snkysnake Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 First let me say that I am loving my 2008 J45, unfortunately the J45 is not loving me. Besides all the typical problems a guy my age has, like arthritis and healed up torn rotator cup, I have a torn bicep muscle on my right arm. Of course this arm rests on the upper bout of the 45 , making for an interesting evening of guitar playing.I am constantly having to shift the guitar, left leg , right leg, neck high, neck level..etc I fear that it may be time for me to give up my love of the J45 , in favor of a body size more suited to my limitations. As I'm sure you all know, specs for Gibsons are hard to come by. For my new guitar I think I should be looking at new or used LG LGo LO , Maybe J165 or J185. Could some of you please post not only reccomendations, but if you own a smaller body Gibson, give me some specs on upper and lower bout , body thickness, scale length,etc. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Model lower bout L-00 or Blues King 14.5" Nick Lucas 14.5" Cj-165 15" J-185 16" I recommend the L-00 or 165 models. The L-1 or Robert Johnson model is also pretty small. Like you I have some shoulder problems. I find the L-00 most comfortable, though I can manage the 185 pretty well too, because the waist is fairly narrow. I have to tip the neck upward a bit on the 185. Another thing you could try is playing your J-45 standing up with a strap, and tilting the neck end up a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snkysnake Posted May 26, 2009 Author Share Posted May 26, 2009 Thanks Jerry, I agree about the strap and standing up. That's about the only thing that can help me play longer with less discomfort. I was kinda leaning towards a J185Ec , but with the lower bout being the same as my J45... Any idea of the waist size and body depth on the ones you listed ? I appreciate your help on this. It's killing me , and my CFO, that I might take a loss on the new J45, but I guess I should start the search. Saw several possible candidates on G Base, and trying not to rush any decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acousticat Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Here's a little trick that you can do with the strap. Take the strap leading from the end-pin and wrap the strap over the upper bout, this will tilt the neck end up a bit. Sal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 model upper, waist, lower ; greatest depth L-00: 10", 8 1/2", 14 3/4" ; 4 1/4" deep Nick: same as above but about 5" deep 165: 11", 9", 15" ; 4 3/8" deep 185: 11 1/2", 9 1/4", 16" ; 4 3/4" deep All of the above are short scale (recent ones, anyway). I would go for the L-00 blues king; the cj-165 is a close second. I don't have an L-1 Robert Johnson; someone may be able to give measurements for that. The LG-1 and LG-2 have a very slightly smaller lower bout than an L-00, around 14 1/8". Someone will probably chime in here with specs for those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hemet Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Robert Johnson and older L-1 and L-0 are 13 3/4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgwoods Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Not the J185- too big, too deep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 The L-1 seems to be quite different from many Gibson acoustics. According to some specs I saw on Elderly, it has a 1 3/4" nut width, which is wider than the usual 1.725". It's a 12-fret guitar and it appears to have a longer scale length than most Gibsons. The lower bout is the smallest of any Gibson currently made. Have to try one of these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 It's a tough call. The smaller body sacrifices sound, to an extent (more focus but less surround). Here's a strap rig that could help...(Ernie Hawkins, ala Rev. Gary Davis) Or... play across your left knee (Dave Bromberg) ps also worth a look, a Martin 0018v: less strident & more responsive than current L-series Gibsons, but thumpy & midrangey for a Martin. Maybe a 00028. If you can swing it, a 37L or Greven L00... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson101 Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 The L-1 seems to be quite different from many Gibson acoustics. According to some specs I saw on Elderly' date=' it has a 1 3/4" nut width, which is wider than the usual 1.725". It's a 12-fret guitar and it appears to have a longer scale length than most Gibsons. The lower bout is the smallest of any Gibson currently made. Have to try one of these.[/quote'] An RJ L-1 has the typical 1.725 nut. Just measured again to double check. All specs I have read list it as that too. It does have an interesting 25" scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Gibson101, how do you like your L-1? Now I am getting intrigued by this guitar. Oh dear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayla Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 The RJ L-1 unfortunately keeps calling my name too. I fear that if I ever play one in a shop and it feels and sounds right, I'm gonna go for it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson101 Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I like it a lot, it has it's own unique sound for sure. I thought I read someone describe it as "crispy" and I think I agree with that. I'm horrible at describing sound, I do feel like it has an old timey vibe for sure. The strings are snappy if that makes sense. It's a real comfy guitar and the 25" scale gives you a nice mix between the two standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 i'm curious about that 25 in. scale. The originals, like mine, had a very short 24.25 in. scale: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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