Eleventoyour7 Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 I just purchased a 1995 Gibson J45. I believe it is a true vintage because it has the Gibson delux tuners and says only a Gibson will do on the headstock. I've just learned though they didn't start making the true vintage models till 2007. I really want to find out more about this guitar. I'll post the serial number and pics later but I do remember that the first serial numbers are 93145. If anyone has any info I would greatly appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdd707 Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Well that SN tells you that it is indeed a 95 ... made in November or so. Need pix and it will not be hard to ID. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 that SN tells you that it is indeed a 95 Which means its not a "TV" (those didnt happen until 06 or 07). In 95-96, Gibson had a ltd run of J45s with a banner decal and a block logo. Wrong in vintage terms but an ok guitar. They did the same thing on the Buddy Holly sigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Does your label say "Early J45"? Â If so, that's what you've got! Kind of a proto-TV model from '94 and '95, not hugely common but a brilliant guitar. I owned a '94 a few years back, and it was stunning. Incredibly light, and the best sounding J45 I've ever played. When times were tight I VERY reluctantly parted with it-I sold it to a forumer here, actually! Â If it's an "Early...", keep it-they're superb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdd707 Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Ya know, I had an anniversary J45 from that time frame that had the banner logo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleventoyour7 Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 Just did some more research, the sn is 93145034. The guitar is beautiful without any cracks which is amazing to me for being a 16 year old guitar. The label also says under style Rosewood. I'm wondering if this was a limited run and if this is a good thing or bad thing. Any knowledge and help on this would be greatly appriciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 The use of the 'only a Gibson' banner was kind of unsystematic in the first few years of production at Bozeman. It would seem that they applied the banner somewhat arbitrarily. Later it was associated with up-scale models like the TV's. In some ways it is unfortunate that most of the acoustics with the banner headstock made in Bozeman are not all that similar in build to the vintage banner-headstock Gibsons. Nowadays the banner is just a cosmetic fillip and does not mean the guitar shares other characteristics with the wartime banner models, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipster100 Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Over the years they have made a number of models with the banner head stock that seem to vary greatly. I have a '99 J-45 that was from a batch of, I think, 20 for Dave's Guitars. It is one of the best J-45s I've ever played. I have also played a few TVs that didn't do much for me. If you have one that you really like, well that's really cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I had a '94 J-45 with a banner headstock. The model was "J-45 Western". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdd707 Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I had a '94 J-45 with a banner headstock. The model was "J-45 Western". WOW .... the only other reference to a J45 Western I've ever seen. I say "other" because I had a J45 Western that I sold to my pickin' partner. He still has it and it sounds great these days. I wish I had not sold it but that's true of every guitar I've ever owned. The SN is 90884007 and it has the banner. So, can you (or anyone) tell me what makes this j45 a "Western" ... is this just marketing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
je302 Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Yes its a J-45 Western, I have a 1995 also. From the research ive done, these were made from 1994-97 and are very similar to the what is now the "true vintage" , lighter bracing, vintage tuners, banner, etc... they apparently came in sunburst & natural finish, and mine has Mahogany back/ sides. I believe the j-45 "western" is the only model that ever had the banner logo, with block gibson lettering instead of script on the headstock - easiest way to tell a western. Great sounding guitar, I love mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleventoyour7 Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 So this guitar could possibly be a "western" j45? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdd707 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 So this guitar could possibly be a "western" j45? Yes ... the paper label is still inside, but the pix is too fuzzy for my old eyes. It should say J45 Western ... but the pix you posted of the headstock look exactly like my former Western which I played and examined again just yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Yes ... the paper label is still inside, but the pix is too fuzzy for my old eyes. It should say J45 Western ... but the pix you posted of the headstock look exactly like my former Western which I played and examined again just yesterday. Actually, the op's guitar is rosewood. The westerns were hog. The label says "J-45 Rosewood". I thought '99 was the first year for Rosewood 45s. I guess I thought wrong. With Gibson...you never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdd707 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Actually, the op's guitar is rosewood. The westerns were hog. The label says "J-45 Rosewood". I thought '99 was the first year for Rosewood 45s. I guess I thought wrong. With Gibson...you never know. Well, it wouldn't be a Western if it is Rosewood .... perhaps just a one-of or one of those staff things that seem to pop up from time to time ... or a special order from a dealer. Anything can happen in Montana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john southern Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 I just picked up a 1996 Gibson J-45 Rosewood like it says inside on the label. Serial number 91016009 it is a rosewood back and sides and is natural top and appears to be Adirondak red spruce. it has a couple of bear claw grain irregularities in the top bout and the color is gold deep gold not like sitka spruce. IT is a darned cannon loud deep bottom end and plunky high strings loud enough to carry lead in a bluegrass band. IT does have the banner headstock, but it has a unique ladder brace running left to right below the bridge plate inside. IT does still have the typical two slanted tone bar braces and the braces are tall and narrow...The tuners are dull nickel tulip Gibson Klusons. and the nut is 1/16ht wider than standard. Any Idea what this bugger is? John Southern.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 22 minutes ago, john southern said: I just picked up a 1996 Gibson J-45 Rosewood like it says inside on the label. Serial number 91016009 it is a rosewood back and sides and is natural top and appears to be Adirondak red spruce. it has a couple of bear claw grain irregularities in the top bout and the color is gold deep gold not like sitka spruce. IT is a darned cannon loud deep bottom end and plunky high strings loud enough to carry lead in a bluegrass band. IT does have the banner headstock, but it has a unique ladder brace running left to right below the bridge plate inside. IT does still have the typical two slanted tone bar braces and the braces are tall and narrow...The tuners are dull nickel tulip Gibson Klusons. and the nut is 1/16ht wider than standard. Any Idea what this bugger is? John Southern.... Seems like a quite unique creature. Gibson did some experimentation in that phase. Some of it was pre-steps that would lead to later clearer defined True Vintage models.                   How does it sound ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 Yeah another 9 year old thread up and running again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliasphobias Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 8 hours ago, john southern said: I just picked up a 1996 Gibson J-45 Rosewood like it says inside on the label. Serial number 91016009 it is a rosewood back and sides and is natural top and appears to be Adirondak red spruce. it has a couple of bear claw grain irregularities in the top bout and the color is gold deep gold not like sitka spruce. IT is a darned cannon loud deep bottom end and plunky high strings loud enough to carry lead in a bluegrass band. IT does have the banner headstock, but it has a unique ladder brace running left to right below the bridge plate inside. IT does still have the typical two slanted tone bar braces and the braces are tall and narrow...The tuners are dull nickel tulip Gibson Klusons. and the nut is 1/16ht wider than standard. Any Idea what this bugger is? John Southern....  It is one of Gibson's many iterations of the J45. The "ladder brace" behind the bridge plate may be a Proulx tone enhancer. I have never seen one in a Gibson! May have been added later? I have seen the Proulx in small/boutique built guitars just not in Gibson. The tone enhancer is reported to liven up the trebles IIRC. I owned the a '94 j45 with mahogany back and sides, tulips, and the banner headstock. It did not have the Proulx but could have used it, from what I remember. Welcome and enjoy the western. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 I've got a piece of one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 52 minutes ago, ksdaddy said: I've got a piece of one... Is this a mobile phone ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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