Gibson J-50

Unfortunately, Henry and company have pulled the plug on the J-50 and all of you who will have trouble getting one. It has vanished from the Gibson website and vendors report it is discontinued.

But: the price on the J-45 has gone up!

If Martin would make a bluesy shortscale slope shouldered option they might score big... at least with me.

The J-50 had no real frills. A Baggs undersaddle transducer pickup that was better than most, was its only modern feature.

The Grover tuners could be better... Of course.

The scalloped bracing delivers great tone and volume. The wood quality were excellent.

Intonation is good with both Light and Medium strings.

Great, great guitar. 9 instead of ten because it has no Rosewood version and no ebony fingerboard option.

Suits most styles well. Rich and woody tone, enough balance for "fingerstyle" James Taylorites. It takes heavy strumming very well.

The strings you pick make a huge difference. If you like power and brightness get phosphor bronze (coated). If you like the muted, flubbery sound (like dirty strings) 80/20 are great. The guitar can be sound adjusted by the strings. I don't like the extra lights... just don't.
BUY an inventory of strings so when Obama takes your buying/speech/human rights away you can still play the blues.

Well set up from Guitar Center... seriously. Dave in Roseville MN must have tweaked it a bit... The saddle is good.

Neck stability is very good. This matters through the changes in fall, winter, spring and summer...

I replaced the strap button, not because the button was no good, but because I got a very nice cream colored one...

Funny, NEVER have had a string break... Unlike the Taylors which break the G string all the time.

The volume pot dial thing inside the sound hole fell loose... Not good, but easy to fix. I used hide glue and it went right back.

They quit making 'em. that's offensive but not customer service.

Never needed service. Although I did email with a question about the tuners and never got an answer...

43 years of dinking on the gittar.

Favorite feature is the sound. Also important is the short scale.

This is a report after about 1 1/2 years of ownership. The detail work has held up. The guitar seems a bit less vulnerable to temp and humidity changes than others. The Tuners have a bit of slippage, but not bad and not more than other NEW Grovers sometimes have.

Sound has actually improved in the first two years. The sound is more expressive than many guitars. Great for humorous or soulful sounds. As everyone knows, the J-45's and J-50's are the choice of many blues and finger style players.

I like the simplicity of the guitar. Not much eye candy to distract the ears. The headstock is simply elegant.

The guitar was well setup when I got it. Not much there to report.

The bridge pins were replaced with ebony pins which are very nice and not a huge investment. Good pins can noticeably enhance sound quality, unlike some other upgrades.

THIS J-50 has no flaws of finish. Very uncharacteristic of Gibson USA in recent years. They do great work, but often there is a problem with drips, thin spots, cloudiness etc. that you expect to be missing on an expensive instrument.

The J-50 seems to be as rugged as any other guitar that is treated with respect and care. I wish they used better tuning machines.

I put an ivoroid strap button on it. Looks nice and has not cracked.

I would use it without backup.

Never

42 years and counting. First lead solo was the theme of Endless Summer. Of course.

I have owned a Martin HD28 (should NOT have sold it), an Olson, and many others. I still retain this J-50 and an OLD Ovation Balladeer which sounds great and was wonderfully supported and repaired at the Ovation plant in Connecticut.

This model has a shorter scale which aids in string bending and relieving my aged joints.

I wish they had this with an Ebony fingerboard.

1954 Gibson J-50 made in the USA, classic slope shoulder with tear drop pickguard. Finish was stripped at some point on the back, sides and headstock. Back and sides were re-done in a french polish. Top finish is a mystery. All solid: Spruce, mahogany and rosewood fret board. The tuners have been replaced (sloppy style) with Grovers. Whoever reamed the holes for this cracked the headstock, but not a big deal. It has been repaired properly. 19 frets, as was the practice until '55. Neck was reset recently, and a whole fret job with medium jumbos. No pickup as of yet, but looking for one that will represent the amazing tone of this guitar. Overall, rugged and beat up looks, but that's how I like it.

