Vintage vs. New Gibson J45
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Lucky Day
Tele-Afflicted
To me, the answer is "buy what you like after playing both." Seems to me that older J45's aren't much different in price than new ones around here. I haven't played any though, so I don't know if there's any special mojo or not. The new ones I've played have been really nice.
Stubee
Doctor of Teleocity
I've had a bunch of old Gibsons and several newer ones. Many great choices but in my experience old guitars sound different than the same new model. Wood and finish ages. I have never, ever played a new model of any guitar, any make or model that sounded quite like its vintage counterpart. My main flattops the past 10+ years have been a 2003 AJRI and two early '50s Gibsons.
Don't get me wrong: there are good and bad examples of any guitar, any vintage. But if you're interested in old ones I'd say take your time, take a lot of time, play a bunch & learn about 'em and go from there. If you are interested in newer models, try to do the same.
Mainly, take your time to learn.
Don't get me wrong: there are good and bad examples of any guitar, any vintage. But if you're interested in old ones I'd say take your time, take a lot of time, play a bunch & learn about 'em and go from there. If you are interested in newer models, try to do the same.
Mainly, take your time to learn.
In vintage, the 60s and 50s J45s sound very different. If you look at 60s J45s also consider an early 60s Epiphone Texan. Pretty much the same instrument. If you get a 60s J45, have that God awful adjustable bridge replaced.
Nicest J45 I ever played was an early 50s. Wanted 4000 for it, a LOT for that time. Both my friend who played it and I have kicked ourselves ever since for not buying it.
Nicest J45 I ever played was an early 50s. Wanted 4000 for it, a LOT for that time. Both my friend who played it and I have kicked ourselves ever since for not buying it.
zombywoof
Friend of Leo's
Liking the "idea" of owning a "vintage" guitar an get you into trouble awfully fast. You really have to know your way around them.
I play a 1942 J-50 (according to the FON). Odd guitar in that there was a screw up in putting the top together and somebody down the line decided to shoot a burst on it to try and cover up the mistake. In my opinion though, the Banners are unlike anything that came before them or after them.
That said, I am also a big fan of Gibsons made between 1955 and 1959 (I am not a fan of the necks Gibson started using in 1960). My second favorite Gibson over the past 50 some odd years was a 1956 SJ. These un-scalloped braced guitars give up a bit on the low end but are real punchy and quick sounding.
The closest you will get to a "vintage" sound in a newish Gibson is a Legend Series guitar. Other than that you would be looking at guitars built by guys like Kopp and Walker. None are what I would call cheap in price. But in the end lots of folks really like the J-45TV as well as guitars like the Woody Guthrie SJ. Many of these come with the wider nut that Gibson stopped using after 1946 which I prefer over the 1 11/16" nut. Not a spot on reproduction of a guitar from a past catalog but more a representation which will get you close enough to ring your chimes while not emptying your wallet.
I play a 1942 J-50 (according to the FON). Odd guitar in that there was a screw up in putting the top together and somebody down the line decided to shoot a burst on it to try and cover up the mistake. In my opinion though, the Banners are unlike anything that came before them or after them.
That said, I am also a big fan of Gibsons made between 1955 and 1959 (I am not a fan of the necks Gibson started using in 1960). My second favorite Gibson over the past 50 some odd years was a 1956 SJ. These un-scalloped braced guitars give up a bit on the low end but are real punchy and quick sounding.
The closest you will get to a "vintage" sound in a newish Gibson is a Legend Series guitar. Other than that you would be looking at guitars built by guys like Kopp and Walker. None are what I would call cheap in price. But in the end lots of folks really like the J-45TV as well as guitars like the Woody Guthrie SJ. Many of these come with the wider nut that Gibson stopped using after 1946 which I prefer over the 1 11/16" nut. Not a spot on reproduction of a guitar from a past catalog but more a representation which will get you close enough to ring your chimes while not emptying your wallet.
zombywoof
Friend of Leo's
It is not the bridge that is the main culprit - it is the bridge plate. Probably to support the heavier bridge, Gibson went to a stiff laminate plate that is large enough to qualify as a piece of furniture. With 1960s Gibsons it tends to come down to how you feel about the skinny necks and from 1965 on the narrow nuts. In terms of sound, despite an array of strange bridges and thicker pickguards, guitars made up to 1968 have the same bracing, top thickness Gibson started using in the mid-1950s. So they sound very similar but feel very different.
