snkysnake Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I might have a chance of getting into a recent vintage Blues King, in a trade deal for my J45. If you own a Blues King, please give me your impressions. Tell me all the pros and cons of this guitar. I know it'll come down to a personal decision , but if you love them let me know, if you don't , well let me know gently. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I have a fairly recent one with Bubinga back and sides and love it. It's surprisingly loud for a small guitar and has a wonderful, woody sound, somewhat like mahogany. Of course it's not as loud as a J-185 or a J-45, but if you dig in a bit you can definitely be heard with it. The sound is somewhat more full than a maple small-body guitar and it lends itself to certain pieces, I have found. I will see if I can record a tune which shows off this tonality later today - Everything is Tickety-boo. Definitely the most comfortable couch guitar I own, very easy on the right shoulder. The neck is superbly comfortable, too. To my mind, it is a very nice looking guitar as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderful remark Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I also have a 08 bubinga version. I bought it off of CAMELEYE. the fire strip pick guard looks great!! I don't know if it is the bubinga.. but it is so heavy.... really.. a lot heavier than my J45.. but it really is a great little guitar. it made me fall in love with bubinga... it was a great move for gibson to switch to bubinga.. IMO, it is more balanced than mahogany.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Yeah, bubinga is a heavy wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 tickety-boo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snkysnake Posted May 29, 2009 Author Share Posted May 29, 2009 Thanks for the replies. Jerry K ..that was a great recording, my wife loved the song, and I had no complaints on the sound of the guitar. It's got a great voice on it. Oh , and the wife says you look like Spielburg. Thanks for doing the recording, I think you have swayed me. Now I gotta ask , both Jerry K and Es-335 bought Blues Kings from CAMELEYE ?? Somebody tell me the story ! BTW the one I have a lead on came with a factory gig bag , does anyone know where to buy a Gibson HSC for it, and about what they might cost. I gotta figure in the price of a HSC in the cost of this trade...Thanks again ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMELEYE Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Did you ever buy a guitar, sell it off for something else, then a year or so down the road you wake up one morning thinking, dang, wish I still had ol' whatever? So off you go looking for another one but meanwhile ,what do you know, someone went and changed the specs on the back n sides. So you're doubtful but you play one of the new ones and it's like, whoa, this one's Even Better! So then , having more $ than brains, you buy the thing. And everything's fine until one day, while surfing your favorite guitar sites, totally by accident your fingers stumble onto a picture of a guitar that stops you in mid click. Hmm you say, little short on cash since that bubilinga thingy but maybe, just maybe, you can move it, scrape up enough green and pick up the Jumbo. Woody always was my hero you try to believe. And heck, you don't happen on these every day. So ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snkysnake Posted May 29, 2009 Author Share Posted May 29, 2009 Thanks CAMELEYE , I can relate to your story , been there done that. And , i should make clear , I'm not grilling anyone on this , no integrity issues here, after all, , nobodies buying or selling here, just talking. I was just suprised that two people had bought Bubinga Bluses Kings with aftermarket pickguards from the same guy. I thought maybe you sold a pair of them , or maybe you were a dealer I should get to know. Still not sure I follow the breadcrumbs , but it's not important that I do. I'm looking forward to owning a Blues King myself soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Cameleye, do you still have the L-1? How does it compare to the other Gibson small body guitars? I didn't realize it was an inch narrower at lower bout than L-00. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Some things to look out for. The bubinga jobs (last 2-3 years) are 24.75 scale; before that, they were 25.5. Those earlier ones can be a lil' piercing in the upper register, especially strummed. They are loud enough, especially with medium strings. Mine held its own playing in a duo behind a RW Lowden jumbo. Even the hog models tend to be on the heavy side (nothing like vintage from the 30s). Mine was a deep body, like a Nick Lucas-- that works for some folks but for me for it added unwanted jangle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 The Legend model 1937 L-00 reissue, which is mahogany, is very, very light. A really nice guitar. Expensive though. At some point I may try to get one. By the way, snkysnake, thanks for the kind words. The song (Johnny Mercer and Saul Chaplin) is from a wonderful Danny Kaye film which I saw in the theater as a kid. It's not available on DVD or tape, but you can actually watch the whole thing on youtube! Merry Andrew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 The Legend model 1937 L-00 reissue' date=' which is mahogany, is very, very light [/url']. Right, Jerry. That L00 price point is brutal: 37L, Grevens, and vintage (with attendant issues), all around 4k. Why Gibson doesnt go w/a "true vintage" version of the LOO... a more affordable price point directed at players who would understand what the originals were about. The MC/std version doesnt seem to fit in with the tastes of contemporary singer-songwriters, folkies, and rockers. Oh, and while we are at it, a rw Nick Lucas? Btw apropos the trade, Id say a 45 is worth a tad more than the BK. Might be worth negotiating for some cash considerations (might help take care of your case need). J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 -snip- The MC/std version doesnt seem to fit in with the tastes of contemporary singer-songwriters' date=' folkies, and rockers. -snip- [/quote'] You hear some badmouthing of the Blues King on the internet. I like the MC/std version Blues King on its own merits. It's different from the vintage ones or the Legend version - and one would expect that with bubinga - but I think it is very balanced and has its own great, full sound. It does sound way better to these ears with John Pearse New Medium strings than with the Gibson Masterbuilt lights it ships with. Occasionally you find one with 10's on it which cannot drive this model very well making it sound crummy, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMELEYE Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Snky, as a point of clarification, the first Bk was mahogany. Jerry, the L-1 went back within days. Way too crispy. Ce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mannish Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 FWIW: I own a 35 L-00, 1992 Nick Lucas reissue and 2002 Blues King/L-00. The Nick Lucas is great, the 35 is the holy grail. If i had to do it over again I would not have bought the blues king - I would sell it if the market was better, I am not ready to lose lots of money on it - It is nowhere close to the original L-00 I just bought a Collings C10 and it's as close to the 35 L-00 as any guitar I have ever played. Wonderful guitar I also had a J45 that I still regret selling - GREAT sounding guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 If i had to do it over again I would not have bought the blues king - I would sell it if the market was better' date=' I am not ready to lose lots of money on it - It is nowhere close to the original L-00 [/quote'] Your are not alone. And I wouldnt consider it bashing to point out their limitations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickax Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I had a 95 L-00 Blues King with a Nick Lucas depth body. Loved how it sounded and was very comfortable to play. I ran into a deal I could not pass on a 00-18V so the L-00 is now gone to another owner. Sure was a sweet little Guitar and it's one I wish I could have kept. Had a long scale neck and a killer burst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr newhaven Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 i dont have a blues king but i do have an L-00...and i bought it instead of a J45...i just like the size of it better...its a lot more comfortable to play! i also dont gig or anything like that...so if you need something louder for an audience...im not the one to talk to about that...but i do enjoy playing it! i almost got rid of it for an LG-2 3/4 sized Arlo Guthrie model guitar...but then i just recently bought an all rosewood MIJ telecaster...so my funds are non-existant now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul E Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I own a 2007 Blues King that really sounds awsome, used Pearse 80/20's on her and she's great for john hurt style blues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Jerry, I freakin' LOVE your voice!!! Man alive, there's something in your tone that I could just listen to all day long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderful remark Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 here you go... this guy talks about MY DEARLY BELOVED BLUESKING........ maybe this guy should really learn some blues.. and would be able to appreciate the L-00... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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