J45 Opinions

[J185cat]

Wanted to get anyone's opinion on the J45 Custom with Rosewood b/s. Also, even though they are just appearing on the market has anyne played one of the 20th Anniversay J45's? Would like to know what they sound like. I would assume more like a mahogany version.

[Rambler]

My take is that the RW J45s tend to be muddy in the upper mids and trebles. They dont have the nice clear cut and ring of the hog slopes (AJ is a different beast, because the 25.5 scale lets it ring more).

[KL]

Never really been keen on Rosewood J-45's. J-45's were always a mahogany back and side guitar until recently and they are better suited to that to my ears. I can't help feeling that making them with rosewood was like taking a perfect design one step too far.

[J185cat]

Thanks, that was sort of what I was thinking also. I would like to have more traditional J45.

[Red 333]

I have a J45 Rosewood Vine. It's lush sounding, not muddy.

 

Red 333

[Red 333]

I have a J45 Rosewood Vine. It's lush sounding, not muddy.

 

Red 333

[Paul E]

I have to agree with Red. My J-45 has clear mids. Not muddy at all.

[Modac]

The J45 rosewoods I've played were not impressive in a good way. They may have been ok for strumming, or for plectrum styles, but for bare-fingered picking, they were severely lacking in clarity, responsiveness and resonance

[SweetMarie]

My J-45RW has very clear mids and treble...the overtones are "fuller" than mahogany, but I wouldn't call it muddy. It does take a little more playing before it "wakes up" than my mahogany Eastman 512S, but it's a lot more wood to drive. The difference is like a light coloratura soprano (mahogany) vs a dramatic coloratura (rosewood). Not better or worse, just different.

[Rambler]

My take on the RW 45s was, like Dennis', from a fingerpicking point of view. On a tune like Deep River Blues, it didnt have the clear, bright pop to the notes that my ear wanted to hear. But then, you listen to Doc or old blues, and after a while, you get used to and want to hear that dry brightness. Plectrrm players might be quite happy with that surround sound.

 

I do think in a short scale guitar with that size of box, the chance of the bass and overtones getting out of control are greater than, say on a 00028 or an OM, which would be not so wide or deep ("but tis enough, twll serve") a box. The long scale on the AJ and Martin D28s helps them cut through a little more.