I play Americiana, Travis picking, folk/country and rock n' roll. You can check out the tunes at http://myspace.com/johncourage . Good golly miss molly, this guitar is hands down the BEst, I repeat THE BEST sounding guitar i have ever played!!! I have played vintage Martins, worked in a guitar store that sold custom Taylors, sneaked in chords on friends dad's Guilds, played and owned other vintage Gibsons, and all the way across the board, this guitar destroys all of them. The trick? Up until 1955, Gibson used scalloped bracing in their slope shouldered drednaughts, and this guitar has all the explosive low end of a Brazilian Rosewood D-28 coupled with the high end shimmer of a modern handmade guitar. Everybody tries to mimic or capture this tone, but the only way to REALLY get it is to get the original. I never thought I'd be able to own a guitar of this caliber, but here it is. this guitar will no doubt sound great on future recordings, or ever plugged in with the proper pickup, but nothing compares to sitting down with it in a wood floor room and really opening it up. It responds well to fingerpicking, and then when you attack it with a pick, I mean really dig in, it sounds like a Steinway grand piano. Really has all the crazy harmonic overtones you never thought you'd hear in an acoustic guitar.

This guitar obviously had a long life before I bought it, and as such has repaired cracks in the back and headstock (not the neck/headstock crack, but from where some jacka$$ installed Grovers). The bridge is also an aftermodel rosewood, and fossilized ivory nut and saddle have been installed. The neck reset and re-fret have left this guitar a joy to play, with perfect action straight from High Desert Guitars in Santa Fe, NM. The woods that Gibson selected in the 1950's for this one are impeccable; I have noticed some ribbon style shimmer in the neck mahogany. It's covered in scratches and dings, but anyone that wants a mint condition vintage guitar must not understand that a guitar (esp. an acoustic) needs to have been played for 50 years to sound this good.

This guitar will is my gigging guitar until I can afford a new one. I am a little worried at gigs about it's security, because if there is a guitar geek in the crowd that night, they might try to walk home with it. I would like to get a newer J-50 reissue, just so that the playability is similar enough to not confuse my hands.

I doubt Gibson Inc. would have much to say about this guitar other than "Take good care of it"

I have been playing for 13 years, and this is the nicest guitar I have ever owned. Over the course of time, I have owned a 1970 J-50, a 1974 Guild G-37, a 2000 Martin 000-15, a 1960's Harmony Tenor, and various electrics including a Gibson SG classic, 1980's Japanese Tele, 1957 Gibson ES-125TD, and my current electric which is a homemade Tele with Warmoth, Mighty Mite and Fralins. Hands down, if you could roll all of my guitars I have ever owned into a proverbial burrito, this guitar is still king. I would battle a thief to death over this guitar, and would weep inconsolably if I were ever parted from it. I have traditionally only kept guitars until they no longer suit my mood or playing style, but this Gibson is good enough to transcend all of my whims. A true keeper if there ever was one. If you are reading this because you are going to buy a vintage Gibson, if it is a 1950-1954, buy it without hesitation if you have the money. Regardless of how much work it needs done, no matter if you've never even touched the guitar. These guitars are the most truly underrated, unappreciated guitars of our time. Martins will razzle-dazzle you, but you have to fight a Gibson, break it in, and the reward is beyond words. An open E chord on this guitar shakes my ribcage. There is nothing this guitar lacks, other than a twin sister.

A 1957 USA-made Gibson J50, slope shoulder dreadnought. All solid woods - spruce top, mahogany back, sides and neck; rosewood fingerboard and bridge. I changed the original Kluson open back tuners for modern enclosed ones some years back when the Klusons were starting to have problems staying in tune. That, and having the bridge reglued (a common problem with '50s Gibson acoustics I'm told) are the only 'modifications' I've made. It still sounds and plays as great as the first day I had it, it's just gotten a few years older. I imagine it must have come with a case when it was new but my father bought it used back in the early '60s so I'm not exactly sure what he paid for it or whether a case came with it. It didn't have one when he handed it down to me so I bought one for it.

My main interest in music these days is pretty much what is was when I was gigging: Neil Young, Tom Rush, James Taylor, etc., all that late '60s to mid '70's folk/country/rock style of music and the Gibson fills the bill perfectly. It has a warm, rich sound that works for everything from rhythm to fingerpicking styles. It's called the 'workhorse' for good reason. There's nothing to dislike about it that I can think of. It's pretty much a near perfect version of what an acoustic should be.

