Mr.Woody Posted August 7, 2019 Share Posted August 7, 2019 (edited) Now that it's officially on hold and off the racks, i thought i'd share. Assuming all goes well, i'll be buying this Gibson "1942 J-45 Legend" Saturday! This is apparently a CME model and is different / cheaper than the "J-45 Legend" guitars previously made. As far as the finish is concerned, the rep said " This model basically has NO finish on it though, just a VERY light coating of Nitro on the top, so basically you look at the guitar too intensely and it begins to show play wear" and the pictures show just that. You can see the wood grain on the top through the finish.. It has a baked Adi top and is VERY light/resonant. I played this and the end of June and pretty much knew my search for a new guitar was over. It was between this and a J-185 Vintage. I figured out that i'd be more upset if this one sold than the J-185. I'm getting down to a single acoustic and i think this one should do well! I'm going to go ahead and have a Lryic installed from the get-go. Pretty excited as i've never had a NICE acoustic before. Edited August 8, 2019 by Mr.Woody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted August 7, 2019 Share Posted August 7, 2019 Sounds good! Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted August 7, 2019 Share Posted August 7, 2019 Cool. I believe these thin finish versions were originally designed for the Japanese market. I would wonder if the X bracing is the same painstaking recreation of that found in the original and which you got with the early Legends.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Congrats! I hope you get years of enjoyment from it. Anyone lusting for a Legend after reading this should check Fuller's. They have a fully torrified version in stock (1 of only 34 made) they claim is one of the best acoustics they ever had in the shop. No affiliation with the seller, just a public service announcement Red 333 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Super sweet guitar - I'm sure it will come with years of fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Can I borrow it ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Just kidding. That's a sweetie. Congrats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Gorgeous. I has an L-00 Legend on loan a few years back and good lord that was a wonderful guitar. The Legends are something very special. Enjoy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabarone Posted August 9, 2019 Share Posted August 9, 2019 Wow...great catch...slopes never really grabbed me but for some reason that one looks like a real catch...wait a minute...that sound you just heard is my mind opening up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Woody Posted August 9, 2019 Author Share Posted August 9, 2019 3 hours ago, Cabarone said: Wow...great catch...slopes never really grabbed me but for some reason that one looks like a real catch...wait a minute...that sound you just heard is my mind opening up... LOL you and me both. I typically hate dreads due to size, but i'm finally learning what i like and what i need are usually two different things. That why i sold all my strats and bought a Les Paul. Much happier with the sound 90% of the time. Now i won't be trying to magically squeeze a dreadnought out of a Martin OM lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Woody Posted August 9, 2019 Author Share Posted August 9, 2019 On 8/8/2019 at 5:16 AM, Murph said: Can I borrow it ? LOL, if you come to CME tomorrow, you can play it 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Woody Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 (edited) Well, it happened!!!!! I bought it and am (now) super happy with it. For the details/pics, skip below the starred line. For real-life crap and transparency, read on lol Got to CME around 11:30 Saturday. It ended up being a super stressful experience.. Not a fun day, despite buying a new guitar. Long story short, it occurred to me that my (new) bank may have a daily limit for our debit cards. I was right and the limit was $300...... so i had to hand the guitars back over and spend a WHILE on the phone with our bank (who can't do limit increases on the weekend), Visa, and local Credit Unions trying to figure out a solution. In the end, CME just sent a PayPal invoice to me and i was able to pay it all that way. Man, i could've done without that. Secondly, the strings on the guitar were SUPER corroded and worn out, which i anticipated. The guitar sounded dull/lifeless as opposed to the last time where it was loud/lively. CME was super nice and put a new set of their shop-strings on (i think some kind of D'Addario PB). After the new strings were on, the guitar was so bright/brash, i almost didn't buy it. I knew they would dull-down, but didn't want to make the purchase hoping the guitar would get better. After talking with Carl Kammin, he recommended that i try the Martin Retros and assured me that the guitar would be a good one. Between Carl and Alex Latus (the main rep i worked with the last couple of months) I ended up buying the guitar and the Lyric pickup (not installed