New J45 Standard Sound Question

[fortyearspickn]

GC does not have Luthiers. They have Guitar Techs. I'd guess more than half their expertise is on Electronic Guitars.  Your GC Tech may think your J45 'sounds fine' because his frame of reference is $300 guitars made in a third world country.  Or he may have been backed up changing strings for people who don't know which way to turn the tuning post.    If I were you - I would return it before too much time goes by.  If you bring it somewhere else, or go past whatever GC says their 'no questions asked' period is -  you'll be on your own.  Tell them to call you when they get in another J45, J50 or Southern Jumbo - that your ears aren't pulling the wool over your eyes.   You should not have to travel hundreds of miles and leave your guitar places overnight  when it is BRAND SPANKING NEW !   G'Luck. 

[BoSoxBiker]

11 hours ago, pwykes said:

Unfortunately, no.  I brought it back there once already.  Since their tech is only in on weekdays, I dropped it off on a weekend for him to look at it.  He said it sounded fine to him and didn't do anything.  I know I'm not imagining it though as I have other acoustics but none have this issue.

I'm very sorry to hear that. I agree with the others. If your no questions asked period is nearing an end, moving on might be your most painless option.

On a more generalized note. In case you've not done this yet, learning to properly measure your guitars does a lot of good things, including making dealer staff members listen to what you have to say. At least for a few more minutes. You don't have to adjust anything. Relaying specs can make all the difference between an ambiguous conversation and informed conversation, especially if something stands out. Tell someone you got a noise, or tell someone you got a noise and the g-string at first fret is .009". That whole dialog is different and productive.  

[pwykes]

Thanks for the responses everyone.  Just to clarify,  I didn't buy it from GC but from an independent dealer over an hour away as they were the only dealer in the area  with a J-45 in stock.   They were also the ones who said they couldn't hear an issue.  Unfortunately my return period was only 7 days, which has long passed.   In retrospect I wish I just returned it when they didn't fix it the first time.  I'll see if if I can find a reputable local luthier and go that route.  If anyone knows one in central  Massachusetts, please let me know.

Thanks again for all the advice - much appreciated.

[kidblast]

3 minutes ago, pwykes said:

 If anyone knows one in central  Massachusetts, please let me know.

Thanks again for all the advice - much appreciated.

yes! I'm in Central Mass   where are you?   There's a very good tech in Leominster Mass.  I can hook you up.

[BoSoxBiker]

Looks like Kidblast has some intel for you. If your Luthier visit does reveal a defect, Gibson will cover you. Sometimes communicating with them is like pulling hair off a frog, but they will cover you.

A nicely setup Gibson acoustic is such a nice experience. You'll be there soon, I bet.

[pwykes]

18 minutes ago, kidblast said:

yes! I'm in Central Mass   where are you?   There's a very good tech in Leominster Mass.  I can hook you up.

I'm in Auburn but would be willing to travel to Leominster if the guy is recommended.

Thanks!

[kidblast]

20 hours ago, pwykes said:

I'm in Auburn but would be willing to travel to Leominster if the guy is recommended.

Thanks!

sure, that's like a 35/40 minute ride..  290 to I190N to rt2W.   The location is right near rt2,  Easy to get to.  PM when you are ready!

[sbpark]

No sense in trying to reinvent the wheel here. If you dont liek the sound of the guitar, then you don't like the sound of the guitar. 

This is Gibson message board, so everyone here likes Gibsons, so they will be inclined to offer "remedies" to solve your problem, but the truth is not all guitars sound the same, and not everyone will agree on whether or not a guitar sounds "good" to them. A great sounding guitar could sound like nails in a chalkboard to someone else. 

With all that said I may actually understand what the OP is taking about. I've owned several J45 Standards and they do seem to have some sort of tinny or nigh end zing to them that other models I've owned when compared to a J45TV, J45V and Advanced Jumbo. And J45 Standards jsut seem to be "brighter" than the other incarnations of J45. It's either something you like or don't, and if you don't there's no sense trying to convince yourself that you'll end up liking it down the line or you can "fix" the problem. 