The guitar has always been perfect in the action/playability department. I can't think of any time I've ever had a problem in that respect. I don't think I've ever had to adjust the truss rod in all the years I've owned it. The finish is worn and lacquer checked from age and constant playing but it's still sound and in excellent shape. The spruce has turned a nice gold hue, giving it a real 'vintage' look. No flaws I could ever find, inside or out.

It's 40 some odd years old and still going strong. It'll outlive me, I'm sure, if it's kept properly cared for, as I've done. No doubt, my son will inherit it after I'm gone.

My only contact with Gibson was to find out the year of manufacture. I'm sure it must have had some type of warranty when new but, since it was bought used, I'm sure it doesn't apply anymore.

I've been a guitar player since I was around 8 or 9 years old so that would put me in 40+ years of playing club. For me to say it's priceless is an understatement but as close to accurate as I can get. It has untold sentimental value as it was the guitar I grew up with and the yardstick by which I measure any acoustic I consider buying. I try not to think about what would have if it was lost or stolen - it could not be replaced. I own five other acoustics and they were all chosen because they sound like or come very close to sounding like my Gibson. It's a sound I've come to prefer in a guitar.

Very basic, simple looking acoustic dreadnought guitar. Natural finishing with a nice Solid spruce top and solid mahogany sides and back. Made in Montana this USA guitar fills a niche for a quality short scale (24.5 inches as compared to the more common 25.5 inch scale) guitar. This helps bending and playability due to the lower string tension. Grover tuners,under bridge pickup, rosewood fingerboard and simple appointments. No pretension here, just good tone and playability. Scalloped bracing and very nice wood. It is a natural finish version of the famous J-45. Comes with nice case. The finish on mine is flawless, unlike many J-45s here and there. Mine was made in 2006 and was returned to GC when the Wilma made the first buyer return it... Sorry. I benefited from his pain. 9 because the features are right but not "tons". Who wants tons on a good acoustic?

Church stuff, blues and fun suits this guitar well. Very full and rich at the low end. Sweet and clear on the high end. Freakishly good intonation. Volume is better than I hoped. The short scale does not sacrifice volume or tone. I find that my knuckles better survive an evening of bending than with my old HD28 long scale. I play this almost exclusively now when I play acoustic. It is VERY expressive which work great for the blues. It invites the player to try new things.

I miss some very high end guitars in my past (Olson, Martins, etc) but this guitar is just right for my discontented mind.

One tuner needs to be replaced, too much slippage.

Well set up when I got it and I got with no changes from the brand new condition the original buyer had a week before me. Perfect. I put EXP 16s on it and the action moved slightly lower, which was perfect.

I am not a fan of mahogany, even though I love the D-18 and the Martin 15 series. Rosewood has so much pop and energy. But I like the J-50 because of the sound not my view of the wood. I do not sense a loss of pop with this like other mahogany instruments. There is a milky smoothness to it that I really value.

I hope it lasts and withstands what I dish out. I take pretty good care of it. Hardware is a commodity, it wears out and needs maintenance. The finish is light and thinner than Martins finish. I do not think it will wear badly. Not good or bad. The top seems thick and strong.

non-applicable.

Been playing since fall of 1966. I have owned some really ugly ducks and some fabulous swans. An Olson dreadnaught and a Martin HD28 are my favorites. Ovation, Epiphone Sheraton II, Fender Strat 50th Anniversary (WOW), a FrankenTele (assembled from parts and a great Warmoth neck), and many others in the past. I am divesting more than collecting now.
I wish I kept the HD28 and that one Strat..... ouuch

If this were stolen I would be in a world of hurt. I could not afford one, even if I could find one. This is the only one I have ever seen.

I wish it had an ebony fingerboard. Why? Just cause. I wish the tuners were better. I prefer Schallers to Grovers. I may get used to them.

This guitar could be improved with a better pickup system. But, I don't rely on that much anyway. I think the improvement would be noticeable but not earth shaking. The factory installed one is good enough.