yet) knowing i would have a 30-day trial period. When i got home, i played for just a few minutes (see somewhat muffled video below), then put on the Retros on. Boy......I hated them. They sounded ok, but the rough feel and excessive string squeak were pretty off-putting. I was pretty discouraged, and decided to call it a day. Before putting the guitar up, i decided to use "Fast-Fret" on the strings, hoping that it would make a difference the next day. Not sure if it was that or if i just needed to let me ears rest some, but when i started playing Sunday afternoon, i really started liking the guitar more and more. The fast-fret helped the string squeak and playability, and everything just sounded a little better......until...... I noticed that something sounded off. I checked and the low E string was showing almost 20cents sharp at the 3rd fret, so my G chord was out of tune. I checked and sure enough every fret on the low E string was super sharp despite the tuner saying the open E was spot on. What.The.Crap.........turns out, my tuner is junk lol also, when playing the strings at a normal intensity, the initial attack is sharper than if you just pick it softly for tuning. Once i started tuning by playing the note hard, everything was fine and in tune. At that point i was satisfied and finally decided i was going to for sure keep the guitar. Then i decided to play and sing and REALLY try it out. I can be somewhat.....intense with my strumming when singing and sure enough i put a pretty nice scratch i the finish on the first song. LOL I guess it's mine for sure now 🙂 I emailed Alex to let him know i'd be keeping the guitar and that i would schedule a day to come get the pickup installed. Took it to work today to show my co-workers and it sounded glorious from the moment i took it out of the case. Honestly best sound thus far. So, without further adieu.... ********************************************************************** The aforementioned scratch..... Can't really see it from this angle I like this tiger stripe better than the old ones. Less contrast-y Video with the D'Addarios https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyzDxdkf7Y8 For those who asked, here's what the inside looks like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsUpXn4TiWM And the scratch.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv2Frqq37Mk Edited August 12, 2019 by Mr.Woody 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 Nice story. Gorgeous guitar. Congrats! 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegreatgumbino Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 Congratulations. That is a fantastic sounding guitar. I'm sure it will bring you many years of happiness. I wouldn't worry about the scratch at all. Real life mojo. I love the Retros on my J45 Vintage and the other two mahogany Gibson slopes I've owned. In my experience they take some good play-in to break in and sound their best. I have a ToneRite that I use specifically for accelerating the break-in after a string change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Woody Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, thegreatgumbino said: I wouldn't worry about the scratch at all. Real life mojo. Yeah, honestly, i love the look of a worn-in guitar. My seagull almost has a hole worn through the top, and i finally started wearing through the lacquer on my Martin a couple years ago. This one will probably look more worn more quickly due to the thin nitro. It really is SUPER thin. Question: The case is nice, but i can see it's going to get messed up real quick...... There are no feet on the side, so if you set it down, you either have to set it down flat or chance scratching the Tolex. Any suggestions? I may just put a couple layers of Gaffe tape down in those spots as a padding. That or figure out how to install some feet on it. Better yet, once i get a Mono bag for it, leave the case at home 🙂 Edited August 12, 2019 by Mr.Woody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegreatgumbino Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 2 hours ago, Mr.Woody said: Question: The case is nice, but i can see it's going to get messed up real quick...... There are no feet on the side, so if you set it down, you either have to set it down flat or chance scratching the Tolex. Any suggestions? I may just put a couple layers of Gaffe tape down in those spots as a padding. That or figure out how to install some feet on it. I had a similar case and used peel and stick felt from the craft store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Woody Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 Ahh, that's not a bad idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidalgo Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 (edited) Great guitar!(I like CME a lot too. I got a chance to stop in over Thanksgiving.) The thin finish looks nice, and the scratch is just a little honest wear and wouldn't bother me in the least. I have a Fuller's 1939 J35 Reissue from 2011. I'll never sell it. And the neck is fantastic, full C and 1.77". Gibson calls it the Luthier's Choice profile. I tried several sets of strings and settled on the Martin Monel Retros in 12-54. Congratulations, and enjoy! Edited August 12, 2019 by Fidalgo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Woody Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 20 minutes ago, Fidalgo said: Great guitar!