Gibson J-45 Modern Classic

J45 sunburst, spruce top, mahogany back and sides. Equipped with a Fishman pick-up. I'm sure you all know ...

Beautiful sound, loud, warm and full. Nice basses and clear highs, and all very well balanced. I play mainly rock/blues/pop and whether you strummed it hard or finger pick it, this guitar is very responsive and maintains its tone and nuances at any volume. Very inspiring and versatile, not for nothing was nicknamed the "work horse". I initially went for a Gibson Songwriter Deluxe, but I also tried other guitars, namely: Martin 00028, Martin D35, Martin D28, Gibson Hummingbird, Taylor 510L9 and 514EC. Mind, all beautiful instruments, but I fell in love with the J45 sound as soon as I played the first few chords.

No flaws at all with my guitar. Good finish and beautiful sunburst.I had to lower the action because I have problems on my left hand, but the playability of this instrument was extremely good from the start.

It seems very well built and sturdy. I definitely bring with me to my next gig in a month or so, along with the other Gibson I have, a J165, which from now on will be used mainly for finger picking.

No need so far.

I would certainly buy another one if it gets stolen. I owned bought and sold many guitars (not all very good though), but I consider this one my definite one, a guitar to play and to get older with. I think is a great instrument but, as another chap on this forum suggested: try as many as you can before choosing one. I personally tried 13 different J45 before purchasing mine, and they all sound slightly different (a couple of them not good at all, at least to my ears).

You probably know the score already: The stock J-45 Modern Classic has a sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, bone nut, tusq saddle, and a rosewood fingerboard on its 24 3/4 scale neck. Mine was built in September 2008 at Bozeman, Montana.

The guitar has an active L R Baggs pick up (with neat little volume knob in the sound hole and battery pack inside the body near the neck) and nickel Grovers in the tuner department. It comes with a good quality hard case.

This is all good. I give it a 9 for features - you don't need much else from an acoustic guitar.

I don't like the plastic bridge pins. I replaced them with 30 GBP worth of brass pins inlaid with mother of pearl - what a difference!

This J-45 has SOUL even though it's still brand new. The sound is warm, subtle, and mellow - more dominant in the mid range than the high - yet as clear as a bell. I fully expect that the score in this department will increase to 10 as the years go by. Only other comment is that it does not seem to tolerate worn strings - I find I've got to keep them fresh.

The J-45 does have a tendency to disappear in the mix if you attempt some flash licks when there are two or three other instruments scrubbing away at the same time. I think it excels as a strummed rhythm guitar. At its acoustic gig debut, the consensus among my fellow players was that it was ******* loud when used for that purpose. The brass bridge pins I added might have made the difference there, though.

The piezo pick up system sounds perfectly adequate through a PA system with minimal fuss. It doesn't set the world alight, but then I haven't really tinkered with the amplified sound too much so far, nor used any specialist acoustic amplification.

I liked the action straight out of the case. It???s not particularly low, but it???s very comfortable. The neck is as straight as a die and it???s incredibly playable. I have large hands/long fingers but I have never been one for a long scale guitar. I can???t put this baby down!

The Grover tuners are reassuringly heavy and very precise - they hold tune very well.

As for the finish ??? WOW! Firstly the banana-like aroma of the nitrocellulose is fantastic. Secondly, I have never seen such a gorgeous sunburst ??? it???s subtle (from tobacco to almost black) but it???s nothing short of stunning.

I deduct a point due to some trifling matters: a) I think the pick guard looks a little cheap when compared to the stunning finish b) some of the dot markers on the top side of the fingerboard are off-centre.

I gigged this guitar with no back up only last week. I spent over a grand on it. I trust it implicitly and explicitly - why wouldn't I?

All in all the J-45 feels very solid from a structural perspective - spare strings are all you need. My only negative comment is that the finish seems susceptible to surface scratches - even from something innocuous like plastic shirt buttons. But all this adds to a guitar's character - and guitar polish hides surface scratches quite well - so my complaint is pretty insignificant.

