Which SJ to order?

[Lefty Guy]

OK, I'm finally ready to pull the trigger on my long term lust target, a Gibson Southern Jumbo.

My biggest problem is that as a UK-based lefty I have zero chance to play any of the various models on offer & will have to order one "blind" from a UK dealer & it will therefore be a custom shop order.

So, which model? Standard SJ, True Vintage SJ, Aaron Lewis SJ, Woody Guthrie SJ or Kris Kristofferson SJ?

I'd like a pick-up & prefer the tear drop pick guard so the Aaron Lewis is appealing but I'd be interested to hear the views from the forum about the tonal differences, if any, between these models.

As a reference point I have a 2005 "Historic" J-45 which I love, but the nut width is a little tight for me (1.6875 vs 1.725 now) & I like the extra "bling" that comes with all the SJs.

[EuroAussie]

I think theyre all great and you will get a lot of opinions here, but I have to say the Aaron Lewis SJ floored me when I came across it and I had the plastic out within two hours.

 

For a number of reasons, firstly I really liked that it was based on his 51' specs, the bracing was lighter, the top really vibrated, bone nut and saddle,had a great amercana tone.

Secondly, it looks absolutely stunning, i never tire of looking at it.

Thirdly, came with a built in fishman infinity pickup which is my pickup of choice as i use it with my fishman aura spectrum DI, giving it a wonderful plugged in tone.

 

The only thing I didnt like about it was the Aaron Lewis truss rod cover and the shitty white tuners, but i had that fixed as i placed my vintage CW tuners on it (the CW received new tulips, so now its a Hummingbird) and i bougth a plain truss rod cover.

 

Here is a sound sample to wet your appetite, and a pic ...

 

Happy huntin' !

 

 

http://www.reverbnation.com/taylorprague#!/artist/song_details/7739452

 

 

http://s899.photobucket.com/albums/ac200/TaylorPrague/?action=view&current=InsurancePics005.jpg

 

OK, I'm finally ready to pull the trigger on my long term lust target, a Gibson Southern Jumbo.

My biggest problem is that as a UK-based lefty I have zero chance to play any of the various models on offer & will have to order one "blind" from a UK dealer & it will therefore be a custom shop order.

So, which model? Standard SJ, True Vintage SJ, Aaron Lewis SJ, Woody Guthrie SJ or Kris Kristofferson SJ?

I'd like a pick-up & prefer the tear drop pick guard so the Aaron Lewis is appealing but I'd be interested to hear the views from the forum about the tonal differences, if any, between these models.

As a reference point I have a 2005 "Historic" J-45 which I love, but the nut width is a little tight for me (1.6875 vs 1.725 now) & I like the extra "bling" that comes with all the SJs.

[Lefty Guy]

Thanks, I'm definitely leaning towards the Aaron Lewis model.

Were the stock tuner buttons on yours the small white ones like on my 2005 Historic J-45? They look similar & if so then I'd be happy with those.

My only gripe with Gibson's tear drop pick guards is the way they stick them over the whole rosette. Looking at the "aged" Lewis model pictures on the website, they fit it neatly up against the outside of the inner rosette ring, which looks a lot nicer - but I guess I guess I can reQuest this from the custom shop.

[EuroAussie]

Hi, they were basically the white butter beans like the ones which are on there now, but just were oh so white ... but you can always do the colouring trick with shoe polish or whatever it is. I was just fortunate that I had the CW tuners and always wanted to the tulips on the CW, so it was no brainer.

 

cheers !

 

Thanks, I'm definitely leaning towards the Aaron Lewis model.

Were the stock tuner buttons on yours the small white ones like on my 2005 Historic J-45? They look similar & if so then I'd be happy with those.

My only gripe with Gibson's tear drop pick guards is the way they stick them over the whole rosette. Looking at the "aged" Lewis model pictures on the website, they fit it neatly up against the outside of the inner rosette ring, which looks a lot nicer - but I guess I guess I can reQuest this from the custom shop.

