Johnson JG-620

NOt sure what year mine was made. Mine has 20 frets, and is the sunburst finish. looks nice at first...

The quality of this guitar is horrible. I think the fretboard is just laminated on. there are no solid woods, and the hardware is low quality. what would you expect for this price range. well, I expected more than this quitar can offer.

I prefer playing acoustic. this guitar, despite it's awful construction and quality sounds good. provided you stick to playing open chords.
honest, open chords sound great on this thing. anything else sounds bad though. see the action section...

I opened this guitar as a christmas present, not knowing how to play. It could have been a Martin and I wouldn't have known the difference. five years later and I'm not trying to start a band, but I am proud of how much i have learned. If i knew what i know now, this definetely would not have been my first guitar.

Ok, the action. The action is kind of high, not too bad. I had a high fret. I didn't know this then, but frets 9 through 15 wouldn't play, just a muted buzz. I investigated, did some online searching and then adjusted the neck. didn't help. I had my mom return it to the guy she bought if from. he wouldn't refund the money, but did a free set up. the gutar came back and played better, but still wouldn't play from frets 10 - 13. I gave up. I will keep the guitar, but only for open chord playing, and only because of sentimental value.

on top of this, my college roomate at that time also decided to get into playing guitar. he bought a blue johnson acoustic. his guitar buzzed from frets 1-4. what is that? bad construction!

I wouldn't want to have to depend on this thing. I will LEAVE IT AT HOME, HANGING ON THE WALL.

Due to the poor quality/construction, I don't see this thing lasting too long.

I tried anything to get ahold of somebody at Johnson. no help. thankfully, the guy who tricked my mom into buying this heap of crap tried to make it playable.

honestly, do not buy a Johnson. go with a different manufacturer.

I hate this guitar...
The only reason I still have it is because it is my first guitar, and my mom gave it to me as a gift. I strongly reccomend that nobody buy a Johnson insturment of any kind. They are of very poor quality.

This is the Cutaway Electric version of the 620 in Blue. Lots of features for the bucks. Blue body has its moments, and cutaway makes it look like a more expensive guitar. Neck and Body are bound. I bought this one cheap on eBay because it had some damage, and I figured even if it was a peice of junk I wouldn't be out a lot of money. The electronics are fairly impressive, complete with 4 band EQ and power LED, although I noticed some breakup and audible distortion, especially if the 'presence' is turned up too high. Again, you can't beat the options for the price.

I think this China made guitar actually sounds a little more even (frequency produced) than a Fender acoustic I paid over $300 for a few years back, and the neck is a bit smaller, which I also like. Acoustically it is very acceptable. Electrically, there is some audible breakup, but still usable.

Well, like most acoustics, I find the action and string gauge unpleasant, but the unit doesn't buzz-out anywhere. The frets were not dressed very well, the edge of the frets are VERY sharp. This is a common thing with 'Pacific Rim' guitars, they can carve any design imaginable into the fretboard, but they can't seem to polish up the edge of the frets. Finish is so-so, cracked in a couple of places, but like I said, this unit was damaged before I bought it.

Because of the pickup, I can see the potential of using this guitar live, and I would not worry about loosing a string or it melting down. I really haven't had it long enough to evaluate any tuning issues, but it's not like I bend much on an acoustic guitar.

Impressive options on a low cost guitar. Probably unbeatable price vs. value ratio. Not a guitar that I will get emotionally attached to, but one that I have already bragged about, value wise.

This is an update to a previous posting...

The action was a bit high, so I tweaked the truss rod and now have near perfect action. I re-checked the intonation today and it, too, is near perfect. The fretboard, a cheap wood, is difficult to keep from drying out, but that's okay for an inexpensive guitar. Finally, the finish (blue) is turning green in spots, but I don't care. It has character and will, until it breaks, be my beater guitar.

For the price, excellent.

This is a JG-20-"CS" ( i'll bet that stands for cutaway spanish )

Its a big dreadnaught, with rounded cutaway, neck joins body @ 14th fret. Woods, as desrcibed by everybody else, looks like mahogany with rosewood board, but likely some substitue asian woods.

