Gibson J-45

1947 sloped shouldered dreadnought.Fat neck.

Rich full sound. Great country guitar. I love this Guitar.

This guitar is old. The finish is still very good but has crack lines in lacqer.Action is low the way i like for my style.In my opinion this guitar is flawless.

This quitar has been used and abused for years. It has not changed except to get better. I have used it for all types of gigs for years . It never fails to attract its own fans.

Unkown

I have owned this guitar since I was 13 years old, now 56.If it were lost or stolen I would cry very loud.It has always had an exceptional sound.I presently have a 1974 Martin D35, 1996 Taylor 810, 1996 American Telecaster, 1974 Gretch Country Gentlemen, 1955 Solid body Silvertone.The J45 is my Favorite with the D35 a close second. Unfortunatly the new J45,s are not even close in sound to this old one.

1996 model, made in Bozeman,Montana, USA.
Sloped shoulder dreadnaught
20 frets,attachs to body at 14th.
Solid spruce top with a beautiful sunburst
Back and sides are solid Honduran Mahogany
Neck is one piece mahogany
Fingerboard and bridge are rosewood,bridge is top belly,non-adjustable saddle
Tuners are Gibson Deluxe Klusons with tulip buttons
24 3/4 scale length
1 3/4 nut width,jumbo frets
neck is hand filling nad very comforable,string spacing in my opinion si perfect.

This guitar sounds fabulous.
The lows rumble and the highs sing,midrange is mellow

The guitar came set up perfectly from Elderly Instruments in Lansing
Mich.
Everything about this guitar is perfect with respect to action,fit and finish.

One of the tuners got broken in a fall (ouch)and had to be replaced.
I have a 1962 Gibson acoustic that has held up well so I expect this one to as well.

Had to order said tuner and Dealer was helpful and got me one.

I have been playing for 8 years and have owned this guitar for 4 1/2
years and it has been my very favourite giutar since I've owned it.
I have bought and sold over 20 guitars in the last 8 years and none can come up to this J-45. I have owned 4 Gibson acoustics and this is by far the best.They talk about vintage guitars but in my opinion the Gibsons being made now are the vintage guitars of the future.

This J-45 is a 2001 model, fresh off the assembly line in Montana. Normal modern features; Fishman bridge pickup, spruce top, mahagony back and sides, sunburst top, basically balls to the wall plainess. The frets are thinner than my J-180 and thus makes playing a little harder (you have to press down farther). The case is TKB and equally as plain, aside from the logo on the front lid. Plugged in it sounds true. I'm waiting on a Marshall AS50R acoustic amplifier to try. I only have a Hartke B30 to play it through right now. It's light, vibrant, and right now plays like a dream. If it had an additional strap button for the neck and a EQ/volume control for the preamp I'd give it a 10. It's as basic as basic gets.

You can accomplish any style of play with this guitar. It can be flat picked, strummed, beat, lightly finger picked, or jam away like an electric solid body guitar. It has one sound plugged in depending on the amp settings. The electronics are very quiet and feedback is controllable.

I specifically asked the dealer to send me this piece as is, right from the factory with the factory settings. The guitar was NOT set up per the factory guarantee! I had to set the nut grooves and lower the action to specifications, then I was able to play it. I don't know what gorilla this one was made for. It was impossible to play right out of the box. There are some minor flaws like laquer sags and drips, but I'm the type that copes with things like that. If I paid $2000 for the piece I'd be complaining. It plays like a dream now, maybe even too good. I can't put the damn thing down. The neck seems a little fatter than the J-180.

It's be labeled "the workhorse". That says it all.

I NEVER deal with guitar companies. They make you wait too long, and normally think it's an imposition to deal with you at all. I will do my own repairs.

I've been playing for 35 years, have about 35 guitars and basses. I wanted to get a feel for the quality that Gibson was pumping out lately. Of the 35 guitars and basses, 5 of them are Gibsons. I was disapointed in the initial quality of this purchase because of set up, and the finger is being pointed at the quality control set up person. Maybe, guitars, like cars have better days of the week to be made in. This one might have been completed on a Friday, the set up person probably had a cold beer waiting for him or her.

