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What do you think is the clearest sounding Gibson?


MapleManiac

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Haters will tell you theyre inconsistent, often stuffed with socks, but I rarely would hear that Gibsons are muddy (thats rosewood Martin territory). Balance and note seperation is one of the traists of Gibson, so I dont know where youre getting that assumption from.

 

Whats the clearest, probably a maple J-165, very clear but also without any real depth, the rosewood J-165 I find works better.

 

Of course the stereotype about Gibson from the haters is that they aren't clear, they're muddy. Which model do you think most contradicts this idea?

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I've never owned a muddy Gibson. I think people often confuse the glorious choral blend of the notes in chords, as exhibited best by a Hog J45, for muddiness.

 

In terms of clarity, the guitars I've owned with the most clarity (ie you can hear every note in a chord ringing separately) would be my former J165 Maple and my current AJ. The AJ manages to incorporate warmth and clarity, whereas the 165 had a more cold milkiness to the tone. Still lovely, though.

 

My former SJ200 had clarity, but less so than the above, with the glorious bass thrum binding everything together somewhat.

 

Hummingbirds have more clarity than a J45, but not a great deal more.

 

Doves are clear with a more chunky, thumpy bass than an SJ200 due to the body shape. The Dove style of bass tends to exist almost separately from the rest of the sound of the guitar, giving a fat, defined bass that almost lives nextdoor to the glassy treble end and the rockpool-like clarity of the midrange. A stupendous guitar.

 

The L-00 sounds almost like a mini-J45. Less bottom end and a bit less choral blend, some hearty snap and pop for fingerstyle, but not what I'd call extreme clarity. Not that I'm criticising the L-00 at all! I love mine. I gather the older long-scale Blues Kings tended towards note separation and clarity more than the shorties like mine.

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Doves are clear with a more chunky, thumpy bass than an SJ200 due to the body shape. The Dove style of bass tends to exist almost separately from the rest of the sound of the guitar, giving a fat, defined bass that almost lives nextdoor to the glassy treble end and the rockpool-like clarity of the midrange. A stupendous guitar.

 

 

Jinder nailed it, that's exactly how my Dove sounds....

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I'd have to agree with the AJ vote. Though my CJ165EC is clear as a bell.

 

 

Why is there always someone here that calls for the defense of Gibson acoustics against the "haters"? I don't get that. I honestly don't care WHAT anyone thinks about the brand except me. I love 'em.

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Haters will tell you theyre inconsistent, often stuffed with socks, but I rarely would hear that Gibsons are muddy (thats rosewood Martin territory). Balance and note seperation is one of the traists of Gibson, so I dont know where youre getting that assumption from.

 

Whats the clearest, probably a maple J-165, very clear but also without any real depth, the rosewood J-165 I find works better.

 

 

 

Okay, you win. I wish to strike "muddy" from the record. Muffled?

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Talking guitars without pickups or effects I would say certainly Maple back and cedar top for the clearest sound. Of course this gives a clear sound but on the down side some of it can be lost with fellow players. However solo playing that's the one. Look out for a Gibson Cascade.

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I just played a primo J200 a few weeks ago, and the thing I dug about it was that the bass throbbed, it was right there, but it din't cover anything up, so the mids and top rang true. That's maple talking.

 

Rw has a quick response, so a note is also going to appear to have that right there quality. But when there's 2 voices going, it can be murkier. I fingerpick (piedmont), which means the high and low end are going on at the same time, so unless I'm careful with the damping, the low end can overshadow the mids and top. The AJ I used to have was a problem for me that way. But take this with a grain of salt- different attack, different response.

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the stereotype about Gibson from the haters is that they aren't clear, they're muddy. Which model do you think most contradicts this idea?

 

An adi J5/45 or maple jumbo. But, I think muddy is wide of the mark. Gibson's ring clear enough. That said, the average off-the-shelf Gibson isn't going to have the kind hyper-articulate note-for-note accuracy typical of Martins and their ilk. To an ear accustomed to a Martin a Gibson mgiht seems muddy. Common enough an error, compounded by developing an aversion to Gibsons.

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Hey Jinder, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on how the Songwriter Studio Deluxe (square shoulder, rosewood, long scale) fits into your tonal hierarchy?

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

You know what, I've never played one...I've placed a Songwriter Deluxe EC before, which was rich, growly and quite unique amongst Gibsons (very focused, pleasantly boxy mids with a bell-like, overtone-rich top end and an almost feral, throaty bottom end akin to the exhaust note of a great V8 being gunned) but never the non-cutaway version. In my experience of cutaway Vs non-cut, the non-cut is basically similar with "a little more everything".

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