I bought this on ebay as a gift for my dad ( he's 71 this year ) because it had a nice hand painted scene on the top. It added about 100 bucks to the price ( this cost 169 with gig bag, and i belive they typically sell for more like 70 bux US). The artwork was well worth a hundred bux, its a beautiful tropical scene of sailboats at sunset, done by artist Chuck Crawford, from Coco Beach. Its protected by a polyurethane clearcoat.

Tuners are nice cast ones, and stay in tune very well! Fretbaord has double dot inlays at 7th fret, which is a nice "retro" touch. Binding on front and back of body, as well as fretboard.

Amazingly, despite the fact that this guitar has an airbrush painting on it, plus a protective clearcoat finish, the sound is full, LOUD, and well balanced. I would have expected it to be a bit dull with all the paint, but the sound is still sparkley bright, like a dreadnaught ought ta!

I like the sound, i hope my dad likes it too...

I'm not sure how much of the setup was factory, or if it was messed with by the artist who painted it, but the neck was set perfectly, that is, its dead flat, except for about .007 relief at the 7th fret.

The nut was set well too, someone had cut it down to about .022 on either side, almost perfect ( im gonna take 'er down a notch more after i put some extra-light Elixers on the thing next week)

What i did have to do was shave down the saddle, A LOT. I had to take about 13/64th off the bass side, and more on the treble side (took about three hours, test-fitting the saddle and restringing 3 or 4 times...)

Anyway now its real nice to play, i got it down to "guild" specs, anyway ( SEE http://www.mrgearhead.net/guild/guildsetup.html )

Im actually REALLY impressed with how good a job the chinese luthiers did on this instrument! No flaws whatsoever! I'm pretty picky, and i didn't expect that a 70 dollar guitar would have the saddle set to my specs, actually thats a matter best left to the individual buyer, anyway! BUT the binding, fretboard, frets, inlays - you name it, it was all done perfectly well. Looking inside, the construction work was clean and neat!

It all looks pretty solid, as i mentioned above, its very well built!
I'm sure its a plywood guitar, with a plywood top (its got to be at this price!) and therefore i wont be the least bit worried about it warping, or drying out, like happens so frequently with expensive "solid-wood" guitars!! i dont know if the top's clear-coat would survive heavy strumming with a pick, but will last forever with fingerpicking a la Mark Knopfler ( my dad's fave guitarist )

I strongly recommend that if you are looking for a nice piece of "playable artwork" that you have a search on ebay for "Johnson". When i bought this one, there were 5 or 6 others posted, with various art subjects such as landscapes, killer whales, dolphins, tropical frogs, parrots, etc etc.. the artist is really very talented :-)

no idea about this category!

Just a super guitar, all it needed was the standard set-up, and it plays and sounds great! Looks like a million bux, too!

I strongly recommend that if you are looking for a nice piece of "playable artwork" that you have a search on ebay for "Johnson". When i bought this one, there were 5 or 6 others posted, with various art subjects such as landscapes, killer whales, dolphins, tropical frogs, parrots, etc etc.. the artist is really very talented :-)

Bought brand new on Ebay. Made in China, website(www.musiclinkcorp.com) says spruce top, but it seems otherwise. Also says nato (mahogany-family wood) sides and back. Glossy finish. Came w/gig bag.

As w/the other reviews, I must say I am really happy w/the sound of this guitar. For the price, it makes for a great 2nd guitar. The mids, also as noted, are weird-sounding, but the highs and lows are bright and full. I play N. Young, T. Petty, etc.

Action is pretty high, but no other flaws. The tuners are pretty damn good, again, for the price. It rarely goes out of tune.

To all those who say 'real' guitarists would laugh if you brought this to a gig, screw you. Who gives a crap what other people think? If you like your guitar, play it. The elitist snobs can kiss my ass. The pickguard is cheap, but what the hell is the difference? Also, this guitar seems real solid.

www.musiclinkcorp.com...Again, for all the badmouthers out there, use your brain! All I did was look at the warranty card and do a quick 'net search and found the maker's site. How hard is that? 2 year warranty.

My 'good' acoustic is an Alvarez. Love it. I wanted a 2nd guitar to take camping, etc. There's a lot of crap out there for under $200. Peavey, Applause, Hohner, etc... Actually, there's a lot of crap out there for under $600. For $55 - that's right, the price of dinner for 2 at Red Lobster - you'll get a great beginner guitar or a decent backup.