(I like CME a lot too. I got a chance to stop in over Thanksgiving.) The thin finish looks nice, and the scratch is just a little honest wear and wouldn't bother me in the least. I have a Fuller's 1939 J35 Reissue from 2011. I'll never sell it. And the neck is fantastic, full C and 1.77". Gibson calls it the Luthier's Choice profile. I tried several sets of strings and settled on the Martin Monel Retros in 12-54. Congratulations, and enjoy! Yeah, that's what's on this one currently. Carl recommended the 13's, and i may go that route, but thought i'd try the 12s first. I do a LOT of fingerpicking, so the 13's may be a bit much for me LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidalgo Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 I went to 13's first, but settled on 12's. I wish they made a 12-56. I like the heavier E and A strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegreatgumbino Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 3 hours ago, Mr.Woody said: Yeah, that's what's on this one currently. Carl recommended the 13's, and i may go that route, but thought i'd try the 12s first. I do a LOT of fingerpicking, so the 13's may be a bit much for me LOL I used keep mine in D standard tuning and used the Laurence Juber Retros for a several years. This year I moved to MM13's and love them. They are the perfect tension for my tuning preference. If you want a little more oomph you guys might try the MLJ13's. They provide a tension of 175.45 versus the MM12's that are 162.91. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars68 Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 (edited) A tip to improve the look of the scratch that has worked super for me. Go to a toy store, find some kids' pens in as big an assortment of colors as possible. Make sure they are waterbased, not permanent marker pens, which should be stated clearly on the package. That's why you shoud go to a kids' store! Match the color of the pens you use as closely to the color of the burst as possible. You might have to use more than one color, since the scratch goes from the dark part of the burst into the brighter part. Apply the color richly, than wipe off with a damp rag. The waterbased color has a great tendency to find its way into the scratch to help hide it. I have used this technique on a few scratches on my guitars, and it has worked very, very well. When using waterbased colors you won't hurt the finish. An alchohol based permanent marker, on the other hand, will melt the finish. So make sure you have the right type of pens. Lars Edited August 13, 2019 by Lars68 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 13 hours ago, Fidalgo said: I went to 13's first, but settled on 12's. I wish they made a 12-56. I like the heavier E and A strings. Look out some D'Addario EJ19 Bluegrass Gauge strings. 12-56 and fabulous strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 On 8/7/2019 at 9:53 PM, Mr.Woody said: Now that it's officially on hold and off the racks, i thought i'd share. Assuming all goes well, i'll be buying this Gibson "1942 J-45 Legend" Saturday! This is apparently a CME model and is different / cheaper than the "J-45 Legend" guitars previously made. As far as the finish is concerned, the rep said " This model basically has NO finish on it though, just a VERY light coating of Nitro on the top, so basically you look at the guitar too intensely and it begins to show play wear" and the pictures show just that. You can see the wood grain on the top through the finish.. It has a baked Adi top and is VERY light/resonant. I played this and the end of June and pretty much knew my search for a new guitar was over. It was between this and a J-185 Vintage. I figured out that i'd be more upset if this one sold than the J-185. I'm getting down to a single acoustic and i think this one should do well! I'm going to go ahead and have a Lryic installed from the get-go. Pretty excited as i've never had a NICE acoustic before. What a gorgeous looking and glorious sounding guitar! Don't worry about the scratch, all my guitars have far worse wear in that spot, plus you got the first scratch/ding out of the way early! I know a couple of players with Legends, who both ended up selling 99% of their other acoustics as they only ever went for the Legend when picking a guitar out of the rack. They're the magical combination of vintage tone and specs with a fresh high quality modern build. Absolutely fantastic choice...enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Nice J45 So... before you do ANYTHING with that scratch look up Eternashine Players Kit. they have a Cleaner and Scratch remover. the kit has both, you may need just the scratch remover. It may improve it without using any thing else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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