New American made spruce top n beautiful sounding and looking rosewood
sides n back-14/20 fretboard made of ebony wood-Tobacco burst finish-
Exact shape n feel of the standard mahogany j45-but the rosewood makes a huge differnce sound wise-A Les Paul feel kind of feel neck wise-Has a a built-in pick up(tranducer I think)-gold Kidney tuners.

Im usually a vintage head guitar wise n prefer aged wood,however I must say that this is one guitar that made me make an exception,-Im going to hold on to this one an age it myself-The Rosewood sides n back make all the differnce in the world-You can easily hear the $500 differnce from its mahogany backed J45 cousin-This thing has BASS,BASS,BASS-and is very loud-It has a sound that jumps at you-Unbelievable presents to it-Im a folk n blues fingerpicker however Id recomend this guitar for any steelstring stlye regardless of flat or fingerpicking-Im beyond loving it-All Ive meantioned above is the guitar unpluged-Pluged in the tranducer does not do the guitar justice-Dont get me wrong,it doesnt sound bad,however Id recomend straight mic-ing this for recording-However the wiring doesnt affect the unpluged sound at all-Id of bought this with or without the tranducer feature,it was just an added bonus-On the treble side I think the guitar sounds best with medium to heavy strings,a touch to weak sounding with the lighter sets-But over all I must say the tone is super resonant and strong-its hard to describe sounds in to words
however all I can say WOW-It blows me a way-its a shame that alot of folks in forums gives out 9's and 10's like there nothing and to some really crappy sounding guitars,however Im EXTREMLY critical so Im giving a 9-however this is one of if not the best guitars Ive ever played!!!!

SUPERB Craftsmenship-The boys in Montana know there stuff-Only things I would of done differnt is the pic guard could of been placed on alittle better and Im probally going to replace the nut(I dont know what material it is)with a bone one-this is the only draw back-the set up is a dream,and the tobacco burst finish gorgeous.

This guitar feels super solid though Im not going to rough it up anytime soon-I would totally usethis without a back up-

Ive been playing about 12 years now and Im really selective about my guitars,and 9 times out of ten Ill recomend a vintage model over anything new due to the better crafstmenship of the times and the aged wood-However this guitar is that 1 out of 10th time-Ive tried alot of new gibsons and martins that did not deserve anywhere near their $2000+ asking price however this one did-I have to say again its presents is penetrating-Super Super Super guitar overall-If Could afford to I would buy it again and again-It has this magic to it that can only be heard and not described-Im in love-

I played this guitar, I had to have it. I was in the middle of recording my first solo album, I bought the guitar (wrote a bad check to a very large national guitar company chain) and re-recorded all of my acoustic tracks, then used it for my next solo album and a number of other recordings since.

This guitar sounds beautiful. I love hitting just an open g chord, it just rings true. I play solo gigs and also in a rock type band setting with it, works great for both. When plugged in (fishman under saddle transducer) I like to scoop out the mids, it gets kind of quacky otherwise.

One of the few I've bought new and it came with wimpy strings on it. Once I got some real strings on it it came to life even more. I'm not a stickler for pretty things, I know my guitar is pretty but I never checked for excess glue of bookmatching of wood. I know the neck is straight, only a couple of months ago did I actually have to give it a few turns on the truss rod and then it was fine again. I know that it now has a bunch of pick scratches on it.

They don't call it the workhorse for nothing. I travel with just this guitar.

N/A

I've been offered lots of things for this guitar, I will not part with it. EVER. I will hunt the person down who tries to steal this guitar, I will chop off their arms and beat them with their own hands!

I've had Takamine's, and some others, this one blows them all away.

