J185 TV neck profile?

[Orval]

Hi all,

I have a line on a J185 TV but I can't go and pick it up myself since it's a half day's drive. But a friend will be passing in the area at the end of the month and she wants to pick it up for me.

The J 185 is near impossible to find here in Europe let alone a more desirable TV model, so I'm seriously thinking of buying it.

Most important thing I want to know is how are the necks on these models? I have a Hummingbird TV and would like the neck to be a bit more chunky. My ideal neck is the late '50 Les Paul neck, like the '58 reissue I have. Big neck but very comfy once you get used to it.

Could it be that the TV models emulate the original guitars so Hummingbirds came to life in the '60 when the Gibson necks weren't that big, the J185 started in the '50 the era of the thick necks.

So what do you guys think?

Thanks!!!

[Buc McMaster]

I have no experience with any J-185.........my disclaimer. But I do not think you're going to find a '58 Les Paul size neck on one. The only relatively recent Gibsons I've heard of with such a neck profile is the J-45 Legend. The TV versions of the 45 and the Hummingbird do not have big 'ol necks, so I'd guess the J-185 TV doesn't either.

[Jalex]

My J-185 new vintage which is just a glossed finished true vintage has a fairly flat profile. It's certainly does not have the rounded feel of the other Gibson models I have played. Feels slightly wider too but maybe that is just because of the flatter profile. I find it comfortable to play and don't have any issues going between my Hummingbird and J-185.

[Orval]

My J-185 new vintage which is just a glossed finished true vintage has a fairly flat profile. It's certainly does not have the rounded feel of the other Gibson models I have played. Feels slightly wider too but maybe that is just because of the flatter profile. I find it comfortable to play and don't have any issues going between my Hummingbird and J-185.

 

Thanks for the input guys

So a flat profile? I guess about the same as my Hummingbird TV than...certainly playable but I would like some more meat.

Any other J185 TV owners out there?

[Joe M]

I've had a couple of 185's. Neck profile is no where near that of a 58 Paul. If big is what you want, the 185, in any model, isn't going to do it...

[OldCowboy]

My 185 dates to 1951. The various reissue necks (as described above) are pretty true to original specs.

[bobouz]

Not a TV model, but my 2012 J-185 also has a rather flattish 'D' profile.

 

It's a little wider than my ideal preference, but I like small necks.

[Orval]

Thanks a lot guys!

I didn't expect a gibson that saw the light in the '50 to have a slim neck, but there you go.

I'm going to pass the opportunity this time and wait till I meet a J185 in real life.

So now the search begins for a big necked Gibson acoustic, I can't afford to have a lot of guitars, so I just want a couple that I really like, and a big neck is high on the spec list...