jw3571 Posted November 12, 2020 Share Posted November 12, 2020 Anyone played one of the new J55's? How does it compare to other 2020's? Which is it most similar to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw3571 Posted November 15, 2020 Author Share Posted November 15, 2020 Nobody has played one of these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted November 15, 2020 Share Posted November 15, 2020 22 minutes ago, jw3571 said: Nobody has played one of these? Guess not. You should be our guinea pig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 Quinton and Paul take it. This one sounds good - warm, dry, lots of room and remarkably loose already. The moustache on the small jumbo isn't my cup of cocoa, but who cares. . It's one of those that should be tried in real life. Might surprise with more than heard here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mime Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 The two I’m curious about are the J55 and the 1934 original jumbo. The demo videos for both sound fabulous. I’d love to play one or both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw3571 Posted November 16, 2020 Author Share Posted November 16, 2020 I have the 34 Jumbo and it's awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 1 hour ago, Mime said: The two I’m curious about are the J55 and the 1934 original jumbo. The demo videos for both sound fabulous. I’d love to play one or both. Agree - saw Q & P do a demo of that as well. 2 acoustics I'd like to A/B live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 19 hours ago, jw3571 said: Nobody has played one of these? 11 hours ago, jw3571 said: I have the 34 Jumbo and it's awesome. Looking at the specs on Gibson's site, https://www.gibson.com/Guitar/ACC6LP318/1934-Jumbo/Vintage-Sunburst , and https://www.gibson.com/Guitar/ACCNSE863/1939-J-55/Faded-Vintage-Sunburst It sounds like you've already come fairly close to playing one of these, in the form of your 34 Jumbo, save for the longer scale length. Quinton and Paul from Music Villa spend a good amount of time talking about guitar aesthetics, but do they mention a major influence on the guitar's sound- the longer-than-Martin scale length of 25.5" ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw3571 Posted November 16, 2020 Author Share Posted November 16, 2020 So what affect on tone does the slightly longer scale length make? I don't want them to be the exact same sounding guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 I would love to play one...I have not seen one yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 24 minutes ago, jw3571 said: So what affect on tone does the slightly longer scale length make? I don't want them to be the exact same sounding guitar. There was a reason Quinton started his MV demo with the drop tuning on that J-55 RI- it got our attention, sounded different for those of us who spend most of our time in standard tuning, and guitars with longer scale length (& corresponding higher string tension) are thought to be better at alt tunings. And the mahogany, the slope shoulder design, and the toasted top keep things from going in the tonal mud. With all of the other variables that can make two guitars of the same model sound differently, I'd bet if you sat down with your 34 Jumbo and a J-55 RI, even with similar strings of a similar age, you'd most likely be able to tell them apart in a blind a/b test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 28 minutes ago, 62burst said: With all of the other variables that can make two guitars of the same model sound differently, I'd bet if you sat down with your 34 Jumbo and a J-55 RI, even with similar strings of a similar age, you'd most likely be able to tell them apart in a blind a/b test. Right on ^ and what a fest it would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoSoxBiker Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 I'd love to try one of these. It was on a very short list earlier this year when I got the rw SJ-200 pre-war historic collection. In a dream world, I'd just love to sit down with the Love Dove, J-55 RI and a 2014-ish Sheryl Crowe SJ Deluxe (whatever else it's called) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 (edited) Here’s a pretty decent demo : Also: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CCpInmTBbpX/?igshid=16xr0e0o5pybh JC Edited November 30, 2020 by JuanCarlosVejar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 That sounds delicious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw3571 Posted December 1, 2020 Author Share Posted December 1, 2020 Thanks for posting, sounds pretty similar the 34 jumbo, maybe a little warmer. The 34 sounds like it could be louder, it's a real cannon, although this guy wasn't playing super loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Here is a short demo from a 1940 J-55. It is RW, so that makes a big difference. To me this one is more in the class of the old AJ/RSRG/SJRW than the old JUMBO/TROJAN but that would be because of the RW. I don't really know anything about the current models. http://vintageacousticinsruments.blogspot.com/http://www.vimeo.com/tpbiii Best, -Tom B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docr Posted May 30, 2023 Share Posted May 30, 2023 I've been playing guinea pig and bought a 2022 Gibson 1939 J-55 "Faded Vintage Sunburst" over the weekend. I found it in a very well-stocked guitar store in Nuremberg (Germany) and tried it out, which was a mistake financially. It just sounds so good and plays so well that I had to raid my bank account and buy the guitar. It is extremely responsive to the touch. It's just fantastic, chords sound full, single notes play well and when you let the guitar fade out you notice how well the instrument resonates. Somehow the sound goes in the direction of Martin D-18 and somehow you can also hear Gibson out. An interesting mixture. Martin-like parameters of the J-55 are the long scale and the ebony fingerboard. I can compare the J-55 directly with my 2022 D-18 and the direct comparison shows that the J-55 of course sounds different, just beautiful. A first use at an outdoor jam session was a pure joy for me. The sonority is simply overwhelming. We played pieces by CCR, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash and also blues. All styles are possible. The 1939 is my first guitar with an "aged" look. It's not really trimmed to look old, only the finish is very thin, so you can clearly see the grain of the wood on the top and the body. One advantage is that fingerprints and other marks are not as visible as with high-gloss finishes. The J-55 does not have a pickup and will not get one. I will certainly not send the great sound through a pickup of any kind, nor expose it to the harsh environment of gigs and open stages. This will be my guitar for the sofa and for small jams at home. Can someone please tell me what artists have played J-55s? I only know of one video of Ashley McBryde playing one, but who has played the historic J-55s? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted May 30, 2023 Share Posted May 30, 2023 2 hours ago, docr said: I've been playing guinea pig and bought a 2022 Gibson 1939 J-55 "Faded Vintage Sunburst" over the weekend. Congratulations ✨ Seems fate overtook your life the recent days and few things are better when it's about acoustic guitars, , , or 1 specific axe you simply must obey. Everything indicates this could be a (life)long affair so best of of luck and happy hours to both of you. Don't hesitate to post pictures and maybe some sounds. The Board lOVES to sit on first row watching hearing, , , sharing. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docr Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 Will make some photos and try to upload them, but I have to clear my storage space for attachments here first. I do not want to use other apps or platforms, I know there are a lot of hints in this forum. Sounds - difficult - I do not document or record music, maybe sometimes recordings with an old Zoom H2 from sessions. I think it is better if the sounds I produce disappear into the infinity of space after they have sounded. 🙂 I certainly take the hint, I like to look at what great guitars and musicians are represented on the forum myself. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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