Still in love with my Maple AJ, nearly a year on

[docr]

Had the chance to play the guitar last night. Yes, a fine instrument! Even use of a capo works (the famous "Here Comes The Sun" Position or 3rd/4th fret Bluegrass licks). Single notes are coming precisely and clear, strumming sounds good, too.  The setup is very good for me, just started playing. The first Impression after opening the case was - they packed a J35 by mistake, they look similar, but of course not the neck.

I could no verify the stories about "AJ ist the loudest guitar of the world" - my HD28 and my SJ 200 AN are still louder - if loundness is a criterion . It has a good volume, that´s ok for me, have not to fight with a Banjo in the band.

I compared the maple AJ with my Dove. The only difference is the "slope" oder "square" shoulder and the wood of the neck, but they sound totally differnt. The Dove has much more low end than the AJ (both Gibson 12 to 53 strings). The dove is even heavier.

Jinder - you wrote that you gave 013s on the AJ - any problems with the small bridge caused by this? I would like to try it after the first string set is done, but is the AJ really robust enough?

[Jinder]

9 hours ago, docr said:

Had the chance to play the guitar last night. Yes, a fine instrument! Even use of a capo works (the famous "Here Comes The Sun" Position or 3rd/4th fret Bluegrass licks). Single notes are coming precisely and clear, strumming sounds good, too.  The setup is very good for me, just started playing. The first Impression after opening the case was - they packed a J35 by mistake, they look similar, but of course not the neck.

I could no verify the stories about "AJ ist the loudest guitar of the world" - my HD28 and my SJ 200 AN are still louder - if loundness is a criterion . It has a good volume, that´s ok for me, have not to fight with a Banjo in the band.

I compared the maple AJ with my Dove. The only difference is the "slope" oder "square" shoulder and the wood of the neck, but they sound totally differnt. The Dove has much more low end than the AJ (both Gibson 12 to 53 strings). The dove is even heavier.

Jinder - you wrote that you gave 013s on the AJ - any problems with the small bridge caused by this? I would like to try it after the first string set is done, but is the AJ really robust enough?

I've had zero problems whatsoever with my AJ wearing 13s-quite the opposite if anything. It feels like the most robust guitar I own, and I didn't even need to tweak the truss rod when going up to 13s. I use 12s on everything normally, but the AJ just seems to call for 13s, and responds magnificently with D'Addario EXPs in particular.

[docr]

Jinder,

Thank you again for this Information. The maple AJ is my only Gisbon which gives a strange Feeling as if 12s or too thin ... difficult to describe. I do not have this feeling with SJ 200s or my Dove. Ok, my Martins have 13s mounted, but this is another topic. The AJ needs some playing, it was played in the store due to the small traces on the guitar, but not regularly. So I am expecting further sound improvement.

Doc

[Guth]

On 6/5/2019 at 3:04 AM, docr said:

The maple AJ is my only Gisbon which gives a strange Feeling as if 12s or too thin ... difficult to describe. I do not have this feeling with SJ 200s or my Dove. Ok, my Martins have 13s mounted, but this is another topic. The AJ needs some playing, it was played in the store due to the small traces on the guitar, but not regularly. So I am expecting further sound improvement.

I had the exact same feeling when it came to my maple AJ when I first played it. But I tend to run mediums on almost every guitar I've ever owned with the exception of the smaller-bodied guitars. I also seemingly have the action set a bit higher on my guitars than many people do as I tend to dig in a bit more than maybe I should at times with my right hand when I'm fingerpicking and the extra action helps with that. As noted above I acquired my maple AJ over seven years ago and I have been running mediums on the guitar ever since taking ownership without issue. (I'm using mediums on my rosewood AJ as well. I understand that maple as a tonewood isn't for everyone. But I've found that for me this guitar provides a unique voice as compared to any other guitar I've ever owned and at times that can be a nice motivation for changing things up a bit. I hope that you end up enjoying yours.

[docr]

Guth,

Thank you for the information! Will stay at 12ths at the moment as the maple AJ is playing so comfortably. My Martins with 13s and a typical higher action are hard to play compared to the AJ. As you are using 13s for 7 years on your AJ I will trust in the stability of these instruments.

