Victory Pete Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 I bought a new Gibson Southern Jumbo this week. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/gibson-rssjjpn17-southern-jumbo-acoustic-electric-guitar This is my first mahogany guitar. I played it out of the box and was somewhat impressed even with the factory light strings and the factory pick up system. After a day or so I put on Martin Medium SP Phosphor Bronze strings, removed the undersaddle pickup, installed an unbleached bone saddle and bone pins. I am completely amazed. What a difference now. Very trebly and loud with good midrange and some bass. It has great clear definition. I have been a rosewood snob for a while now but I now see the light. One thing I noticed, it has a good break angle and a high saddle. I had bought a J-45 Custom and returned it to upgrade to the Western Classic but has since reclaimed it, they are holding it for me. That guitar has rosewood back and sides, but the bridge geometry is different with the pins as far back as they could get them resulting in a lower break angle. When I get that guitar back I am going to do the same modifications to it and compare the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 . I had bought a J-45 Custom and returned it to upgrade to the Western Classic but has since reclaimed it, they are holding it for me. That guitar has rosewood back and sides, but the bridge geometry is different with the pins as far back as they could get them resulting in a lower break angle. When I get that guitar back I am going to do the same modifications to it and compare the two. Not sure I understand the logic here - why the lower b-angle ? Apart from that, congratulations on the new SJ. Very nice guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Perhaps a four-ribbon bridge on the Western Classic? Accounting for a bit lower break-angle? Victory is it the Western Classi you are talking about or the J-45 Cuistom you had ? Love me some Southern Jumbo man, nice guitars. Congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Timely thread. My wife asked me yesterday what I wanted for Christmas. I jokingly said "Another guitar." She said to go ahead and get what I want. Southern Jumbos have always interested me. My only hang-up is all the talk about them being a J45 with more bling. Been reading about them this evening. Cool guitars. I've read the praises of this model for years. Might take a real serious look at it now. Thanks for the info in this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Larry, go crazy this Xmas and get yourself a Taylor to play at Sunday Worship .... back to the OP, congrats on the Souther Junmbo, must admit i like the prettier bits on the SJ compared to the J-45. i read the specs and noticed its one of 75 but it seems standard in every respect, whats the uniqueness of it ? Timely thread. My wife asked me yesterday what I wanted for Christmas. I jokingly said "Another guitar." She said to go ahead and get what I want. Southern Jumbos have always interested me. My only hang-up is all the talk about them being a J45 with more bling. Been reading about them this evening. Cool guitars. I've read the praises of this model for years. Might take a real serious look at it now. Thanks for the info in this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars68 Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 To the OP, beautiful guitar. Congratualations! Timely thread. My wife asked me yesterday what I wanted for Christmas. I jokingly said "Another guitar." She said to go ahead and get what I want. Southern Jumbos have always interested me. My only hang-up is all the talk about them being a J45 with more bling. Been reading about them this evening. Cool guitars. I've read the praises of this model for years. Might take a real serious look at it now. Thanks for the info in this thread. MP, if you go SJ-hunting this Christmas, check out the Sheryl Crow SJ (and yes her name is only on the label...). Superb guitar, and in my book the most beautifully appointed guitar in the Gibson line. Just right! Lars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjl200 Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 To the OP, beautiful guitar. Congratualations! MP, if you go SJ-hunting this Christmas, check out the Sheryl Crow SJ (and yes her name is only on the label...). Superb guitar, and in my book the most beautifully appointed guitar in the Gibson line. Just right! Lars To OP , I have a few J45s and a SJ (to my ear) they are close but they have different sonic qualities,the SJ to me has more thump then my 45's and they still have a righteous thump across the board even the RW Custom but the SJ just seems a little "taller" to me. Larry find a SCSJ and play it you will not be disappointed.🎄😍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 I love my Fuller's 1943 SJ. Just the right amount of bling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 . You've got a Western Classic and you're going to get your J-45 Custom back - which one are you going to mod? Congrats on your new SJ. . B) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victory Pete Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 Not sure I understand the logic here - why the lower b-angle ? Apart from that, congratulations on the new SJ. Very nice guitars. On the J-45 Custom the pins are further back on the bridge, all the way in back fact, than the pins on the Southern Jumbo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victory Pete Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 Perhaps a four-ribbon bridge on the Western Classic? Accounting for a bit lower break-angle? Victory is it the Western Classi you are talking about or the J-45 Cuistom you had ? Love me some Southern Jumbo man, nice guitars. Congrats. Yes I do have the 4 ribbon bridge. The J-45 Custom has a lower break angle than the Southern Jumbo. The Western Classic has a lower break angle than the J-45 Custom. The Southern Jumbo has the best string punch because of the high break angle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victory Pete Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 Larry, go crazy this Xmas and get yourself a Taylor to play at Sunday Worship .... back to the OP, congrats on the Souther Junmbo, must admit i like the prettier bits on the SJ compared to the J-45. i read the specs and noticed its one of 75 but it seems standard in every respect, whats the uniqueness of it ? They have periodic runs of this guitar which is typical for Gibson. It gets you in a panic to get one before they are gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victory Pete Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 To OP , I have a few J45s and a SJ (to my ear) they are close but they have different sonic qualities,the SJ to me has more thump then my 45's and they still have a righteous thump across the board even the RW Custom but the SJ just seems a little "taller" to me. Larry find a SCSJ and play it you will not be disappointed.