Which one? - Want my last Gibson to play in an acoustic duo. Confused. - *( may have entered this twice ! Password problem!!!) LOL

[Professional Amateur]

I have been playing on the same Gibson Gospel for over 40 years.  It is a fine guitar, but I feel I have outgrown it somewhat.  Why,  I was mostly a trumpet player and ply played my acoustic for self indulgence, occasionally in a gig next to my Fender Strat.  One day while getting strings a the Mobile, AL Guitar Center I went onto small their room and there on the wall was a used pristine J185 with the Fishman Ellipse Aura pickup.  It is a fine instrument, but is another maple side guitar.  More bright and sounds thinner than my Gospel, but seems more playable for some reason.   After watching videos ad nauseum from Chris and Cooper Alamo Music San Antonia, I am very confused?  Do I want a Hummingbird with Mahogany?   A Southern Jumbo with  Mahogany, or Rosewood?  A J45 with Rosewood?   A Songwriter with Rosewood?   Does Maple get a bad rap and they are fine?  Many, many stringed instruments for years and years are made from maple.  J-50 Mahogany?   the only thing I do know, is that I do not want a J200, too big and requires to much player  energy.  I am willing to invest $3 to $4K for the perfect fit, if there is such a thing.  I am hoping some of you serious more established and proficient  guitar player / collectors /  can help me?

Verne

4 horns / One Gospel 1972ish 73ish,  & 1 approx. 10 yr old J185

[sparquelito]

Verne, 

Our opinions won't matter much in the question of your long-term guitar happiness. 

There are a lot of seasoned guitar players, gigging musicians, professionals and amateurs alike, on this forum. This much is true. 
But you like what you like, and we all like what we like. 

The type of tonewoods and manner of construction matter a lot to some people. 
And then there are those who just know what feels right and sounds right to them. 

I recommend that you play everything. 
Play every single guitar you can get your hands on. 
Take your time, and do not be rushed. 
DO NOT try out guitars with a woman standing around nearby, impatiently tapping her shoe. 
Go on this journey alone. 

One guitar will stand out. 
One will sound and feel like perfection to you. 

That's the one, sir. 

🙂

Edited April 13, 2022 by sparquelito

[Murph]

1 hour ago, sparquelito said:

DO NOT try out guitars with a woman standing around nearby, impatiently tapping her shoe. 
Go on this journey alone. 

 Words of wisdom.

[fortyearspickn]

ProAm,     If the J185 plays noticeably better than the Gospel you've had for 40 years,  I'd say you've discovered half the answer - you're onto the importance of playability.  Tone is next. But, your Gospel may simply require a setup:  Humid in Mobile now with the possibility of in winter having dried  it out, etc.  The other half of the answer,  tone, is less precise to 'measure' and obviously subjective.  Not as much variability as with electrics and amps  - but still something experienced acoustic players will have developed preferences regarding .    Tonewood on the back and sides affects it, but also body size and shape and bracing.  As Sparky suggested - play as many as you can get.   I'd suggest you take a road trip (without a wing person) to a Sam Ash or Guitar Center and spend several hours playing different guitars to get to a point where you feel you know, in general, what you like.  If you try to use others opinions,  YouTube recordings or even playing one this week and a different one next week - you will not get anywhere.  Narrow your search down.  Do not automatically dismiss small bodied or large bodied, based on social media blather.  Sit down with examples and decide for yourself if the difference of a half inch in the waist is a deal breaker, or a 'long neck' is too long.  The SJ200 may look bigger but  do you play sitting or standing?  A wider nut compared to a narrower one may take you back when you move from 5 minutes on one to the next - but I'm pretty sure you can adjust to one or the other.   You have to decide if the preferences of some for a narrow nut, or longer neck by some - compared to a wider nut or shorter neck for others (who play hours each day and have refined preferences) if relevant to your situation.   Enjoy your quest. G'luck. 

[Whitefang]

All good advice, really.  But it does boil down to one thing....

What YOU like about a certain guitar, and what YOU find has better "playability", and which has the tone that YOU like and etc.  is far more important that all our collective yet various opinions.  And all I can add however, is a question...

HOW does one OUTGROW  a guitar, except for one that they got as a kid that was built for kids?

Whitegang

[Larsongs]

IMO it’s simple. It would be either a Martin D-28 Rosewood & Spruce or a Gibson J-45 Mahogany & Spruce.. The very best of both Worlds.. Play them both. Pick the one you like best..

Everything else comes after you have both of them…..

Edited April 13, 2022 by Larsongs

[Twang Gang]

Hummingbird.

[merciful-evans]

I'm with Sparquelito on this one. 

Trust your ears and your intuition.

[jaxson50]

Try the audio version of the T-sheet. The "T" sheet is an old salesmen tool, literally draw a T on a sheet of paper, write the pros on one side and the cons on the other side. 

The audio version is something we used to do at a music store I worked at years ago. This is how it work's;

Pick two maybe four guitars you like, have someone who plays well stand behind you while you close your eyes so you concentrate on nothing but your auditory cortex,  have the player play each guitar without you knowing which one they are using. 

After the player has finished playing each guitar write down what you liked and what you didn't like about each guitars voice.  Here is why this works primarily with acoustic instruments,  your guitar sounds different to the audience than it does to you, when we play a guitar, our ears are above and behind the instrument,  the audience is facing the stage, sound waves expandvas they travel away from the guitar. So as a player, you never hear what the audience hears. This is why recording yourself and listening to the play back really helps you develop as a player, and is such a great tool for bands in general. 

This is a really good tool for discerning the sound you want out of your gear. Pro violinist have used this method for years to pick the right instrument for their style of playing,  it's important to have someone you know play the instruments and really give them a work over, at least 5 minutes for each instrument. 

This removes from the equation the visual influence ( bias) such as wood type, maker, body size etc. I hope this helps.

Edited April 14, 2022 by jaxson50