brannon67 Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Out of all of the J45 models out there(Standard, TV, etc) which one do you guys prefer and why? Differences, in look, tone, playability, etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 This really is personal preference, and nothing more. Of the modern J-45 models, I prefer the TV and the Legend, as they are the ones most similar to the vintage J-45's that I love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 This really is personal preference, and nothing more. Of the modern J-45 models, I prefer the TV and the Legend, as they are the ones most similar to the vintage J-45's that I love. Quick question, on the TV and Legend models. Have you compared, played actual vintage models to compare them to the reissues? Just curious.If so, any differences in tone, playability? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Quick question, on the TV and Legend models. Have you compared, played actual vintage models to compare them to the reissues? Just curious.If so, any differences in tone, playability? It's impossible to generalize about this, particularly when comparing modern to vintage models. I've played a lot of vintage J-45's, and their tone, character, and playability are all over the map, probably as much due to the personal history of each guitar as anything else. I've played far fewer modern ones, but I have found the modern ones to be a bit more predicatable and consistent than vintage ones. I have a modern adi-topped SJ, for example, that is better than many of the vintage J-45's I've played, although its character is quite different: it lacks that tonal "dryness" that only seems to come with age, which some people really seek out. It's hard, for example, to compare a maple banner J-45 made of scraps and laminated wood to a more conventional J-45. And my 1948 J-45 with the 1968 top doesn't sound like most 1948 J-45's. The glory of vintage J-45's is that they are all different, and the search for the "right" one is as important as finding it to a lot of people. My general advice to people on this is that you buy a newer (Bozeman) J-45 as a player and benchmark, and search for a great vintage one(pre-1955, by my personal preference), which could be a multi-year search to find the right combination of tone and playability. Modern guitars seems to be a little less cranky and idiosyncratic, which is a mixed blessing to some. Of course, "cranky and idiosyncratic" are adjectives that could be applied to a lot of owners of a certain vintage, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Quick question, on the TV and Legend models. Have you compared, played actual vintage models to compare them to the reissues? Just curious.If so, any differences in tone, playability? People's ears vary, so you'll have to answer this one for yourself. To my ears, the tonal difference between my '43 J-45 and Legend J-45 is small compared to the variation I hear in Legend J-45s. But I know a lot of people who don't agree. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyHeart Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 I just bought a new J-45 Standard and I love it. This is the 4th J-45 that I've bought over the years. I had 2 Historic Collection models (both great) and a J-45TV (also great). I am extremely happy with my new one in that it has the tone I have been looking for. It seems the only guitar I keep regretting ever selling are the J-45's that I've owned. I bought the other 3 used so I didn't lose much selling them. This new one I don't ever plan on selling. I have played some vintage ones that I wasn't really excited about. I am on the same page as J45nick in that I am going to search for a great vintage one to complement my new one. My 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 I just hope Guitar Center doesn't come out with the J-45 "Pro" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 They came out with the Modern Classic, wasnt it? Priced like the Pro models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 They came out with the Modern Classic, wasnt it? Priced like the Pro models. Modern Classic = Standard (Gibson corporate wanted the Acoustic Division to use the same model designations as the Electric Division, which is why the name change.) The introduction of the MC had nothing to do with GC. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 Modern Classic = Standard (Gibson corporate wanted the Acoustic Division to use the same model designations as the Electric Division, which is why the name change.) The introduction of the MC had nothing to do with GC. Got it. I understand now. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 The way I think of it - all J-45s will have a characteristic sound, a sound that sets them apart from say a Martin D-18. But there will also be subtle variations. One may have a bit more presence or a bit brighter upper end or maybe a bit bigger low end. If not you could order from any online store and not lose a minutes sleep over worring if you got one that is the best of the breed. Those variations will be more exaggerated with vintage guitars. If I had bought any of the first old guitars I had run across I would have been really pissed off when I stumbled upon the 1942 I own because I would have had to pass on it. Who knows why the one I own sounds like it does. Maybe the top is a bit thinner or thicker than it was supposed to be. Perhaps somebody got carried away shaping the tone bars or scalloping the braces or was a bit tired and in hurry to leave and left more wood on the braces than they were supposed to. Maybe my guitar was made while the New Year's Eve Office party was in full swing. And then throw the aging process into the mix. Who the flip knows. I just heard something in that guitar I did not hear in the others. The real pitfall is that folks will worry that they may not run across another one or at least will have a long wait. I can safely say the wait might just be worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guth Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I've played countless examples over the past 30 years or so, both old and new alike. I personally think that Gibson has been quite consistent in their inconsistency. While J-45s might have some common characteristics, only a small percentage of them have truly blown me away. But, we don't all have the same preferences and the next guy who drops by the stores I visited might be looking for something totally different out of a J-45 and might indeed find that one of the guitars that didn't do much for me manages to blow him away. I actually had a guy who worked at my local Gibson dealer showing me a particular J-45 that he was personally fired up by — his favorite Gibson in the store. Ironically, I thought it was the worst sounding Gibson they had on display. We're not all looking for the same thing, and I think that the variations in the J-45s that I've experienced goes a long way towards explaining the popularity of the guitar. If you're thinking about buying a J-45, my advice would be to go out and play as many as you can get your hands on, regardless of the model specifics. I own a J-45 TV, and consider it to be my all time favorite guitar (and I've owned a lot of guitars by a lot of different builders), but I wouldn't make a blanket statement that you should go buy a J-45 TV. I've stopped by my local store in the past only to find that a J-45 MC sounded far better to me than the any of the other J-45s on hand (including a TV model and a John Hiatt signature model). If I were bound and determined to buy a J-45 during that particular visit, I would have walked out with that particular J-45 MC. I couldn't tell you which one might stand out the next time I were to drop by. That can be part of the fun of it if you're not forced to shop via the internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stubee Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I've played & owned a fair bunch of J-45s, J-50s & SJs. I think J45nick, ZW & Guth have covered it pretty well. There are some pretty good generalizations in the book "Gibsons Fabulous Flattops" esp re: vintage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.