🎄😍 That "Thump" is the higher break angle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victory Pete Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 . You've got a Western Classic and you're going to get your J-45 Custom back - which one are you going to mod? Congrats on your new SJ. . B) . I am taking out the pick up system and putting in unbleached bone saddle and bone pins. I do this to all my acoustics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie King Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 Congrats on the new SJ. I got my SJ about 18 months ago it is one of 60 12 Fret models they made in 2015 and it sounds amazing. No electrics and bone every where I wanted it. A fine, sweet guitar with an amazing tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerohead Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 1478434950[/url]' post='1810507']I love my Fuller's 1943 SJ. Just the right amount of bling. Don't mean to hijack VP's thread but are those MOP parallelogram inlays? They almost look like abalone. Hard to tell from the pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victory Pete Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 Don't mean to hijack VP's thread but are those MOP parallelogram inlays? They almost look like abalone. Hard to tell from the pic. Good question. I am pleased to see Gibson using MOP on their acoustics again. The 1957 SJ I had been working on just has acrylic, like all my electrics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 Don't mean to hijack VP's thread but are those MOP parallelogram inlays? They almost look like abalone. Hard to tell from the pic. Probably MoP, but they have a bit more color and character than you usually see in MoP. Abalone typically has more color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victory Pete Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 Concerning break over angle http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/133477-saddle-height-and-break-over-angle/page__view__findpost__p__1810693 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjl200 Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 That "Thump" is the higher break angle. Break angle may well be the reason but I think it's a "sum" equation and not a singular effect. Break angle alone don't create "that" thump it crosses the "t" or dots the "I" IMHO. Either way all my Gibson have "it" . Some days chocolate some days strawberry....never vanilla........unless that's all there is🍨 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojorule Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 I love my Fuller's 1943 SJ. Just the right amount of bling. It's lovely, Nick, and more historically accurate in the number of frets and so on, but I'll keep the unbound fretboard on my Woody Guthrie. Great choice of guitar, VP-OP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojorule Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 To OP , I have a few J45s and a SJ (to my ear) they are close but they have different sonic qualities,the SJ to me has more thump then my 45's and they still have a righteous thump across the board even the RW Custom but the SJ just seems a little "taller" to me. Larry find a SCSJ and play it you will not be disappointed.🎄😍 But isn't that just a case of variation across individual guitars and bits of wood rather than models? I know my SJ has barrel loads of thump, but I reckon there are J45s out there which would do exactly the same thing sonically speaking. When I bought it, Don Ruffato was clear that it was the same as a J45 inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 On the J-45 Custom the pins are further back on the bridge, all the way in back fact, than the pins on the Southern Jumbo. Yes, I'm aware of the logic behind higher/lower break-angle, but was confused as it seemed you wanted the SJ to go lower too. As consensus (which always can be discussed) tells us that higher angle produces more sound. That "Thump" is the higher break angle. Aha, , , then maybe you don't like the classic G-thump. Please report further up the road - if possible with pics and sound descriptions. Have fun ^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victory Pete Posted November 9, 2016 Author Share Posted November 9, 2016 Yes, I'm aware of the logic behind higher/lower break-angle, but was confused as it seemed you wanted the SJ to go lower too. As consensus (which always can be discussed) tells us that higher angle produces more sound. Aha, , , then maybe you don't like the classic G-thump. Please report further up the road - if possible with pics and sound descriptions. Have fun ^ I prefer the high break angle, I like the thump. When I get the J-45 Custom back I will be interested in comparing the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victory Pete Posted November 9, 2016 Author Share Posted November 9, 2016 But isn't that just a case of variation across individual guitars and bits of wood rather than models? I know my SJ has barrel loads of thump, but I reckon there are J45s out there which would do exactly the same thing sonically speaking. When I bought it, Don Ruffato was clear that it was the same as a J45 inside. Same on the inside, but the bridge is very different. The SJ has the pins closer to the saddle making a higher break angle for more punch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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