[vincentw]

I think the Guthrie model is the best buy for the money. If money is no option, the Aaron Lewis.

[Blaster]

I picked up a New Vintage SJ last week, and am very pleased with it. I ordered a True Vintage and was sent the New Vintage instead, It definitely has the tone I expected as well as being a comfortable player. It appears to have lighter bracing than other SJs I've played, the specs also state that Hide Glue was used on certain joints. I wanted a vintage style SJ, and like some of the changes they made from previous models including the white button tuners. The only thing I don't care for it the large thick '50s style pickguard, which seems contrary to the banner appointments on the headstock. I'd like to see if I can get one of the small Aaron Lewis teardrop pickguards from Gibson Montana and swap them out. I don't think you can go wrong with the current model SJs.

[Lefty Guy]

Here is a sound sample to wet your appetite, and a pic ...

 

Happy huntin' !

 

 

Yessir, sounds great! Many thanks for sharing.

[Gilliangirl]

OK, I'm finally ready to pull the trigger on my long term lust target, a Gibson Southern Jumbo.

My biggest problem is that as a UK-based lefty I have zero chance to play any of the various models on offer & will have to order one "blind" from a UK dealer & it will therefore be a custom shop order.

So, which model? Standard SJ, True Vintage SJ, Aaron Lewis SJ, Woody Guthrie SJ or Kris Kristofferson SJ?

I'd like a pick-up & prefer the tear drop pick guard so the Aaron Lewis is appealing but I'd be interested to hear the views from the forum about the tonal differences, if any, between these models.

As a reference point I have a 2005 "Historic" J-45 which I love, but the nut width is a little tight for me (1.6875 vs 1.725 now) & I like the extra "bling" that comes with all the SJs.

That's one of the things I love about mine.... the smaller neck. I struggle with the *new* necks. Whooda thought that little bit of space would make such a difference?

 

Re the lack of shops in the UK..... we hear this complaint so frequently. You guys should all band together and open your own store!

[larryp58]

Well, by wanting a pick-up and small pickguard you've narrowed it down to two choices! I look at long-term "maintenance". The Woody Guthrie has an un-bound neck. The Aaron Lewis has a bound neck. This is a big deal if you play a lot and wear out frets. Unbound neck frets are a lot easier to replace than bound neck frets. The two luthiers that I use cringe at replacing frets on bound necks! More work for them, more money for you! Just so ya know! I would just flip a coin between the two! Both great guitars!

[JuanCarlosVejar]

Try Fuller's Vintage Guitar . The have a selection of lefty guitars and if not you can get a special order . I am also a lefty and I'm gonna get my second gibson from fuller's soon. Their attention and help is awesome .and the can ship it to you in the u.k

[Lefty Guy]

Well, by wanting a pick-up and small pickguard you've narrowed it down to two choices! I look at long-term "maintenance". The Woody Guthrie has an un-bound neck. The Aaron Lewis has a bound neck. This is a big deal if you play a lot and wear out frets. Unbound neck frets are a lot easier to replace than bound neck frets. The two luthiers that I use cringe at replacing frets on bound necks! More work for them, more money for you! Just so ya know! I would just flip a coin between the two! Both great guitars!

 

Interesting thoughts, thanks. Actually I quite like the unbound neck on my J-45 but the white binding on an SJ also looks pretty cool to me. I'm thinking that the body binding on the Aaron Lewis is likely to be more cream than white? if so, will the neck binding be the same or bright white? Hard to judge from the pictures on Gibson's website. My J-45's body binding is bright white & I do prefer the darker creamier look on the TV models I've seen over here.

[EuroAussie]

The binding and body work of the Aaron Lewis all has the look of a vintage guitar. The only exception were the white white tuners, hence why they had to go. Completely out of place with the overall look of the guitar.

