Treatise on the J-45

[fortyearspickn]

Stumbled across this on Guitar Center's website whilst looking at resonator guitars.   It seems to provide a lot of good info and was put out only 4 months ago.   I think several years ago, one of our illustrious members - One Wiley Fool - put together a list of all the known past and present J45 models and it topped 100, albeit some were just special because they were special colors.      Since it's this website hosts most recognized acoustic - thought it should be available for those interested.  Enjoyable reading. 

 

https://www.guitarcenter.com/riffs/buying-guides/guitars/gibson-j45-acoustic-guitar-history-guide

[Sgt. Pepper]

This one was always a fan favorite. The Bein' Green Kermit The Frog Signature Model. Case Candy included a Lily Pad. Back when Henry would probably sell his mother to make a buck.

 

Edited August 16, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper

[zombywoof]

While granted it is not an all-consuming desire to know thing but I have not run across any piece of advertising where Kalamazoo or Nasville bestowed the moniker of "workhorse" on the J45.   Appears to be something Bozeman's marketing team came up with.

[E-minor7]

57 minutes ago, zombywoof said:

While granted it is not an all-consuming desire to know thing but I have not run across any piece of advertising where Kalamazoo or Nasville bestowed the moniker of "workhorse" on the J45.   Appears to be something Bozeman's marketing team came up with.

That wakes me up - cause being interested in language, but speaking another tongue, I don't have a clue about that phrase in itself.                                                                                                                                                                              How common is it over there - and was is heard as often in the 80s - 70s - 60s - 50s and further back.                                                                                                                                                                                                Is it something you throw after certain cars, busses, dozers and fx tools used for everyday purposes in general. We don't really have the term here. . 

That said, the first time I ever encountered the workhorse-label it was used about a Martin D-28. 

[Sgt. Pepper]

2 hours ago, zombywoof said:

While granted it is not an all-consuming desire to know thing but I have not run across any piece of advertising where Kalamazoo or Nasville bestowed the moniker of "workhorse" on the J45.   Appears to be something Bozeman's marketing team came up with.

I thought it was Jackson Browne?

[Sgt. Pepper]

1 hour ago, E-minor7 said:

That wakes me up - cause being interested in language, but speaking another tongue, I don't have a clue about that phrase in itself.                                                                                                                                                                              How common is it over there - and was is heard as often in the 80s - 70s - 60s - 50s and further back.                                                                                                                                                                                                Is it something you throw after certain cars, busses, dozers and fx tools used for everyday purposes in general. We don't really have the term here. . 

That said, the first time I ever encountered the workhorse-label it was used about a Martin D-28. 

I think it means it’s always going to be there for you to get the job done.

[Dave F]

35 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I thought it was Jackson Browne?

His was the 'Grand Piano of Guitars'

[Sgt. Pepper]

53 minutes ago, Dave F said:

His was the 'Grand Piano of Guitars'

Well what model is the parlor guitar of upright pianos?

Edited August 16, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper

[E-minor7]

1 hour ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I think it means it’s always going to be there for you to get the job done.

The meaning is understood - not the history or 'ways' of the term/expression.

[fortyearspickn]

5 hours ago, zombywoof said:

While granted it is not an all-consuming desire to know thing but I have not run across any piece of advertising where Kalamazoo or Nasville bestowed the moniker of "workhorse" on the J45.   Appears to be something Bozeman's marketing team came up with.

I think the point of the essay was not to focus on one word as it might have been used in one century or another, either in Nashville or K'zoo - but to provide a non-cork sniffer who was looking at Gibson Acoustics a bit of history laced with a bit of marketing romance.   

[jt]

Oh, my. There's so much wrong about this: "the plant was also deploying a platoon of “Kalamazoo Girls” (named for the location of the factory and the women who replaced the male workers) to produce upwards of 25,000 “unauthorized” guitars. When the war came to an end, Gibson denied the factory had made any guitars at all."

Use my work, don't give me credit, and refer to the "gals" as "girls?" And, as I carefully point out in Kalamazoo Gals, the company produced 25,000 instruments, including the mandolin family of instruments and banjos. A minority of those 25,000 were guitars.