Bought it new from an eBay dealer Summer of 2000 for a second or "beater" guitar. It's a made in China, Martin-style Dreadnought with a venetian style cutaway. Laminated spruce top with natural finish. Dark-brown nato (what the heck is nato, anyway?) back, sides, and neck. Rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Plastic tortoise pickguard. White binding. Enclosed Gotoh-style no-name tuners. Nice thin neck feels good.

I was really surprised at the big sound of this guitar. It is very full without being boomy. I've heard guitars costing a lot more money that didn't sound this good. I've played it in church a few times (which it was never really intended for, since it's a "beater") and have received plenty of positive comments about its sound. I also took it to an audition for a new band yesterday, and it was just fine. Much bigger sound than my Yamaha FG170, which has been my main acoustic for twenty years or so. I use a Dean Markley Pro Mag soundhole pickup with no effects into a direct box to the sound board at church, and it sounds pretty decent.

The action is very low, which I like. Some of the upper frets sound a little "tin-slappy" when I'm soloing, but that should be cured with some TLC from my local luthier. The frets are a little rough on some of the edges. The finish is good, but the binding is a bit sloppy at the edges. Overall, not bad for the money, but it sure looks better from a distance than from up close. The spruce top has a very large grain which is obviously not the best quality, but again, what do you expect for the price? It still sounds pretty good to me.

I've had it for about six months, and it seems to be holding up okay. I do have one buzzy spot on the D string at the first fret which I need to have checked. If it's a loose fretwire, it would be a bummer, because I really don't want to put any money into repairing this guitar, but oh well. Maybe it would be covered under the factory's two-year warranty. Bad news is, there's no Johnson dealer in town, and I bought it off eBay, so shipping for warranty service could be lots of money. Might be cheaper just to get it fixed locally.

Have not dealt with Johnson yet. Two-year factory warranty.

I have been playing, off and on, for over thirty years. I own a Yamaha FG170 and an Ibanez RG470, and am currently trading the Yamaha for an Alvarez AD60, which will become my primary acoustic. If the Johnson went away, I probably wouldn't replace it, because I really don't need a "beater" that badly. I love the big sound and the easy playing action and thin neck. I would definitely recommend this as a first guitar for a beginner, or as a cheapy second guitar for someone on a budget. The best deal on this guitar can be found at eBay, if one is patient. I paid less than a hundred bucks for it, including shipping. But, you have to watch, and be patient, because I've seen the exact same model go for a LOT more at other eBay auctions.

This is a beautiful full sized acoustic guitar. Though it is my first guitar, and I have only been playing for about a year, I have had the opportunity to play many guitars and this is one of the best. With the solid black body and rosewood fret-board, it is a prize to look at. Also, with its steel tuners and full bodied sound, this is a great guitar for both beginners and lifetime players. An American made masterpiece. This 1999 model is definately the object of my affection. Though the action was a bit high for a beginner to get acustomed to, once I got over that minor set-back, I had no further problems.

For my mainly rhytmic style, this is a perfect fit. However, I like to also experiment with the styles of Tim Reynolds or maybe even the occasional acoustic Stevie Ray Vaughn. This is great for any type of playing. It is, of course, limited to acoustic playability. However, that is the only limitation I have found. This easily competes with any Ibanez or Yamaha which would run you about 3 or 4 times the cost.

From the day I received this guitar, I was able to begin playing. Like I said earlier, the action was a bit high, but not to an annoying extent. The guitar was flawless, even to my seemingly anal retentive eyes. I could not find a problem with the wood, the tuners, the frets or the fret-board. However, now I have run into fret-buzz on the 14th fret. This is after a long year of playing, and it is not an inhibitor to my playing.

I have had plenty of opportunities to play this guitar with audiences of friends, family and even reserved public. The sound is as desired from this guitar as it would be from any acoustic. And, this lives up to the challange. The beauty of this guitar has endured well over 800 hard hours of playing, and it has not let me down yet. The pick guard shows some evidence of my hard playing, but it doesn't look bad. Also, with the darker finish, it only takes a bit of guitar polish once every month or two to keep it looking new. I would take this guitar to the moon and back with me, if I felt I would need it. Its recent reliability has actually surprized me. Though I am a firm beleiver in "nothing's perfect," this is pretty close.

