thesuitelounge Posted April 28, 2009 Posted April 28, 2009 I have been looking for a GREAT mahogany back/sides dread, one that would be particularly well suited to recording. I have looked for older guitars but there is not a lot of availability. Have played both and they sound good. Love the J-45 Legend I played, but I used to have a newer (2007) Gibson J-200 True Vintage and was very disappointed with the quality: the neck twisted on it and it buzzed all over the place (vs. say Martin who is consistently making killer new guitars) so I am a little hesitant about a newer Gibson. Was this a fluke? Love the D-18 Authentic, but I also have a D-28 (I know, different, but still similar in some ways), so was thinking of the J-45 to better round out my collection. Any thoughts? Sincere thanks.
Jayla Posted April 28, 2009 Posted April 28, 2009 I would check out the Collings D1 and CJMH. They are both superb guitars. FWIW I personally prefer Collings to Martins. They feel more solid to me, their finish is superior IMO, and I much prefer their bright, full, rich tone.
Modac Posted April 28, 2009 Posted April 28, 2009 Love the D-18 Authentic, but I also have a D-28 (I know, different, but still similar in some ways) I don't find them similar at all. Just a/b an Authentic with a garden variety D28.....there is a huge, stunning difference.
thesuitelounge Posted April 28, 2009 Author Posted April 28, 2009 I agree, my D-28 is a Marquis/Madagascar and I have in fact a/b'd it with a D-18 Authentic and you are absolutely correct, but I meant compared with having a D-28 and a J-45, vs. having a D-28 and a D-18.
Modac Posted April 28, 2009 Posted April 28, 2009 Did you know that Fullers has a J45 Legend with Madagascar back and sides?
rar Posted April 28, 2009 Posted April 28, 2009 Did you know that Fullers has a J45 Legend with Madagascar back and sides? I didn't' date=' but I do now. [i']Drool![/i] -- Bob R
Modac Posted April 28, 2009 Posted April 28, 2009 Drool indeed....I've been waiting for a chance to drop that little tidbit, hoping someone buys it before I do something tragic.
Hoss Posted April 28, 2009 Posted April 28, 2009 Dennis- A J45 Rosewood Legend? ?? I'm not a rosewood guy- but I love the few J45 Rosewoods that I've come across. A Legend Rosewood would be over the top. Buy it and do your patriotic duty to get the economy going again. (Or course, I'd be happy to buy it, but every spare nickel is going into home and garden repairs.)
Modac Posted April 28, 2009 Posted April 28, 2009 Hoss, that's pretty much where we are at as well....have to completely redo the bathroom sometime soon...that's where the Legend money is going, I'm afraid....sigh....
sumner77 Posted April 28, 2009 Posted April 28, 2009 I've owned both and they are great guitars. Quite different but great examples of a similar idea. I sold the Legends J-45 because it didn't have quite the tone of my late 40's J-45 and I couldn't keep both. My personal opinion is that Gibson has overbuilt the Legends just a bit, and they will take longer to develop. My guess is they haven't been as commercially successful with this line as Martin has with the Authentic. Most of the Authentics I've played have been huge, great sounding guitars from the first; but not all. I am besotted with my D-18 Authentic, but maybe because it's my newest instrument. If the right Legends J-45 came along at a great used price I might buy it. But for the price of a new one you can get very close to the real thing. This is not so with the D-18A. At around $5,000 new most of them are killer guitars and you can't touch the originals unless you spend multiples of that. For the record, I also own a Legends L-00 that is just a joy to play. I hope both Gibson and Martin continue down this path of building original spec faithful recreations of famous old vintage instruments. It will bankrupt me, but it will be great fun. Final advice, keep playing them until one just demands you buy it. If you play them enough one will just sound right and feel right in your hands. These are two great guitars to choose from. Good luck.
Rambler Posted April 29, 2009 Posted April 29, 2009 Re Leg. chunky but smooth playing neck. Thumpy-ringy Gibson tone with "extra-jimmies" (adi top /hide glue). Re Auth. No truss rod/bar frets. Otherwise same jimmies. Brash martin hog D (acoustic telecaster). Cant really go wrong. Do you want want thumpy Gibson or brash Martin. Of the two necks, I though the Martin was more of a handful and that the Gib played a little more easily up the neck. Are you ok flying without a truss? Note with a D18ge you get the truss and most everything the Auth has but the hide glue. J
suburude63 Posted April 29, 2009 Posted April 29, 2009 The only guitar I have played that compares with a Martin D 18 Authentic is a Collings D1A! Its a killer hog and adi box! It blows away any competition bar none. Play one! You can find them used online in the $2000 to $2500 range . They are worth every penny! suburude
acousticworship Posted April 29, 2009 Posted April 29, 2009 I don't think any acoustic player should be without a J-45, but that's just me. The D-18 is a fine guitar though, no doubt. And while it is different than the D-28, the J-45 is more different. So that's the direction I think I would go.
onewilyfool Posted April 29, 2009 Posted April 29, 2009 I understand the Authentic does not have an adjustable truss rod. (authentic to all pre 1984 Martins) SO a large part of the cost of the Authentic is the anticipated neck reset which will invariably come. Also, if you live in an area with great fluctuations of humidity.....you can't tweak the neck for those variations.....Good luck .....I wish I had a hard choice like that coming up....lol By the way, If I could find ANY Collings guitar for under $2K....I think I would get it.....lol
maninblack Posted April 29, 2009 Posted April 29, 2009 For me this is a no brainer. Go with the Legend. I've played a few D-18 Authentics and I don't see what all the fuss is about. Every Legend I have played has be amazing.
