Rosinante Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 (edited) Finally have a J45 again after coming out of a gear sell off rough spot last year. It took awhile. As I was saving some good deals came up from various forum members but I didn’t quite have enough $$$. Still tried to make some deals...nothing quite worked out. When I finally had the money there were no J45s ...ended up with a D35...A great guitar but just not the guitar that suits my singing voice, and Martins just don’t have that thump. Sold the D35 cause well if you are only gonna have one guitar it’s really gotta be a J45. Sooooo ended up checking out all the shops in Austin and tried some new and used standards, nothing really rang the bell. Went to a great shop that is a former 5 star dealer and they had a great selection....even a legend, which of course I didn’t even ask to play because it was in a higher price range than I was able to entertain paying. The one that really had the tone that I like and was in the price range I preferred was a NOS J45 Standard VOS Red Spruce from 2014. Played for about an hour, went home to sleep on it for a couple days and make sure It was the right guitar. Went back a couple days later asked to play again. Played over an hour and checked out the pickup as well a Baggs Element VTS not too shabby. Went to bank, paid in cash and now it’s a month later and I am still sure I made the right decision getting back to a J45 as the one and only. It’s got some great features 3 per side gotoh button tuners, Red Spruce Top, a bit fuller neck than the average slim taper. I like the MOP Gibson inlay too. Only thing I’m not hot about is the Tusq nut and saddle, but it really sounds great so I don’t see a need to change them.. Edited February 13, 2020 by Rosinante 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 So hard to beat a good J-45. Congrats & Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 Congratulations! That's not a model I've heard of before: a standard with a VOS finish and red spruce top? That also looks like a custom shop decal on the back of the neck, which I've never seen on a "standard". I wonder if it was a special order, either by a dealer or a customer? So it was NOS? What year is it? Hope you got the right deal on it, but it looks like a keeper in any case. I love my J-45s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 Welcome Aboard ! And Congratulations! Beautiful guitar, no doubt sounds like it looks. Answers the question: "If you could have only ONE guitar ... ? " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bozz Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 Looks like a GREAT guitar. Congratulations! I haven't heard of that exact model either, but here is a link to one on a Wildwood demo from a few years back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2nr9Uc43tw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 Very nice, enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosinante Posted February 13, 2020 Author Share Posted February 13, 2020 @j45nick it’s a 2014. So the guitar has had some serious time to open up. I called Gibson and it’s one of 75 made for that year. Basically a standard with red spruce, a vos finish and upgraded tuners. Also being NOS I still have the lifetime warranty. I’m not sure why it took so long before it sold... perhaps it was waiting for me like the guitar in the Guy Clark song.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 (edited) 57 minutes ago, Rosinante said: perhaps it was waiting for me like the guitar in the Guy Clark song.... By any chance, did your name happen to be on the case? 😬 Congrats- looks to be a very cool guitar Edited February 13, 2020 by 62burst Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosinante Posted February 13, 2020 Author Share Posted February 13, 2020 27 minutes ago, 62burst said: By any chance, did your name happen to be on the case? 😬 Congrats- looks to be a very cool guitar @62burst Maybe it was, the owner brought it out from the back room....could have been sitting there with my name on some painters tape and he simply took it off before bringing it out for me to try. it was a definite The Guitar moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 Well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 I like the guitar a lot, even more so after hearing Greg demo it. That's a pretty good demonstration of the mids bias you see in a lot of J-45s, but man, does it have a voice! Greg does know how to bring out the best in a J-45: start out gentle, and if doesn't respond like you want, put the spurs to it. It may have been NOS because of the VOS finish. Not everyone takes to that. If you don't care for it, some judicious work with Virtuoso cleaner and polish will bring it up in a significant way without being overdone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 It’s amazing how many limited run models Montana has done that never seemed to see the light of an advertising day. In 2018, I bought a NOS 2015 J-50 (gloss finish), that appears to be from one of those 75 guitar runs & has a Custom Shop label. Had never before heard a word about it. Same with a recently purchased 2006 LG-1 (with LG-2 bracing) from a limited run of 20 instruments. Gibson really should make a point of letting junkies like us know what’s out there’s! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Son of Gilbert Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 (edited) Congrats! Great guitar! Best sounding J-45 I’ve ever played! My wife loves playing hers! Edited February 14, 2020 by Southern Son of Gilbert 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosinante Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 Recorded an original song off the iPad with the new guitar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holiday Hoser Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Cool song Rosi! what is the old timey filter you used? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Nice ! All around goodness here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Congrats on the new Gibson. J45nick called it. The characteristic family voice of a Gibson is saturated mids. What has caused me to stick with Gibsons through the decades though is they have a quicker decay than many others. They bloom right out of the starting gate but then quickly get out of their own way. While I cannot explain why, that voice just works really well with how I approach a guitar. But a guitar does not "open up" from time alone. It is playing the heck out of it which loosens up the grain. Even then it quickly goes back to its same old used to be causing you to have to wake it up each time you grab it from its case. Nice clip. I do not think I have ever played that high up the neck for that long.. It does seem to work real well for you though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfish Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 That's a nice one, it seems to have the features of the TV models but with a pick up. I was wondering what bracing pattern it has. My TV has AJ bracing, I can tell by a stamp on the bridge plate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 (edited) 6 hours ago, Holiday Hoser said: Cool song Rosi! what is the old timey filter you used? 'Don't know what you're getting into over there, HH, vid looks as bright as day. @philfish- this stamping of similar Gibson models on the bridgeplate is something that has had me wondering. . . I've also seen "Dove" stamped on the b.p. of Hummingbirds. @duluthdan- good to see you checking in @zombywoof + @j45nick- that just about covers it. And your description of what defines the J-45 sound is what would be the very reason that J45Nick should take care with his building gas levels regarding the new SoJo rosewood reissue model. After having two J-45 R's at the same time, first preceded by the solid wood Eastman E20ss, a rosewood version of a J-45, the finding was that rosewood might give a lush tone, but the tone seems like it has to come through something first, the opposite of 'Woof's mention of how "they bloom right out of the starting gate but then quickly get out of their own way", with the mahogany J-45. An aged Herringbone Martin from the '30's or '40's might have so many things contributing to their vaunted tone, but a new rosewood guitar is going to take a while. finally, @Rosinante thanks for sharing that nice song. . . hope you got to play it for someone on Valentines Day. There were some lines in there that struck a chord. And it's good to hear you're not in a rush to replace that Tusq with bone too quickly- some of that J-45 warmth might go away. Enjoy your NGDWkEnd Edited February 15, 2020 by 62burst 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosinante Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 6 hours ago, Holiday Hoser said: Cool song Rosi! what is the old timey filter you used? 8mm app from nexvio then ran through iMovie app to brighten it and trim the video Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosinante Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 2 hours ago, 62burst said: thanks for sharing that nice song. . . hope you got to play it for someone on Valentines Day. There were some lines in there that struck a chord. And it's good to hear you're not in a rush to replace that Tusq with bone too quickly- some of that J-45 warmth might go away. Enjoy your NGDWkEnd Thanks! Yep played it for my wife whom I wrote it for when we started dating. And actually it’s a new guitar month at this point. I waited till I had it for a month before making a post. 3 hours ago, philfish said: I was wondering what bracing pattern it has. My TV has AJ bracing, I can tell by a stamp on the bridge plate. My understanding is that it has the standard bracing 5 hours ago, zombywoof said: Congrats on the new Gibson. Nice clip. I do not think I have ever played that high up the neck for that long.. It does seem to work real well for you though. Thanks. I have a capo in seven and playing out of G. The only song I use that high of a voicing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oswald Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Beautiful song! Congratulations with the new instrument! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponty Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 You got the right guitar! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosinante Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 Going on two months and I just can’t get enough of this guitar. The dealer had 80/20 JP lights strings when I bought it and I recently put Gibson 80/20 lights for my first string change since purchase. Really liking the 80/20 sounds. I also replaced the stock plastic pins with a hybrid Ebony/water buffalo horn set, can’t say if the tone has changed but I do like the black pins with the Abalone dots aesthetically. Usually daddario NBs are my favorite so that may be what comes next. Has anyone tried new mediums or light top heavy bottom sets on a J45? Wondering what would be gained or lost going up a gauge just on the bass strings. Hard to imagine that anythiing could be improved. This guitar is further proof that when you find a good J45 you don’t really need much else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guth Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 (edited) Rosinante, I like your taste in guitars and in vintage receivers. On 2/13/2020 at 12:19 PM, bobouz said: It’s amazing how many limited run models Montana has done that never seemed to see the light of an advertising day. In 2018, I bought a NOS 2015 J-50 (gloss finish), that appears to be from one of those 75 guitar runs & has a Custom Shop label. Had never before heard a word about it. Same with a recently purchased 2006 LG-1 (with LG-2 bracing) from a limited run of 20 instruments. Gibson really should make a point of letting junkies like us know what’s out there’s! It has been a few years now since I ended up with a used Custom Shop birdseye maple AJ. I had never owned a Custom Shop Gibson before the AJ. I wondered about this same thing not long after taking ownership of the guitar, especially as I struggled to find any information at all on the guitar. I was able to determine that my AJ was part of a run of like guitars because I found a couple of others mentioned elsewhere on the 'net with photos included. When I really thought about it I could understand why Gibson would not advertise these guitars. Given the small number of guitars produced in such runs it really doesn't make any sense for them to spend money on advertising when there are so few to be had. Especially when they know that most if not all of the guitars are bound to sell anyway — provided the shop/dealer is interested in selling them I suppose. Given that yours were NOS guitars, I'm guessing that you were able to learn of the number of guitars produced in each run from the selling dealer. Edited March 6, 2020 by Guth removed redundant wording 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.