Spot Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 I know I will own down the track a j-200 but Im content with what I have now. I just havent come across THAT J-200. Well actually I have in NYC but it was way out of my budget. When the right one comes around at the right time I will get it :-) ...this sounds like a man with a master plan! This I like! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 This for me is the video that represents that Gibson round shoulder fingerstyle sound... Hard to tell--plugged and some wobble added on. From what I can tell, its more an example of what I called the "Martinized" Gibson sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 my all time favourite Gibson acoustic clip...to me this is the pinacle Gibson tone. That's got the Gibson characteristics, all right. Thump and ring, a bit of compression. Nothing 'entry-level' about it, in the sense of cheap. That compression --or tightness, dryness, call it what you will -- isnt going to satisfy someone looking for a more wide open sound, more nuance and sustain. That's where the bum rep comes in, from folks who dont get those qualities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 I have found out people either like the Gibson tone or they dont, because its different then Martin, Taylor, Ovation, Larrivee, and the others. Eveyones taste and ear for tone is different then the next person's. I personally after playing many brands over the years, love my Gibsons. Gibsons tone to me, is like a thick milkshake. Thats how I hear it, then again, thats just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph1050 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 I have found out people either like the Gibson tone or they dont, because its different then Martin, Taylor, Ovation, Larrivee, and the others. Eveyones taste and ear for tone is different then the next person's. I personally after playing many brands over the years, love my Gibsons. Gibsons tone to me, is like a thick milkshake. Thats how I hear it, then again, thats just me. Exactly. For me it's always been a Gibson as far as acoustic guitar nirvana. Growing up, I was blessed with a house full of honky-tonkin' Gibson thumnp. While I can appreciate a nice tight Martin and Taylor clarity nothing gets the hair standing up...on top of goosebumps...like a Gibson getting WORKED. It's not for everyone and it's maybe not gonna be as respected by the finger-stylin' maestros...but it's got SOUL. Carry on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Im not going to get back into the debate but I will post what is my all time favourite Gibson acoustic youtube clip.I've listened to this clip probably more than any other guitar clip on you tube, and to me this is the pinacle Gibson tone. .... I'm familiar with that clip - having viewed a couple of times myself, and now here on your post. Great uppers and mids and the low end thump, and a fine example of the Gibson Jumbo tone. BTW, I very much enjoyed the discussion and videos on this thread. So thanks to the OP, Roop66. And to Guth - who really pulled in some of Gibson's more interesting aspects and got things rolling. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Actually thats a good point because I cant think of one other manufacturer that comes close to the Gibson tone. It really is a unique voice that still manages to differentiate so strongly from the competition. If you look at Martin to me this tone has become generic, mainly because so many manufacturers have copied this original recipe. (and I do like Martins) Gibson has also been around for a very long time, but nobody has come close to copying it, (maybe Guild with the Jumbo) and if you take a J-45 it is also a unique voice within a unique overall tonal voicing that is Gibson. Thats another reason why I have so much respect fro this brand, they cracked the code and kept it their own for almost 100 years. I have found out people either like the Gibson tone or they dont, because its different then Martin, Taylor, Ovation, Larrivee, and the others. Eveyones taste and ear for tone is different then the next person's. I personally after playing many brands over the years, love my Gibsons. Gibsons tone to me, is like a thick milkshake. Thats how I hear it, then again, thats just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Well, my first encounter with the thump phenomenon was this John Hiatt video (1:55). It made sense to me as that sound really represents something special in Gibsons. I mean you can play the thumb-root dampened way on all guitars, but the dry wooden answer from just Gibsons creates a certain percussive edge to the tone that stands out as a trademark, which makes you wanna develope the style.Now I see that there maybe more to it. It don't have to be dampened/ held back by the side of the palm or the thumb-root to be thumpy. But isn't the growling slightly percussive hue a key factor. . . By the way I have lost the ability to place a video here. Maybe I have forgotten how. Will kind some person tell me what I have to do, , , weird - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Like I said, the Gibson thump/tone to me is like a thick milkshake. Thick and creamy. I dig that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 . . Well, my first encounter with the thump phenomenon was this John Hiatt video (1:55). It made sense to me as that sound really represents something special in Gibsons. I mean you can play the thumb-root dampened way on all guitars, but the dry wooden answer from just Gibsons creates a certain percussive edge to the tone that stands out as a trademark, which makes