Someday I think I'd like a Gibson Jumbo J-100 or a Gospel, but until my first top 10 single, I'll keep picking 'em out on my J-45

1999 USA made (Montana). Fishman Matrix pickup. Absolutely beautiful sunburst finish. Solid spruce top, solid mahogany back, neck and sides. Flawless Mirror gloss finish. The only hitch was some glue residue around the top of the soundhole that was easily rubbed off with a fingernail. Rosewood fingerboards and reverse-belly bridge with MOP inlays. Arch-top case. Wonderful neck. The short (24.75") scale is a wonderful thing. You simply have to give this one a 10 because of it's authentic vintage appointments - other than the pickup, this is an exact replica of the late 40's model.

Incredible sound. I play a wide range from Folk to Blues to Rock and this guitar handles it all well. Amazing balance, warmth and depth of sound from the high to low end and a bass response that puts most acoustics to shame. My friend just bought a $3000 Santa Cruz and when we jam he always wants to play my J-45! This guitar works especially well for drop-d blues. This is one of the best sounding guitars I have ever heard, and should only get better.

Action was medium/high from the factory, but a quick trip to the local guitar shop solved that problem. Fretwork is flawless. Perfectly bookmatched spruce. As I mentioned above, there was some glue-like residue around the top of the soundhole that came of easily.

Solid as a rock.

Quick email response to every question I have ever sent.

I've been playing for about 5 years and have tried everything from Santa Cruz to Ovation. This is hands down my favourite guitar. If stolen or lost I would immediately buy another, no questions asked. This guitar simply has unmatched vintage vibe and playability. If I had it to buy over again I would probably suck it up and buy one new from a music shop so I could check the action and get it adjusted to my liking before hand. But hey, I saved several hundred dollars, so I guess it was worth it.

1991 J-45 with Solid Spruce Top, Soldd Mahogany back and sides. This one has the Heritage Sunburst Finish (Brown, to Red, to Yellow). Slope shouldered dreadnought style, made in USA.

Sound is typical for many Gibson Acoustics, clean but thin. It came with light guage strings that I switched to Medium's (.012's). This improved the sound considerably but even with that this guitar sounds like a new guitar from another well known maker of acoustic guitars rather than one 10 years old.

The thing I really like about this guitar is the neck. It is one of the best/fastest necks of all my acoustic guitars (11) and reminds me of an 1965 Fender Jaguar I had back in 1965. The finish is OK but has some spots that are questionable as to how this will hold up over the next 10 years or longer.

So far so good.

Bought used.

The price I paid include UPS ground insured shipping and Gibson OHSC. Fun to play but a bit thin in acoustic volumen and sound. Still like it though. If you'd like to contact me about this guitar please write to me direct at: rmorris@jcc.mepcom.army.mil and/or include your e-mail address in the body of you message. Harmony Central adds some NO SPAM crap to the message headers and the return address is wiped out and I can't respond.

J45 Montana. The label in the guitar says "Gibson 100 years 1894-1994". It's a natural finish. it sounds like it's the same guitar as the last review. I'm not such an expert on wood etc. I swapped it for a Gold Top in The Guitar Shop in Berlin and they set the J45 up perfectly for me as part of the deal. I find it hard to fault this guitar. My ratty technique makes me rub my forefinger up against the nut a bit, but that's probably me.

The sound is wonderful. I'm sorry but it really is. It's difficult to tell with new acoustics how they'r going to be when they're played in but I have high hopes for this one. It really sings even now.

As I say, the shop I where I got the guitar did a great job on it so I can't say what it was like from the factory. I can't see anything wrong with it cosmetically

Gibsons are usually pretty solid so I wouldn't hesitate to play a gig without a backup.

Don't know and hoprefully I never will

I have been playing 100 years. I own a 1967 SG and a Bluesbreaker reissue amp, plus a George Dennis wah and a Sans Amp GT2. That's it. I checked out the vintage Gibson acoustic market pretty thoroughly but a decent ones that don't cost a fortune are rarer than hens' teeth. I just think the J45 model is the business. Great sound and great aesthetics. I played God knows how many guitars from all sorts of makers before I bought this one, but none of them really did it for me. If it got stolen I would make a voodoo doll of the thief and stick pins in it. Then I would buy another J45.