This is an early 60s J-50, saw in it hanging on the wall in the used guitar section in a guitar store in the late 1970s while shopping for a Martin, or so I thought. Looked good on the wall, beautiful even, so had to try it. I could not believe the way it came to life with the first chord I tried. I immediately liked the way the neck felt too. It was a keeper from the first note, and that with used strings. No pickups, natural finish, solid spruce with some bearclaw patterning, mahogany neck/sides/back, rosewood fingerboard, simple pearl dots. Kluson Delux tuners (the G string tuner hangs up at one spot when turning, always has but it has never been bothersome enough to replace), adjustable bridge. A standard and simple early 60s Gibson slope shouldered flattop. But what a top; the natural spruce top is fine grained and aged and georgeous, with a life of it's own. Some finish checking. In addition to the top the beautiful silver frets are worth mentioning. But, overall, average features. I have learned to like the pointy pickguard, by the way.

Was going through the Dylan folk stage when I bought it, then got into country gospel accompanying a certain singer (where is she today type thing), then bluegrass, blues, and now bluegrass again with a friend who plays guitar and fiddle. But I think this guitar is best when just sitting in the dark and playing the blues, but maybe that's just me right now. Rich/full sound? Ya, sure,you betcha, this guitar is alive throughout the range, almost plays itself. I sometimes take it for granted until my friends and I trade guitars and I get to hear it on the soundhole side, or I hear it recorded. Then I marvel at the resonance and tone. This one rings like a fine bell. Can accompany the violin in a waltz, dominate the banjo and or fight with the Martin in a bluegrass band, or lead the blues. Those are three of my favorite things, and it's my choice. The average standard features are fine, nothing wrong with a simple design when it sounds good.

Action was good from the start, typical Gibson, comfortable neck, easy action, and great fretwork. I have altered the bridge height up and down over the years, depending upon what I was doing at the time musically, the guitar never complained. Flaws? None yet, after 30 years with me, 45 overall. Well, I wish it had Grover tuners, but it doesn't. Did have to re-glue the pickguard long ago, restored the edge on the saddle about 10 years ago, and I refiled the nut slots a tiny bit last year. The fingerboard and frets are showing some wear around the low strings at the second and third frets and the high strings at the first to third frets, will have to get that worked on someday, but will wait until it starts to affect the action. Otherwise it just gets better with time. Have never played another J-50, have played a J-45 which seemed similar. I have heard that these J-50 ADJs sound better with a fixed bridge, but I can't imagine this guitar sounding any better. My wife thinks I love this guitar more than her now. The finish is aging to perfection (on the guitar, not my wife).

Live playing? Every Sunday afternoon. The only thing close to being as good is hearing it recorded and being amazed at the sound. The best feature for live playing is it stays in tune, forever. You could pick this guitar up anytime, anywhere and use it to tune a Steinway grand. The strap buttons, tuner buttons, nut, binding, and saddle are all turning an amber color, so the buttons may fatigue and crack with age, someday. Then my grandchildren will have to deal with it. I never take a backup, the group has guitars, banjos, fiddles, there will always be something extra available to pick up and play. Sometimes I also take my old Epiphone arch top with the heavy strings when I also want that sound for some songs, but that's another review.

Gibson Company has a good website, including a customer service area. This J-50 is probably too old and too used for warranty work. This guitar was about 15 years old when I bought it 30 years ago, so don't know, don't care, about the warranty, but maybe I should log on and ask. Think they would replace the third fret when it eventually wears out?

Been playing forever, or at least since 1962. Also currently own a cheap strat copy, Epi arch top acoustic, and a Lyle Classical. Wish I had asked why the original owner sold this guitar, it's a keeper. I doubt that I could afford to replace it with anything as vintage and nice. Gibson is once again making good stuff, but I would probably look for an older Gibson, pre-1967 slope shouldered flattop, just for the character (and the neck). What do I love, favorite feature, why did I chose it? To quote Young Frankenstein...IT'S ALIVE...! If you have ever held and stroked such a guitar you know what I mean (don't you dare tell my wife I said that). I compared many directly to this one when shopping,and have played many others over the years. Me,and everyone I have ever played with, has liked this guitar, regardless of what else we own and play. The best feature, really the only remarkable feature, is the sound. I have never really understood the terms, but to compare to my friend's 1960s Martin D18, it is more balanced and smoother, or is that warmer? Close to my other friends Taylor in tonal range and chime ability, but it can be played louder and I can bring out the bass if I need to duel with the Martin, and if I have fresh phosphor bronze 13s on it. Which reminds me, I had heard great things about Elixir Polywebs, so have some on right now. They are OK, and do seem to last, but they feel funny and quickly started to develop a funny looking/feeling fuzziness, especially on the A and D strings in the first position.