you wanna develope the style.Now I see that there maybe more to it. It don't have to be dampened/ held back by the side of the palm or the thumb-root to be thumpy. But isn't the growling slightly percussive hue a key factor. . . Yes. . . . And that's a nice interview - actually talking about the "Gibson thump" on video (1:55) - Here it is - <EDIT> Em7's link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtT0Vm0FVoY&feature=youtu.be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spot Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Hard to tell--plugged and some wobble added on. From what I can tell, its more an example of what I called the "Martinized" Gibson sound. ...She doesn't sound like a Martin at all to me Rambler!!!!. That bad boy is mic'ed up and run through the PA. No underaddle plugged in if you watch the video closely!!! If that's the case then James Taylor must have wrote classics like "Fire & Rain" and "You got a Friend" on a "Martinized" Gibsjon J-50!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Anyway, back to the topic, No, I would have never thought that the J45 is an entry level guitar. Thats crazy. A $2500 guitar entry level.I dont think so. Well Mayby for rich people, but its high end for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spot Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Yes. . . . And that's a nice interview - actually talking about the "Gibson thump" on video (1:55) - Here it is - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtT0Vm0FVoY&feature=youtu.be Great video guys. Thanks for sharing.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Great Video......by the way, what does that John Hyatt signature run over the cost of a standard J-45?.....I like the simplicity of that guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 . Enjoy some solid thumpin', especially 1:34. B) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reTbPnw3BKs What's amazing about this is no thumb picks?? Nice thump! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guth Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 To be honest, I haven't heard any clips presented in this thread that really get at what I've been mentioning. It's been said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture (I've heard this quote credited to Frank Zappa, Elvis Costello and Martin Mull, so who knows where it truly originated?). I think things get even trickier when trying to use words to describe guitar tone. So, to compare and contrast, here's a clip that represents what quite a few of the Gibsons hanging on the wall at the local dealer over the past few years have sounded like. This example exhibits what I thought people were referring to as the Gibson thump (at least that's what I thought before the clips in this thread were presented). This tone "is not to my taste" as someone else put it. I think this example represents the tone that only appeals to certain Gibson fans and causes negative feedback from others on different forums. By the way, this is definitely not a knock on the playing in the video, it's just that this genre of Gibson tone isn't my thing and I think it stands out that much more when fingerpicking as opposed to strumming. I also don't think that it gets in the way of the music, much like I enjoy listening to the music of Nick Drake, even though I don't care so much for his tone. Jerry K asked of others with less than positive comments: "am I communicating my knowledge about guitars or airing my prejudices?" Well, I'd say that in the context of this thread I've attempted to air my experiences and I suppose by default my prejudices show through as well. I'm simply trying to explain why I feel the way I do about Gibson acoustics overall as opposed to only the examples that appeal to me. While the Gibson in this video sounds almost nothing like my own Gibsons, it does sound like a lot of others I've played and chances are if you really dig this tone, you won't think so highly of the sound of my Gibsons and vice versa. I don't have a problem with that, however based on contrasting preferences, I can understand where comments from others regarding Gibson inconsistencies come from. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTRiEBYlADs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 By the way, do all J-45's have the gold "Gibson" logo or do some have the MOP logo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson101 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 By the way, do all J-45's have the gold "Gibson" logo or do some have the MOP logo? My J-45 RW has MOP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 . Guth - you haven't offended me in any way. And yes, the guitar in the video you posted has a dull, thumpy low end. I agree there's variability from one Gibson to the next (they're "handmade"). I have had the same experience - playing through some Gibson stock at shops and running across some examples that sound dull in the low end. Sometimes it's the strings - old, dirty and worn - affecting the bigger wound strings more than the wires, and so the low end suffers. The guitar in your video post appears to have quite a difference the in color of the wound strings in the frets 1 and 2 compared to the string color over the soundhole, indicating old and dirty, and maybe some fret dents on the underside. On the other hand, sometimes the strings look good, and you've come across a guitar with a dull low end (to varying degrees). Whether it's the strings or the guitar, the dull sound also has a component that's kind of a muffled thump. I don't care for that either. And that's not the thump