Life's too short to try and turn a guitar into something it's not. I find too many People will buy a certain model of guitar simply because it's touted on the internet as something great, or it's wha they are told to buy, etc. I personally have a J45 Standard and a Reinagined D18. Both of those guitars sound amazing, though they sound nothing like each other, and I like that. 

 

[pwykes]

You raise some very good and valid points sbpark.   Since in my case, the issue seems to be specific to the open B and the first few frets of the E string, I'm thinking (hoping) that it's some that can be addressed by tweaking to action or neck.  If it turns out not to be the case, I will move on but I think it's worth having it checked out just to be sure.   In retrospect, I wish I had just returned it during my return period, but live and learn.   Just in case anyone is interested in how it turns out, I'll post an update once I have a qualified luthier look at it.

Thanks,

[Tim Tim]

EJ16s are still light strings.  My very favorite, mellow, sweet, rich strings on the J45 are MEDIUM gauge Martin Retro (monels) or J Pearse Nickel strings.  Please try one of these before you decide.  It’s possible you just didnt get a good J-45, but a great J-45 is a beautiful thing.  Don’t miss out just because you’re on light gauge strings. 

[olie]

I've seen very little evidence that light strings on a J-45 are significantly inferior to mediums.

There is the volume theory stating that volume is better with mediums, but there are blogs via Tony Polecastro and Brian Beato and others  that suggest that the difference lies in the prejudice of the beholder.

We sometimes hear exactly what we wish to hear.

[Tim Tim]

10 minutes ago, olie said:

I've seen very little evidence that light strings on a J-45 are significantly inferior to mediums.

There is the volume theory stating that volume is better with mediums, but there are blogs via Tony Polecastro and Brian Beato and others  that suggest that the difference lies in the prejudice of the beholder.

We sometimes hear exactly what we wish to hear.

If you think there is not a tonal difference between string gauges—both due to the string tension itself and the way a guitar resonates under different gauge tensions—then we would all be using extra light electric strings on our acoustics.  There are people who think pick material and string choice also make no difference.  People need to trust their ears and what rationally makes sense.  Changing string gauge and tension obviously affects tone.  

[Raul Rehlmann]

You both make good point and most likely keep open the possibility of the other possibilities.

And now I prepare my popcorn

[Jay-45]

On 2/19/2019 at 7:57 PM, Justbluefish said:

I got my new J45 Standard from Sweetwater and I’m not sure if I should be concerned about how it sounds.

 

I didn’t have the luxury of going and playing and picking out a guitar, ordering one was my only option - so this is the first J45 I’ve heard in person but it doesn’t sound quite like what I’ve heard in videos I’ve watched.

 

The guitar has nice tone overall but there is what I would describe as a higher pitched metallic ringing especially noticeable on the G B E strings while strumming open chords. The tone is a whole lot brighter, almost annoyingly, than I was expecting on the higher strings. It almost feel like I'm hearing a high pitched dog whistle like overtone when I strum those open strings.

 

The guitar was setup at Sweetwater before leaving with DAddario EJ15 Phosphor Bronze extra lights. It's what I've been using on my Epiphone DR100 for a while and I've had no problems with those strings, but is it possible this guitar just doesn't like them? Could it be something else? Could the guitar just be a dud?

 

The finish of the guitar is fantastic and the setup and playability is great. I’m just not sure why it sounds so bright, with this tinny or metallic ring, when all the review videos have it sounding very dark and mellow (which is what I’m after).

 

What do you think, does this seem standard for the J45 Standard?

I have a 2021 J-45 Standard and changed the stock strings to Elixer PB Extra-Lights, last week, The sound with the Extra Lights was horrible.  I quickly put on a set of D'Aaddario PB EXP16 Lights, and the sound improved immensely! I do not think that the J-45 likes Extra Light strings. Go back to Lights of your choice and your J-45 will come back to life!.