larryp58 Posted April 29, 2009 Posted April 29, 2009 I think you just got a fluke with the True Vintage J-200. My true Vintage Southern Jumbo is a wonderful guitar. Has an incredible tone! Mahogany back and sides give it a warm, rich tone. The Southern Jumbo TV is really a "souped-up" J-45 TV anyway! I agree with sumner77 in the fact that the Legends Series are a bit overrated. IMHO, go with the J-45 TV or the Southern Jumbo TV!!!
zeebee Posted April 29, 2009 Posted April 29, 2009 There are so many good builders of hog dreads out there and the final choice is a personal one. I'm not sure how one can compare a Collings to a D-18A cause to me they sound completely different. Cruz's are likely closest to the vintage Martin sound than anything Martin is doing with their new production. As a matter of fact the Santa Cruz VA does a great job of capturing the tone of a '40s J-45. Other builders like Kopp are great. There are at least a dozen small builders that tap tune each top to yield the best that wood combo has to offer, something the bigger builders just cant do with production runs. Check out as many offerings as you can especially from the smaller guys and you'll surely find one that grabs YOU.
ballcorner Posted April 30, 2009 Posted April 30, 2009 I just got an HD-28V back from Martin that required a neck reset when it was 4 months old. I never like to see blanket statements suggesting quality control is better at one factory versus another. The fact is that all guitar makers are corporations now with an aim at improving cash flow and production. There are problems because of the system, not because of the people or a lack of attention from them. Anything made of wood and made by hand is subject to mitigating circumstances beyond a company's control. I have seen people complain about little tiny finish flaws and send a guitar back when it sounds amazing because they can't live with some tiny pick. So, specific to your question, I would encourage you to buy the Gibson if you are a singer, songwriter in any genre but country and the Martin if you primarily play country or if you are primarily an instrumentalist. Gibsons have and exceptional tone for vocal work - they seem to blend very well with the human voice while remaining separate and clearly audible in the mix. If you think the Martin is for you, I would encourage you to consider the D-18V before throwing that extra cash on an authentic as the authentic's red spruce top is going to take at least five years to wake up.
Modac Posted April 30, 2009 Posted April 30, 2009 Yes....I've had as much trouble with new Martins as I've had with new Gibsons. One high end Martin needed a bridge reglue, and the other (I traded a Gibson for it, after the original owner decided he didn't like it, 2 weeks after he bought it) had a shallow neck angle, which made it a candidate for an early neck reset, though it played well enough with some saddle adjustment. I also bought a very lightly used D41, 10 years or so ago, for a superb price, that was similar, with a shallow neck angle. I think Martin has a PLEK system now, that probably illuminates flaws that might otherwise slip thru the cracks, at the setup stage. My only beef with Gibson is that so many are grossly overbuilt, the TV and Legend series seemingly have resolved that problem. Be that as it may, I have a little handmade Northwood 00 sized 12 fret that is phenomenal when it comes to beautiful craftsmanship and painstaking attention to detail. None of my Gibsons or Martins are quite in a league with the fit and finish of that guitar, which is pretty much flawless. If you think the Martin is for you, I would encourage you to consider the D-18V before throwing that extra cash on an authentic as the authentic's red spruce top is going to take at least five years to wake up. I'd concur that any guitar in the V series is a gret value and superb instrument.....but I'd add that about 5 months ago I bought an Adirondack topped custom 000-18GE 12 fret, which came through as very bright, tight and pretty green sounding. It is a joy to play, and Ive played it relentlessly since receiving it....and I am amazed at how much the tone has changed in such a short time.....While I fully expect further seasoning to improve the tone even more, its quite dry now, and very woody, with huge, fat, ringing trebles-to-die-for, that no sitka topped guitar I've ever played can approach.
Rambler Posted April 30, 2009 Posted April 30, 2009 about 5 months ago I bought an Adirondack topped custom 000-18GE 12 fret' date=' which c... is a joy to play, ....and I am amazed at how much the tone has changed in such a short time..... its quite dry now, and very woody, with huge, fat, ringing trebles-to-die-for, that no sitka topped guitar I've ever played can approach. [/quote'] Likes I was saying. The GE is is a strong contender, as is the TV (especially if you can get one with an adi top). Save the extra 2k, get some nice mikes and do something tor the Mrs....
thesuitelounge Posted April 30, 2009 Author Posted April 30, 2009 so then, as far as J-45's, I have heard a lot about the TV being really good (even though I had what may have been an isolated incident with a bad J-200 TV)...could it be that maybe the TV is a better bet than the Legend? For the price of the Legend I may be able to find an old one.... What exactly are you getting with the Legend above the TV? Hide glue, heavier neck (which some like/don't like), different pick guard...what else? The TV's all have adi tops now as well? Maybe the TV is actually the way to go....Can someone who looked at both and bought one step in and let me know what they think...either way, thanks
larryp58 Posted April 30, 2009 Posted April 30, 2009 so then' date=' as far as J-45's, I have heard a lot about the TV being really good (even though I had what may have been an isolated incident with a bad J-200 TV)...could it be that maybe the TV is a better bet than the Legend? For the price of the Legend I may be able to find an old one.... What exactly are you getting with the Legend above the TV? Hide glue, heavier neck (which some like/don't like), different pick guard...what else? The TV's all have adi tops now as well? Maybe the TV is actually the way to go....Can someone who looked at both and bought one step in and let me know what they think...either way, thanks [/quote'] I did compare the two and went with the Southern Jumbo TV.
suburude63 Posted April 30, 2009 Posted April 30, 2009 Play a Collings! Just play one. Preferably a CJ RW or Hog. I love Gibsons especially J 45 TVs. But they are a completely different bird from Collings!
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