I'm talking about. The thump I'm talking about is something you can get out of most guitars by choking with the heel of the pickhand, the thumb/fingerpick/flatpick, fingers on the pick hand or fingering adjustments. But when you do it on a Gibson, you get that stronger percussive low end component to the thump. And that's the thump I'm talking about. The low strings should ring just fine when plucked, but when you go for the thump, it's there - and on a Gibson that thump has more going for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 You know it's really hard to hear authentic sounds over the youtube posts...if guys would just post their own guitars and playing so we can hear what their guitar soundslike and let us know what effects or EQ or preamps or anything that can change the sound, then we can HEAR what your are talking about. Guth, if that was your own video, nice singing and playing...J-45's are not just for Delta blues or bluegrass thumping.....so let's hear those J-45's and hear the different styles and sounds they can produce!!! I'm looking forward to getting past opinions and hearing some natiive son examples from the forum!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 You know it's really hard to hear authentic sounds over the youtube posts...if guys would just post their own guitars and playing so we can hear what their guitar soundslike and let us know what effects or EQ or preamps or anything that can change the sound, then we can HEAR what your are talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guth Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 BigKahuna, Thanks for the comments, I'm getting a better idea of what many are referring to as the Gibson thump, in fact I take advantage of that at times myself. OWF, That last clip was definitely not me — any clip with my singing (can't really call it that in my case) would likely be quickly removed from YouTube if I were to post such content. That's why I stick to the instrumental stuff. Presently, I only have couple of audio clips of my J-45 TV and I've posted them here in the past. Not everyone will love the tone of my J-45 which is fine by me simply because it has the tone that I was in search of. I've been creating something new as of late and will post it up after capturing the outcome. These clips were recorded with a Sony digital recorder (it's a flash-based handheld unit and very convenient for stuff like this), no EQ, no effects and converted to MP3 on my Mac. This is as close as I can get to capturing the tone of my J-45 thus far. When I listen to the MP3s via headphones plugged into my Mac, it does a fair job representing what my guitar sounds like. Walking Nick Corn On The Cob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Guth, I said it before and ill say it again, I friggin love the tone on that J-45 of yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 . Guth - - Man, that's is a wonderful J45 tone you've got there. Just happen to have my computer piping through my stereo today and your two recordings sound fantastic. A real treat to the ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spot Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 To be honest, I haven't heard any clips presented in this thread that really get at what I've been mentioning. It's been said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture (I've heard this quote credited to Frank Zappa, Elvis Costello and Martin Mull, so who knows where it truly originated?). I think things get even trickier when trying to use words to describe guitar tone. So, to compare and contrast, here's a clip that represents what quite a few of the Gibsons hanging on the wall at the local dealer over the past few years have sounded like. This example exhibits what I thought people were referring to as the Gibson thump (at least that's what I thought before the clips in this thread were presented). This tone "is not to my taste" as someone else put it. I think this example represents the tone that only appeals to certain Gibson fans and causes negative feedback from others on different forums. By the way, this is definitely not a knock on the playing in the video, it's just that this genre of Gibson tone isn't my thing and I think it stands out that much more when fingerpicking as opposed to strumming. I also don't think that it gets in the way of the music, much like I enjoy listening to the music of Nick Drake, even though I don't care so much for his tone. Jerry K asked of others with less than positive comments: "am I communicating my knowledge about guitars or airing my prejudices?" Well, I'd say that in the context of this thread I've attempted to air my experiences and I suppose by default my prejudices show through as well. I'm simply trying to explain why I feel the way I do about Gibson acoustics overall as opposed to only the examples that appeal to me. While the Gibson in this video sounds almost nothing like my own Gibsons, it does sound like a lot of others I've played and chances are if you really dig this tone, you won't think so highly of the sound of my Gibsons and vice versa. I don't have a problem with that, however based on contrasting preferences, I can understand where comments from others regarding Gibson inconsistencies come from. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTRiEBYlADs ...I hate to throw a spanner in the works but I think this guy actually recorded this on his Cell phone!!!! If you gave him a semi-decent digital recorder I believe it would sound 1000% better!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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