Researching Gibsons, some questions

Darrell · November 27th, 2008, 10:34 AM

I have a J-45 which I dearly love, but I am researching the Jumbo's for a future purchase, to accompany my J-45.

What is the difference between the J-185 and the CJ-165? There is nothing on the Gibson web site on the CJ-165. I just learned of the CJ-165 by accident today.

I am leaning more toward the Jumbo's than the Super Jumbo's right now. Can anyone explain if there is a significant tonal difference between a Jumbo and a Super Jumbo?

ASC67 · November 27th, 2008, 12:56 PM

I believe the CJ-165 is a cutaway model.

Joe-Bob · November 27th, 2008, 08:11 PM

The C means Canada. They bought a guitar factory --- I forget the name, the Gibby guy told me. They were the ones with the composite edges and bracing.

Anyway...that plant now makes Gibsons.

Darrell · November 28th, 2008, 10:22 AM

Musicians Friend lists the CJ-165 as being built in Bozeman Montana.

165All the CJ-165's that are cutaways have a CE suffix. CJ-165 CE cutaway, CJ-165 is non cutaway.

Any more ideas?

Darrell · November 28th, 2008, 10:46 AM

Ok, I found out from the Gibby forum. CJ is Compact Jumbo.

The CJ-165 is a slightly smaller Jumbo, or a slightly smaller 185, will all of the same appoitments.

(185 is smaller than 200)

RickG501 · November 28th, 2008, 11:33 AM

The SJ-200 is a sublime instrument, with tone like no other. It's the only Gibson acoustic that I have any feelings for. I wish that I could afford one. There's one at one of my favorite shops here in town, I played for 40min one day...couldn't put it down. They were asking $2300, but for that kind of money there were other things more pressing.

twangcaster1 · November 28th, 2008, 11:36 AM

I think that who ever told you that there is a Gibson factory in Canada is blowin' smoke up your a##. Gibson would never outsource their GIBSON name. Only their cheap stuff like Kramers and such.

Darrell · November 28th, 2008, 02:31 PM

Rick, try a J-45 one day. Although not nearly as adonerated with glam, it too has a sound all it's own.

chrism8922 · November 29th, 2008, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twangcaster1

I think that who ever told you that there is a Gibson factory in Canada is blowin' smoke up your a##. Gibson would never outsource their GIBSON name. Only their cheap stuff like Kramers and such.

http://forums.gibson.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=1927

Gibson bought the Garrison Guitar factory in Canada, and as of October of 2007, manufactures their "Songmaker" series there. They use phrases like "North American craftsmanship", but this series is made in St. John, Newfoundland, not the USA.

Chris

zombywoof · November 30th, 2008, 11:50 AM

These days the SJ prefix simply means more bling in the tradition of the Southerner Jumbo which was just a duded up version of the J-45.

I don't think there are any structural differences between SJ/J- 100 guitars. Both have the same Martin style bracing Gibson started using in the 1980s and so on.

Is the bling worth the extra bucks - that would be up to you.

If it were me, however, I would try and hunt down a J-200. Ain't a jumbo out there that can put out the same tone and projection. It has nothing to do with the bling - has to do with the J-200s unique Double X bracing system - there is a second brace just under where the fingerboard ends.

Finding a good J-200 or any Gibson in fact may take some time. The guitars that have come out of Bozeman are pretty inconsistent. I have played some pretty thin sounding and lifeless ones. But when ya find a good one you are set for life.

Darrell · November 30th, 2008, 03:56 PM

By the way, I found the CJ-165's on the Gibson site under "Modern Classic" small bodies. I must have missed it a week or two ago, but at the time I had done a search on the Gibson site for CJ-165 and it didn't show up. Now it is there.

http://www.gibson.com/en%2Dus/Divisi...mall%20Bodies/

RickG501 · December 1st, 2008, 01:33 AM

WOW. That 165 is pretty sweet. I listened to the video on the link, man that is hot. How much do they be?
They say they're only available at a 5star dealer, and wouldn't you know it there ain't one 'round these parts. However after buying an 0000-1 this week, it'd have to wait for a bit. GAS is a terrible afflection...

Darrell · December 1st, 2008, 11:10 PM

They run about 2200 on Musiciansfriend. There is a very complex set of pups on that guitar. More so than all of the other Gibby's. It looks like it has two sets of pups in it. A sound hole and a bridge pup.

Although I am not entirely sure those clips are representative of each guitar. The clips of my rosy J-45 are awful, and not very representative of my guitar. My J-45 sounds more like the rosy J-200 clips.

November 27th, 2008, 10:34 AM	#1 (permalink)
Darrell Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Houston, Texas Age: 48 Posts: 2,528	Researching Gibsons, some questions I have a J-45 which I dearly love, but I am researching the Jumbo's for a future purchase, to accompany my J-45. What is the difference between the J-185 and the CJ-165? There is nothing on the Gibson web site on the CJ-165. I just learned of the CJ-165 by accident today. I am leaning more toward the Jumbo's than the Super Jumbo's right now. Can anyone explain if there is a significant tonal difference between a Jumbo and a Super Jumbo? __________________ "Yeap, I like the American Standard Telecaster, I can even live with one a them PCB amps, and I even use one a them mul-tie-effects things too."