[Sgt. Pepper]

1 hour ago, jt said:

Oh, my. There's so much wrong about this: "the plant was also deploying a platoon of “Kalamazoo Girls” (named for the location of the factory and the women who replaced the male workers) to produce upwards of 25,000 “unauthorized” guitars. When the war came to an end, Gibson denied the factory had made any guitars at all."

Use my work, don't give me credit, and refer to the "gals" as "girls?" And, as I carefully point out in Kalamazoo Gals, the company produced 25,000 instruments, including the mandolin family of instruments and banjos. A minority of those 25,000 were guitars.

Gibson never does anything wrong. What are you implying?

[fortyearspickn]

2 hours ago, jt said:

Oh, my. There's so much wrong about this: "the plant was also deploying a platoon of “Kalamazoo Girls” (named for the location of the factory and the women who replaced the male workers) to produce upwards of 25,000 “unauthorized” guitars. When the war came to an end, Gibson denied the factory had made any guitars at all."

Use my work, don't give me credit, and refer to the "gals" as "girls?" And, as I carefully point out in Kalamazoo Gals, the company produced 25,000 instruments, including the mandolin family of instruments and banjos. A minority of those 25,000 were guitars.

I knew this would be stepping on your toes !! 

But, remember:  "Plagiarism is the highest form of flattery."   

[Sgt. Pepper]

18 minutes ago, fortyearspickn said:

I knew this would be stepping on your toes !! 

But, remember:  "Plagiarism is the highest form of flattery."   

I don't think professors at university's who have to read plagiarized term papers think so.

[jt]

59 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Gibson never does anything wrong. What are you implying?

Ha! You're right, of course.

[jt]

23 minutes ago, fortyearspickn said:

I knew this would be stepping on your toes !! 

But, remember:  "Plagiarism is the highest form of flattery."   

Ha! In truth, I am honored to know that my work has become widely accepted. The little book that changed my life!

[62burst]

21 hours ago, E-minor7 said:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Is it something you throw after certain cars, busses, dozers and fx tools used for everyday purposes in general. We don't really have the term here. . 

That said, the first time I ever encountered the workhorse-label it was used about a Martin D-28. 

The phrase has probably been in use as long as horses have been used to do work for people:

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/workhorse

“Swiss Army knife”, or “Jack of all trades”

[E-minor7]

4 hours ago, 62burst said:

The phrase has probably been in use as long as horses have been used to do work for people:

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/workhorse

“Swiss Army knife”, or “Jack of all trades”

Yes-yes thx ^ the meaning is clear. My Q focused on when the expression was coined, , , and perhaps fashionable or hip*. T'was inspired by the thoughts in post #3.                                                                                             Never mind, I take it as if 'workhorse' was there since the heyday of workhorses and simply used regularly ever since. . 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       *U know like fx 'far out' 

                          .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

Apart from that the article does a pretty good job in describing the voice of the dear slope -

For an acoustic guitar to become as beloved as the J-45, it must inspire songs, caress voices and bathe notes in an almost unworldly glow. A guitar like the J-45 becomes much more than a tool. It’s an indispensable creative partner that challenges, amplifies and, ultimately, expresses and defines the artistry of moments—whether those moments are waiting for a song to emerge, intimately sharing music with one other person or commanding an audience of thousands. The J-45 typically wins over artists because its tone is so inviting. The sound is pleasant, but not timid. It produces warm, silky lows and bell-like highs, but the sound is never too boomy or too brittle. The critical midrange response is punchy and articulate without overwhelming the J-45’s well-balanced frequency spectrum. While the J-45 quite ably mirrors your attack to create subtle or forceful passages, it also refuses to let your dynamic technique compel the guitar to become unforgivably brash or too muddy. For example, you can strum hard or dig mercilessly into single-note lines, and the string-to-string definition is clear and eloquent. Even the sweet, ringing harmonics roused by a fierce attack blend harmoniously together to provide even dimension and smooth textures. It’s almost like you can’t force the J-45 to hate anything—a voice, a mix, a live ensemble or a musical style. The J-45 was originally envisioned as an affordable guitar for everyone, and its tone aspires to work itself beautifully into every artistic situation. The killer app for vocalists and singer-songwriters is that the J-45’s projection, while resolute, never aspires to wrestle the spotlight from your voice. Unlike some Martin dreadnoughts that are louder and bolder, a J-45 tends to hang back a bit and let the vocal sit atop the sparkle—a significant factor as to why the J-45 is one of the most recorded acoustic guitars in history.

