What’s the loudest Gibson you’ve played or owned?

[JuanCarlosVejar]

For me it’s been a Hummingbird.

 

 

 

 

How about you?

 

 

 

 

JC

[QuestionMark]

Not a Gibson at the time,, but eventually in the Gibson family...my 1936 NY Epiphone Zenith acoustic archtop.

 

QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

[Boyd]

My 1974 J-50 Deluxe. It is surprisingly loud, which was verified when setting recording levels. My son in law loved this guitar so much, I gave it to him a few years ago. Now, when I visit I'm still struck by just how loud that thing is! Of course, the "loudest" guitar isn't necessarily the "best" one. :)

[j45nick]

My ES-335 can be pretty loud, depending on what I play it through.

 

As far as Gibson acoustics go, it depends on how you play them. I've never tried to play them so they are particularly loud. For whatever reason, my "new" 1950 J-45 seems a bit louder than others that I have, when played in a similar fashion. That may be an aural delusion, however.

[Dave F]

I had an AJ with walnut that is to date the loudest I’ve played.

[slimt]

Juan. Was yours plugged in?

[Buc McMaster]

The J-35 I traded in for the blue Hummingbird.....very loud and crisp, yet very similar in tone to the J-45. Hence the Hummingbird, which is much louder than the 45.

[uncle fester]

I don't have much of a sample size to really add to the discussion, but from the sidelines my expectations would have been AJs and SJ 200s, a little surprised by the hummingbird representation.

[rbpicker]

Birdseye maple AJ that I owned several years ago. Very loud and cutting.

Roger

[J-1854Me]

Les Paul thru the Fender Twin.

 

Fred

[chasAK]

When I bought my j45, I think in 2009 or 10 there was a Hummingbird TV and an AJ on the wall. The Hummingbird was the loudest of the three and sounded great. The j45 was quieter but also sound great. Being a man of little means the J45 went home with me, with no regrets!

 

Charlie

 

Edited May 15, 2019 by chasAK

[livemusic]

'56 Country Western

[E-minor7]

That canon of an Advanced Jumbo left me deaf, , , and it stayed like that till the very day I sold it.

 

No, , , it's a very good question and I have to say the now 9 years old Firebird Custom takes the prize*.

 

Another loud singer is one of my 2 2012 TV Hummingbirds. There is only a month between them, but they are different.

The loud one has a significantly higher bridge and I believe that is the clue. The other is sweeter and projects differently - more birdish indeed.

*The F-bird is a maple acoustic guitar (for those who don't know).

And that AJ had voice for sure - more raw that than others, , , but for me without any real identity.

[BigKahune]

I’ve had a coupla “loud” Gibsons over the years. I used to think my J200 was a boomer. Then in 2013 I snag a Red Spruce AJ - with all the Limited Editions, adi hype Gibson’s ad boys could muster. Turned out to be true for my specimen. Powerful in volume, and the tone from the adi/rosewood box is really something.

 

.

[MorrisrownSal]

Standard AJ

[Paul14]

Had a custom, short scale AJ. Definitely the loudest. Too loud. I sold it.

[Tman]

J-200

[62burst]

Yes, the AJs. But the '36 L-00 was a more raucous guitar. "Then there was that time" when it was brought in to the Guitar Center for appraisal (what a hoot), and the GC Saturday metalheads got a surprise as they were shredding away all amped up- the little old Gibson could do loud (if it wanted to) without all of that.

 

What Em7 was suggesting about height of bridge (for me the thought is height of strings off of the top/soundhole) creating a sort of loudness/sweetness inverse proportionality was the first thing that came to mind when Juan Carlos mentioned a Hummingbird being a loud player (?) 'Never really thought of the 'Birds that way. In that respect, it might be of some interest to measure the string height on that one. Hopefully, it's not too "retired".

 

EDIT: Not just height of strings off of the top- saddle break angle also comes into play, affecting dynamics.

Edited May 16, 2019 by 62burst

[slimt]

Gibsons Advanced jumbo Brazilian or Madi for me. The more you fine tune these the better they get. Franklin om45 out of Sandpoint. And I just got a Bedell Gibson and Martin should be talikng to this guy. Just a outstanding guitar from out of Bend Oregon.

 

Those are my choices.

[MHargis]

2016 Humming Bird Pro

[OldCowboy]

70's Gibson Heritage - allegedly the last one produced in Kalamazoo.

[Holiday Hoser]

When I first met my '64 Hummingbird (with an L5 rosewood finger board) at Norm's my wife rolled her eyes at this scrappy, old 1960's refin but as soon as I played it those eye grew wide and she said..

"That's the loudest acoustic I have ever heard!" and the 4 or 5 other customers in the shop who were looking over nodding their heads in agreement.

[Jinder]

My Maple AJ is VERY loud, but so is my '67 J45. Everyone who has ever played the J45 in my company has commented on the volume and projection that it puts out!

 

My SJ200 is unusually loud for the species too...most super jumbos I've owned and played have had a VERY wide sonic spectrum but moderate volume, but my current SJ200 (a 2015 Standard in AN) is exceptionally projective. Not quite to the degree of my AJ, but not far off.

[zombywoof]

I never really thought of older Gibsons as being loud guitars. The square shoulder guitars though always seemed to me to be louder but that might just be a fig newton of my imagination as they tended to have brighter voices. It sounds as if part of New School Gibson Tone has to do with volume.

 

Of the Gibsons I own, when it comes to volume I would have to go with my 1961 B45-12. It does, after all, have twice as many strings. But when I need a 6 string guitar I am confident will cut through the mix, I am grabbing my 1955/56 Epiphone FT-79. Heavier built than many but that arched maple back really comes into play.

Edited May 16, 2019 by zombywoof

[TomPhx]

The J29 is probably the loudest acoustic guitar I've got. It's got a rich rosewood sound and just pumps out volume. I recently put Martin Marquis strings on it to tone it down some. Trying to sing over it would have the the neighbors calling the police. :D The biggest sound comes from the SJ200 Western Classic. You can really feel the sound being created by this guitar, in a good way.