I have had no cause to contact Gibson so far and I hope it stays that way.

I've been playing since the mid 80s when I was in my mid teens. This is the first premium guitar I have owned. I previously played a Simon & Patrick SP-6, and before that a beaten up old Yamaha dating from the 70s that I literally wore out.

You must decide whether the J-45 is right for your playing style before you buy one. If you want a guitar that ensures your licks can be heard in a group situation, buy one that has more dominant highs (e.g. a Martin). If you want the perfect guitar to accompany vocals and to underpin your band's acoustic sound, then I heartily recommend the J-45. As a rhythm player and vocalist, I'm happy this is the right acoustic guitar for me.

Under each category I deducted a point for relatively minor matters, but I am utterly delighted with this guitar. If it was lost or stolen, I'd get another Gibbo straight away. Well done to all at Bozeman.

Brand new Gibson J45 Rosewood. Comes with a case and factory installed baggs pickup.

Sounds great except for the setup and pickup problems.
I also play a Martin D18 and a couple of Matons (EM 325c & MJ 707.
It is a great addition to my family of acoustics.
I've always wanted that classic Gibson acoustic sound.

This is the rosewood J45 and some of the finish around the neck joint is sloppy.
From day one I had to change the nut as it was too low. It had buzzing issues.
The BIG issue is that it seems to have a problem with the way the saddle sits on the pickup ribbon. The volume balance changes and at the moment the bottom E has no volume at all. I have had this back to the shop over 6 times. I emailed Baggs and they recommended I place a small strip of electrical tape under the bridge. No good. I've had the balance change mid song. I'm gigging 3 nights a week and I can't rely on it.
I'm going to pull it out and put a K & K fantastik in it. I have them in other instruments and they sound great are cheap in price and idiot proof.
Do yourself a favour and be sure change the pickup.

Great guitar. Pickup system not worth a cent. I've battled with this thing for 4 months and I've now given up on the pickup.
Spare yourself the frustration and time waste. Don't buy a J45 and rely on the pickup.
I can't gig with this guitar until I remedy the pickup problem.
The Gibson case is useless. It tears and scars up from day one. Get a hiscox.
It's a shame that a $4999 guitar has to have a new case and pickup from the get go.

I emailed Gibson and got no response.
I emailed Baggs and waited a week to be told "try some electrical tape under the saddle".
The local shop has been great. Seems to be the way of it these days. The manufacturer leaves it all up to the retailer.
This guitar was my second choice. It is a replacement for a J150 that was sent back because the neck twisted. That took 6 months of sending it away where it was heat treated and returned to me but it did it again.

The guitar is exactly what you expect from Gibson.
Beautiful sound. Nice to play. No customer service, problem with the finish and useless electronics and case.
If you want a great sound and frustration and heart break and you have money to throw away buy a Gibson J45 Rosewood.
Oh and did I mention that this was a replacement of a J150 that was sent back because the neck twisted.
I love my Martin D18, in fact even my cheap Matons seem very price relevant. Above all they're reliable and I didn't have to spend more money and time on them after I'd already paid a premium.
I don't like being screwed but at least kiss me !

2008 J-45 Modern Classic. Not many bells and whistles. New Modern Classic line is a nice mix of traditional design with a few modern features. The built-in pickup is nice, and the Grover tuners are great. Still just a simple mahogany dreadnaught. That's how i like it.

Beautiful, sweet tone that J-45's are famous for. Not as loud as a D-18 or an Advanced Jumbo, but sounds rich and complex. I might play my D-18 for country and bluegrass stuff, but a J-45 is unequalled when accompanying a voice. Great for fingerstyle stuff too.

Gorgeous sunburst finish gives just a little flash to a fairly plain guitar. Nobody does sunburst like Gibson. It's beautiful. Stock action seems good. Not too high, but not so low that it kills the tone. Frets are well dressed (i wish Gibson electrics were this good). Endpin jack is antique bronze color, while the tuners are chrome. Why is that? Stock bridge pins are cheesy, but authentic.

Nitro finish requires a little extra care, but that's expected. This guitar will last a lifetime.

