrate on this one.

 

Okay - seems the other one took the lead - I'll move mine over.

[Rambler]

 

Okay - seems the other one took the lead - I'll move mine over.

Dependa on what you play. R&R rhythm ala Keith & Melencamp? Bird. Blues, folks, jack of all trades? J45.

[DenverSteve]

My advice is to NOT decide to buy a brand (Gibson in this case) but to buy a guitar. If you want a Gibson, find a Gibson that you love. Then, buy that model. There are similarities across the Gibson line, just like Martin, Taylor and others. However, I would find a specific Gibson, after trying .... maybe dozens... and then purchase "the" one.

[Frances50]

I can offer you my experience in guitar buying. I hadn't been studying guitar but a few months when I decided to buy my J-45 custom rosewood. I knew I wanted a Gibson acoustic and I picked the J-45 from Sweetwater's website. I had done a good bit of on-line research and just felt the J-45 would fit my needs as the good all around "go-to" Gibson staple. I don't own a Hummingbird but I do own a "Doves in Flight." I love my DIF but I'm glad that my first Gibson was the J-45. I've never been disappointed in my guitar purchases and I would do the same thing again.

[fortyearspickn]

To try to give you some direct, but general feedback.

The H'Bird is more mellow. The J45C has more punch.

If you have narrowed it down thus far - and obviously have owned quality guitars - I don't think you can go 'wrong' with either.

Most people like to "have a choice" when spending a couple or three grand and feel that you have to play them side by side. Then, once you've decided on that model, you need to play 2 or 3 or more - side by side to get the exact sound you want.

I personally don't subscribe to that - because I'm not that picky - once I've gotten to the point you're at. After a few years with whichever you select - you may hear another of the same model, or a different model, or even a different brand - that you want to try out. I guess my point is - don't get 'analysis paralysis' - whichever guitar you select between these two will handle most anything you can throw at it. G'Luck!

[steverok]

Don't forget the super jumbos !

[tatman49]

Thank you for all the great advise, I tend to see a guitar I want and then buy it. After I bought my first new Les Paul I haven't purchased another used since, to me I enjoy being the first owner and as I am not picky as I have found that the top of the line instruments usually all play extremely well. Other than the 2014 Les Paul Standard, had to cut a new nut (replaced with bone) because the high E would slip off the edge of fretboard when doing circular vibrato (a'la Steve Vai) and sharp pull offs would also occasionally cause it to slip but the new nut with correct spacing stopped that problem. Anyways, thanks for comments and I have decided on the Ebony Hummingbird, visually I had to have parallelogram fret markers on a Gibson Acoustic so it was either the J45 Progressive which I just couldn't see myself playing or the hummingbird.