My personal preference for the model is fingerpicking. It is an excellent travis-picker, both in the room and on tape. 

Edited August 17, 2023 by E-minor7

[fortyearspickn]

Em7th -   Race Horse.  Dead Horse.  Hobby Horse.  High Horse. Gift Horse.   Dark Horse.      There are probably more I can't think of.  Could probably write a Doctoral Thesis in English Literature on where, why and how.   Horses, like dogs, occupy a special place in human history - both are fondly looked at. So,  Work Horse probably was a concept before English was.  

I guess I'd call my J45 a 'work horse' in the sense that I grab it 10x more often than its other two stablemates - the SJ200 and H'Bird.

Edited August 18, 2023 by fortyearspickn

[Murph]

Mine's like a Swiss Army Knife. Only American....

[Silversurfer]

I never liked it when people say, “well, they call it the workhorse”.  Who’s “they”?  And wouldn’t a workhorse be more affordable/accessible to a working musician?

I love my J-45. It looks and sounds like a classic.  But I couldn’t even tell you what recordings were made with a J-45.  Makes me think of the Stones, Mellencamp, and maybe Black Crowes.  Everyone always says “James Taylor played J-50 and it’s the same thing just a plain finish.”  But it wasn’t a J-45.

[E-minor7]

7 hours ago, Silversurfer said:

I never liked it when people say, “well, they call it the workhorse”.  Who’s “they”?  And wouldn’t a workhorse be more affordable/accessible to a working musician?

I love my J-45. It looks and sounds like a classic.  But I couldn’t even tell you what recordings were made with a J-45.  Makes me think of the Stones, Mellencamp, and maybe Black Crowes.  Everyone always says “James Taylor played J-50 and it’s the same thing just a plain finish.”  But it wasn’t a J-45.

Silversurfer - Stones never ever got close to a J-45 or ditto 50. Those guits were and are (if you'll excuse me) far too workhorsish for their flamboyant and decadent style.                                                                                Look up Hummingbirds instead, , , and do search this Board for 45/50 artists in case you are interested. You'll find all the classic slope-acts mentioned. 

                                                                                                                  Welcome to the house of nerds - a place you either get addicted to or leave immediately kind worried. 

[Larry Mal]

"Work horse" is going to be as opposed to a "show horse", one that looks beautiful but does not do any actual work. 

[E-minor7]

10 hours ago, Larry Mal said:

"Work horse" is going to be as opposed to a "show horse", one that looks beautiful but does not do any actual work. 

First used far more often than the latter, I suppose, , , without knowing a thing being from the other side of the pond. 

On 8/18/2023 at 5:52 PM, fortyearspickn said:

Em7th -   Race Horse.  Dead Horse.  Hobby Horse.  High Horse. Gift Horse.   Dark Horse.      There are probably more I can't think of.  Could probably write a Doctoral Thesis in English Literature on where, why and how.   Horses, like dogs, occupy a special place in human history - both are fondly looked at. So,  Work Horse probably was a concept before English was.  

I guess I'd call my J45 a 'work horse' in the sense that I grab it 10x more often than its other two stablemates - the SJ200 and H'Bird.

Yes, here we have the prince on the white horse - that's for the ladies, , , , and means mister absolutely right. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           It is ifact on its way out of the language/culture. Old fashioned as it seems to be. . 

                                                                                                                         Perhaps seen as too fixing (fixating?) by the woke-folks, but began evaporating long before they appeared. 

Edited August 20, 2023 by E-minor7

[62burst]

11 hours ago, Larry Mal said:

"Work horse" is going to be as opposed to a "show horse", one that looks beautiful but does not do any actual work. 

 

1 hour ago, E-minor7 said:

First used far more often than the latter, I suppose, , , without knowing a thing being from the other side of the pond.