2004 Gibson J-50 made in Montana, USA.

Standard spec, spruce top, mahogany body, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, with Fishman pick-up etc.

Classic round-shouldered shape, the body is larger than it looks to hold, and quite deep. Reverse bridge, 60's style pickguard, looks great !!

Typical short scale length, fingerboard just about wide enough for complex fingerings but not particularly spacious.

The top is a nice piece of sitka spruce but has a couple of flaws that would see it rejected by someone like Martin. Its not bearclaw, but dark brown defects in the grain. One of them is quite eye-catching and lets the guitar down.

The pickup is active and works fine, not the best solution but then neither is it the most expensive either. A decent performer.

The tuners, although accurately retro don't feel very positive.

Construction wise the guitar is close to being a disaster ! Its very light, the top is very thin and the braces are quite deep, these all combine to create the character of its sound. BUT... the neck angle is barely adequate to achieve a decent action now never mind in a few years time when the neck has pitched forward, as they do. There is far too little saddle protruding given its newness and the meaty action with which it arrived. I find it hard to believe that this is the case on a guitar coming from a source that has claims made on its behalf of revisiting a golden era of producion in terms of sound and build quality.

This guitar has character becuase of its classic styling, for which I would have given it 10 but factors mitigating against this are the flaws in the top and the construction flaw.

The sound has all the ingredients of the original but sort of watered down - maybe age would spice them up again.

The bass is very nice indeed, fingerpicked with a thumb pick it makes a fine guitar to support a solo vocal. Strummed it has a nice light rhythmic punchiness.

It lacks finesse though, its not suited very well to solo fingerstyle playing, its balance isn't too bad its just that the sound in this context lacks depth of tone.


Still, horses for courses, this is a good backign guitar.

The action it arrived with was a meaty 9/64ths. To get this down by 2/64ths to get a medium action of 7/64ths meant that when the saddle had been lowered to achieve it, there was hardly any saddle left showing !! This is staggeringly poor !!!!! This guitar will be in need of a neck reset comparatively early in its life !!

Further to the above, I was amazed to see that unlike Martin, for example, who have introduced a tongue on their neck blocks to provide additional support, Gibson have not. Theiur adherence to tradition might be admirable but this combined with the woeful neck geometry will severely impair the longevity of the set up.

In addition to the flaw in the grain of the top already mentioned, and the neck angle, there were some interesting flaws elsewhere. The holes for the tuners were not 100% aligned correctly !! The wood by the nut on the bass side of the fingerboard had not been sanded level, the commendably light finish has not filled the indetations so they are clearly visible. They draw attention to the fact that the nut has not been sanded neatly. Also, the edges of the nut are not rounded, they feel very sharp and angular. Also, the top of the nut has not been filed down so as a consequence the strings sit very deep in deep grooves.

The finish around the headstock and the neck joint has either pooled or nto been applied evenly.

The finish on the body is, however, excellant, which makes it all the more bizarre that they would compromise this by doing such an awful job on the neck.

All in all, a guitar from China might be permitted these imperfections but, once again I say this, a factory in the USA being hailed for its ability to produce new guitars the equal of those produced in its golden era ?

It will make a good workhorse guitar, and it will surely last, as Gibsons generally do. But a guitar that is already short of saddle height can hardly be called durable.

no comment

37+ years. Large variety of guiatrs have passed my way. Some stick around, this will not be hanging around very long !!!

I'm submitting this review as an addendum to the review I posted back in October of 2003. Since then, I've noticed that mine is the only review of the modern J-50 made in Bozeman. Mine was made in 2002. You'll see in my earlier review, below, that I was happy with this guitar. Now, I'm ecstatic. It's a findamentally great guitar and far superior to the "vintage" models reviewed here with the wooden adjustable bridge saddle.