I like maple ...  the number of maple Gibsons in my stable is higher than the mahogany versions at the moment. I have no rosewood Gibsons as the rosewood AJ I have tested sounded too close to my D35. It is  interesting to hear the differences between the maple guitars.

I am enjoying my maple AJ more and more - it is one of the easiest to play and best sounding guitars I have. As I wrote above, it is getting better and better while playing, no idea what happend to it in the last 3 years and during the shipping. I take it out of the case in every free minute. Have more time as we have a long weekend due to Pentecost holiday on Monday. So more hours for the guitar. And intersting to compare it to the at least optical "little sister" J-35 - ok, they are different anyhow.

The funny thing about the maple AJ is that guitars of the 65 pieces series Jinder has mentioned is that they have obviously been spread all over world and I found the "new old stock" by success in the store in Berlin - same where I found a red spruce J-185 some months ago. In Germany you can find the standard Gibson acoustic models at about 10 shops, some of them "5 Star Dealers", but no special instruments like AJs.

 

[Rambler]

On 5/19/2019 at 12:21 PM, EuroAussie said:

Do you have any demos Jinder with the AJ ? New or old?"  Late to the party, but here you go.  Well played, Jinder.  

Btw there is another clip of Jinder playing this number on a D18. It really mails the Gibson-Martin dynamic: the Gibson is about round clear notes; the Martin oozes overtones, but notes are less distinct and the treble is thin. To my ear. Rambler

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by Rambler

[Guth]

I haven't been to visit this forum in a while so what a nice surprise it was upon checking in to see a post by Rambler referencing content featuring Jinder that was originally posted by EuroAussie. A great triple whammy. I hope that all of you are doing well. (Oh, and as a bonus, it's highlighting a maple AJ.)

Edited August 23, 2020 by Guth

[uncle fester]

On 8/22/2020 at 11:05 AM, Rambler said:

 

First impression - geeze Jinder must be huge, that AJ looks like a uke in his hands

Second impression - geeze that sounded good, well played, well sung, guitar sounds the bomb IMO

 

[kidblast]

2 hours ago, uncle fester said:

First impression - geeze Jinder must be huge, that AJ looks like a uke in his hands

Second impression - geeze that sounded good, well played, well sung, guitar sounds the bomb IMO

 

From previous discussions I believe our pal Jinder is  well over 6 feet.    OTOH,, I'm like 5'6"... LOL!

I can just about hide behind my J200.

Excellent performance on that vid btw..

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by kidblast

[Rambler]

On 8/23/2020 at 11:24 AM, Guth said:

I haven't been to visit this forum in a while so what a nice surprise it was upon checking in to see a post by Rambler referencing content featuring Jinder that was originally posted by EuroAussie. A great triple whammy. I hope that all of you are doing well. (Oh, and as a bonus, it's highlighting a maple AJ.)

Hah!  Glad to know you are still in there pitching, Guth (guess I should say picking). Believe it, I hunted high and lo find that clip. 

[Dave F]

Just listened to the clip and that guitar sounds great. The mids are great with your playing style and singing. I like the the treble too. I think I would change the two top bass strings to draw out some more lows. 

[Jinder]

On 8/24/2020 at 10:51 AM, uncle fester said:

First impression - geeze Jinder must be huge, that AJ looks like a uke in his hands

Second impression - geeze that sounded good, well played, well sung, guitar sounds the bomb IMO

 

Thankyou! I am indeed a big guy...6'7" and 260lb. I even make my SJ200 look small!

[Guth]

FYI Jinder, I'm still in the maple AJ club as well...

[62burst]

15 hours ago, Jinder said:

Thankyou! I am indeed a big guy...6'7" and 260lb. I even make my SJ200 look small!

That's a lot of stones. To all others, if it was meant to be. . . then go with the flow (Little Jimmy Dickens):

6 hours ago, Guth said:

FYI Jinder, I'm still in the maple AJ club as well...

Guth- that is  your maple AJ in one of my favorite guitar pics (from pg 1 of this thread. . . on a pool table ?):

[Guth]

@62burst - Little Jimmy definitely found the right hat to balance out the visual impact of that guitar next to his low-rise frame. And yes, the guitar in the pool table shot and the guitar above in it's case are indeed one in the same.