Advice on 1st Gibson Acoustic

[rustystrings]

On 10/30/2023 at 2:52 PM, GabrielLDN said:

I hadn't considered a J45 as I would prefer a small body being primarily a fingerstyle player ... I guess the search for my first Gibson acoustic goes on. 

Bear in mind that the J-45 is actually an incredible fingerstyle guitar with a loooong history in blues music.  The first recordings of Mississippi John Hurt when he was rediscovered were made using a J-45, for instance.  My acoustic blues mentor plays the same J-50 he bought new in 1962.

If you decide you want the balance to fall more towards projection than presence, the LG-2 is well worth considering.  It'll handle those blues sounds and more besides.

[zombywoof]

4 hours ago, rustystrings said:

Bear in mind that the J-45 is actually an incredible fingerstyle guitar with a loooong history in blues music.  The first recordings of Mississippi John Hurt when he was rediscovered were made using a J-45, for instance.  My acoustic blues mentor plays the same J-50 he bought new in 1962.

If you decide you want the balance to fall more towards projection than presence, the LG-2 is well worth considering.  It'll handle those blues sounds and more besides.

I would not say the J45/J50 has a long "blues history" but more of a recent history.  While the model was not around when Scrapper Blackwell teamed with Leroy Carr and Curley Weaver was backing Blind Willie McTell,  if you are talking about the folk music revival a laundry list of blues players including Pink Anderson, Elizabeth Cotton, Roosevelt Sykes, and Lightnin' Hopkins were all know to play a J45 or J50 at one time or the other.  

The player I have always associated with the J45/50 is Jorma.  He played a 1958 J50 purchased in 1961 with Janis and then both the Airplane and Hot Tuna.  According to his book, before that he played a Harmony Sovereign H1260 which had borrowed after selling a 1956 J45 he had snagged new. 

As the story about Mississippi John goes, he did not own a guitar when he was "re-discovered" so he played borrowed instruments.  One was a customized and re-finished Gibson J45 and the other a Emory which he performed with at Newport in 1963.  

Edited November 13, 2023 by zombywoof

[BluesKing777]

Any acoustic with 2 3/16" bridge spacing or less isn't designed for fingerpicking! For plectrum players....

The only contender in the current Gibson Acoustic catalogue that I can see is the new Murph Lab L-00 with supposedly 60 mm bridge space (almost 2 3/8")....

I have a 2002 J50 that I bought at a pawn shop because everyone says it is.......etc. I like it, great guitar -  but it is not a fingerpicker, and it is on the 'gone list' if used guitar sales pick up.

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

[cayine]

On 11/14/2023 at 12:25 AM, zombywoof said:

I would not say the J45/J50 has a long "blues history" but more of a recent history.  While the model was not around when Scrapper Blackwell teamed with Leroy Carr and Curley Weaver was backing Blind Willie McTell,  if you are talking about the folk music revival a laundry list of blues players including Pink Anderson, Elizabeth Cotton, Roosevelt Sykes, and Lightnin' Hopkins were all know to play a J45 or J50 at one time or the other.  

The player I have always associated with the J45/50 is Jorma.  He played a 1958 J50 purchased in 1961 with Janis and then both the Airplane and Hot Tuna.  According to his book, before that he played a Harmony Sovereign H1260 which had borrowed after selling a 1956 J45 he had snagged new. 

As the story about Mississippi John goes, he did not own a guitar when he was "re-discovered" so he played borrowed instruments.  One was a customized and re-finished Gibson J45 and the other a Emory which he performed with at Newport in 1963.  

 

best skateboards under $50

In 40+ years I’d never played a Gibson I liked...until now. I’m a Martin guy and have been for decades. I have several very nice ones that I’ve become dependent on with no intention of selling, ever. In fact, I posted a while ago that I thought I had everything I needed/wanted in the Martins I have and I was done buying guitars. However.... I got an itch for a J-15. I cant recall having ever played one but one AGF thread led to another then to YouTube and then searching. I bought a slightly used J-15 burst a couple weeks ago. It is a really good looking guitar and as good a strummer as I’ve ever played. There, I said it-as good a strumming guitar as I’ve ever played. It does not have the balance to stand up to finger picking but, oh boy, hit that thing with a Fender Medium and it is really wonderful. So, I guess the lesson for me is this: Open my eyes, open my ears, open my mind. Not getting rid of the Martins any time soon but I’m past being snooty about Gibsons.

[zombywoof]

On 11/13/2023 at 11:15 PM, BluesKing777 said:

Any acoustic with 2 3/16" bridge spacing or less isn't designed for fingerpicking! For plectrum players....

The only contender in the current Gibson Acoustic catalogue that I can see is the new Murph Lab L-00 with supposedly 60 mm bridge space (almost 2 3/8")....

I have a 2002 J50 that I bought at a pawn shop because everyone says it is.......etc. I like it, great guitar -  but it is not a fingerpicker, and it is on the 'gone list' if used guitar sales pick up.

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

While I find that to be true, there is no rulebook for such things.  My two oldest Gibsons are a 13 and 12 fretter with a string spacing at the bridge respectively of 2 5/16" and 2 3/8".   But Gibson's spacing has actually been skimpier than the now standard 2 3/16".  In 1940-41 when Gibson ended its decade of experimentation and settled on what were more or less a standard set of specs, they went with a string spacing which could be as narrow as 2 1/8".  That is what my '42 J50 clocks in with.  While I am not about to kick that guitar out of bed, my first thought when picking it up is how could anybody fingerpick this beast.  In the end though, after stumbling around for a bit, muscle memory tends to kicks in.

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by zombywoof

[fortyearspickn]

On 10/30/2023 at 9:55 AM, GabrielLDN said:

I've always wanted a Gibson acoustic and finally have the chance to purchase one. A couple of weeks ago a 1937 L-00 Legend came up on Reverb and I hesitated for 30 minutes as I wasn't sure about the V neck. When I decided to purchase it had gone. I'm still upset about that. 

I've recently been offered a 1952 LG-1 in good condition with no repairs. For the same price I can get a new L-00 original vintage sunburst. I'm mostly a fingerstyle blues player. 

Between the two which would be the better option? Thanks for any advice. 

I love it when a plan comes together.     Key words in the OP   ''Which would be better?"   And he winds up with a Martin.      I'm guessing next time he'll go to the Martin site and  announce he really wants a Martin so he can get steered towards a ladder braced Gibson. 

[BluesKing777]

13 minutes ago, zombywoof said:

While I find that to be true, there is no rulebook for such things.  My two oldest Gibsons are a 13 and 12 fretter with a string spacing at the bridge respectively of 2 5/16" and 2 3/8".   But Gibson's spacing has actually been skimpier than the now standard 2 3/16".  In 1940-41 when Gibson ended its decade of experimentation and settled on what were more or less a standard set of specs, they went with a string spacing which could be as narrow as 2 1/8".  That is what my '42 J50 clocks in with.  While I am not about to kick that guitar out of bed, my first thought when picking it up is how could anybody fingerpick this beast.  In the end though, after stumbling around for a bit, muscle memory tends to kicks in.

 

Well, my first ‘good’ guitar was the Telecaster I played about 14 years before I bought an old Dobro!

No idea what bridge spacing would be on the Tele but theDobro was a shock.

I could probably get a Custom Shop Tele now with a huge V neck and wide spacings! And relic’d..

 

BluesKing777.