Great warranty. Hard to reach them by email.

Montana Gibsons are some of the best ever, and equal to anything out there. Lots of newer and flashier models out there from Gibson and others, but a J-45 is hard to beat. They have a unique sound, look great, and the short scale makes them nice to play. It's not a cheap guitar, but still a great value for a premium acoustic.

The Guitar is from 1985 and is called J-45E because of its built in speaker and volumeknob on top of the side. The colour is in honeyburst which is quite rare for being a J-45, (actually the only J-45 i have ever seen in this colour) solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides. This one is built a couple of years before they started in Bozeman, its made in Nashville.

This one is from 1985 and it was the first year Gibson reintroduced the roundshoulder since 1969 i think. With the J-45 back to the roots model it feels like Gibson is being sober up after being drunk for years " We have been making these strange things with the J-45 for 16 years, let's make them like they should be." The guitar is very light and got a nice dry woody tone, it is also very loud. You barely have to touch the strings. I think this is the most versatile acoustic i have ever played. You can fingerpick it or strum, it responds real well to both. Strum a G chord on this one and you are sold forever. All other guitars i have played have sounded best with new strings played for a couple of days, after that the sound just get worse. This J-45 sounds just better and better after weeks of playing ! This guitar with its yellowed bindings and aged honeyburst looks and sounds like it's fifty years old

No gaps, nothing loose,no flaws other than normal dings after almost 23 years of use, solid as a rock. The guy who had it befor me had never adjusted the neck so it was to much of a bow on it, i adjusted the neck with some small adjustmnets everyday (Better safe than sorry)Now it plays like a dream ! It is made in Nashville before the climate-controlled place in Bozeman Montana, so unfortunately the top has two small repaired cracks, it just adds to the patina though.

Rock solid !

I have owned 17 acoustic guitars and played both Martins and Taylors and i own two Guilds. I have been playing since 1986. I play both fingerstyle and strum, blues, folk, bluegrass. My rosewood Guild rings better but the J-45 is louder, more versatile and has more quality in its tone, it beats all the other brands I've tried. If I lost it i would sure get another one, I don??t think I would get a hold af a honeyburst though.

It's a J-45. You know.... slope shouldered, spruce top, mahogany back sides and neck, beautiful sunburst. Classic understated looks.
Here's the specs-
http://www.gibson.com/en%2Dus/Divisions/Gibson%20Acoustic/Modern%20Classics/Round%20Shoulder%20Dreadnought/J%2D45/

I play lots of styles but with this... Americana and not radio, formulaic, over-produced, pop, poseur country. Rich and balanced sound. Clear, unboomy bottom end with sparkly highs.

I was really surprised by the sound of the pickup. "If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, then it's a piezo." Except here! I plugged it straight into a Deluxe and man.... it sounds bloody acoustic. As I turned it up loud, real loud, the high end was a little brittle. Add a preamp like you are supposed to (Sansamp Acoustic DI) and it is back. This is the best sounding stock pickup ever.

One problem- the high E was a little anemic through the pickup. I found out the pickup is a LR Baggs Element and then I looked at the Baggs web site for the installation guide to figure out I needed to move the pickup a little south. Voila!

This was hand picked in Bozeman. The grain of the top is tight and flawless. The finish is high gloss and just plain, darn perfect.
The frets are polished and the ends are dressed. The setup was perfect.

It's a non-Norlin Gibson. Bozeman made guitars rock. This is the Golden Era for Gibson.

It's a Gibson. If you are the original owner, its covered forever.

I have been playing since 1969. This compares to my Martin HD-28V. I would take the 45 over the 28... if I really had to pick. If it was stolen, I would track the thief down and castrate him with a plastic fork.

There are lots of new J-45 models. This Modern Classic was suggested by a VERY reliable source as the 45 of choice. Gibson modeled the new 45's after a very special '51 which I have played. While not a 56 yr old, it has the same voice. I can't wait to see what it sounds like half a decade from now. I will probably be dead but I am taking this with me.