H. Mac
Friend of Leo's
I have vintage Gibsons and Martins, including a few pre-WWll guitars. They're great, but so are some of the new ones with Adirondack tops.
The magic of a guitar being "vintage" wears off after a while, and afterward, its quality is all that matters.
The magic of a guitar being "vintage" wears off after a while, and afterward, its quality is all that matters.
I can see the attraction of wanting an old J-45. There were some real gems. Some, not so much. One of the finest-sounding acoustics I've ever heard was an old J-45 that belonged to blues player John Jackson (RIP, my friend). Of course, that may have had something to do with the person playing the guitar. I've heard other old J-45s that sounded dead. So there's that.
I wouldn't be too concerned about getting a good new one. My experience shopping for a Gibby acoustic last year was that Bozeman really has its act together and is producing some very fine guitars. The consistency seems pretty solid, in my book.
The thing is, with any guitar, especially with acoustics where slight differences in the quality of the wood can make a big difference, just get out and play a ton of guitars. You'll know it when you find the one.
I wouldn't be too concerned about getting a good new one. My experience shopping for a Gibby acoustic last year was that Bozeman really has its act together and is producing some very fine guitars. The consistency seems pretty solid, in my book.
The thing is, with any guitar, especially with acoustics where slight differences in the quality of the wood can make a big difference, just get out and play a ton of guitars. You'll know it when you find the one.
There's something unique about those older Gibson flattops, but a few years ago I played a Gibson Kris Kristofferson signature model that was hands down one of the best acoustics of any maker that I've ever played. Take your time, do your homework and play every guitar you can get your hands on.
TelecasterSam
Tele-Afflicted
I would play several new ones to find the best sounding and playing, then get it. Some of the old ones are great, but it will be hard to sample several.
I've played some nice new ones in stores.
Mike Simpson
Doctor of Teleocity
I have a 1949 and a 1962 J45.... I have tried out the quite a few of the new J45s in GC and it is pretty rare to find a new one that sounds close to the older ones I have. Whatever you buy, play it first and make sure it sounds like you want it to.
I've got a 1950 J45, and I'd warn you to be prepared for the low-end response on a good vintage one. The bottom E is really powerful and you need to change your playing style--ease up a bit or it can get overly dramatic. You hear the term "canon" thrown about loosely, but thump on one of these and you'll hear what it's all about.
rand z
Poster Extraordinaire
Joe Baggadonitz
Friend of Leo's
Lucky Day is correct in terms of price, new and 'vintage' are pretty close. Any time purchasing a guitar, play it as often as you can 'before' you plunk down your hard earned cash.
just because it was made before you were born doesn't mean it's a good guitar. I've played many new Gibson acoustics and they are very nice sounding/playing guitars. Buy one you love, you'll probably never have to buy another 'and' you'll be passing down when your time here is done.
just because it was made before you were born doesn't mean it's a good guitar. I've played many new Gibson acoustics and they are very nice sounding/playing guitars. Buy one you love, you'll probably never have to buy another 'and' you'll be passing down when your time here is done.
zombywoof
Friend of Leo's
I own a 1942 J-50 which has been described by a repair guy with decades under his belt restoring old Gibsons and Martins as having a low end that would make a pre-War Martin D-28 run for cover. But he also will tell you he does not run across a Gibson with that sound all that often. The Banners, in particular, tend to be individuals. Not only did material shortages come into play but it is not uncommon to come across one with some pretty major build screw ups such as the top bracing being an inch off center or something. In 1949 - 1950 Ted McCarty re-organized Gibson's work force and re-tooled the Daylight Plant. Specs become far more consistent as they got away from a part being completed when somebody felt it looked "close enough."
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