 

Interesting thoughts, thanks. Actually I quite like the unbound neck on my J-45 but the white binding on an SJ also looks pretty cool to me. I'm thinking that the body binding on the Aaron Lewis is likely to be more cream than white? if so, will the neck binding be the same or bright white? Hard to judge from the pictures on Gibson's website. My J-45's body binding is bright white & I do prefer the darker creamier look on the TV models I've seen over here.

[Lefty Guy]

The binding and body work of the Aaron Lewis all has the look of a vintage guitar. The only exception were the white white tuners, hence why they had to go. Completely out of place with the overall look of the guitar.

 

Thanks Aussie, that was what I was hoping to hear.

Perhaps as mine will be a custom shop order I can ask them for "vintage" colour buttons instead of white.

[nid2007]

Thanks Aussie, that was what I was hoping to hear.

Perhaps as mine will be a custom shop order I can ask them for "vintage" colour buttons instead of white.

 

I really enjoyed the Kris kristofferson model, but have never played a Lewis or a Guthrie. I thought the tone and playability were great...and I think the UFW logo on the 12th fret is nice understated touch.

[Guth]

This really comes down to personal preferences, but since you asked...

 

Since you won't be able to try before you buy, if buying a standard model as opposed to a custom shop model I'd order from the place with the best return policy just in case the tone of the guitar is not up to your expectations, none of the looks matter if the tone isn't there. I'm guessing custom shop models are non-returnable??

 

As far as the rest goes, I'm not a fan of signature models - it all strikes me as a bit cheesy. Heck my last name is Guthrie and I'm not even interested in the Woody Guthrie SJ. I do like SJs in general however. You mentioned a possible custom shop order and if that is the case, I'd say work with Gibson to create your own "Lefty Guy" signature model SJ combining all of the features that you find to be the most desirable — now that would be an signature model worth owning.

[EuroAussie]

' Lefty Guy ' Custom Signature model - love it !

 

There's your answer.

 

This really comes down to personal preferences, but since you asked...

 

Since you won't be able to try before you buy, if buying a standard model as opposed to a custom shop model I'd order from the place with the best return policy just in case the tone of the guitar is not up to your expectations, none of the looks matter if the tone isn't there. I'm guessing custom shop models are non-returnable??

 

As far as the rest goes, I'm not a fan of signature models - it all strikes me as a bit cheesy. Heck my last name is Guthrie and I'm not even interested in the Woody Guthrie SJ. I do like SJs in general however. You mentioned a possible custom shop order and if that is the case, I'd say work with Gibson to create your own "Lefty Guy" signature model SJ combining all of the features that you find to be the most desirable — now that would be an signature model worth owning.

[passthej45]

I'm not a fan of sig models either....BUT as I recall with Euroaussie , it's hey if the guitar works for you in every way why not? I don't even think that he knew who Aaron Lewis was when he bought the guitar......and now he's even got me slobbering for one. Darn you Mr EA!!!

[EuroAussie]

Aaron Lewis ... never heard of him :-)

 

Did I tell you how good it sounds with mediums on it, lordy !

 

I'm not a fan of sig models either....BUT as I recall with Euroaussie , it's hey if the guitar works for you in every way why not? I don't even think that he knew who Aaron Lewis was when he bought the guitar......and now he's even got me slobbering for one. Darn you Mr EA!!!

[Guth]

I'm not a fan of sig models either....BUT as I recall with Euroaussie , it's hey if the guitar works for you in every way why not? I don't even think that he knew who Aaron Lewis was when he bought the guitar......and now he's even got me slobbering for one. Darn you Mr EA!!!

 

Fair enough and good point, and even more understandable if you're in a location where guitars are hard to come by. I've been fortunate to live in good "guitar towns" for most of my adult life and I'm sure that has made "the search" easier.

 

I must admit that I have no clue who Aaron Lewis is either, or what his connection to the SJ model is in particular.

[EuroAussie]

I didnt know who was either, but have to say I became quite a fan after watching some recordings. He has am AMAZING array of vintage Gibbys.

