Old Neil Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 J-45's are great for everything, period. Having said that, I Have the very good fortune to also own a 12 fret Custom Shop AJ. That has a level of single note projection that is just lovely for fingerstyle or pick arpeggiated stuff. It is only because of that that my J-45 is used mostly for rhthym on my recordings. Could it all be done with just a good J-45? Of course. As others have said, it mostly with the player anyway. I would add for those who record, a good producer can make the best of whatever you are playing - not only its individual sound but how it fits in a mix. But that is a whole other art... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Hey Neil. Is the AJ something your ordered up, or just a fortunate find? It would be nice to see, if you feel like fighting through the pic post maze. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Neil Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 6 minutes ago, jedzep said: Hey Neil. Is the AJ something your ordered up, or just a fortunate find? It would be nice to see, if you feel like fighting through the pic post maze. Hi Jedzep, It was more than just a fortunate find. It was a VERY fortunate surprise gift from my wife. I was tossing up between it and a Hummingbird Vintage at the time. I came back to the guitar shop to find it had gone and felt a bit sad I had not pulled the trigger on such a captivating and rare instrument. Little did I know my wife had bought it and swore the sales staff to silence. 🙂 For both the fact that it is an incredible guitar both in playability (think: "chunky OM/000") and sound and the fact that it was a loving and generous gift from my wife means that it's a keeper. I beleive Wildwood did a run of these too. Here is one Youtube review: That is, Adirondack top, IR back and sides, hide glue, 12 fret neck, butterbean tuners (I swapped them out for Waverly's) and a high quality internal pickup. I always mic up my guitars through decent mics and preamps for recording but if I played live that would be very useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 We’re on a Gibson Forum, what owner is gonna say it’s terrible for fingerpicking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneserhall Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 (edited) On 12/7/2022 at 6:12 PM, Sgt. Pepper said: Is one model only for fingerpicking? Or did I miss that day of guitar school. What ever guitar is in my hands gets a pick or fingers used on it cause that’s what I own. I'm learning now and it seems to me that fingers get better than picks, this is how it should be? 🤔 Because my music teacher told me I should learn with pick to sound better. Edited June 14, 2023 by kneserhall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 18 hours ago, tpbiii said: Apparently you can finger pick a big old 4 stringer too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson29 Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 On 6/14/2023 at 10:46 AM, kneserhall said: I'm learning now and it seems to me that fingers get better than picks, this is how it should be? 🤔 Because my music teacher told me I should learn with pick to sound better. Leo Kottke would probably not agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneserhall Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 14.06.2023, 20:46, tpbiii сказал: It sounds so melodious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 That's probably my favorite all-round finger-pickn song. Outstanding job by TP Bill and his lovely wife. Of course, Elizabeth Cotton played it upside down..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 1, 2023 Share Posted July 1, 2023 I cannot tell you how many of us started learning fingerpicking by using Libby Cotton's tune. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 Zomby beat me to sharing jorma…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 (edited) A few years late replying to the original post.... Uhhh, what was the Gibson J45 designed for? Strumming. I can fingerpick my (Ren Era) 2002 J50 with 1.725" nut and almost 2 3/16" bridge spacing on the earlier 50s thickness style neck, before the slimline of 2007 odd, but ideal for fingerpickers only is 1 3/4" at least and 2 3/8" Bridge spacing on a fat V neck. Some 30s Gibson L-00s. On my LGs with 50s necks, 1 11/16" nut, I really struggle and mostly severely arch my fully trimmed left fingers and prefer to capo up at least 3 to give more room across the strings. I imagine the real 50s J45s to be similar necks. My 'fingerpicking cleanly and clearly neck space test tunes' are simple fingerpicked Railroad Bill in C to begin - Cowboy C with pinky playing 3rd fret, 1st string....hard to get that b string clean if the guitar is too squishy! Full bore test tune would be something like Cannonball Rag! A couple of the guitar parts are pretty impossible on anything less than 2 1/4" bridge space....., 1 3/4" nut..... I don't think current Gibson Acoustic builders love fingerpickers much. BluesKing777. Edited July 4, 2023 by BluesKing777 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 Look who pops up?! Ol' BK. Where you been? You are one of the legit yardsticks of what can be fingerpicked, in my view, and in everyone's opinion I know here, you can make a POS sound like a blues box. I think the question of whether a J45 is good for fingerpicking can only be answered by a great fingerpicker playing one. Of course, the answer is yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 On 6/15/2023 at 8:42 AM, Sgt. Pepper said: Apparently you can finger pick a big old 4 stringer too. She also played a 39 Kay S-51 5-string bass. So 5-string too. I happen to have this -- same song, different bass and a different banner J-45 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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