gearbasher Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Ok, I know I'm anal. And if you want to dump on me for writing this, go ahead. I can take a good reaming and I don't mind being the butt of a good joke. I'm trying to stay cheeky about it, but it does bum me out. It has to do with the tail end of my 1999 J45RW. I bought the instrument new and when I first got it, I noticed it did not have a tail piece inlay. I always thought this was the sign of a lower end instrument. It did bother me a bit, but I figured that's how they made them. Here's a photo of mine: Then, while browsing ebay, I noticed someone selling another '99 J45RW and his has a tail piece inlay. Here is the complete link: http://cgi.ebay.com/1999-Gibson-J-45-Rosewood-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar-OHSC_W0QQitemZ110323705861QQihZ001QQcategoryZ33025QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem And here is a photo of his: I just want to know. Did they change production methods during the year? Did they just forget to inlay the piece on mine? Or, as an old girlfriend once stated, am I just wired different? Not to be a total sphincter, but it does bother me. I think it looks better with the inlay. Any thoughts would be appreciated. btw: This is how anal I am. It always bothered me that the strap button/tail end jack was nickel when the rest of the hardware was gold. I was going to have the button gold plated, but I found out Elderly sells gold replacement ones for $9. So now I can replace it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 OK.....no wise 'cracks' about this thread. On the 'hole' it is a good question. So if you want to make a 'plug' for gearbasher, go right ahead. There's no 'butts' about it. Every once in a while this question 'rears' it's ugly head, 'butt' we need to 'assk' it. Some guys just like to have their tailpieces inlaid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Player Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Well to me the stripe looks good, but some may think it is a "skid mark"..... but I like it. I must be kind of "anal" also "***" I thought it should have "one split by the hole" too..... without it, it looks kind of "butt" ugly... just one small "crack" down the "backside"..... I wouldn't call your guitar "lower end", however.... It's nowhere near the "Bottom" of the barrel so to speak! I know that "I'd love a "crack" at playing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honky Dog Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Great guitar for a prison concert. Wood in the tailpiece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr newhaven Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 i wouldnt be annoyed that it wasnt on...just curious...i have an l-00 and it has that strip of pearloid or ivoriod or whatever the hell it is...i would call gibson just to see if it is supposed to be there just not...that could make it ultra rare! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 it wouldn't trouble me...the more wood and less plastic on a guitar the better, I'd say! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I would question (to myself) as to why it came through that way but I would not let it bug me. Or in keeping with the theme, I wouldn't let it bugger me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boston004681 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I guess the inlay looks a little better, but who cares? Just play the stupid thing. it's a guitar! you're supposed to play them. not not play them because there isn't an inlay somewhere where no one would notice it. Sorry about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermionik Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 . . Does it affect the sound. Does it affect the playability. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponty Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I have two 93 J-45, made within 3 months of each other. One has the plastic strip, the other dosnt. Explaination ? who knows. May be one was made on Monday morning and the other on Friday afternoon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Maybe one had a bad joint between the sides where they join and they HAD to cover it up with an end piece..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Looks like onewilyfool beat me with a one sentence explanation, but here's my long-winded response anyway. I'm surprised no one has explained why any guitar has "binding" in the first place, for it doesn't bind anything. Don't be fooled into thinking a little strip of mother-of-plastic actually holds anything together, it's sole design function is to HIDE things, the fact that we've all been brainwashed into thinking it looks pretty is just what guitar makers wanted. The binding around the top of an acoustic guitar HIDES the glue joint between the top sides and purfling. The binding around the top of an LP HIDES the glue joint between the maple cap and the mahogany body. The binding on a neck HIDES the joint between the fingerboard and the neck, etc. It serves no structural purpose, and the aestectics was only an afterthought. Think of binding a spackling, it's used to fill holes and gaps. To build this guitar without the binding strip at the tailblock area took much more time, effort and skill (and luck) than to build the one with the plastic strip filling the gap, binding can hide a lot. I'd bet that even the ones that have binding in this area are different from one another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLiveSoundGuy Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Well $hit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 Looks like onewilyfool beat me with a one sentence explanation' date=' but here's my long-winded response anyway. I'm surprised no one has explained why any guitar has "binding" in the first place, for it doesn't bind anything. Don't be fooled into thinking a little strip of mother-of-plastic actually holds anything together, it's sole design function is to HIDE things, the fact that we've all been brainwashed into thinking it looks pretty is just what guitar makers wanted. The binding around the top of an acoustic guitar HIDES the glue joint between the top sides and purfling. The binding around the top of an LP HIDES the glue joint between the maple cap and the mahogany body. The binding on a neck HIDES the joint between the fingerboard and the neck, etc. It serves no structural purpose, and the aestectics was only an afterthought. Think of binding a spackling, it's used to fill holes and gaps. To build this guitar without the binding strip at the tailblock area took much more time, effort and skill (and luck) than to build the one with the plastic strip filling the gap, binding can hide a lot. I'd bet that even the ones that have binding in this area are different from one another. [/quote'] I have to disagree with you about the purpose of binding. Here is a quote from Wikipedia: The bindings primary importance is to prevent moisture seeping into the endgrain and causing checking, or small splits in the end of the wood, caused by changes in humidity. I know Wikipedia is not an authority on any issue, but I've heard this other places and their quote says it the best. Lower end models have no binding around the fingerboards or tops (ex. LP Studio) and those joints are perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fp Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I think a J45 would look odd to me with an end strip. I'm used to seeing them without one. I like the plain look of wood meeting wood without the strip in between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Why don't we just rack this one up to "luthier's choice"????? And leave it at that....lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I can't believe I read this thread all the way to the "end". Butt I did..... Murph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWilson Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 A friend of mine tried to make a couple of his guitars look "better" by adding a tailpiece, butt instead, he rectum both! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 TWilson....where do you get these jokes......lol??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermionik Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 . . That's easy owf, he has a special white cat who wears blue goggles and feeds him great one liners. In return he gives the cat cans of tuna fish, which you can't do, whereas you CAN tune a guitar. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertjohn Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 "Gentlemen, rest your sphincters!" Can you name that movie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermionik Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 . . Hmmm..... :D I'm thinking beans around a campfire, I'm thinking Mel Brooks..... :) Too easy, too easy Butch Chartered. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWilson Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 TWilson....where do you get these jokes......lol??? Brain damage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 Don't know about the guit tar, but this thread has gone to the 'lower end' of gentlemanly discourse. Things should have gotten .... shall we say manly ..... around here since Gillian left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajsc Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 I prefer the plain 1!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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