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A Quest for an Advanced Jumbo


Dreadfulnought

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Not being a Gibson owner (yet) my question is, 

Can one find a respectable, players clean sunburst Advanced Jumbo for around $1400 and what questions do I need to ask and what do I need to watch out for?

I'm new at buying used or vintage.

 

Thanks to all for advice on the LG1 I was considering.

 

 

Edited by Dreadfulnought
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Earlier this year I fell into a deal on an AJ for $285! It had a few issues I was able to fix, bought a new case and sold it a couple weeks later for $1600. Knowing how to or what it would take to correct minor issues can land you some great deals. Pawn shops on EBay are a great source. They usually don’t care as long as they make money. I see AJ’s between 1200-1800 quite often. 

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Yes it is possible to find one for that price. Actually, about two weeks ago on Ebay there was one I could’ve gotten for $1,400 and then I think shipping costs (Ebay wont let me view what ship wouldve cost now but I think it was $50-$70) . The neck strap button had been moved, the pickup was removed, and there was a tiny (typical nitro finish) finish crack on the top, but it was otherwise very clean. I would’ve bought it if I wasn’t still waiting patiently for my new J45 to get back from the truss rod replacement (it may cure the itch I have for a advanced jumbo)

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2 minutes ago, Dave F said:

Earlier this year I fell into a deal on an AJ for $285! It had a few issues I was able to fix, bought a new case and sold it a couple weeks later for $1600. Knowing how to or what it would take to correct minor issues can land you some great deals. Pawn shops on EBay are a great source. They usually don’t care as long as they make money. I see AJ’s between 1200-1800 quite often. 

$285!?! I thought I got a good deal on my brand new 2018 J45 standard that Im going to have $1,100 in, but that takes the cake

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19 minutes ago, Dreadfulnought said:

Sent a couple of questions.  Saw that but was scared away by crack.  Is it yours?

Not mine. I gave mine away.

 

By the way... if it was a player, and I werent the type to swap frequently, I would have no issue at all with a repaired headstock crack. 

Edited by ThemisSal
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Based on your rough idea of a budget - you are definitely not looking at vintage, but instead... a "player. recent model". 

Some of the recent post 2007 models have red spruce tops, and some have sitka.  Sitka is warmer generally. There are no years to avoid on either in my opinion. Look for a good neck angle, enough saddle, and you are good to go. Excellent condition plain Janes sell for about $1800.  Scuffed up models about $1500. And as you know... ones with "an issue" such as cracks... ($1250 on AGF right now).

I think you could almost throw  a dart and be confident you will get that AJ sound. The nuance is not there in my opinion.

 

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 Sal- which nuance are you referring to? Gibson Sound, or the difference among AJ’s?  asking because Mr. Dreadful has gone from LG-1 to AJ, and skipped right over the J-45, which is probably a better bet for someone just getting into the Gibson acoustic sound. Then, people might get curious about the AJ thing. 

 As far as things to look out for when shopping AJ’s- there was a time in the 90’s when some of the filler around the diamond and arrows inlay on the headstock would bleed a bit, giving a look that was not too clean. But by and large they’re a pretty high-quality instrument.  Powerful, as a long scale rosewood guitar can be. . . some might even call it harsh, but in the right hands, sweetness  can be pulled out of it, too. 

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I mean... 

I do love the general sound of nearly all J45s....   AND I hear nuance between samples even in the same model

I love the sound of BIRDS, AND i hear nuance between samples even in the same model

With AJs... I Do NOT hear that nuance and variation as I do with the other models.

 

And I agree... If you are doing Gibson for the first time, its hard to go wrong with a short scale slope.

 

By the way... I sold my J50 (a great guitar) two weeks back to a guy who met me at the Chatham train station, and brought his J35 to play along side mine... to decide wheher he really wanted it. He and I played for a solid 40 minutes .... The difference in my opinion was stark between the J35 and the J50. Different bracing. They both sounded great... but the J50 was more full, and the J35 more treble...

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I guess, in reality,  I could be looking for either ... the AJ or the J45.  I like them both. Both have stellar reps.  Only reason I was looking at an LG-1 was birth year and I have a dread already.   

I'm a singer/songwriter looking for a tool, preferably with a little mojo.  I may have to result in something cheaper.  Seems I just had to spend 500 on a plumbing job while I'm on vacation so I'm down to about $1000 now.  Such is life. 

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The Eastman E-20SS was an easy enough way for me to try out how rosewood might sound on a short scale slope shouldered guitar before spending Gibson money for it. Rosewood is cool on that guit-architecture, but a 'rose-45 made by the folks in Bozeman just felt more right, and the Eastman headed out.

If you can make do without a Gibson burst (for now), a WM-45 is a little known gem that was made as a budget friendly '45 spec guitar. They were feather light, without electronics, and without the heavier coat of nitro necessary to get a glossy finish. Available from the late 1990's to early 2000's, the tops are now aging, picking up some of the mojo you were looking for, and sounding a little more broken in. There's one on Reverb with a side bump and totally acceptable finish crazing that would fit your price range: https://reverb.com/p/gibson-wm45-natural-1999. Guitar Ctr has one listed as well. Of course GC has that tempting 100% 45 day return policy, so you could almost hang on to the wm long enough to acquire the additional clams get you into a nice used sunbursted J-45 Standard, then return the wm for one of their used  Standards(?).

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