November 27th, 2008, 12:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
ASC67 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Minnesota Age: 41 Posts: 164	I believe the CJ-165 is a cutaway model. __________________ Steve

November 27th, 2008, 08:11 PM	#3 (permalink)
Joe-Bob Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Age: 46 Posts: 4,023	The C means Canada. They bought a guitar factory --- I forget the name, the Gibby guy told me. They were the ones with the composite edges and bracing. Anyway...that plant now makes Gibsons. __________________ "German is the language God uses when He really means business." --FZ

November 28th, 2008, 10:22 AM	#4 (permalink)
Darrell Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Houston, Texas Age: 48 Posts: 2,528	I wish these were correct Musicians Friend lists the CJ-165 as being built in Bozeman Montana. 165All the CJ-165's that are cutaways have a CE suffix. CJ-165 CE cutaway, CJ-165 is non cutaway. Any more ideas? __________________ "Yeap, I like the American Standard Telecaster, I can even live with one a them PCB amps, and I even use one a them mul-tie-effects things too."

November 28th, 2008, 10:46 AM	#5 (permalink)
Darrell Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Houston, Texas Age: 48 Posts: 2,528	Ok, I found out from the Gibby forum. CJ is Compact Jumbo. The CJ-165 is a slightly smaller Jumbo, or a slightly smaller 185, will all of the same appoitments. (185 is smaller than 200) __________________ "Yeap, I like the American Standard Telecaster, I can even live with one a them PCB amps, and I even use one a them mul-tie-effects things too."

November 28th, 2008, 11:33 AM	#6 (permalink)
RickG501 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Age: 54 Posts: 1,056	The SJ-200 is a sublime instrument, with tone like no other. It's the only Gibson acoustic that I have any feelings for. I wish that I could afford one. There's one at one of my favorite shops here in town, I played for 40min one day...couldn't put it down. They were asking $2300, but for that kind of money there were other things more pressing. __________________ I know my words sound strange to you but if you wait til my song is sung and my story's told you might come to understand...

November 28th, 2008, 11:36 AM	#7 (permalink)
twangcaster1 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Utah Posts: 1,550 6 Photos	I think that who ever told you that there is a Gibson factory in Canada is blowin' smoke up your a##. Gibson would never outsource their GIBSON name. Only their cheap stuff like Kramers and such. __________________ SLC Twangsmith

November 28th, 2008, 02:31 PM	#8 (permalink)
Darrell Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Houston, Texas Age: 48 Posts: 2,528	Rick, try a J-45 one day. Although not nearly as adonerated with glam, it too has a sound all it's own. __________________ "Yeap, I like the American Standard Telecaster, I can even live with one a them PCB amps, and I even use one a them mul-tie-effects things too."

November 30th, 2008, 11:50 AM	#10 (permalink)
zombywoof Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Back in the Heartland Posts: 2,924 17 Photos	These days the SJ prefix simply means more bling in the tradition of the Southerner Jumbo which was just a duded up version of the J-45. I don't think there are any structural differences between SJ/J- 100 guitars. Both have the same Martin style bracing Gibson started using in the 1980s and so on. Is the bling worth the extra bucks - that would be up to you. If it were me, however, I would try and hunt down a J-200. Ain't a jumbo out there that can put out the same tone and projection. It has nothing to do with the bling - has to do with the J-200s unique Double X bracing system - there is a second brace just under where the fingerboard ends. Finding a good J-200 or any Gibson in fact may take some time. The guitars that have come out of Bozeman are pretty inconsistent. I have played some pretty thin sounding and lifeless ones. But when ya find a good one you are set for life. __________________ "I don't play a lot of fancy guitar. I don't want to play it. The kind of guitar I want to play is mean, mean licks." John Lee Hooker

November 30th, 2008, 03:56 PM	#11 (permalink)
Darrell Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Houston, Texas Age: 48 Posts: 2,528	By the way, I found the CJ-165's on the Gibson site under "Modern Classic" small bodies. I must have missed it a week or two ago, but at the time I had done a search on the Gibson site for CJ-165 and it didn't show up. Now it is there. http://www.gibson.com/en%2Dus/Divisi...mall%20Bodies/ __________________ "Yeap, I like the American Standard Telecaster, I can even live with one a them PCB amps, and I even use one a them mul-tie-effects things too."

December 1st, 2008, 01:33 AM	#12 (permalink)
RickG501 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Age: 54 Posts: 1,056	WOW. That 165 is pretty sweet. I listened to the video on the link, man that is hot. How much do they be? They say they're only available at a 5star dealer, and wouldn't you know it there ain't one 'round these parts. However after buying an 0000-1 this week, it'd have to wait for a bit. GAS is a terrible afflection... __________________ I know my words sound strange to you but if you wait til my song is sung and my story's told you might come to understand...

December 1st, 2008, 11:10 PM	#13 (permalink)
Darrell Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Houston, Texas Age: 48 Posts: 2,528	They run about 2200 on Musiciansfriend. There is a very complex set of pups on that guitar. More so than all of the other Gibby's. It looks like it has two sets of pups in it. A sound hole and a bridge pup. Although I am not entirely sure those clips are representative of each guitar. The clips of my rosy J-45 are awful, and not very representative of my guitar. My J-45 sounds more like the rosy J-200 clips. __________________ "Yeap, I like the American Standard Telecaster, I can even live with one a them PCB amps, and I even use one a them mul-tie-effects things too."