I have not had any problems with this guitar (knock on wood). Therefore, I have not had to take it to a repair shop for anything.

As a year plus player, I have had this guitar since the beginning. This guitar is great from beginners up to professionals. I would suggest a Johnson to any person who has a guitar fettish and not a lot of money. There are a million and one guitar makers out there, but few give you the combined reliability, satisfaction and enjoyment that you get from a Johnson. If I lost this guitar, I would be personally lost. I think it is impossible to find a replacement for such an essential part of my life. I would like it to be an electric/acoustic, but for the value of this guitar I have no really complaints. I have played Ovation, Ibanez, Yamaha, Fender and Gibson. This nearly out plays everything I have put in my hands.

Johnson JG620 spruce top with I think nato sides and back and neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge, nickel silver frets(not brass), bound body(not painted on),Gotoh diecast tuners and Martin strings. I bought this guitar with gig bag(vinyl, I'D advise spending a few more bucks for a padded or chipcase), Quik tune Tuner, strap, picks and an extra set of strings for $105 plus $10 shipping for my daughter. The high gloss finish is great at this price. The full size dreadnought body has a sturdy feel. The Gotoh tuners are again smooth and decent for the money. The neck is nicely finished and frets are dressed well. The rosewood fretboard is also of good quality for price. i amy buy one of their better for my self.

Like I said $105 (plus shipping) for the whole package. The price on the invoice for the guitar alone was $89.00. The sound is worth 5 times that. I had a Norman, Sigma, Fender acoustics in the past and this is almost the same sound quality. No buzzing and great projection. I'm not a pro but I have been playing for over 20 years and have had alot guitars and this one is great sounding for $89. I just like strumming chords and this one suits me fine. Daughter is mad because dad has it too much. Again I think I'm going to buy one of their other for me.

The set up from the factory is ok for the average person. I like extra light strings so I needed to adjust a little. Again this is all relative to the price. The gloss finish was very good only one little black mark on top(my daughter will put more marks on it ,I'm sure). The frets are well dressed and rosewood fretboard is also bound with inlaid dots in binding as well as on fretboard. Body is mahogany stained with natural top. There was a little rubbing compound left by the neck joint but a polishing cloth took care of that. Overall, $89, nice finish ROSEWOOD, NICKEL SILVER FRETS and GOTOH TUNERS. What more can you say.

I don't play live but my daughter treats this guitar like a toy and bangs it around. The tuners feel smooth and probably will hold up well. Even with her banging it around the finish hasn't chipped or faded. We don't use the strap too often but the strap button has come loose but so did the one on my $500 Morman. I feel it is dependable and again, after I finish this survey I may go order a thin body for myself(don't like dreadnoughts all that much). I will write again when I put that through the tests but this one I think this is going to last.

Warranty is for 2 years. Haven't had to deal with them and don't think I would over a $89 guitar. They have website www.musiclinkcorp.com. They have a full line of guitars, amps(also on my wish list),basses, resonators, violins. Bought it online from G&H Guitars. Dealt with them before and their customer service is great.

Ok, lets wrap it up. Been playing over 20 years. I'm a rhythem player, couldn't play a solo or lick for the life of me. I have had alot of different guitars and even worked in a music store so I do know alot about them. I have a Samick a/e cutaway(which I will sell when I get my thin body), a Hohner Les Paul Copy(also may be for sale soon) and an Aria Pro II electric(need a neck). I don't like strats or even dreadnoughts really but agian for the money, you cannot go wrong. I did alot of shopping around for the best price on this particular guitar. If it were lost or stolen I wouls hunt down an internet connection to order another(for my daughters sake). I would probably upgrade to one of their better (still well under $200). I like the price and over all quality but the sound is worth more than everything. I played every acoustic in my local shop under $200 and this was the best deal.(by the way my local dealer wanted $149 for the same model with only a gig bag). The other Johnson(not sure what model) was better sounding and I think had mahogany sides and back but was over $200(at the local shop). This for $105 with everything a beginner needs is tremendous. I would again opt for a padded gig bag or chipcase. Alot of places sell these Johnson products so shop around. I don't want to sound like an advertisement for the place I bought it so we'll let it stand at that.