Gibson J-160E Electric/Acoustic

El acabado de esta Gibson es sorprendente, muy bonito el vintage sunburst, la limpio con Pride cada vez que la toco y listo!!!!! Como nueva. Muy buenas maderas en su construcci??n como la caoba, el pino abeto y el rosewood. Es una guitarra de tipo Dreadnought, pero suena como una cl??sica Jumbo. Es de caja gruesa. Las clavijas son Kluson y se puede leer en ellas GIBSON DELUXE. El m??stil es como el de una Les Paul, es una caracter??stica que me agrada mucho. El case no es nada econ??mico, pero es el ideal para una Guitarra tan fina como esa. Mi Gibson data de 1996, hecha en Montana, USA. Solid Top. Una guitarra no necesariamente electro/ac??stica, ya que cuando se conecta se parece mas a una de Jazz de caja. Trae incorporado un P-100.

Mi estilo de m??sica es Beatles, as?? que esta guitarra es perfecta para mi. Suena pastoso, pero creo que todas las Gibsons suenan de esa forma. Me gusta su robusta construcci??n, aunque prefiero que vengan con el puente ajustable, como las viejas de los 60's.

La acci??n es un poco alta para mi gusto, y el potenci??metro de volumen a veces falla cuando se coloca full, pero son detalles que uno de estos d??as podr?? arreglar, sin problema, ye que tengo cierta experiencia ajustando guitarras ac??sticas y el??ctricas.

He tocado en varias oportunidades en vivo y otros m??sicos han quedados maravillados con el sonido el??ctrico que produce la guitarra, no se parece en nada al sonido brillante de las Ovations. El strap button es el mismo jack en este reissue, no como las de los 60's, cuya entrada queda debajo. La uso en los toques sin una back guitar, me da toda la confianza que necesito.

Never dealt with them.

He tocado por al menos 15 a??os, tengo adem??s una Rickenbacker 325v63, una Rickenbacker 360/12V64, una Gretsch Tennessean, una Epiphone Casino y una Country. Hubiese querido que el jack quedase debajo, como en los modelos vintage. Si fuese robada, golpeara al est??pido que lo hizo y creo que me costar??a mucho volver a comprar otra por su alto costo :(. Amo el Beatle sound que produce ??ste ejemplar de Gibson, odio el color p??rpura del interior del case, y lo que m??s me agrada es su sonido el??crtrico cuando se enchufa a mi VOX-AC30. Sigo insistiendo en que el puente deber??a ajustable.

2007 J 160e, Finish is a polyurathayne over a Vintage Sunburst stain/paint?? Body is sloped shoulder dred. Tuners are Grover, although I'd rather the regular Gibby tuners.Neck is sweet and fast. Has OHSC. Made in Bozman, Montana in the good ole' U S of A! This baby had a solid spruce top, with solid mahog back and sides! Has the standard pick up for the J 160e... I give her a 10..hey, yo...it's a GIBSON!

She suits me just fine and dandy for my style, if you will, of music. Sound is there no matter how I play her! Plugged in, I can get damn near any sound I want! I love this guitar!!!

She was perfectly set up right out of the case. Perfect bookmatch on her top! Absolutly no flaws.

She can take any gig I take her to! Total dependability! All is solid!IF I had no back up guitar, which I always have, I can use her all night.

Standard Gibby warrenty. I have spoken with the Gibson support team a few times about other things, they are the most helpful tam I've ever had the pleasure to work with!

I've got 40 plus years on stage. I do own a few other guitars, but always use the J 160e. If lost or...God forbid..stolen, I would get another. No if's, and's or but's! Go hold one in your arms, stroke her, caress her and you will probably fall for her as I did.

Top Sitka,Back and sides solid Mahogony.

Sounds loud and clear and all registers.Very nice tone,this is what I like the most.Also easy to see why the Beatles liked this guitar...it was their sound.

