Gibson J45 help needed

[mojoworking]

I recently picked up this J45 ADJ. From the serial number it's a 2013 model, but other than that I can find no info about it. The store had no idea either.

Here's the specs:

It's a Custom Shop guitar with no electronics

It has a regular 8 digit serial number, not a Custom Shop number

No "made in USA" on the headstock

Cherry red finish with adjustable bridge and large pickguard (ie 60s appointments)

"Only A Gibson Is Good Enough" banner logo (ie 40s headstock)

I've searched the internet but found nothing. 

Any ideas? Was this a special order? The guitar seems to have spent time in Japan as some of the products in the case have Japanese writing.

 

 

[bobouz]

Can't tell you any more about it, but it looks very nice.

Congrats & enjoy!

[mojoworking]

Thanks Bob. I wrote to Gibson, hoping they could tell me where the guitar was originally shipped and/or how it was marketed, like a special run for a store etc. Andrew at Gibson Customer Service very kindly replied with a spec sheet, but it didn't really tell me much I didn't already know. This is what he sent me:

·       Series: Limited Edition 

·       Body Style: Round Shoulder 

·       Mahogany: Top 

·       Bracing: Sitka spruce , Traditional Hand Scalloped X-bracing

·       Neck Profile: Round Profile

·       Neck: Mahogany

·       Neck width: 1.725’’ 

·       Neckjoint: Compound Dovetail Neck-to-body 

·       Fingerboard: Rosewood 

·       Scale length: Short 

·       Number of frets: 20 

·       Nut: Bone 

·       Inlay: Mother-of-Pearl dot 

·       Binding: Multiply top Single-ply Back 

·       Bridge: Rosewood belly up, adjustable saddle 

·       Tuners: Grover 

·       Strap: Cream Button 

·       Plating: Nickel

·       Electronics: None

·       Pickup: None

·       Case: Black Gibson Hardshell

 

[fortyearspickn]

Mo,  I'm guessing there's a typo in the specs Gibson sent to you:   "Mahogany - Top"   doesn't sound right   I'm going out on a limb  - but it looks like a Sitka Spruce Top and  I'm betting it's the back and sides are what's the  mahogany.   Really nice guitar.  Congrats. 

[mojoworking]

Thanks. I think they transposed or messed up a couple of lines there. I'm sure it should read

 Top:  Sitka spruce 

Back & sides:  Mahogany

Bracing:  Traditional Hand Scalloped X-bracing

[QuestionMark]

Just a thought.  Try calling Fuller’s Guitars in Houston, Texas to see if they know anything about the model.

Fullers did a lot of special orders and Custom Shop J-45s.

Try to speak to Jeremy Fuller.

 In 2009 I bought a new Faded Cherry Sunburst 2006 J-45 Custom Shop J-45 1964 Reissue from Fullers that they had Gibson do a special run of.  Looks very similar except it doesn’t have the banner on the headstock, plus it has the serial number on the neck block inside the guitar and a tusq adj saddle.  When I bought it from Fullers, Jeremy Fuller was able to describe its differences from a very similar looking Faded Cherry Sunburst 60s icon J-45 model that Musicians Friend has done a special run on.  In other words, he seemed to have an awareness of special run Faded Cherry Sunburst special run or Cuatom Shop J-45s that we’re out in the marketplace.  Might be worth a try.

Hope this helps.

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

 

 

 

[mojoworking]

Thanks Jeff, I'll look into that. Someone suggested the lack of "Made in USA" on the back of the headstock could mean the guitar was made for the Japanese market. As I said, there was evidence the guitar had spent time in Japan, judging by the items in the case. I was hoping the Gibson factory could tell me where the guitar had been originally shipped, or at least clarify the exact model run.