 

Here he is with a vintage J-200. I like this track a lot, Gibsons do sound great tuned down.

 

 

Fair enough and good point, and even more understandable if you're in a location where guitars are hard to come by. I've been fortunate to live in good "guitar towns" for most of my adult life and I'm sure that has made "the search" easier.

 

I must admit that I have no clue who Aaron Lewis is either, or what his connection to the SJ model is in particular.

[Mojorule]

Well hang fire until I've had a chance to report on the Woody Guthrie which is imminently due my way. I've also had to buy blind, but for purely geographical reasons - I'm not a southpaw, just south of the Thomann-Gibson line. EA's Aaron sounds splendid, and he got it at a steal, but even though I'm not a million miles away from Prague, I could never get one at that price, so the Woody looks much better value from where I'm sitting.

 

I like the idea and look of no neck binding, despite appreciating the SJ bling. (Love the neck binding on my electric, but am nervous about what happens when I play the frets out. Love my electric's dots too and like the same sparse look on the J45, but if they're offering split parallelograms for cheaper I won't say no.) I love the standard inlaid Gibson headstock logo, but think that it looks a bit isolated on the current J45s - a bit too much bling to sit alone. The Aaron's gold decal block logo is just the ticket and reminds me of my guitar teacher's 1940s Gibson that I once played. Classic style. But the Woody has the equally historic script and banner, and I can't resist owning a guitar that proclaims its own good-enoughness. My teacher's Gibson had the Aaron-style understated tortoise guard, so that's how I remember old Gibbies, but the flashier firestripe looks mighty fine on the SJs that sport them. Both models have a combination of bling and restraint, but in different places. Most of the photos on the internet make the Woody look a bit dowdy, but have a look at this one: Dolphin Woody.

 

As for sound, we all know all too well that each guitar will be its own beast. I also don't have the technology to post sound samples when my guitar finally arrives. But you might check out the Woody sound sample on the Thomann site. Thomann Woody. It proves that at least one Woody built is a complete stunner in tonal terms. Bear in mind that the Aaron has advanced jumbo bracing, so is closer to the TV Southerner and J45 than the Standard, while the Woody has the same bracing pattern as the latter. Not sure how much difference it makes, but if you can somehow find a leftie 45TV to compare with your 45, it might give you a sense of possible differences between the Aaron and the Woody. I'll be sure to post a detailed prose description of tone if you're interested.

[Lefty Guy]

Well hang fire until I've had a chance to report on the Woody Guthrie which is imminently due my way. I've also had to buy blind, but for purely geographical reasons - I'm not a southpaw, just south of the Thomann-Gibson line. EA's Aaron sounds splendid, and he got it at a steal, but even though I'm not a million miles away from Prague, I could never get one at that price, so the Woody looks much better value from where I'm sitting.

 

I like the idea and look of no neck binding, despite appreciating the SJ bling. (Love the neck binding on my electric, but am nervous about what happens when I play the frets out. Love my electric's dots too and like the same sparse look on the J45, but if they're offering split parallelograms for cheaper I won't say no.) I love the standard inlaid Gibson headstock logo, but think that it looks a bit isolated on the current J45s - a bit too much bling to sit alone. The Aaron's gold decal block logo is just the ticket and reminds me of my guitar teacher's 1940s Gibson that I once played. Classic style. But the Woody has the equally historic script and banner, and I can't resist owning a guitar that proclaims its own good-enoughness. My teacher's Gibson had the Aaron-style understated tortoise guard, so that's how I remember old Gibbies, but the flashier firestripe looks mighty fine on the SJs that sport them. Both models have a combination of bling and restraint, but in different places. Most of the photos on the internet make the Woody look a bit dowdy, but have a look at this one: Dolphin Woody.