This is where I am disappointed.Action is high and I sent it to Gibson and it came back the same way.Also when it came back extremely scratched up.

Seems very durable and well built.Gibson Montana is doing a great job reproducing the old gibsons.

They responded to my problems by letting me send back the guitar.The Gitar came back in worse shape.I sent it back and they corrected most of the problems.Not as good as Martin so I'm not sure if I would buy from Gibson again.

I've been playing 50 years ,I'm not sure this ones a keeper as I like the sound but the high action is not making me happy.

My J160e was made in Bozeman Montana in 2002. I bought mine off ebay but I was told that it was brand new and never been played (which seems to be the case since there were no pick scratches and it still had the tags. Unlike the limited edition John Lennon version, this J160e has a solid spruce sitka top and x-bracing. I have played both this model and the Lennon model and I must say that I like mine much better. Another note that I must make is the smell of this guitar. The body smells sort of like chocolate and the insides smell of rich wood. Fantastic!

The sound in this guitar is absolutely increadible! A perfect ballance of Trebble and Bass. It has a nice warm tone to it which makes me smile every time I play it. Due to the fact that it has P100 magnetic pickups, it doesn't sound to great when plugged in when using brass strings (it only picks up the steel core). This doesn't bother me all that much since I usually mic it for recording purposes. I have tried putting on Nickel wound strings on it, which sound alright, but nothing compared to my Elixers.

The Action on this guitar is also fantastic, no complaints there.. as for the flaws... I must say that I am a perfectionist and I have noticed a few flaws on this guitar. There were a few glue marks on the fretbord and the pickguard seemd to be a little wavy. Also the strings that were placed on the guitar weren't the greatest when I first got it (not really a problem since I chenged them imediately for Elixiers). Also I have found that the G, B, and high E strings don't stay in tune all that well. I plan on replacing these sometime in the near future. Still even though there are flaws, the sound that this guitar makes and the playability outweigh any minor flaw. And besides the glue marks, everything else can be somewhat easily replaced

This guitar seems to be very solid. I was afraid that since I payed so much for this thing that it would be increadibly fragile, but it seems like a tough guitar. I would definately use this guitar without a backup. I also have faith in the Gibson hardware that it will last a long time.

There was a warrenty card in the case when I bought it, but since I bought it of a guy on Ebay I doubt that it will still be valid. I've heard that the employees at Bozeman are very efficiant and helpful, but since I have never dealt with them personally I can't really give a rating for this part.

I have been playing guitar for 11 years. The J160e will be my 8th guitar. My other accoustics that I have are all Yamaha's (all FG series including my 12 string) as is my bass. Although if you combined the cost of all of my acoustics it still wouldn;t cost the same ammount as the J160e, it is worth every penny. When looking for a new guitar I spent a long time playing other guitars (including Martins and other Gibsons). I first ran into the J160e in the store. It was the Limited edition version (I didn't know that at the time when I first picked it up) and it was love at first sight. Then my heart sank when I sawy the price. I found the J160e that I have now on ebay at less than half the cost and was pleasantly surprised when this model sounded better than the Lennon model. I've had this guitar for 3 months now and I am totally pleased. If this guitar was stolen I would probably die. Since I bought this guitar it has given me more inspiration to play and write music. Other than the few issues with the glue stains etc., this guitar is perfect! My dream guitar. I would recomend this model to anyone if you have the cash.

My guitar has a 1999 serial number, but it was inspected and shipped from the Bozeman factory in January 2000 (probably after their holiday break). Unlike the original '60s models, it has a solid top and x-bracing, which makes for a better tone when played acoustically. Aesthetically it comes very close to a '60s J-160E, but some of the super-minor details were ignored or overlooked. This drives the Beatle freaks nuts, but doesn't bother me in the least. Gibson has done a nice job recreating and reinventing this legendary guitar, and I would guess that the modern version is a better sounding instrument than the ones Lennon and Harrison bought in 1962 and 1964. (For you absolute purists out there, a limited edition Lennon signature model, built to '60s spec, is available for more $$. Fullers Guitars in Houston also commissioned a run of '60s-spec J-160E's from Gibson, but without the Lennon signature.) Incidentally, the J-160E, aside from the natural finish Lennon "Peace" reissue, is no longer officially in production. However, if a retailer is willing to order enough Gibson will make a special order run. That's why you still see the modern J-160E in Musician's Friend catalogs every month.

