Ripper Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I'm looking for a little advice. I want to get myself a Gibson acoustic but I'm not sure which models would suit me the best. Acousticly I play mostly celtic and some acoustic rock. I currently have a Seagull S6+ and my old Espana. I like a thinner neck on my acoustics. where I live I don't get alot of chance to play Gibson acoustics so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Are you after a Jumbo, Dreadnought or small bodied guitar? Gibson guitars aren't famed for skinny necks (apart from late '60s Gibsons which had really slim necks, about the same dimensions as a Fender Bullet), but the shorter scale guitars such as the J45, J185 and Hummingbird have slightly less string tension and, as such, are very easy to play. I would maintain that the Hummingbird and J45 are two very good all-rounders that have been around for a long time and are very popular...in fact, the Hummingbird is the most recorded acoustic guitar of all time. Mahogany models are lively sounding with a bright but balanced tone, Maple models are slightly mid-scooped with bell-like highs and bold, booming lows, whereas Rosewood models are thick, chocolatey and pronounced in the lower mids. I would audition the following: CJ165 Maple CJ165 Rosewood (165 is a small jumbo with a slightly skinnier neck than other Gibson acoustics in the current catalogue) J45 Mahogany J45 Rosewood (round-shouldered dreadnought, short scale neck) Advanced Jumbo (round-shouldered Rosewood dreadnought, long scale neck with forward-shifted bracing, very loud guitar) Hummingbird (square shouldered Mahogany dreadnought, short scale neck) Dove (square shouldered Maple dreadnought, long scale neck) J185 (Maple mid-sized jumbo) SJ200 (Maple super jumbo) SJ200 Prewar Western Classic (Rosewood super jumbo) Also worth mentioning are the Songwriter and Songwriter Deluxe models. Small dreadnoughts with a big sound. Somewhere in that list will be the guitar that makes your dreams come true. Enjoy the ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripper Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 wow, thanks for the info! I was thinking dreadnought style but I do like the looks of the jumbos as well. The reason I was after a skinnier neck is that they are more like the neck on an electric. My seagull has a wider neck and I find that it takes me a while to get back onto it when I haven't been playing it for awhile. I am going to have to do some traveling so I can try out some of these (I have played hummingbirds and doves over the years, but not for a long time). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Player Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Jinder gave a great account above and it is spot on! I can add that my Gibson Advanced Jumbo takes to the Celtic tunes I play in DADGAD wonderfully! I am actually prefering it to my Taylor Cedar/Mahoganny GS guitar but I think my ears are turning more toward the Gibson tone away from Taylor as I get older?!?!? I also love playing classic rock stuff and the AJ again is a great choice. It also excells in Open G tuning (Think the Stones Honky Tonk Woman tone acoustically). I also have to add that the couple of J-45's I have played lately have really been sweet. I didn't get to tune them to DADGAD for my Celtic stuff, but I bet they would sound great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripper Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 I appreciate the info on how your AJ takes to celtic stuff, that is great to know. It looks like a new quest has started for sure now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilliangirl Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Hey! What are you doing in this neck of the woods? =D>/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripper Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 Hey! What are you doing in this neck of the woods? =D>/ Hey there! How are you? I decided it was time to add a Gibson acoustic into the fold, and seeing as how I don't know squat about them I figured I would come looking for some advice. You know me, I am much more of the electric guy, but since I've been between bands, I've really been getting into the acoustic side of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilliangirl Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Hey there! How are you? I decided it was time to add a Gibson acoustic into the fold' date=' and seeing as how I don't know squat about them I figured I would come looking for some advice. You know me, I am much more of the electric guy, but since I've been between bands, I've really been getting into the acoustic side of things. [/quote'] I'm doing awful! I think I sprained my left wrist Other than that I'm okay haha Are you going to buy used or new? I'll pm you..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripper Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 I'm doing awful! I think I sprained my left wrist Other than that I'm okay haha Are you going to buy used or new? I'll pm you..... I was thinking probably used if possible, I've always preferred used as they seem to feel and sound better to me, even electrics. I'll watch for your pm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballcorner Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I'm looking for a little advice. I want to get myself a Gibson acoustic but I'm not sure which models would suit me the best. Acousticly I play mostly celtic and some acoustic rock. I currently have a Seagull S6+ and my old Espana. I like a thinner neck on my acoustics. where I live I don't get alot of chance to play Gibson acoustics so any advice would be greatly appreciated. If you play celtic lead guitar, I would suggest a J45RW, but if you strum while you sing a standard J45 will do you just fine. If you want to toss a bit more money and have a really vocal instrument, you can consider an Advanced Jumbo as well. If you