Joe M Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 Can anyone give me an idea of the difference in sound between a rosewood vs hog backed and sides J45? I've played the 'hog version but never one with rosewood. Is the sound difference noticeable or not?
GotTheSilver Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 I have a mahogany J-45 and it has that classic J-45 sound, warm and balanced. I recently got to try out a J-45 Custom with rosewood back and sides for the first time. I was very impressed. The tone difference was easily noticable. I think it was the classic difference you hear between mahogany and rosewood. The rosewood guitar seemed richer, with more depth to the sound. I guess this is what some people refer to as overtones. The bass also seemed deeper. It was a beautiful sounding guitar. I really would not mind having one! Not that a mahogany J-45 is anything to sneeze at, mind you! Two different flavors, both very delicious!
EuroAussie Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 Why not just take a peek at youtube clips to give you a general idea of the diffference ?
jdd707 Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 It's apples and oranges really. A j45 Custom, the J45 Mahogany and the rare J45 Rosewood (of the same year/era) will have similar playing charteristics and all will be a pleasure for Gibsonites to behold (the custom comes with some bling). I agree that the tone generally will reflect the classic tones one would expect from Rosewood (i.e. nice overtones, booming bass) and Mahogany (overall warmth, resonant bass. As with all things Gibson, the individual instrumentd may differ.
ashton8504 Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 Both woods are solid, but i love rosewood.
Rambler Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 Rw=aggressive, darker, less high-end clarity. Hog= not as upfront but more clarity throughout and a singing treble line.
Red 333 Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 Rw=aggressive, darker, less high-end clarity. Hog= not as upfront but more clarity throughout and a singing treble line. I have a J-45 TV (Mahogany) and a J-45 Custom Vine (Rosewood). I agree with Rambler's description with one exception: I don't think of my rosewood J-45 as aggressive. It's smooth and syrupy. That just may be the difference between y two particular examples, though. Gibson guitars are like snowflakes. Red 333
Jinder Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 I played in an acoustic trio for years with two other guys, one of which played a J45RW and the other a J45MC. I alternated between SJ200, Hummingbird and Dove. My experience is that the Hog 45s sound more open and 'free', whereas the RWs tend towards a tighter, more focussed sound. Live, the juxtaposition between the Hog and RW 45s was glorious, the two meshed together in a heavenly spiral of interlocking, beautiful tone. In the studio, it was all about the Hog. The RW recorded well, but the Hog was incredible. Most of the album we made was J200, Hummingbird and J45MC (along with a Collings OM2H and Martin D16R holding down Rosewood duties, and our producer's incredible Westerly-made Guild Dread 12-string providing biblical amounts of chime). In short, I like the J45RW, but if I was buying a J45 I'd always go for Hog. This is all just personal preference, of course, but for my taste I think the short scale favours the Hog more, whereas the RW really comes into its own on a long-scale instrument such as an AJ or a Prewar SJ200.
j45nick Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 In short, I like the J45RW, but if I was buying a J45 I'd always go for Hog. This is all just personal preference, of course, but for my taste I think the short scale favours the Hog more, whereas the RW really comes into its own on a long-scale instrument such as an AJ or a Prewar SJ200. J-45=hog. End of story.
chasAK Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 All the above being true, I agree that the j45 rosewood is not quite as aggressive as some of the others, but you still lose the rich mids and sweet trebles which I refuse to give up. The SWD is the best rosewood Gibson IMO. chasAK
Rambler Posted November 4, 2011 Posted November 4, 2011 I agree with Rambler's description with one exception: I don't think of my rosewood J-45 as aggressive. It's smooth and syrupy.Red 333 I suppose it comes down to one's attack and so forth. Our man JT had a video up of vintage SJs on this site. His picking, the RW jumped right out at you, though I imagine you could coax some thicker tones out of it.
BigKahune Posted November 4, 2011 Posted November 4, 2011 . To my ear the RW 45 has a bit of a metallic edge to it's sound when compared to the hog 45. With the 45, I like the hog. .
moej45 Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 I have a j45 hog BUT....I played a rw one today that absolutely spoke to me. Too bad I didnt have an extra 2k kicking around
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