These guitars have a bad reputation as acoustic guitars, no doubt because of the laminated topped, ladder braced '60s models (which were designed specifically to eliminated feedback when amplified, and are more of an electric guitar anyway). The redesigned contemporary version, with its X-bracing and solid woods throughout, sounds beautiful either acoustically or electrified. It has a rich, warm tone in either application, and not at all tinny or flat. The J-160E is a rather unique instrument, and may not be your best choice if you only want one acoustic guitar (although its my only acoustic!). For one thing, due to the magnetic P-100 humbucker, standard bronze acoustic strings will not sound good electrified, as only the steel string core will be picked up. I personally use premium imported nickel flatwounds (like the Beatles and Peter & Gordon used with their J-160Es), which sound very jazzy when the guitar is plugged in, and still have plenty of ring and chime when unplugged. (The bonus to using flatwounds is you don't get any string squeak, plus they last forever.) Overall, the tone is halfway between an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar, but rather than being tonally compromised, it has a unique and pleasant quality of its own.

Everything about the guitar has the stamp of a quality instrument. The gleaming finish is a beautiful aged tobacco sunburst, the pickup is dead quiet, the seams on the top and back of the body are barely noticeable, and the tuners are nice and tight. The guitar even has a sweet woody aroma from the soundhole! Reading the Gibson Montana literature, and playing this fine guitar, I get the impression that this division of the company has a strong sense of pride in their work, and have assumed their place in the company's rich history. There is something to be said for owning a fine handcrafted American guitar like a Gibson.

The guitar is built to last, and doesn't seem delicate in the least. It's made to be played! I like the little details like the round piece of felt that was inserted between the strap button and the surface of the guitar, to protect the finish. I've never seem any other guitars with that. The only negative thing I can mention is, when I received the guitar, the nuts securing the pots to the body were loose, and the pots were wobbling around. It only took a few seconds with a small wrench to fix! Big deal.

I called Gibson Montana to get some advice about doing a set-up, and the CSR I spoke with was very friendly and certainly well-informed about these guitars. He answered my questions thoroughly and gave me some excellent suggestions on setting it up. The call ended with him saying, "Enjoy your guitar!" Well done, Gibson.

I originally owned a Tokai T65E, which is a $400 Korean copy of a J-160E. The Tokai was a nice guitar for the money, but seemed kind of lightweight (like it wasn't made from the best materials) and somewhat blah sounding except when amplified. Three weeks after buying it I sold it and bought a real J-160E. I had always wanted a Gibson acoustic, but couldn't really afford one until recently. I managed to find a good deal on a 4-year-old used on in dead mint condition (even still had the plastic adhesive sheet on the pickguard) on eBay, sold by a reputable dealer. This is a superb instrument, and I would be crushed if I were to lose it. The only things I would like to see different about it is, I wish the bridge saddle had adjustable action, like the '60s models, and I wish the saddle and nut were made from a better material than plastic.

2002 Gibson J-160E

Solid spruce top
Classic Gibson sunburst finish
X-Bracing
Mahogany back & sides
P100 passive pickup at the end of the neck
Volume & Tone knobs
Bound neck with trapezoid MOP inlay
Jumbo frets

Acoustically, it sounds awesome. Rich vibrant bass, crisp highs. Warm and a punchy attack when strummed and flat picked. Very versatile and tonally right there with the rest of the sloped shoulder Gibsons.

The pickup does not do anything for me. I am not a beatles fan and not into the whole brassy sound. I installed a better pickup system, but who knows, I may experiment a little with the P100 in the future.

