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Vintage vs. Modern J50 Differences?


SC_Wannabe

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Most obvious is the adjustable bridge, but... Can anyone tell me what the differences are in a 1960's J50 vs. a modern one like my 2007? I'm particularly wondering if there have been any bracing design changes, but am interested in other differences as well.

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Most obvious is the adjustable bridge, but... Can anyone tell me what the differences are in a 1960's J50 vs. a modern one like my 2007? I'm particularly wondering if there have been any bracing design changes, but am interested in other differences as well.

 

Only if you're comparing the present-day J-50 (or "J-45N", whatever) to a J-50 from the '50s or '60s with the ADJ bridge. A lot of the J-50s from that era, as well as the ones before it, had no such thing.

 

I wish that Gibson would do a run of late '40s J-50s: teardrop pickguard, lighter bracing, tapered headstock..... mmm-mm!

 

Or, a "Dylan '46"!

 

Fred

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Are you trying to compare Tone or playability?

 

I had a 52 J50... ,, Killer guitar... Just like the J45s of the era. I had a 1956 J45 about 3 weeks ago... adj bridge... It had a rich deep tone that I wish most guitars had.. and just so easy to play...

 

Ive found some of the new J45s and 50s to be on the stiff side for playability... and the new ones Ive tried sound Muffled... They just dont have that bark.... Im not sure why...

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I have a 58 j50 (j45adj)

what do you want to know.

Can't compare tone as I've never played a new one but mine has a rich, deep, distinctive tone, I absolutly love it.

 

As for structure . Ask away

 

 

Most obvious is the adjustable bridge, but... Can anyone tell me what the differences are in a 1960's J50 vs. a modern one like my 2007? I'm particularly wondering if there have been any bracing design changes, but am interested in other differences as well.

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Big difference in bracing between a Bozeman-made and 1960s J-50s. Beginning in the mid-1950s Gibson went to a non-scallop bracing. I find these guitars to be real punchy and quick but also not having quite as much resonance in the low end as the earlier scallop braced models.

 

The Bozeman-made versions, of course, have a scallop bracing which I am guessing is the same forward shifted, wide angle version you find in most of their guitars.

 

The neck profile will also be very different. 1960s Gibsons came with a pretty thin neck. Also a nasty thick pickguard.

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My main question was about bracing differences between my 2007 and a 60's J50, since that has a dramatic effect on tone. And I think zombywoof ansered it.

 

Big difference in bracing between a Bozeman-made and 1960s J-50s. Beginning in the mid-1950s Gibson went to a non-scallop bracing. I find these guitars to be real punchy and quick but also not having quite as much resonance in the low end as the earlier scallop braced models.

 

The Bozeman-made versions, of course, have a scallop bracing which I am guessing is the same forward shifted, wide angle version you find in most of their guitars.

 

So the 1960s J50s were straight braced? This is what I was wondering last night after listening to several youtube videos. To my ear, the 60's models seemed to have a more straight braced sound to them, which is what I actually prefer.

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