primarily play on stage, you might want to consider a Songwriter Deluxe. Your S6 Seagull probably has a cedar top (the S6+ is spruce). The warmth of a cedar top with mahogany back and sides is a unique tonality that is difficult to replicate in guitars that don't use cedar. I am not typically a person to recommend Taylor guitars, but in your case you might want to try a few of their current line that have the cedar tops as they do lend themselves well to celtic music. Another guitar you might want to try is a Lowden. If you are absolutely certain that nothing but a Gibson is good enough, and if you can find a dealer with good stock, you might want to throw a Hummingbird Artist into the mix for your test drives. Good luck with your shopping, and don't forget to let us know what you buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripper Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 If you play celtic lead guitar' date=' I would suggest a J45RW, but if you strum while you sing a standard J45 will do you just fine. If you want to toss a bit more money and have a really vocal instrument, you can consider an Advanced Jumbo as well. If you primarily play on stage, you might want to consider a Songwriter Deluxe. Your S6 Seagull probably has a cedar top (the S6+ is spruce). The warmth of a cedar top with mahogany back and sides is a unique tonality that is difficult to replicate in guitars that don't use cedar. I am not typically a person to recommend Taylor guitars, but in your case you might want to try a few of their current line that have the cedar tops as they do lend themselves well to celtic music. Another guitar you might want to try is a Lowden. If you are absolutely certain that nothing but a Gibson is good enough, and if you can find a dealer with good stock, you might want to throw a Hummingbird Artist into the mix for your test drives. Good luck with your shopping, and don't forget to let us know what you buy.[/quote'] I appreciate the info here for sure. Alot of the celtic stuff I am doing right now is more on the rythmn side as the mando takes care of alot of the "soloing" side of things. My seagull is a spruce topped on, that is the reason I got it as my old Espana was a cedar top and I wanted something different. I'm going to have to drive about 4 hours to test out some Gibsons but it willbe a good excuse for a roadtrip. It's not that only a Gibson will do (I'm not hooked on names on the headstocks) it's just that they have been recommended by a few people and I've been happy with them on an electric standpoint (although I have lots of electrics that aren't gibson as well.) I'll keep you posted on how the search goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballcorner Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I'll keep you posted on how the search goes. Looking forward to it. I think it is great that people come here for advice before shopping. I am certain that much of the advice gets ignored when you find yourself in the guitar room - and that is how it should be - but the advice provides a modicum of guidance. Yes indeed, Gibsons do come highly recommended because they simply are what they are - wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR GIBS Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Take an SJ 200. This is the power of the acoustic guitar sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripper Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 Looking forward to it. I think it is great that people come here for advice before shopping. I am certain that much of the advice gets ignored when you find yourself in the guitar room - and that is how it should be - but the advice provides a modicum of guidance. Yes indeed' date=' Gibsons do come highly recommended because they simply are what they are - wonderful.[/quote'] I figure why not ask the people that play them, good advice is always a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 If you like doing the drop tunings - the longscale AJ might be interesting. I don't think an AJ will have as much warmth as you're used to, but if you're stuck on a gibson, the AJ's scale might work best for you. They also have a slimmer neck profile. I have no connection to this guitar- but I saw and Played a Maple Sunburst AJ (used) that was in beautiful shape. It's at the Folkstore in Seattle. That place gets instruments on consignment now and then- always interesting. I think the price was less than a new J45TV, if that's what you're considering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderful remark Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 where are you gonna buy it?? L&M?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripper Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 where are you gonna buy it?? L&M?? I'm going to look around, try and find used first. L&M is a last resort, not a big fan of the one nearest to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderful remark Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I'd recommend you to go down to the states... I am also in winnipeg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripper Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 I'd recommend you to go down to the states... :- I am also in winnipeg I was figuring that may be what I have to do. I live over in the southwestern side of the province. Just not a big fan of the L&M in the peg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinNoName Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Hey Ripper, FWIW, my opinion is that you can't really go wrong with a 'hog J45. I know, I'm biased, I owe one - but they can do most anything, and also I can't remember if I saw a budget? As Gibson models go, they are very well priced, relatively common and "a lot of bang for the buck" I believe is the expression. Just my ten pennyworth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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