Product: Gibson Legends J-45
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
11/21/2008
at
12:03am
by
Paul V.
Features
:
8
This was made in 2007, I believe, and was an early prototype that was shipped to Yamano Music in Japan. It is made with Adirondack Spruce top, Honduran mahogany back and sides and Madagascar rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Custom-made tuners by Gibson. Made with hot hide glue and hand built from a spec'ed and x-rayed original 1942 J-45. Classic slope-shoulder Gibson. A monster baseball bat for a neck, bigger than a 58 Les Paul reissue, super thin varnish finish. The braces are tucked into the kerfing, which I don't think was done on the originals, although they claim this is an exact replica. Got all the features you need. Tiger strip pickguard, as well. Bone nut and saddle and a wooden end pin.
Sound
:
10
It's got a deep and powerful sound; dry, as well, but with surprising ring and sustain. The sound is kind of amazing, but that's just subjective. I tend to love Gibson slope shoulder mahogany guitars. Hell, I tend to like the rarer rosewood slope shoulders, too. This one has better bass response than any acoustic I have ever played.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
Solid, but the one gripe is the setup. The truss rod was overcranked, the bridge needed to be filed down a bit and polished, and the nut slots needed some opening up. Aside from that, the actual build is impeccable. One fret is a tad high, but I am nitpicking here. It's pretty solid. The wood is gorgeous in a non-dramatic way. Just beautiful wood.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
There are pretty solid designs and have been since the 30's in one form or another.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
I am not the original owner, but I have actually had good luck in the past contacting Gibson. This will just go to a local shop when and if it needs work
Overall Rating
:
10
Playing for over 30 years. Glad I got this. Had to trade a killer Woody Guthrie Southern Jumbo that was one of the lightest, best-playing acoustics I ever had. I will miss that guitar, but what can you do? The funds are not limitless and this was a deal I could not pass up. Involved a trade and some cash. I love the sound, the articulation, the voice of it. Each string seems to speak clearly. I have had a bunch of Bozeman J-45's and Southern Jumbos, including a "1942" Rosewood SJ from Fuller's Vintage Guitar that is also a great instrument, but with a much smaller neck and that rosewood sweetness and bell-like quality. I love that, but this is a different animal altogether.
