J-1854Me Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Hey Karen, Just a quick question about that guitar. It sounds cool but why would a "natural" J-45 not be a J-50? I always thought that's what a J-50 was... Thanks to you and anyone who might clear this point up for me. Cool Gibsons are hard to forget aren't they? When I was in college one of my first really good acoustics was a a mid 1960s J-50. Then I traded it away, even up for a 1937 Martin 00-28 Herringbone at a studio in Iowa City that desperately needed guitar teachers and agreed to make me the trade if I went to work for them. Folk music was in flower in those days and everybody in a college town wanted to learn to play acoustic guitar. I just wanted a Martin. At one time I had about thirty five students a week, while I was getting my degree in Political Science and playing folk music in college bars. (Those were the days....) Even though I always loved that little 1937 Rosewood Martin,(and it really was a great guitar for the coffee houses and folk music gigs I was playing at the time), I never forgot the J-50. It's one of the major reasons that I have a number of great Gibson acoustics today. But I just always thought a J-45 with a natural top was a J-50. Thank you, Jack6849 If there was a game show for this stuff, Jack, I think you would win the question, because if Gibson followed its own "rules", a natural-finished J-45 WOULD be a J-50! But in that weird world that is Gibson, the J-45 rosewood in either finish somehow retains its "J-45" moniker. Heck, I recently saw a J-45 with MAHOGANY back and sides, finished in natural, with -- I think -- gold Grover kidney tuners, and it was called a J-45. Go figure. Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 ... But I just always thought a J-45 with a natural top was a J-50. In recent years, the rule has been: if it has a teardrop pickguard, it's a J-45N; if it has a late-'50s pickguard, it's a J-50. But there's correlation with the back and side species, because another rule has been: if it's not mahogany, it gets a teardrop pickguard. (But not conversely. I've never actually seen a 'hog J-45N any place other than Gibson catalogs and the like, but they purportedly exist.) Hey, it's Gibson! -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I played both the Ren Ferguson AJ and the J45N and they were both amazing guitars. The J45N was very versatile. I played it with light fingerstyle and then ripped it with some rock 'n roll strumming. It maintained its balance in both cases. I still prefer my SWD. It doesn't bark as loud as the J45N did but it is still a very responsive guitar. Plus, I like the appointments on the SWD. The parallelograms just say "Gibson" to me. Although the herringbone purfling is lovely to see, somehow it doesn't seem to go with the abalone rosette. Feels like mixing diamonds and pearls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whirligig Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 But there's correlation with the back and side species, because another rule has been: if it's not mahogany, it gets a teardrop pickguard. (But not conversely. I've never actually seen a 'hog J-45N any place other than Gibson catalogs and the like, but they purportedly exist.) They do indeed exist I had a choice between the between the guitar actually pictured here the hog J45N or the J45N custom after playing both and careful consideration I picked the rosewood J45N custom [ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack6849 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 To Fred, Bob R, and whirligig, Thanks for the info. What was I thinking? This is Gibson... the rule is... no rules. I should have realized that when I saw that Goldtop J-45 acoustic in the Gibson traveling trailer roadshow this summer. Anyway thanks to all for the clarification and to GG for the use of her thread to ask my question. (Hi Karen...) Jack6849 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilliangirl Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 To Fred, Bob R, and whirligig, Thanks for the info. What was I thinking? This is Gibson... the rule is... no rules. I should have realized that when I saw that Goldtop J-45 acoustic in the Gibson traveling trailer roadshow this summer. Anyway thanks to all for the clarification and to GG for the use of her thread to ask my question. (Hi Karen...) Jack6849 Hi Jack! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 To Fred, Bob R, and whirligig, Thanks for the info. What was I thinking? This is Gibson... the rule is... no rules)Jack6849 Gibson also made some J45 Westerns in the early 90s with natch'l tops, banner + block logo (J45W and J45WN. As you are saying, Jack.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Isn't almost buying a guitar, kind of like almost being pregnant???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tartanbeastie Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 do you Need the horse? maybe long and mac will do a part exchange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 do you Need the horse? maybe long and mac will do a part exchange Good point! The horse won't last as long as the guitar ya know Karen. PS: Or the truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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