 

As for sound, we all know all too well that each guitar will be its own beast. I also don't have the technology to post sound samples when my guitar finally arrives. But you might check out the Woody sound sample on the Thomann site. Thomann Woody. It proves that at least one Woody built is a complete stunner in tonal terms. Bear in mind that the Aaron has advanced jumbo bracing, so is closer to the TV Southerner and J45 than the Standard, while the Woody has the same bracing pattern as the latter. Not sure how much difference it makes, but if you can somehow find a leftie 45TV to compare with your 45, it might give you a sense of possible differences between the Aaron and the Woody. I'll be sure to post a detailed prose description of tone if you're interested.

 

many thanks. i'd definitely be interested to hear your tonal description.

[EuroAussie]

Have to say the Woodie Guthrie SJ on the Thomann site sounds deliciously good !

 

Significantly better than the standard SJ, but also the microphone seems to be placed closer on the WG SJ than the Standard, so not sure how much of a viable comparisement it really is..

 

Well hang fire until I've had a chance to report on the Woody Guthrie which is imminently due my way. I've also had to buy blind, but for purely geographical reasons - I'm not a southpaw, just south of the Thomann-Gibson line. EA's Aaron sounds splendid, and he got it at a steal, but even though I'm not a million miles away from Prague, I could never get one at that price, so the Woody looks much better value from where I'm sitting.

 

I like the idea and look of no neck binding, despite appreciating the SJ bling. (Love the neck binding on my electric, but am nervous about what happens when I play the frets out. Love my electric's dots too and like the same sparse look on the J45, but if they're offering split parallelograms for cheaper I won't say no.) I love the standard inlaid Gibson headstock logo, but think that it looks a bit isolated on the current J45s - a bit too much bling to sit alone. The Aaron's gold decal block logo is just the ticket and reminds me of my guitar teacher's 1940s Gibson that I once played. Classic style. But the Woody has the equally historic script and banner, and I can't resist owning a guitar that proclaims its own good-enoughness. My teacher's Gibson had the Aaron-style understated tortoise guard, so that's how I remember old Gibbies, but the flashier firestripe looks mighty fine on the SJs that sport them. Both models have a combination of bling and restraint, but in different places. Most of the photos on the internet make the Woody look a bit dowdy, but have a look at this one: Dolphin Woody.

 

As for sound, we all know all too well that each guitar will be its own beast. I also don't have the technology to post sound samples when my guitar finally arrives. But you might check out the Woody sound sample on the Thomann site. Thomann Woody. It proves that at least one Woody built is a complete stunner in tonal terms. Bear in mind that the Aaron has advanced jumbo bracing, so is closer to the TV Southerner and J45 than the Standard, while the Woody has the same bracing pattern as the latter. Not sure how much difference it makes, but if you can somehow find a leftie 45TV to compare with your 45, it might give you a sense of possible differences between the Aaron and the Woody. I'll be sure to post a detailed prose description of tone if you're interested.

[torca]

Woody Guthrie models are outstanding guitars,everyone I have played has been, vibrant and gut punchy good.The white round tuner buttons,firestripe teardrop pickguard, and belly bottom down bridge smacks old school. The best feature is those thin,knife edge braces,that is one of the keys to Montana J-45's being the most consistent model they make.Great price also,suprised they are as cheap considering the vinatge vibe.

Todd

[michaelsegui]

I picked up a New Vintage SJ last week, and am very pleased with it. I ordered a True Vintage and was sent the New Vintage instead, It definitely has the tone I expected as well as being a comfortable player. It appears to have lighter bracing than other SJs I've played, the specs also state that Hide Glue was used on certain joints. I wanted a vintage style SJ, and like some of the changes they made from previous models including the white button tuners. The only thing I don't care for it the large thick '50s style pickguard, which seems contrary to the banner appointments on the headstock. I'd like to see if I can get one of the small Aaron Lewis teardrop pickguards from Gibson Montana and swap them out. I don't think you can go wrong with the current model SJs.

 

 

If you want the best vintage style firestripe pickguard, go here:

 

I got one made for the Henderson guitar I have on order.