dhanners623 Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 At least I think it's a J-50. https://americansongwriter.com/watch-bleachers-perform-chinatown-with-bruce-springsteen-on-electric-lady-studios-rooftop/ It'd be nice having Springsteen playing rhythm guitar and adding harmonies in your band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Excellent video. Fun to watch. Liked the song too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Great stuff. I remember when the J200 Springsteen recorded Nebraska with (which I still think was the best thing he ever did) was on exhibit at the Rock & Roll HOF. But the guys I associate most closely with a J50 are still Lightnin' Hopkins and Jorma. Both these guys could send you back to school real quick. Baby, Please Don't Go - Lightnin' Hopkins - YouTube Mann's Fate - Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady (Hot Tuna) 1969 - YouTube Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliasphobias Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 Looks like a mid '60s J45 unburst. Good find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 Feel tempted to say this is another mid60s-faded cherry J-45. With adjustable ceramic saddle. Glad to see Bruce on the team - sometimes I feel like I was the guy who started this whole re-embracing porcelain-revival. A decade ago - HERE ! The main-man plays a 10 years younger ditto, doesn't he. 2 nize ol' slopes - both tamed in the mix though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 'Tamed in the mix' - to the point of me not hearing a thing from the J50! I would move to the lounge room and listen bigger than my iPad but honestly, I would rather hear Bruce and the J50 alone, not clanky keys etc. Why does he need the Bleachers? Are they friends? BluesKing777. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 (edited) 18 hours ago, BluesKing777 said: 'Tamed in the mix' - to the point of me not hearing a thing from the J50! You know 2 strummed acoustics will sound almost like a church-organ in a ordinary take. And there's even a third 12-string Mart-thing on the upper floor. But we hear clear steel between 1:49 and 55 before the cool spoken passage there. And that's vintage Kalamazoo. This song is actually growing run by run. . Edited December 10, 2020 by E-minor7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 11 hours ago, E-minor7 said: Feel tempted to say this is another mid60s-faded cherry J-45. With adjustable ceramic saddle. Glad to see Bruce on the team - sometimes I feel like I was the guy who started this whole re-embracing porcelain-revival. A decade ago - HERE ! The main-man plays a 10 years younger ditto, doesn't he. 2 nize ol' slopes - both tamed in the mix though. I'm with you on this. Faded mid-60s cherryburst J-45, not J-50. It is an awesome look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cunningham26 Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 On 12/9/2020 at 8:37 AM, zombywoof said: Great stuff. I remember when the J200 Springsteen recorded Nebraska with (which I still think was the best thing he ever did) was on exhibit at the Rock & Roll HOF. I never got into the boss before hearing Nebraska- having been obsessed with Dylan's acoustic days and his first album, it felt like such an extension of stuff like The Ballad of Hollis Brown, North Country Blues, Kingsport Town, all of those little vignettes about the... darkness at the edge of [a small] town. I'm reading his autobiography Born To Run and listening through all the albums in order, I highly recommend the book to anyone. It reads really easily (written the way he presents in his broadway special, also great) and tells his story both professionally and personally in a wonderful way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted December 10, 2020 Author Share Posted December 10, 2020 4 hours ago, j45nick said: I'm with you on this. Faded mid-60s cherryburst J-45, not J-50. It is an awesome look. I gladly stand corrected. As a J-35 owner, all the other Gibson slopes look the same to me.... (Just kidding.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 1 hour ago, dhanners623 said: I gladly stand corrected. As a J-35 owner, all the other Gibson slopes look the same to me.... (Just kidding.) You would need to see it in person to be sure. The J-50 was clear coat nitro with no dye (I believe), while the cherryburst was a mixture of pigments, primarily red and yellow. The red pigment used for some period in the mid-60s faded to a pale yellow/orange. On the faded ones I've seen, the center of the burst is a bit more yellow than an aged clear coat, and you usually see a slightly darker reddish/orange "corona" around the edges--all that is left of the original cherryburst. The effect can be quite stunning, and Gibson has replicated the faded look in some modern finishes, albeit with (we hope) stable pigments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AP904 Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 (edited) You guys seem to really know your J50s. Hoping you could shed some light on mine. No idea what year it is. Serial number is 10465 and j50 adj bridge is ink stamped inside sound hole. https://ap904.imgbb.com/ Edited December 13, 2020 by AP904 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 3 hours ago, AP904 said: You guys seem to really know your J50s. Hoping you could shed some light on mine. No idea what year it is. Serial number is 10465 and j50 adj bridge is ink stamped inside sound hole. https://ap904.imgbb.com/ It's a very nice J-50 adj from fairly early in 1961. Both the serial number and the physical characteristics we can see are completely consistent with that. It looks to be in excellent original condition. Don't mess with it in any way. The adj ceramic saddle should give the guitar some real "bite" tonally. You can also swap it out with saddles made of other materials to experiment with tone without impacting in any way on the guitar. Just hang on to that original saddle. Nice guitar! How did you come by it, and how long have you had it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AP904 Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 J45nick thank you! I’ve always wondered what year it was from. Guitar came from my dad who bought it new and pretty much forgot about it. Sat in a case under his bed for years. Still sounds incredible. Any tips on how to best preserve these guitars? I want to keep it forever but id still to play it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 33 minutes ago, AP904 said: J45nick thank you! I’ve always wondered what year it was from. Guitar came from my dad who bought it new and pretty much forgot about it. Sat in a case under his bed for years. Still sounds incredible. Any tips on how to best preserve these guitars? I want to keep it forever but id still to play it! If you've had other guitars, you know the drill. Keep it clean, wipe down with a cotton or microfiber cloth regularly. Change strings carefully, making sure the ball ends are properly seated against the bridgeplate inside. It may be worth taking it to a reputable service tech for an inspection and set-up if it hasn't been played much in years. Keep it in a good hard-shell case when you aren't playing it, especially if you have young kids or pets in the house. This keeps it clean, and in a more stable environment in terms of temperature and humidity changes. Don't store it in direct sunlight, either in or out of the case. Don't store it near a heat source, such as a radiator. Environmental stability is its friend. It is both a family heirloom and a really nice guitar. Play it a lot, and enjoy it. Use common sense in taking care of it, but don't let that get in the way of playing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Like a kid or a dog - NEVER leave alone in a car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 I don't dislike it; the arrangement is slightly overdone, though, and not undynamic. I like it how Bruce's voice, even though he only sings the background chorus, cuts through the mix still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted December 14, 2020 Share Posted December 14, 2020 20 hours ago, AP904 said: You guys seem to really know your J50s. Hoping you could shed some light on mine. No idea what year it is. Serial number is 10465 and j50 adj bridge is ink stamped inside sound hole. https://ap904.imgbb.com/ This really makes a person glad the term gem was invented. It's probably a wonderful instrument and as j45nick says, don't make any drastic changes. It may sound'n'feel a little stiffer than others from the same era, simply because it never really was played. But see that as a charm - you have a keeper, a late starter, , , and a real gem 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AP904 Posted December 14, 2020 Share Posted December 14, 2020 (edited) Thanks guys. Stoked to know more about this thing! Going to keep it all original Edited December 14, 2020 by AP904 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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