This J45 is of October 2000 manufacture... 20 frets, 14 clear, short scale (24 3/4"). The top is solid is solid Sitka spruce with a bit of "bearclaw" pattern. It includes a factory installed active transducer pickup (Fishman I'm told). The back and sides a solid mahogony finished with a dark walnut stain and that Gibson glass-like lacquer finish. The top is finished in a tobacco sunburst again with that glass-like lacquer.

This guitar is what Gibson referes to a s "slope shouldered" drednaught... it's somewhat smaller than say a Martin drednaught, particularly in the upper bout. For me this is a huge plus as I'm not a big guy and so am not really comfortable wrapping myself around a Martin D28.

The J45 has a rosewood "historic belly bridge" with kidney shaped invroid (read plastic) buttons on the enclosed (but not sealed) tuners. The tuners look a little chintzy when compared to Grovers or Schallers, but work smooth as silk so I guess I'm not complaining.

The neck is solid one piece mahogony finished to match the back and sides... It's that typical Gibson acoustic "chunky" neck which feels and plays exceptionally. The guitar came with a top of the line TKL hardshell case and included a snake style humidifier and on thin Gibson pick.

I play folk/bluegrass/old time country music so this guitar suits my stylistic/sonic need ideally. I have an SWR California Blond amp, Alesis NanoVerb for effects and a Boss AD-5 preamp. The J45 sounds great plugged into this system... very natural with all settings flat except for a little midrange cut.

The sound of this instrument (plugged or unplugged) is a delight. It's made to be strummed but also responds well to being fingerpicked. It can be balanced and quiet or wonderfully throaty depending on the player's pick attack.

The guitar was very well set up though I'll take it to my local luthier as the nut needs a little work. It also shipped with light guage strings and I'll switch to a "bluegrass" set of light/mediums. Fit, finish and general construction issues can only be termed flawless.

This guitar delivers the unmistakable feeling that it's a warhourse (Gibson referes to it as the "workhorse". You get the feeling that the instrument is rock solid and does not need to be babied. I wouldn't hesitate to use it without a backup.

I haven't dealt directly with Gibson so I don't have a good answer to the question of customer support. The guitar does carry a lifetime "limited" warrenty to the original owner so I'll imagine Gibson wii stand behind the J45.

I also think that Gibson is making a significant effort to reclaim their standing in the acoustic guitar market (and in the acoustic arena generally... mandolins, banjos, dobros)and are working hard to build the best instruments they can at each price point.

I played a J200, J50 and a Southern Jumbo in addition to the j45 and found all the instruments to be sonically exquisite and beautifully made. Gibson is making wonderful guitars right now and are worthy of any buyers consideration.

I've been a guitarist and mandolin player for 35 years (that doesn't mean I'm good... I still take lessons). I own a Taylor 612CE, a Taylor XXV-GA, Larrivee Parlor and a Flatiron mandolin.

I don't believe there's any such thing as one perfect guitar. The all have their virtues and deficiencies. I love the Taylors, but wanted a dreadnaught with a real 1930's/1940's sound/vibe. The J45 fit the bill perfectly both in terms of its thick woody tonality and it's perfect tobacco sunburst finish. If it were ripped off would I replace it? In a heartbeat. I love the way it feels, plays and sounds... wildly different than the Taylors.

I've given this instruments a lot of "9" ratings, not because I consider it flawed, but rather because, as stated previously, I don't think there's any such thing as that one perfect guitar that plays all types of music to such a degree of excellence that one would abandon all other instruments in its favor.

