Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

J-45 vs J45tv vs J45 rosewood


Soundwarrior

Recommended Posts

The std J45 has a pickup. 45TVs tend to be lighter, more responsive. No pup. The RW is darker, bassier. metallic top. More of a Neil Young ringing chords deal while the 45/45TV is the classic swiss army knife that does a bit of everything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They're all great guitars-it's just down to personal taste. JK nailed it in terms of sonic description.

 

The 45 RW is a bit muddy for me-I prefer a longer scale in a RW guitar to give it a bit more top end sparkle and chime. The AJ is a better bet for a RW slope dread, IMHO.

 

A lot of folks swear by the TV, I have enjoyed the examples I've played, but as a touring musician I'd personally go for the Std-great stock pickup, slightly more robust built but still amazing sounding.

 

The J45 is probably the best all-rounder guitar ever built-as JK said, a real Swiss Army knife!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To my ears the mahogany J-45's (whether standard or TV) are what a J-45 has always been about. I've never really liked the sound of the rosewood ones. They are beautiful guitars and like jkinnama says they are punchy, but it's not the classic J-45 sound. Maybe I'll try another rosewood one sometime. At the moment when I want that punchy rosewood sound I use my D-28 They have made some in Koa too. I've never played one and would like to. A mahogany J-45 is hard to beat though!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Soundwarrior, I have a Rosewood J45 and a J45TV Red Spruce. In my experience with the two, the Rosewood sounds very lush. I've described it before as two guitars playing together. It produces a lovely choir-like effect. It has rich, syrupy bass and crystaline highs. Notes decay very lowly after the initial attack, and ring for a long time. To me, it is the more modern sounding of the two guitars. The pick up is excellent.

 

The J45TV is more muscular. It, too, has lots of sustain, but notes decay a little quicker after the initial attack, giving it a snappier and more percussive quality. I don't know if all of them are like this, but mine has the deepest, clearest, roundest bass response of any of my acoustics. As jkinnama said, very responsive, and quite dynamic. This guitar is equally at home being played with fingers or a pick.

 

Both are LOUD.

 

If I had only a few seconds to describe both, I'd say the J45 Rosewood sounds like an awesome guitar, while the J45TV sounds like an awesome J45.

 

My current Gibson stable also contains an Advanced Jumbo, Short Scale Maple Advanced Jumbo, FVG J 35 Reissue, J160E Standard, J160E Peace, and J185 Vine.

 

Hope this helps. These things are so hard to describe. I hope you get a chance to audition a few of each.

 

Red 333

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to throw a curveball here, the greatest sounding J45 I have ever played was a Maple one...the mid-happy tone of the round shoulder body seemed to offset the slightly scooped mids and pronounced treble response of Maple in a haunting and unforgettable way.

 

I heard magic and majesty in that guitar...it was a 2006 custom shop model, one of a run of twelve I believe...I was in Rudy's in Manhattan.

 

I wish I could have taken it home. I was too poor though. I kicked myself for months about it, and eventually came across another in 2008 in GuitarGuitar in Glasgow-this time one of a run of 3-and there was that stunning tone again. I spent three hours playing it in the shop, but sitting, picking and wishing didn't do anything for my bank balance, and I still couldn't afford it.

 

They are very uncommon, but please do try to track down a Maple '45...it could just be "the one".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to throw a curveball here' date=' the greatest sounding J45 I have ever played was a Maple one [/quote']

 

Jinder, have you heard Russ Barrenberg on his maple banner j45? Great sound, though to my ear maybe more a band guitar than a solo one. Redd, 'syruppy' is a good word to describe a RW 45. Sweet, thick (maybe a lil' too thick for fingerstyle, at least for me). Man, all this chat is not helping me manage my g.a.s. issues. Cheers, J

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, one other thing. Four or five of my all time favorite acoustic cds feature a hog slope: Self-Portrait in Blues (Paul Geremia), Blues Advice (Ernie Hawkins), Teasin' the Frets (Frank Fotusky), Hot Tuna (Jorma), John Hammond Live. 3 J35s, a J50, 2 Southern Jumbos. On all those Cs, the guitars sound amazingly full and yet the treble and bass lines all ring clear. Check some of Jinder's Mercurymen videos if you want to hear Gibson's in a group setting. J

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have one guy coming over friday with a one year old J45 and Martin 000 series for my D-28. I am more interested in the J-45. So we will see what happens. What things should I look for besides it sounding great to me. I am familiar with Martins but not so much with Gibson specs like action, bellying etc. any advice/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've played as many J45 and J45TV - sitka or red- that I could get my hands on over the past couple years. I love them. There's one sitting in a shop and I am hoping beyond hope that I will own this guitar - still waiting for a long pending business deal to work out - otherwise she'll be gone and I'll weep.

 

Anyhow, Red's descrip of the bass and decay on the TV are spot on for the one I'm lusting for. I find the std J45's achieve a kind of balance through a slight sense of blended compression - something about the slope/hog combo maybe...? I find the good J45TVs (I've played both good and 'just ok' samples of both red and sitka) have that same balance but it seems to have a bit more clarity, a bit more separation, that I can hear the true harmony of six strings, none overpowering the others but each maintaining it's own identity - less blend, more harmony. Not that the blended sound is bad at all, it's a preference thing I think.

