Gibson J-45 Rosewood

I was innocently 'browsing' a local discount store with a friend. Along for support only - mind you - HE was the one looking to spend his hard earned cash, and I was simply there to "listen".....

Well I walked out with the J45 Rosewood ($1,975)... I made the mistake of playing it! I'd never owned a Gibson. In fact, many of the Gibson acoustics I'd played in the past varied wildly - making me a little wary of the brand. Don't get me wrong, I was sure there was a fair-share of 'beauties' out there - what with all those devoted to this brand. But this one has something special, for me. Perfect.

First, I have to admit that what drew me to the J45 Rosewood (as was true of many other Gibsons I'd picked up in the past) was its finish - I'm a sucker for that laquer sunburst, be it cherry or vintage sunburst. The J45s vintage sunburst is really something to behold. But I'd been drawn before - only to be dissapointed by playability, muffled sound, grimy dead strings, etc.. The one I took home sang from the start, and got better as I played. I really feel/felt 'in control' as to touch and volume - It has punch and 'woof', but it can deliver a sweet/soft sound as well. Just lucky, I guess..

The Gibson factory set-up leaves much to be desired. I find that I like a little higher action than most folks I know, even so mine still needed to be lowered slightly. I've experienced much worse with guitar store Gibson trials in the past. And given my conversations with others about Gibson, I'm fairly sure that this is 'top of mind' for a lot of people.

Sort of a shame, because it seems like this would be an easy fix for the Montana folks.

A wonderfully built guitar. Fit and finish are really close to flawless - from the headstock inlay, to the fret seating, to the applied finish - SOLID. The spruce top is tight-grained, with lots of silking visible in the light-center portion of the sunburst. The EI rosewood back and sides are deeply stained - framed nicely by the white binding.

I've heard people say the Gibson sound is unique - which is true, but I think what is sometimes missed is the responsiveness of Gibson guitars. The J45 Rosewood is 'responsive', and just fits my idea of what a guitar should do/sound like. It responds to my attack - light or heavy - and gives me back the sound I'm trying to make.

What more could I ask?



This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

My wife bought me this guitar 2 years ago (2001) because I've always wanted a Gibson acoustic.I bought it from The Guitar,Amp and Keyboard centre in Brighton,U.K. It cost £1375 which was a really good price.Gibson hard shell case included in the price.

The look,feel and smell is like an aphrodisiac! I have to touch the guitar at every opportunity.It just says "Play Me,I'm yours"
When I picked up the guitar in the shop I knew it was going home with me even though I tried every other Gibson,Martin and Taylor in the place.By the way,the staff in this shop are friendly,knowledgeable and don't mind how long you sit playing their guitars.

Ok,so it's a beautiful guitar BUT....A guitar of this quality and price should be set up correctly by the Gibson guitar builder.In this case the action was so high it was almost unplayable.This is a complaint I've heard said about Gibsons before.There really is no excuse for allowing such a high quality expensive guitar to leave the factory in anything other than optimum condition.To make the guitar playable the nut has been re-cut and the bridge saddle lowered.Now I can play without slicing my finger tips off!!


There is something about Gibson acoustic guitars that other guitars just don't have.They are mostly handmade by craftsmen from top quality materials.The finish is high gloss nitro cellulose which looks stunning but is very easily damaged. I love the feel of this guitar,the spruce top has a glow to it,it is finely grained with cross silking.The rosewood back and sides are deep red-brown and nicely figured.At first the sound was a bit constricted but has now opened up and it really sings but you have to use the correct strings,I've found 11-52 are best.

If I was sensible I would have bought a Taylor or a Martin just because they are better set up than most Gibsons but they're not Gibsons.And that's the thing.Even though the action was crap and it took a while to get the sound right,I know that this is the best guitar I'll ever own.Until I buy another Gibson that is.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The Gibson J-45 rosewood is a recent model reissue of the famous "slope shouldered" dreadnought made popular from the 1940s through to now. Its design was unique and offered a bit more comfort for musicians who didn't care for the typical dreadnought design. The J-45 has always been a popular rival for Martins and it's no surprise why, as its clear and punchy tone is perfect for country, bluegrass and rock stylings where a loud and distinct acoustic tone is key. This guitar features a spruce top, rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard, an ebony bridge. Some models are equipped with an onboard pickup as well. They're currently built in Gibson's Montana plant in the US of A.

UTILIZATION

The design of this guitar is fairly ergonomic considering the size and the fact that it's not a smaller cutaway model acoustic. It might be a bit daunting for someone who is used to electric or smaller acoustic guitars, but overall it's fairly easy to play. The slope shouldered design offers comfort and a nice playing surface, the neck has a nice profile which is a good balance between thick and thin, and the overall feel is very polished, yet rugged at the same time. The upper fret access isn't bad, but considering it's a non-cutaway acoustic I can't be too harsh on it in that department.

Getting a good sound out of this guitar is pretty simple. It has its own voice that has made it a very popular acoustic guitar for many years. It's not quite as boomy as a comparable Martin; it seems to have a bit more articulation and a bit more punch for chord and lead work. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's rawer sounding, but it definitely has a little less of the pretty factor than some of the Martins do.

SOUNDS

The guitar sounds really quite good upon first strum. Granted, Gibson can be a bit inconsistent, and some of the J-45s I've tried weren't particularly to my taste. However when I've found one that I liked, I was pleased as punch. As stated, they seem to have a clearer and thicker tone that is very unique and all its own. It works particularly well for things like country or bluegrass styles where articulation is a must-have trait in a guitar. The onboard pickup sounds decent too. It's not ridiculously fancy but it reproduces the guitar's natural tone quite well and is a good match for the instrument.

OVERALL OPINION

The Gibson J-45 rosewood is a great guitar for anyone looking for a reissue of the classic instrument that defined a certain acoustic sound. It feels great, has a classic look and has that cannon-esque sound that only a slope shoulder can deliver. They sell for about $2,300 on average which is a pretty good price considering the quality of tone that you're getting. If you're a serious acoustic player and want one of the iconic tones of this past century for acoustic guitars, you'd be hard pressed to go wrong with a J-45!

This guitar is great. It comes with a transducer pick-up and an ebony fretborad. There are no settings on this guitar, just plug and play, and really you don't need any. This guitar sounds great right out of the box. The neck is very playable and feels great.

UTILIZATION

This guitar has a great body shape and is a bit smaller than most. The rounded instead of square shoulders give it a great feel and it is very comfortable to play. The sound is absolutely amazing. The bass, mids, and highs are all very well balanced and all can be plainly heard. I've never played a guitar that sounds like this one.

SOUNDS

I'm an acousitc player and this guitar is the top of the line as far as I am concerned. I run it through either my Crate Gunnison amp or my PA. With both I get and incredible sound with no adjustments at all. Set everything to zero and play, this guitar sounds that good right out of the box. I've found that messing with different settings is a waste of time with this guitar. It sounds so clean, clear, and just as in your face as an acoustic can get. To be honest you might not even need to plug it in if you are just playing a coffee shop show or something kind of small. This guitar has a very powerful, projecting sound.

OVERALL OPINION

There is nothing at all that I don't like about this guitar, it feels great, plays great, and sounds great. Not to mention it's very easy on the eyes as well. I've played alot of acoustic guitars in my day and this one is by far the best I've ever played, hands down.
This is however an expensive guitar, you are going to pay about $2400 for it new. If you have that kind of money for a guitar this is your baby. I have no reservations about the price this guitar is definitely worth it.