The J45 is a gas... vintage vibe, feel and tone. If you play bluegrass or old time country or love acoustic Dylan you owe it to yourself to try one out. Lots of folks think you can only play this style of music on a Martin, but I beg to differ. In the early days of bluegrass and old time music Gibson stood shoulder to shoulder with Martin as the premier U.S. manufacturer of acoustic instruments. I f you listen to original recordings of this music chances are you're hearing that Gibson tone as often as you're hearing a Martin. Hey, Charlie Monroe played a Gibson as did Maybelle Carter.

I did by the way try a Martin HD-28 prior to getting the J45. It was much more expensive and didn't sound nearly as good to my ears as the Gibson. I really think Martin needs to get their act together. Their energy seems to be scattered by introducing a half dozen new models a month and a focus on their lower end guitars. Yeah they still can build a good guitar, but it seems that they do that only at the very upper end of their line, leaving working stiffs like you and me out in the cold when shopping for a guitar that won't necessitate a second mortgage on the old homestead to acquire.

Boutique guitars (Santa Cruz, Collings, Huss & Dalton, Froggy Bottom, etc.)??? Yeah, they're sweet, but again, I ain't about to mortgage the farm for a guitar.

1999 model left handed "early" J-45. Solid spruce top, solid Mahogany back and sides, Dovetail neck joint. Vintage sunburst finish. Just beautiful. The finish is flawless. This is a classic round-shouldered Dreadnought. It has 1940's stlyle tuners with white buttons that are really smooth and add to the vintage look. Vintage "belly" bridge with MOP dots. MOP fingerboard dots are understated and elegant. Single "Lennon style" Rosette and orange Gibson label inside. Action is medium. I've heard that this thing will really sing with medium gauge strings, so I'll probably need to adjust the rod after going to a thicker gauge string. These are supposed to come with an active transducer pickup, but for some reason this one does not have it. Maybe because it is left handed? Short scale neck that is really thick, but it gives you a lot of room to work with. I prefer this to the thinner necks of Taylor, etc. There is a great vintage "vibe' that this thing gives off. It gets a 9 because there is no pickup. Otherwise I can't find a thing that I would change.

The tone is awesome. It sounds really full for a Mahogany guitar. Rich Bass and smooth treble without the harshness. Very "woody" tone. This guitar was born to be strummed, but it works well with fingers, too. The top has scalloped braces, which I think gives it that really rich tone. Actually sounds deeper than a Martin D-28. I could not possibly ask for a better sounding acoustic guitar.

The set up was good. I prefer the action a bit lower, but that is not the fault of the Gibson factory. I believe they all come with medium action. The top is bookmatched prefectly. The grain is nice and wide on the top and the dark finish on the back and sides is flawlewss. The body binding is perfect as well as the fret dressing. They use real laquer, so this guitar will mature well with the years, although I can not imagine it sounding any better than it does now. It is nice to know that Gibson spends as much time with the J-45 as the J-200, which costs almost 3 times as much. A 9 only because I have to lower the action a bit.

This guitar is built like a tank and I trust it for any live situation. It is always good to have a backup in case you break a string. The tuners seem cheap looking, but they really work well. The guts are the same as the more fancy tuners, so reliability is not an issue. There is no strap button by the neck, so I'm debating wheather or not to install one or go with the old style of strapping the end by the headstock. This guitar is way too pretty to start drilling holes in it.

I e-mailed Gibson with a few questions before I bought this, and I got replies within an hour! I was very impressed. A Gold lifetime warranty is included, but I hope to never need it.

This is the best acoustic I have ever played. I have been playing professionally on and off for 10 yrs. It is beautiful and does not look like everyone else's natural colored, square shouldered Dreadnought. It's nice to stand out a bit without being overt about it. There is something to be said for understatement. I tried several Martin and Taylor models, but this was far and away the best sounding of the lot. I still have a hard time believing that this is not a Rosewood guitar. The tone is really booming. I did not want to pay for fancy inlays, just craftsmanship and quality of wood. There is no better choice in my opinion. Much better value than a D-18 (or D-28 for that matter), as the braces are scalloped, yeilding a richer tone.