 

Good luck. Ultimately, the one I'm talking of truly sings to me, personally, and the guitar that sings to you - which sounds kind of lame but when one does then you know... - that should determine the guitar you buy - or mourn (if you can't afford it like me) - as the case may be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is funny cuz this shop has two of them, both TVs with sitka tops. And I was playing the one I like and the salesman was playing the other one telling me why it was better (to him). It's the one that sings to you, my friend.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is funny cuz this shop has two of them' date=' both TVs with sitka tops. And I was playing the one I like and the salesman was playing the other one telling me why it was better (to him). It's the one that sings to you, my friend.[/quote']

 

Good post.

 

One other thought: I think that as you play more and more guitars over the years, you start to build a mental database of what it is about the tone of any given guitar that truly appeals to you (or doesn't appeal to you for that matter). Over time, I think it becomes much easier to identify a guitar that truly sings to you, as opposed to simply convincing yourself that "this is the one", just because you've become infatuated with it — only to sell/trade it a short while later.

 

All the best,

Guth

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good post.

 

One other thought: I think that as you play more and more guitars over the years' date=' you start to build a mental database of what it is about the tone of any given guitar that truly appeals to you (or doesn't appeal to you for that matter). Over time, I think it becomes much easier to identify a guitar that truly sings to you, as opposed to simply convincing yourself that "this is the one", just because you've become infatuated with it — only to sell/trade it a short while later.

 

All the best,

Guth

[/quote']

 

 

I agree.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the J-45 std-mahogany rim and back spruce top-and it is a wonderful guitar. just keep in mind that with a good setup it just gets better and better-play as many as you can find and the one that is best for you will let you know.I have used both the John Pearse and Gibson Masterbuilt Vintage strings and they really make the voice come out- A naturally LOUD guitar! try it you will like whatever j-45 you get

Link to comment
Share on other sites

JK, I'm not familiar with Russ Barrenberg, I will check him out, thanks for the tip! Anything to hear that Maple J45 tone again...I've just filed a big claim in backdated royalties with PRS, which will pay out in October...providing no crazy domestic expenses occur between now and then, when the cheque arrives I

am going guitar hunting!!

 

Originally I was set on finding a great Dove (a former bandmate of mine had an incredible Custom Shop Dove with Adi/Quilt, which really spoke to me) but after this thread I feel a change of tack coming on...I'm going to track down that elusive Maple J45 that the Gods of rock'n'roll have been repeatedly trying to supply me with!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jinder, to hear that vintage maple J-45 prominently featured, be sure to check out the album "Skip, Hop & Wobble" (Jerry Douglas, Russ Barenberg and Edgar Meyer). Russ used a variety of Gibson's (I think they all sound great) on his latest release "When At Last".

 

There are quite a few videos of Russ out and about, but I sure wish there were more.

 

Russ is one of those guys who can probably make just about any guitar sing. But he definitely seems to prefer guitars with a very dry, woody tone. I've often referred to the tone of his guitars when I give examples of great sounding Gibsons. There is a shop in Nashville that I've bought and sold a few guitar from over the years. I've mentioned Russ's recordings to them a few times when trying to describe tone characteristics that appeal to me. Well, a few years ago I needed to sell a guitar so I shipped it off to Nashville for a consignment sale. A while later I received an email letting me know that they had a buyer for the guitar and we worked out the details and completed the deal. Later on, they emailed me as they thought I might like to know that my guitar had been purchased by none other than Russ Barenberg himself. Now I realize it would be a much better story if I had ended up with one of Russ's guitars. Still, I love that fact that someone who I've often mentioned in my efforts to explain appealing tone (at least to me) thought highly enough of a guitar that had appealed to my ears, that he ended up buying it.

 

All the best,

Guth

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to track down that elusive Maple J45 that the Gods of rock'n'roll have been repeatedly trying to supply me with!

 

Jinder, there was also a run of short scale, maple Advanced Jumbos (so essentially maple J45s). Keep your eyes out for those, too, as an option. I've got one, and the serial number indicates it was made in 2006.

 

Red 333

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well' date=' a few years ago I needed to sell a guitar so I shipped it off to Nashville for a consignment sale. A while later I received an email letting me know that they had a buyer for the guitar and we worked out the details and completed the deal. Later on, they emailed me as they thought I might like to know that my guitar had been purchased by none other than Russ Barenberg himself. Now I realize it would be a much better story if I had ended up with one of Russ's guitars. All the best,

Guth[/quote']

 

It would be an even better story (or lets say, a sadder, self-depricating, and ironic one) if the reason you consigned the guitar was because you thought it didn't have that Russ Barenberg sound, and THEN he bought it.

 

But the way you told is mighty satisfying, even if it is true.

 

You've got good ears!

 

Red 333

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Red,

 

Here's a picture that I received after Russ bought the guitar (it's a Webber Jumbo). The other guy is named Todd Lombardo. I'm not familiar with him but I was told that this was right after he had moved to Nashville (2006) and he was already jamming with Russ Barenberg — pretty cool.

 

By the way, if I haven't mentioned it here before, I can't say enough good things about Cotten Music in Nashville - great folks, and Kim in particular is fantastic.

 

Sorry for the thread hijack. If any of you are interested in Russ's music, I highly encourage you to check out the albums I mentioned earlier in this thread. Some fantastic playing and some great sounding Gibsons.

 

All the best,

Guth

 

russ_b.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...