Because the dealer's tech had butchered the factory's TUSQ nut and bridge saddle on my J-50 when he set it up (cutting some of the nut slots too deep and shaving too much off the bottom of the bridge saddle) it began to buzz on some of the open strings. I've paid a real luthier (a guy who builds guitars out of raw wood, and who teaches the art of luthiery at a trade school) to make a bone nut and saddle for my J-50, and to set it up. Now the guitar fairly bursts with sonic power and authority.

The modern J-50 is a great guitar. These are the luthier's words. "You should hear this thing, man." Those are my words. The luthier makes a steady income converting vintage J-50s and J-45s (with the wooden adjustable bridge saddle) over to a bone stationary saddle. This is expensive work, but it will make an old guitar great.

The good news in all of this is that the old Gibson J-50s and J-45s can be had relatively inexpensively because of the clunky, tone-killing wooden adjustable bridge saddle. So you buy a noble old guitar cheap and you make it great with a few hundred dollars of modifications. And then you have a great sounding noble old guitar.

Sure, you say. And then it's not "original" any more so it's lost its collector value. Well, my friend, the thing is that these old J-45s and J-50s don't have any collector value because of the darn wooden bridge saddle that makes them sound dull and boring.

So, IMHO, the vintage pieces are bad. But the new ones are truly powerful guitars. Even with .011s on mine it roars and rumbles and chirps. With non-original bone nut, bone bridge saddle, and TUSQ bridge pins.

Just thought you'd like to know, and also wanted to point out the advantageous differences between an old Gibson product and its modern counterpart, suitably modified.

I have a 67 J 50. It is stock

It sound a little dull. It has the infamous adjustable bridge. It plays very well and has a nice neck. The sound is balanced but quiet and missing the bottom end and crystal clear highs of a lariveee or a breedlove. But for $650. it is a nice player.

i also had a 65 LGO, and both of these guitars have held up well. However I do not reach for it for anything other than a campfire as it lacks the sound pallette now available in high end modern guitars. Steady but dull, like an old truck.

Stood up better than I have.....I do not use it. I'm writing this review for younger players who seem to be stuck in the " vintage" trap.

huh? Doesn't need any. The adjustable bridge was a bit of a dog re sustain I understand. However as I never compared it to any other I cannot say this is true with certainty.

The J 50 is a good guitar. It isn't great but a respectable guitar. IMHO guitar builders have surpassed the original design. Old woods and all that might make it better to look at but I like to play guitars. I do not use it. Forget these as vintage guitars, the market is soft for them, compare them to a cheaper larivee and you'll see why. Compare it to a nice loud Breedlove with the excellent bass they produce, and you'll not bother changing the strings on the Gibson. A sure sign the guitar should belong to someone else.

I have a 1959 Gibson J-50, with 20 Frets and an adjustabe bridge. It has a natural finish that has crackled over the years. Tuning keys are not original, but are as close as I could get without spending a fortune.

Gave this category a 9 because the only feature is the adjustable bridge, but the sound is worth 8 points.

Great for my music style, which is nothing inparticular. I have not yet heard a guitar that I will say sounds better than the J-50. It's tone is deep and rich, but the highs ring through too. Sounds good whether it's miced or not.

Nothing at all to complain about the sound.

Action was a little high when I got it. Factory setting had not been changed. Had some work done to it and now the action is great.

The guitar was kept in a shed before my relatives picked it up for $150.00 US in the late 70s. There was a crack above the pickgaurd, got that fixed. The pin plate inside the guitar was splintering, had that replaced. Brige was getting loose, had it re-glued. Neck was and still is straight as can be.

Finish is a little beat up, but is not chipped.

Great reliability. You can pick it up after weeks of not playing it and it is still in tune. Although the finish is rough, it is still thick.

I will continue to use this guitar to play on a daily basis.

I love this guitar. I've been playing for about 5 years and this is what I learned on. Great first guitar. Never plan on selling it for any reason.

The J-50 was appraised by Gruhn Guitar in Nasville, Tennessee before I had over $800.00 in repairs made. It was appraised for $2750.00. Second appraisel expected to be about $5000.00 - $6000.00. Not bad considering that it came into my family for $150.00.

I also own a 2001 Ibanez Egrodyne 5 String Bass. Also a nice solid guitar.