JT Foote Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Hello all! I've been cruising these forums for quite a while; enjoying the conversation, the information, the opinions, and the enthusiasm of the Gibson players and collectors who congregate here. I never joined in though, because I didn't feel that I had much to contribute ... after all, it's a Gibson forum, and I didn't own one! Years past, I had a nice flamed Les Paul Standard that I bought for $400.00, brand-new. Beautiful instrument, but I didn't play well enough back then to take full advantage of it, and I ended up trading it for a good acoustic Washburn. A few years later, I was given a '70s model J-50 as a gift, but I didn't care much for it ... the box weighed a ton, and I couldn't seem to drive the top, regardless of humidity levels or string gauge. I practically gave it away to a friend, who was enamored with the fact that it was a "Gibson" ... I tried to explain how unimpressed I was with it, but he went away happy, anyway. I never played another Gibby. That was 22 years ago. Since then, I've worked with several groups, in different States. While I would never consider myself to be a professional picker, I get by, and know enough theory to fake my way through a jam session or sit in with a local band and still have fun! These days, though, are different in many ways (semi-retired) (back in school to get a Microsoft certification), a new house, a truly amazing new wife ... and a renewed interest in becoming a much better player than I've ever been before. And so, I began searching for "THE" guitar; one that would bring out the best I have to offer, and wake up the songs I know are still inside me, wishing to be written. Of course, this required hitting every music store in a 50 mile radius; shopping at all the on-line sites, and reading about everything acoustic. This has been going on for about three or four years, and more seriously, the past year for certain. Well, I finally gave in, and bought a Kristofferson SJ. Sight unseen. I had never even considered buying a guitar before without giving it a test drive first, and so, making a purchase of this magnitude, in this fashion ... well, let's just say that I knew I was being a first-class idiot, especially when buying the guitar from a place that ships them out as fast as possible. This week, it came in. I could barely stand to open the case, expecting all sorts of problems (shipping damage, lifting bridges, broken head stock, blemishes, overspray, grain runout ... you name it, I already had the nightmare! And the worst one of all ... I'd pick it up, play it, and absolutely hate it. And I'd have to keep it, just long enough to make a small profit when I sold it. To justify my foolishness. But ... Oh, my ... what a surprise ... it was 99.99% perfect. I examined it, and had to really get close to find even the smallest flaw, and that was so minor as to be nearly invisible. Then I stretched out the strings, put 'er in tune, and you should have seen my jaw drop when the first chord rang out. I ran through some bass lines, and man, what amazing thump for a new guitar. I played that guitar almost all night, until my wife got up to see if I had died, or was just gonna sleep in the living room, for some unknown reason. I've barely had it out of my hands since. I DO have to eat and sleep, although I kinda resent the interruptions. LOL! I wrote up a review of the guitar, and posted it on a favorite website, WholeNote. Everyone is welcome to read it and comment ... the more the merrier! Kristofferson SJ And so, again, Hello All ... it's nice to finally be a part of this forum, and to finally have something worthwhile to say. Thanks ... JT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinNoName Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Hey JT, Welcome!! That's a cracking story.... the two unwritten "rules" here seem to be: a) First Song played? and B) PLEASE PLEASE do put some pictures up, would love to see her!!! thanks! Auz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Welcome to the looney bin. Too bad you didn't speak up sooner because this ain't no "owner's club" and we don't have rank based on how many Gibsons we own.... in the words of Richard Pryor (in character, speaking on a different subject), "that don't make no diffunce 'cept fo' some cash!" So if there are any other lurkers, don't worry whether you own one or not. This isn't like Harley-Davidson. OOPS did I say that? Shame on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLiveSoundGuy Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Congrats JT and welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Player Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Welcome JT and hope you stay out in the open now instead of lurking... Love to see some photos of the new guitar when you get a chance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarstrummer Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Welcome to the forum, JT. I've got one of those Kristofferson models on my short list. They seem like great guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Welcome Foote! Don't worry about not having anything to contribute. When someone here finally does, we'll let you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajsc Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Welcome, & congrats on a truly beautiful guitar!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 JT, welcome to the forum, and congradulations on your new Guitar!!!! By the way, I'm a pretty nice guy, but you have to watch out for some of the other people in here.......lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honky Dog Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Welcome, JT. I bet you're love that guitar more and more as time goes by. Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Bizzy Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 JT, thanks for that little Wholenote link. Never seen it before. What a neat place for learners like myself. Preeshate that. Cheers. Luke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vourot Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Man, I love that feeling. Playing for hours, looking at the clock, not believing that that much time has passed.Playing some more, getting in the "zone". Congrats on the new axe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT Foote Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Hi, again! Back with some pictures of the newest edition to the household, plus a few of my old George Gruhn-designed GF-55 Guild, that I've been playing for a number of years. It's been through "the war" and back again, on and off stage, but it still plays like a dream. Picked it up at Ruckers Music Center in Columbus, GA in 1991. I was in the market for a Martin at that time, and had very nearly settled on a D-45 (despite the extra bling, which really isn't my style), when the salesman approached me and suggested I check out a couple of Guilds he had been keeping in the back, (why, I can't say.) It was love at first sight. Since then, I've had multiple offers to sell it ... including a few heart-felt requests from my little brother to "pass it on", but some guitars stay with you until your dying breath, and this is one of them. I think the new Gibson will compliment it nicely ... And now, my first pictures of the Gibson (and I apologize in advance for anything that looks strange, or out of place, such as (ahem) reflections of my feet! (I'm definitely not a photographer, and I was using a new digital camera for the very first time, and that included editing, uploading, etc.!) First song? Rocky Mountain High, by Mr. Denver. Then a few of my own, for good measure. Hope you like her!! JT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honky Dog Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Wow. Beautiful, beautiful guitar, JT. Luscious. Love the inlay, and the pickguard and tuners are exceptional. Congratulations on a very nice guitar. I bet it sounds amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilliangirl Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Wow! Look at how nice and new and shiny those tuning machines are! Beautiful! Congratulations (and welcome!) Did you sniff inside the soundhole? That's another thing some of us do when we get new guitars LOL Nothing better than the smell of a new guitar. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWilson Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Welcome to the forum. Those are two absolutely beautiful guitars. Just a hint, when you take closeups make sure you're wearing sunburst socks!! Congratulations on a great purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT Foote Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Wow! Look at how nice and new and shiny those tuning machines are! Beautiful! Congratulations (and welcome!) Did you sniff inside the soundhole? That's another thing some of us do when we get new guitars LOL Nothing better than the smell of a new guitar. :-) Yep, I sure did. And what's more, I LIKED it, too! Now my wife is absolutely certain I've lost a marble or two. Playing them is one thing ...sniffing them??? LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT Foote Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Welcome to the forum. Those are two absolutely beautiful guitars. Just a hint' date=' when you take closeups make sure you're wearing sunburst socks!! Congratulations on a great purchase.[/size'] Glad you like the guitars. And as for the socks ... that's brilliant!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertjohn Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 My photography tip for today. Feet in pictures are fine. And wife's slippers are even better. For example: You have 2 stunning guitars. Congratulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOESTONE Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Beautiful guitar and wonderful story. I love passionate people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR GIBS Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Welcome to the forum JT Great story - I admire it. I am a new Gibson owner too and I don't want to let the guitar out of my hands!!! I want to play 24 hours a day! Me-I had no your luck with my new guitar, because my M-r Gibs is in a master luthier's atelier in that moment... For some reasons - freths, neck,... But the sound is G R E A T!!! I spoke with an old guitarist professional in Sofia before I payd M-r Gibs and the man said: "... Gibson is THE GUITAR..." And I listened him. And I assure you that M-r Gibs smells very good! Nothing to compare with the smell of a new great guitar like an SJ 200. Even (believe me!) it smells in my nose when I am playing! I believe that your new masterpeace will teach you a lot of new songs of yours :-) Like mine started to teach me allready :-) Never loose this passion, this is perhaps one of the things that keeps you alive. For sure I know that my passion to guitar playing and singing and songmaking keeps me alive. Do you have some recordings with your new Gibson? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT Foote Posted March 5, 2009 Author Share Posted March 5, 2009 Hi, all ... Thought I'd make an update. The new SJ began to develop some buzz on the lower frets, and so, I decided that getting it checked out would be a good idea. After all, I've never owned an instrument in the past that didn't actually require a good set-up, and although I was initially surprised at how much I liked the factory-set action, taking the guitar to an expert seemed like a good idea. And yes, I've been keeping the guitar properly humidified (to whom it may concern.) <GRIN> My Expert Of Choice: Dream Guitars. No fly-by-night outfit for my new baby! It was better than a good idea; it was a smart move. The resident luthier said that the frets needed a level and dress. According to him, even Gibson employees might be subject to having a "bad Monday", just like that rest of us, and the frets were "wavy" up the whole fingerboard. In addition, he discovered that the bridge bolts needed tightening, and the nut slots needed a bit of adjustment. And while he was checking things out, he also noticed that the pickup wires on the inside were kinda hanging loose. (That I knew prior to the visit.) Finally, I wanted the action just a little bit lower, and the saddle shaved down. Plus, I needed a strap pin installed on the neck. Yes, it's considerably better after having the work done, and the projection of the instrument has improved. No buzzing, better over-all action, and far easier fingering on the first three frets. No pickup wire or bridge rattle, either. On a side-note, it turns out that Gibson installed the "wrong" pickup. I did notice rather quickly that the volume control/tone sound hole wheels that were supposed to come with the advertised Fishman pickup were missing, and I didn't see it/them in anywhere inside the body. Talking to Gibson was productive, however, although the hardest part was discovering exactly what pickup managed to get installed in the first place. That took some investigation, but to the credit of Gibson's customer service, they persisted in working on it until I received the information. The pickup is an LR Baggs Element Active System. But it is also missing a volume control wheel! And so, I contacted LR Baggs customer support, and they got in touch with me fairly quickly. The volume wheel is a removable part, and it's being sent out. Additionally, tech support (Brian) has offered to walk-through the luthier while installing the control, to make the installation a little less painless, due to there being a circuit board and some soldering involved. Gibson was also kind enough to credit my account with the monetary difference between the two pickups. Between Gibson and LR Baggs, I am very pleased with the responses of the two companies, and the professionalism displayed by the support personnel. The downside (whoa, a minor gripe or two!) is that I had to get some of this done in the first place. Getting the guitar set-up ... no complaints, that's standard procedure, especially since I wanted lower action. But, having to get a fret level & dress with a new instrument, well, that's not what I expected from Gibson. Getting the wrong pickup is somewhat irritating, too. Irritating in terms of expenses, primarily. Interestingly enough, I also took my Washburn to be set-up at the same time. It had a really bad fret buzz on the D and G strings from the fifth fret and up, and I've ignored the fact that a good set-up was needed for a while. (Basically, the Washburn was a practice instrument, while saving money for something a little more upscale.) I was already prepared for the Washburn to have the entire fretboard leveled; the fret buzz was indicative of uneven fret heights. But I really didn't expect the Gibby to need similar work. A nut slot and truss rod adjustment, absolutely. A fret job, no. It's one thing to have to some fairly major work done on a instrument that costs less than $500.00 in order for it to be playable, especially if your standards are high. It's another to spend that kind of cash on a new instrument that comes from Bozeman. That's somewhat disappointing, IMHO. Don't get me wrong ... I'm thrilled, (repeatedly!), to have this SJ, and I am discovering wonderful variations of tone every time I play it. This guitar and I are really going to learn to like each other, I think. But I do wonder, now that I've been subject to a few post-purchase events with the guitar, if there really is some element of truth to the stories I've read over the last few years about Gibson's intermittent problems with quality control. ??? I hope that I'm the exception to the rule, and not the "norm". Opinions? Flames? Reassurance? LOL! Later ... JT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumner77 Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 JT, great looking guitar! I saw two of those the other night, on stage with Kris. He kept the second in the stand the whole show, I guess in case he broke a string. He never was that much of a player, but the songs speak for themselves. It's about the material and he has it; and two fine guitars as well. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 A couple of beautiful guitars you have there, JT! That Kristofferson SJ is something else. I love the fact you played a John Denver song first off, on a Kristofferson sig guitar! Well done for resisting 'Sunday Morning Comin' Down' and being a rebel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peiplayer Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I've had my J45 bought new for 3 years. I've found that maintenance of action is an ongoing thing sort of like tuning up your vehicle. When I first bought it it developed a buzz in the first 2 weeks. I didn't know anything in those days and totally freaked out. I went frantic trying to find it and fix it myself. I eventually had it seen by someone who adjusted the rod and the buzz went away. Since then I've learned more about how a guitar works, have adjusted the rod myself and both the saddle and the nut. My action now is pretty low and most of the time I can bang away with no buzzing. I also had a fret dressing done after about 2 years. My guitar seems a little temperamental too. Little buzzes and other quirks seem to come and go intermittently without me really knowing why and I've long stopped worrying about them. A change in humidity, a change of strings, temperature changes, all affect it. I've now played in countless jams, open mics, and in concerts with my band and it has never let me down. As for flaws in workmanship? I've never looked for any and couldn't be bothered to do so! Its a great guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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