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Back in the Gibson fold J-45 NGD

The dman

By The dman
in Gibson Acoustic

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The dman

The dman

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Last year I was buying and selling guitars trying some different brands and models and in a weak moment I ended up selling my 2013 J-45. Fast forward to a few weeks ago I noticed Sweetwater had a few  J-45 standards and I decided to pull the trigger again because I missed that tone that only a J-45 can produce. Sweetwater has a generous return policy so I had little to lose.

Boy did I luck out, the sound of the guitar is magnificent with resonance and bass for days. I also ended up auditioning a J-45 50's original but it didn't have near the voice of the standard. I realize the 50's original can also be a great sounding guitar but the one I tried was anemic sounding which drives home the point that you have to find the one that has the sound that trips your trigger no matter which variation it is. The fit and finish are perfect unlike the 50's which had some sloppy finish anomalies.

My only gripe is the LR baggs pickups system sounds horrible to me. After using K&K's for a few years UTS pickups sound awful to me now ( and I used to like it) so I'll probably take out the Baggs and install a K&K pickup.

I'm happy to be back in J-45 land, the guitar is a perfect yin/yang to my other acoustics and I just love the way it sits under the vocals

 

 

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rbpicker

rbpicker

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Congratulations.  There is NOTHING like a good J45.  I’ve sold and bought a few myself, always after a “what was I thinking” moment.


I pulled the factory pickup from mine and installed a K&K as you mentioned in your post.  I like the sound much better.  Didn’t notice any improvement in the acoustic tone, but there exists a potential of that, they say.

again, congrats.

roger

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The dman

The dman

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Thanks guys.

 

1 hour ago, duluthdan said:

Amazing and magnificent instruments.  No matter the model, a J-45 that hits your sweet spot is one of the most wonderful feelings, me thinks.  But... where are the pictures of your new companion?  

 

It won't allow me to upload the picture  because it says the picture size is too big.

38 minutes ago, rbpicker said:

Congratulations.  There is NOTHING like a good J45.  I’ve sold and bought a few myself, always after a “what was I thinking” moment.


I pulled the factory pickup from mine and installed a K&K as you mentioned in your post.  I like the sound much better.  Didn’t notice any improvement in the acoustic tone, but there exists a potential of that, they say.

again, congrats.

roger

I was curious about the Baggs effect on the tone. I've read back and forth about it but one really knows until they experience it themselves

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ALD323

ALD323

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My 2015 Gibson J-45 is the delight of my collection. Nothing sounds quite  like a J-45 with its vibrating resonance humming like a bee in your lap! Recently I added one of the new Epiphone Inspired By Gibson J-45's to my collection. I couldn't be more thrilled with both of them.  I would add pictures of both here but this  site makes it incredibly difficult to do so. The pictures are only 37KB which is very small, but say it had exceeded the limit and does not give instruction on what to do or how to fix it, so pic not possible, sorry, I don't have the time to squander figuring out the constant pics rejections of this site.

Edited by ALD323
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The dman

The dman

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4 hours ago, Murph said:

My J-45 was my first quality acoustic.

Still my favorite.

I have other good acoustics but the J-45 totally has it's own thing going on, especially for vocal accompaniment . I learned my lesson and I'm never going to let this one go

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Sgt. Pepper

Sgt. Pepper

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21 hours ago, The dman said:

I have other good acoustics but the J-45 totally has it's own thing going on, especially for vocal accompaniment . I learned my lesson and I'm never going to let this one go

I've heard it a million, maybe a million and one times that people say this acoustic guitar is only good for vocal accompaniment, or fingerpicking, or bluegrass, or folk music, or rock, this one has to many overtones, this one you can hear every note of the chord, ect ect. I've seen and heard lots on singer songwriters play and use every model out there. We like what we like. CSNY - mostly Martin's, and other stuff, Jackson Browne - Gibson's and I am sure other stuff, Paul Simon -  Martin's and some other stuff, James Taylor - Gibson's and lots of other stuff, Nick Drake - no one knows, but is thought a Guild due to him holding one on Bryter Layter, but that guitar was the engineers I  believe, Joni - Martin and then ES-335's and other stuff, Robert Johnson - Gibson, Gord Lightfoot - 12 string Gibson's,  Jimmy Page - Gibson, Martin, and of course a Tele in the beginning of Zep, and a Tele on that solo he did on that really long song, you know on that one album with the symbols on it,  Cat Steven - Ovation and Gibson, Van The Man - Guild, Martin and other stuff, John Denver - Guild's, Taylor's, Godin's and other stuff I'm sure, and I'll end on Dylan - Martin's and Gibson's and other stuff, so who is to say what is for what? I'm only going by what I can remember seeing them play live, or in pics or on videos I've seen of them.

Sorry for hijacking your thread, but if a Gibson works for you, then it works for you and your vocals. Other pros have used all sorts of non-Gibson acoustics and made some pretty good music with a voice and 6 or 12 strings.