Factory set up was high, but Gibson admits that they purposely do this. I replaced the synthetic nut and plastic pins for fossilized ivory and bone. Found a good deal on the ivory for just forty bucks. It made a HUGE difference. Just to let you know, I'm naturally a skeptic too! Tusq doesn't do justice in comparing the improvements of fossilized walrus ivory. If you'd like to know more about it, shoot me an email.

The unique think about the J-160E is that the neck joint is one fret more than the other slope shoulders while still retaining a short scale 24.75. This has meant higher access up the neck for riffs and solos. Also, the jumbo frets are another unique feature that, to the best of my knowledge, is not offered on the other slope shoulder models. I has made bends a lot easier; something I do not enjoy doing with smaller vintage style frets. I used to own a J-180 Special Edition which I replaced specifically for this reason. It sounded absolutely amazing for strumming, but not the best guitar for picking and solos. The J-160E is perfect feel for my playing style.

Flawless and beautiful. No finish bleeding onto the binding. No chips or finish cracks. No buzzing anywhere. The inlay looks flawless, the finish is phenomenal, it's not hypersensitive to humidity (like other guitars I've owned and played) and it's built like a tank.

I'm a Gibson acoustic guy. I love the tone of their acoustics. I started off with a Martin rosewood guitar; a D1-R. But I kept going to a local store to play the Gibsons there and my ear for tone started to develop. Soon I was sold on Gibsons and got rid of my Martin. I play mostly with a urban-rock-folk-blues style and my Martin sounded too bluegrassy/countryish for me. Gibson acoustics are perfect for my ears. The slope shoulder acoustics have the perfect balance between tone for strumming and attack for flat picking and soloing.

I own a 1994 100 Year Anniversary Model J-160E in Sunburst.

The sound is pretty bland, but strait forward, sound fades quickly. You have to really put the pick to it. I use Martin Medium's, the Light's are weak and the heavy's are like railroad tracks. If my hands were massive it may make a difference, but I have average sized hands.

I hate the neck. It's flat and it's wide as 5 lane freeway.
The neck is warped, buzzes, rattles, it's just plain bad, and all the authorized dealer's run me out of the shop in haste in fear of actually having to work for a living. The gold knobs stick way way way out, there is like a 1/2" separation from the body top and the bottom of the knob.

I can talk about durability around here more than anyone, because I have abused this as much as possible because I hate it. It is now 10 years old and I treat it like a face-pierced step-child with a truency officer personally assigned to him. My pickguard is scraped and the edges are nicked and is messier than the kitchen sink from all the fried chicken, beer and Ramien noodle juice. It has been thrown around in disgust after in consistent tone embarassed me for the last time over and over again. The guitar appears to sound good, but the aggrevation of playing it makes me look like I can't play a note.

Excepting the neck is bad, as much as I have rampaged over this guitar, it's held up, no doubt about it.

Since I did not send in the warranty card at 30 days after purchase, it will cost me $1000 for a new neck. The authorized dealers simply ignore me when they look at the neck. There is nothing they can do.

Over all rating? I hate the flat wide neck and high knobs, and my neck is warped and unrepairable.

It looks great, kinda plastic looking, and it looks like it should sound good. It's durable, it could use a neck replacement, and it's always for sale. I had it sold on Ebay one time for $500. It went up to $1600. I called the buyer and I told him I just couldn't rip him off. I still am stuck with it.

Left-Handed J-160E, made in May 1995 Bozeman, Montana
20 frets
Solid Sitka Spruce top
P-100 pickup, passive electronics
Mahogany back and sides, Indian Rosewood fretboard
Tobacco sunburst nitrocellulose finish
Dreadnought body
Non-adjustable Indian Rosewood bridge
Keystone colored Kluson tuners
24 3/4" scale slim taper neck
Brown Gibson Montana hard shell case w/purple shag lining
Humidifier, polish cloth

Played acoustically this guitar sounds great with excellent bass and mid-range, like a good Gibson dreadnought should have, great for rhythm playing. If you're looking for that pinging high end you get with a Martin, this is probably not the guitar for you. Plugged in, it sounds like a jazz guitar. Having flatwound nickel strings on this guitar enhances it's sound and works much better with the pickup than bronze acoustic strings.

