On 2003-04-02, Jimmy Sky rated this Gibson J45 a 5...(4636)
Purchase: i traded a 67 gibson SG Jr & a Gibson Skylark amp for a J45 in 1969.It sounded
like John Lennon's guitar in A HARD DAY"S NIGHT and had a narrow neck.Driver Music
in Bethany,Ok was the seller. i wanted the guitar so badly i worked in the public
library to earn the money.i paid 250.00
plus tax.
Pros: Warm sound & perfect blend hi & low.
accurate intonation any position.
beautiful sunburst with subtle color variations.
the narrowest neck of any guitar i have played with fast action.
Cons: did not like the original tuners
Quality: this guitar is probably a 1065 J45ADJ &
featured the coveted craftmanship of the original Gibson lines even on a budget.
the binding is perfect and despite over30 years still sounds better than ever.
Review Summary: wish i had another one
On 2003-01-21, Gibson Lover rated this Gibson J45 a 5...(4075)
Purchase: I bought this guitar on a whim one day in 1973 I had always wanted a gibson J200 and I went out to buy a new one. When I reached the store there waqs the shiny new J200 and next to it was a more shiny gibson gospel. I spent the next two hours playing them both and comparing then the guy in the store said have a try of this used J45 you wont be dissapointed and half an hourb later I was walking out of the store with it.
Pros: The guitar has everything you would expect from a gibson plus an ever elusive something else, just a little something you cant quite put your finger on but its there all the same. Every time i pick up this guitar it sings to me even if the strings havent been changed for months. although it does like nickel strings rather than bronze. Even with the heaviest gauge strings on the action is wonderful.
Cons: The thing I dont like about the guitar is the 40cm split in the back top edge which got there after a heavy drinking sesion at a friends place about 25 years ago and its never got any bigger. It could use a refret but Im afraid it just wont be the same instrument afterwards and that my love affair with it might end in divorce.
Quality: Its a beautiful solid spruce top with honduras mahogany back and sides it has a mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard kluson machines I suppose a fairly standard early sixties J45, although I did remove the scratchplate (I just think all acoustics sound better without them). It has those big fat sixties gibson frets as well (one reason Im reluctant to have it refretted).
Review Summary: This is the kind of instrument that only comes your way once in a lifetime and you have to grab it and never let it go. Its the kind of instrument you should cherish and not abuse during drunken binges. You should play it to the best of your ability and let it sing its song to you.
