gearbasher Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I just purchased a used J-45 Custom Shop w/flamed maple back and sides. Beautiful!!! But, I just noticed the back/center seam is about a 1/4" off-center where it meets the heel. You would expect more from Gibson's Custom Shop? Or am I being too anal?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarstrummer Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Welcome to the forum, gearbasher. Do you have a photo you can post? Also, when you say "used", how old is it? Any possibility it had been worked on in the past? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 It's a 2006. Looks like it was never played. No evidence of work being done. I have a pretty bad close-up, having trouble posting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 It's a 2006. Looks like it was never played. No evidence of work being done. I have a pretty bad close-up' date=' having trouble posting it.[/quote'] I made the pic my "avatar" hopefully you cabn see what I mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 Welcome to the forum' date=' gearbasher. Do you have a photo you can post? Also, when you say "used", how old is it? Any possibility it had been worked on in the past?[/quote']It's a 2006. Looks like it was never played. No evidence of any work done to it. Had trouble posting a pic, so I made a bad close-up my "avatar". Hopefully, you can see what I mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I think you likely over-reacting. You're forgetting these instruments are handcrafted, not computer or machine generated. Handcrafted thangs are handcrafted...not perfect, but in the same sense perfect with all their imperfection. Seriously, if you wanted an instrument that was perfect you'd a been better off with a synthetically molded Rainsong. All of my guitars have some kind of thang about 'em someplace/somewhere if I look closely enough. None of 'em impact their tonal qualities, etc. Just my two cents (sense) on this one. QM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 I think you likely over-reacting. You're forgetting these instruments are handcrafted' date=' not computer or machine generated. Handcrafted thangs are handcrafted...not perfect, but in the same sense perfect with all their imperfection. Seriously, if you wanted an instrument that was perfect you'd a been better off with a synthetically molded Rainsong. All of my guitars have some kind of thang about 'em someplace/somewhere if I look closely enough. None of 'em impact their tonal qualities, etc. Just my two cents (sense) on this one. QM[/quote']I agree with you. But, I've owned 12 acoustics in my lifetime, (5 Gibsons, 6 Guilds and a Martin-- I wish I still had them all, but life gets in the way) and all had little imperfections, but nothing this noticeable (except for an SJ-45 Deluxe that looked like they started sawing the slots for the frets in the wrong place then moved them over an eight of an inch---that one I sent back). I just expect more from a LTD Custom Shop instrument. All said and done, it is pretty and it's a keeper...but, perfection is not an accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitom Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I would expect more too. But since you like the guitar it's definitely worth forgetting about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocket88 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 hi,,i would not be happy with it.I agree that you cant expect perfection but this is something you dont usually see on a gibson.Remember handcrafted does not mean hand made,far from it.I feel that the example of buying a rainsong is a rather silly answer to your question!The question should be,Is the guitar built to the correct dimensions and angles?Apparently not.All my gibsons are spot on.But i,ve seen some that are not.Best of luck with it anyway...mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Rondack Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Never seen anything like that before... I would definitely have a problem with it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Pup Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Does it have any effect on the tone or playability or does it seem more of a cosmetic problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 A few things...are you sure that is really a seam down the back of the guitar? Is it possible it is just the wood's grain that by chance happens to run near through the center? I'm thinking, perhaps it is really a one piece back...from the photo the grain seems to run in a pretty similar pattern on both sides of the center. I'm wondering why it would have had to have been cut and pieced together to begin with. Is it possible it is one piece and there is a grain that just happens to run close to the center? The next thing is...if it is two pieces of wood seamed together, it is possible they were seamed together in the way they were to make the near identical pattern on both ends of the back look parallel to one another? Is the wood really two slightly different sizes on both sides of the seam (if it is a seam and not wood grain?) Or, is the neck slightly over. How does the neck look from the front side of the guitar? Is it lined up to the middle of the sound hole? Also, is the neck running straight or is it slightly to a right or left angle....if so does it line up to the bridge so the strings are reasonably centered on the fretboard. Or, are they off centered...meaning the neck itself might be on an angle, making it appear not centered to the back seam (if it is a seam?) That one would require a reset at the dove tail joint to slightly move the neck angle, provided it isn't properly lined up with the bridge. I can't really comment further from looking at the photo if it is actually any thang of concern. If the strings line up on the fretboard from the tuners to the bridge then those two are aligned and that's the main thing in terms of its playability. Otherwise, its likely just cosmetic one way or another. BTW, didn't mean to be flippant with my Rainsong comment... QM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 Ok! It is a book matched maple back. Definitely a seam. The neck is dead on. No problem with playability (except I suck at guitar playing). If I put a ruler on the seam, the treble side of the heel is 1" from the seam and the bass side is 3/4". If I move the ruler down to the widest part of the upper bout, the seam to the treble side edge measurement is 5 & 7/8" and the seam to bass side edge is 5 & 5/8". When it reaches the tail end it is in the center. The back was definitely put on crooked. As I said, even if it is handmade, I think this should have never occurred. I had Martin send me a J-40 kit to assemble. I practically had build the entire instrument myself and my back is dead on. With all this talk of fakes...I began to wonder. So, I sent an email to Gibson this morning and I'm still waiting for a reply. If their response is interesting I will post it. Don't sweat the Rainsong comment...everything in stride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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