Guest J-Doug Posted February 10, 2012 Posted February 10, 2012 Maybe I'm just a Gibson traditionalist but I really don't like the black nut on the current J-45. Why not a nice bone nut?
Tiny Posted February 10, 2012 Posted February 10, 2012 I agree. It has sort of an "after market" look to it. I switched mine with an (after market ! bone one, and I like the look better. (I couldn't tell any difference re: tone but I'm not exactly Antonio Stradivari.) I might do the same with the plastic pins, and perhaps the input jack. Not sure why it's that bronze color -- nothing else on the J-45 guitar is that color!
ponty Posted February 10, 2012 Posted February 10, 2012 Maybe I'm just a Gibson traditionalist but I really don't like the black nut on the current J-45. Why not a nice bone nut? Good question. It looks odd, non traditional, and......well.. it don't just look proper! Where's the bone?
rar Posted February 10, 2012 Posted February 10, 2012 Maybe I'm just a Gibson traditionalist but I really don't like the black nut on the current J-45. Why not a nice bone nut? Just a couple of comments. First, plenty of Gibson acoustics came with black nuts from the factory (albeit, not J-45s), so it's arguably not that non-traditional. Second, and more importantly, one main objective in introducing the Modern Classic/True Vintage distinction was to stifle complaints from people about adding "non-traditional" features to classic models: "If you want a traditional-looking J-45, buy a TV." Changing from white button Kluson-lookalikes to Rotomatics, which the Powers That Be actually thought functioned better, on the J-45 was one specific example cited. I think this is another example like that. The black nuts are self-lubricating, which keeps the strings from binding, and thus makes the guitar easier to tune and return to tune more reliably after bending a note -- they look non-traditional, but they function better (in the opinion of Those Who Make The Decisions). That said, if you don't like the looks, just swap. -- Bob R
BluesKing777 Posted February 11, 2012 Posted February 11, 2012 I like the one on my 2010 J45. Apart from a junker guitar in a cupboard, all my acoustic guitars have been 'Bone Nutted' except the J45. I waver in and out after reading this and that, but it sounds really great so 'if it ain't broke'..... BluesKing777.
E-minor7 Posted February 11, 2012 Posted February 11, 2012 I fully accept mine and have done from day 1. I find the the overall personality of the guitar dark – burst is muddy, tone is earthy – and the black nut somehow completes this impression. (Also got dark buffalo horn pins). Besides it sets the Grover chrome in an extra dark environment. I accept them also, , , the whole landscape up there is OK with me. . . Had it been white buttons, things might have looked different. Maybe then it had been necessary to give the tuners a cream-aging treat, , , or even exchange that piece of Graphtech.
pfox14 Posted February 11, 2012 Posted February 11, 2012 I don't care for the Graphtech nuts, but they must be cheaper than bone otherwise Gibson wouldn't use them. Good upgrade switching to bone.
rodmeister Posted February 14, 2012 Posted February 14, 2012 I have a natural finish J-45 Standard, and the black nut matches the headstock, but a white nut would add overall balance to the white saddle and bridge pins. It doesn't bother me enough to change it now, but I'll install a white one for better aesthetics when the nut needs replacement .
BluesKing777 Posted February 14, 2012 Posted February 14, 2012 I don't care for the Graphtech nuts, but they must be cheaper than bone otherwise Gibson wouldn't use them. Good upgrade switching to bone. It must be some other reason - on the Allparts web page a Black Graphtech nut is $12.50 while a slotted bone nut $6.00..... Perhaps to simulate the look of the ebony nuts on the 30s guitars? BluesKing777.
gotomsdos Posted February 15, 2012 Posted February 15, 2012 My 5 star J35's black nut doesn't seem to be ebony, coz it doesn't seem to have grains, just a kind of plastic in my eyes. Since the 30's J35 replica aimed at as exact copy as they could, why didn't they use ebony to copy the vintage
blindboygrunt Posted February 15, 2012 Posted February 15, 2012 graphtech stops the strings 'sticking' at the nut . if it was just a question of looks then black plastic would be the answer
ataylor Posted February 16, 2012 Posted February 16, 2012 I suspect the changes to the standard J-45 were to encourage picky buyers like me to move on up to the True Vintage version. I really liked the old standard J-45 with the gold decal block Gibson logo and button tuners. Had a really nice late 40s/early 50s look to it. I wish they'd bring that back as the standard model, and do the same guitar in natural finish as a standard J-50. Put the pearl inlay and grover tuners on the custom/rosewood model, and then you get the script logo and banner (along with all the other upgrades) on the True Vintage. Makes sense to me! :)
Guest J-Doug Posted February 16, 2012 Posted February 16, 2012 Graph Tech makes a lubricated white nut so I dont see why the black.
gotomsdos Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 I suspect the changes to the standard J-45 were to encourage picky buyers like me to move on up to the True Vintage version. I guess your guess is unreasonable coz my Luthier's Choice J35 has black graphite tech nut as well, which doesn't show it's a kind of low grade
ParlourMan Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 Or cyclical spec changes to catch as much audience participation as possible (ie. sell guitars), just as every Soap Powder's new formula is "their best ever" so too are changing guitar specs new & improved.... different spec-sets appeal to different buyer groups, it can't be any other reason really......
ataylor Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 I guess your guess is unreasonable coz my Luthier's Choice J35 has black graphite tech nut as well, which doesn't show it's a kind of low grade We get that you love your J-35. But please don't be annoying. I didn't say anything about it being a low-grade option. In the case of the J-45, it makes perfect sense to differentiate between the two models by using different materials and offering a different aesthetic. As for your J-35, I suspect it was used to offer the look of an ebony nut, which was common on guitars of the 30s, without the darker tone.
rar Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 As for your J-35, I suspect it was used to offer the look of an ebony nut, which was common on guitars of the 30s, without the darker tone. The black nuts pretty much pre-dated the J-35. Much likelier that Ren put a Graphtech nut on the LC J-35 because he thought it functions better than other options. -- Bob R
ataylor Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 The black nuts pretty much pre-dated the J-35. Much likelier that Ren put a Graphtech nut on the LC J-35 because he thought it functions better than other options. -- Bob R Maybe it was for both reasons? ;) http://www.retrofret.com/image_popup.asp?img=4800_guitar/4800_01.jpg http://www.pinrepair.com/vgi/gibson/41_j35_1.jpg http://cdn1.gbase.com/usercontent/gear/2904889/p1_uiw1bi5il_so.jpg http://images.yuku.com.s3.amazonaws.com/image/pjpeg/8b5357bec1e70dd153c01de2d4030347b2566f1.pjpg http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/images/20U/20U-11440_front.jpg It looks like Gibson used ebony nuts here and there on early 40s J-35s, apparently only on natural-finish models. That seems to be the look Ren was going for with the 5-star model: http://images.gibson.com.s3.amazonaws.com/Lifestyle/2011/blogs/J-35.jpg
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