Edited by Sgt. Pepper
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The dman

The dman

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33 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I've heard it a million, maybe a million and one times that people say this acoustic guitar is only good for vocal accompaniment, or fingerpicking, or bluegrass, or folk music, or rock, this one has to many overtones, this one you can hear every note of the chord, ect ect. I've seen and heard lots on singer songwriters play and use every model out there. We like what we like. CSNY - mostly Martin's, and other stuff, Jackson Browne - Gibson's and I am sure other stuff, Paul Simon -  Martin's and some other stuff, James Taylor - Gibson's and lots of other stuff, Nick Drake - no one knows, but is thought a Guild due to him holding one on Bryter Layter, but that guitar was the engineers I  believe, Joni - Martin and then ES-335's and other stuff, Robert Johnson - Gibson, Gord Lightfoot - 12 string Gibson's,  Jimmy Page - Gibson, Martin, and of course a Tele in the beginning of Zep, and a Tele on that solo he did on that really long song, you know on that one album with the symbols on it,  Cat Steven - Ovation and Gibson, Van The Man - Guild, Martin and other stuff, John Denver - Guild's, Taylor's, Godin's and other stuff I'm sure, and I'll end on Dylan - Martin's and Gibson's and other stuff, so who is to say what is for what? I'm only going by what I can remember seeing them play live, or in pics or on videos I've seen of them.

Sorry for hijacking your thread, but if a Gibson works for you, then it works for you and your vocals. Other pros have used all sorts of non-Gibson acoustics and made some pretty good music with a voice and 6 or 12 strings.

Did I say otherwise? I don't get how any of this relates to my happiness of getting a J-45 again

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Sgt. Pepper

Sgt. Pepper

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5 hours ago, The dman said:

Did I say otherwise? I don't get how any of this relates to my happiness of getting a J-45 again

I am glad you are happy. I am not trying to cast shade in any way.  I just hear all the time a Gibson is "THE" guitar you must own if you are a singer songwriter, and it puzzles me why when there are no many different guitars out there. I get it this is a Gibson site and the love for them is the main thing here. A NDG is something like no other. I don't sing and am a terrible player, I just chase the tone I like, as we all do. 

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Kwlsky

Kwlsky

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I have a J-15 that knocks my socks off. I feel the many similarities  between the J-45 and the J-15 might cause me to never want to get a J-45. Up here I Maine I get to play a J-45 in GC about twice a year-maybe.  
So it’s hard for me to be able to compare them live. 
Any thoughts out there on how distinctive the J-45 is from the J-15?

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rbpicker

rbpicker

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50 minutes ago, Kwlsky said:

I have a J-15 that knocks my socks off. I feel the many similarities  between the J-45 and the J-15 might cause me to never want to get a J-45. Up here I Maine I get to play a J-45 in GC about twice a year-maybe.  
So it’s hard for me to be able to compare them live. 
Any thoughts out there on how distinctive the J-45 is from the J-15?

Those J15s are fantastic.  It’s been speculated that the reason they were discontinued is that they were pulling folks away from their more expensive brethren.   Don’t know.

rb

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The dman

The dman

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9 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I am glad you are happy. I am not trying to cast shade in any way.  I just hear all the time a Gibson is "THE" guitar you must own if you are a singer songwriter, and it puzzles me why when there are no many different guitars out there. I get it this is a Gibson site and the love for them is the main thing here. A NDG is something like no other. I don't sing and am a terrible player, I just chase the tone I like, as we all do. 

I hear you. I was missing that drier sound of the J-45. I write and record my own music so sometimes my Martins  are just what the doctor ordered and sometimes the J-45 fits like a glove

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fortyearspickn

fortyearspickn

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Congrats on finding 'the one'.  I think the reason the J45 is phenomenally popular  because it can do everything well, as Sgt.Pepper pointed out.  Other models, companies produce some great guitars - that is not the reason for this thread.  It is to be happy for one of our fold who has come back, and found a "Workhorse"  is what floats his boat.    Enjoy the break-in period. The honeymoon will lead to even better vibes!   

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Sgt. Pepper

Sgt. Pepper

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5 hours ago, Kwlsky said:

I have a J-15 that knocks my socks off. I feel the many similarities  between the J-45 and the J-15 might cause me to never want to get a J-45. Up here I Maine I get to play a J-45 in GC about twice a year-maybe.  
So it’s hard for me to be able to compare them live. 
Any thoughts out there on how distinctive the J-45 is from the J-15?

One is walnut one is mahogany. One is a lower price guitar, and one is higher priced, and the higher priced one was probably given more care  and attention when it was built. The fretboards are different too. Other than both being slope, the difference is like an apple and an orange.

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ALD323

ALD323

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People may sing successfully with many different models and name brands of guitars. But there are two in my view that are far superior to any other guitar in the world for vocal singing,  the Gibson J-45 and the Gibson Hummingbird.

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