This particular guitar had a couple of issues when I got it. The action was a bit high due the bridge being too high on the treble side. Gibson factory authorized service filed down the bridge which improved it's playability dramatically. The action from that point on was low and very easy. The other problem was that the pickguard was starting to lift off of the guitar's top. Again Gibson took care of it free of charge. Other that, cosmetically it's perfect. The guitar's finish is flawless and still looks great after almost seven years of regular handling and playing.

I've never had any problems with this guitar when playing out with it. In fact the guitar holds it's tuning better just about any of the other guitars I own. It's a real workhorse!!!

Gibson's customer service in Bozeman is superb and very helpful. When they say lifetime warranty, they mean what they say!

When I bought this instrument I'd only been playing for a few months, so I've developed my playing style around this guitar. One of my favorite things about it is the neck shape, which is like a '60 Les Paul. Fast neck and very comfortable, unlike some J-160's I've seen that have bulky necks that feel like a billy club! If anything were to happen to my J-160E, I'd definitely try to find another. Although unfortunately this particular model is quite rare in lefty form and is now only a special order item through the custom shop. One of my favorite guitars.

Made in Montana in March of 2002. All features as mentioned by others. Repro tuners, everything looks like it did when Lennon and Harrison picked theirs up at the store.

Nice full sound with strong bass like a Gibson. Better unplugged and miked like the Beatles did. Slight annoying hum when plugged in, and very little volume and tone control. Most times I have them up all the way and use the amp controls. But sounds like a jazz box. Who needs all the gizmos on other acoustic/electrics. These are simple.

Bought this through Musicians Friend. Returned two others as one had a defect in the Gibson logo on the head, the other came with a smashed volume know and deep scratch near bridge. I think they were trying to pawn off several returns on me. Had to call Gibson USA and complained to them. They called Musicians Friend and after almost two months of return hassles, got a fresh one. This one has no blems or glue runs or anything. Perfect. I am giving a seven, because I do not know how Gibson quality control let these other two out.

Finish is tough, and appears durable. Well made strap button. Lousy controls, as stated. Would use it without backup, it is solid.

They are nice and helped me out. Recommended John Pearse strings, and yelled at me for buying it from a mail order house, versus trying it in person. I have learned my lesson. No warranty problems yet.

Off and on for ten years. If stolen, I would buy another. It is just neat to have a copy of a Beatle guitar. People really like it.

Made in 2002 Bozeman Montana Bought It from Musicians friends it has a solid sitka spruce top with mohagany back and sides.The finish is flawless and comes with a p-90 pickup at the end of the neck

I play a variety of styles from folk to country and rock.I play thru a Fender acoustisonic amp.This guitar has a wonderful warm woody tone.I own a taylor 814ce and a martin d28 both fine instruments but the gibson j160e certainly sounds and plays better than both the taylor or martin.This is my main instrument until i find something out there that sounds and plays as well as this instrument.Only regret not owning this before now.

The set up was perfect from the factory unlike other guitars iv'e had to tweek. The only down side were the strings which i replaced immediatly with elixers.The finish is perfect couldn't ask for a more buitiful guitar.

I have only owned this guitar for a few monthes but so far everything seems to holding up fine.

I have never dealt with the company so i can't comment.

I have been playing guitar for nearly 30 years. I own a martin d28,taylor 814ce,fender acoustisonic amp,fender blues jr,Fender straticaster,Rickenbacker 360 12 string.If it were stolen i would replace it.It is the finest instrument i have ever played or own.Don't make the mistake i did play the gibson's before you purchace a taylor or martin.