Which Gibson Acoustic ?

[kevin]

Hello,

 

Clearly I am new to the forum, been playing guitar for a short while and now I'm ready to buy a "proper guitar".

 

Obviously I want a Gibson. I also realise that I need to go and pick a few up and play them and get a feel for what I am comfortable with.

 

Before I do - I would like a little advice. I play a finger picking style - are any Gibsons more suited to that style of playing.

 

I have seen a beautifull J-45, i like the black Doves and also being from Liverpool like the thought of the Lennon Peace J 160.

 

Steve Nieve

[guitarstrummer]

Welcome to the forum, kevin. You have so many to pick from, but you sure can't go wrong with a J-45. If you want something a little smaller, you might look at the J-185 or CJ-165.

[Taylor Player]

It might not be known as a great fingerstyle guitar, but I am primarily a fingerstyle player. My Gibson AJ with light gauge or light/medium gauge Elixirs is a wonderful fingerstyle guitar. It gives me a totally different tone than my Taylor 612C. It is much more of a mellow tone and handles alternate tunings very well, especially DADGAD and Drop D. Piano like bass and mellow highs unlike my Taylor which is overall more balanced but lacks the piano like bass that is needed on many of the lowered tunings I play. It is a Dread size with sloped shoulders and more comfortable to me than many Dread's I have played.

 

Have fun playing any number of Gibbys. I don't own one but the Hummingbird and Songwriter are also good choices for fingerstyle.

[LPDEN]

Good replies so far, I'll add that many fingerstyle players are drawn to guitars that have a neck with a slightly wider neck width. 1.75 +/-, but as you'll find Gibson has that covered pretty well with most of their models.

 

I think you'll want to determine what body size and configuration works best for you. I too think you can't go wrong with a J-45.

 

Good luck and enjoy whatever model you choose.

[woodruff]

Hello' date='

 

Clearly I am new to the forum, been playing guitar for a short while and now I'm ready to buy a "proper guitar".

 

Obviously I want a Gibson. I also realise that I need to go and pick a few up and play them and get a feel for what I am comfortable with.

 

Before I do - I would like a little advice. I play a finger picking style - are any Gibsons more suited to that style of playing.

 

I have seen a beautifull J-45, i like the black Doves and also being from Liverpool like the thought of the Lennon Peace J 160.

 

Steve Nieve

 

[/quote']

 

hey steve, i love the J-45 and hummingbird and dove. the lennon 160, if it is the acousti/electric model will sound terribly thin unplugged but good plugged in. for your style, i imagine the J-45 and dove and hbird would be fatastic. well, there are many other gibson models that would fit the bill too.

[TheLiveSoundGuy]

 

hey steve' date=' i love the J-45 and hummingbird and dove. the lennon 160, if it is the acousti/electric model will sound terribly thin unplugged but good plugged in. for your style, i imagine the J-45 and dove and hbird would be fatastic. well, there are many other gibson models that would fit the bill too. [/quote']

 

The way you abbriviated hummingbird (Hbird,) when I first read it my mind saw the word "Hybrid," so my natural reaction was to think...Hmmm, a J45, and Dove hybrid...that would have to be the Hummingbird.

It would have all the rich sound of a J45, and the feel and loudness of a Dove.

[ballcorner]

Welcome to the forum and thanks for your question.

 

I would recommend the Gibson Advanced Jumbo for finger style because it has the treble ring as well as the balanced midrange that make finger style pieces jump out of the guitar. The forward shifted bracing makes the top very active, resonant and responsive and it is a guitar that has good volume and tone right out of the box. The more you play it in, the more you will love it. I know I love mine!

 

The guitar I play finger style on most frequently is not a Gibson, unfortunately. I have a Martin OM-21 which is really well suited to this style of guitar because the body shape and size provide amazing projection and bass response. I strongly dislike the Martin company, their service issues and their current motivations in the marketplace, but I still feel it is appropriate to suggest that you try an OM from Martin and one from Santa Cruz before making a final decision.

 

If you are certain it will be a Gibson or nothing, I am confident that you will totally enjoy and appreciate the AJ -- bearing in mind that other suggestions here from members with more Gibsons than I own (3) should be considered first.

[aymeric22]

I have a Songwriter and a J45 Rosewood.

I found the J45 RW more precise, whereas the Songwriter has more bass. Even if the neck of the Songwriter has a wider fingerboard wich is supposed to be better for fingerstyle, i find the J45 more comfortable with a shorter scale.

 

The AJ is supposed to be better for flatpicking. Anyway you have to try everything to see what could be "your" sound.

 

For me the best are J45 RW and Hummingbird (for sweeter sound).

[LPDEN]

The J-45 is a great all-around guitar, long lineage, and a staple in the Gibson lineup. There are several flavors of the J-45 to select from depending upon your budget.

 

good luck on your search and decision and enjoy the process of picking out your Gibson acoustic!