[Kwlsky]

Agreed, Jay-45.

I went to a mom and pop Gibson acoustic dealer up north earlier this year. They had a nice selection of Gibsons, but when I fingerpicked them I could tell they were all strung with extra lights. They all sounded thin and waaaaaay below their potential. If I hadn't already owned awesome Gibson acoustics, I would have thought that Gibson sucked. I asked the owner why he had them all strung with extra lights, and he said they all came that way.  Poor choice by Gibson, and a great way to turn people off to an exceptional brand of guitar.

Edited November 30, 2021 by Kwlsky

[E-minor7]

24 minutes ago, Kwlsky said:

I went to a mom and pop Gibson acoustic dealer up north earlier this year. They had a nice selection of Gibsons, but when I fingerpicked them I could tell they were all strung with extra lights. They all sounded thin and waaaaaay below their potential. If I hadn't already owned awesome Gibson acoustics, I would have thought that Gibson sucked. I asked the owner why he had them all strung with extra lights, and he said they all came that way.  Poor choice by Gibson, and a great way to turn people off to an exceptional brand of guitar.

Sounds strange - acoustic Gibsons/guitars should come with lights.

But a good thing you asked. Wonder if the plus would be that the average customer finds them easier, more inviting, to play.  

[Sgt. Pepper]

The OP hasn't made a post on this thread since  February 2019. I think he traded it, sold it, returned it or kept it. He did change strings on it. 

Edited November 30, 2021 by Sgt. Pepper

[Jay-45]

On 2/19/2019 at 7:57 PM, Justbluefish said:

I got my new J45 Standard from Sweetwater and I’m not sure if I should be concerned about how it sounds.

 

I didn’t have the luxury of going and playing and picking out a guitar, ordering one was my only option - so this is the first J45 I’ve heard in person but it doesn’t sound quite like what I’ve heard in videos I’ve watched.

 

The guitar has nice tone overall but there is what I would describe as a higher pitched metallic ringing especially noticeable on the G B E strings while strumming open chords. The tone is a whole lot brighter, almost annoyingly, than I was expecting on the higher strings. It almost feel like I'm hearing a high pitched dog whistle like overtone when I strum those open strings.

 

The guitar was setup at Sweetwater before leaving with DAddario EJ15 Phosphor Bronze extra lights. It's what I've been using on my Epiphone DR100 for a while and I've had no problems with those strings, but is it possible this guitar just doesn't like them? Could it be something else? Could the guitar just be a dud?

 

The finish of the guitar is fantastic and the setup and playability is great. I’m just not sure why it sounds so bright, with this tinny or metallic ring, when all the review videos have it sounding very dark and mellow (which is what I’m after).

 

What do you think, does this seem standard for the J45 Standard?

The problem that you are experiencing is because the J-45 does not sound good with Extra-Light Strings! Switch the to Lights and you will hear a world of better sound! The DAddario EXP16 Lights, sound good. 

[Sgt. Pepper]

He also hasn't been on the forum since 2019, so we are wasting our time here.

[RvrDxn]

2 hours ago, Jay-45 said:

The problem that you are experiencing is because the J-45 does not sound good with Extra-Light Strings! Switch the to Lights and you will hear a world of better sound! The DAddario EXP16 Lights, sound good. 

You are wrong.

[olie]

1 hour ago, RvrDxn said:

You are wrong.

Then, I suppose, you'd be right?

[RvrDxn]

Exactly.

[j45nick]

3 hours ago, RvrDxn said:

You are wrong.

Could you elaborate on that a bit?

[RvrDxn]

2019 called, it still doesn’t care what we think. 
 

Oh, and you’re wrong, too. In case you were wondering.

[fortyearspickn]

A lot of water under the bridge in the 2 years since the OP.