Johnson JG-660-T

This could be a great thinbody dreadnought guitar. After having owned a Martin D35 and a Rainsong dreadnought, I noticed I was always playing my Johnson Thinbody--sold them both and now have 2 Johnson JG-660s which I had to find used because they don't make the 660 anymore. The electronics--3-band eq undersaddle pickup are quite good. When I can use volume I play through a Korg Pandora and headphones. It works as well as the other more expensive guitars there.

I discovered that it was the dreadnought tone I liked, and that the only thing missing on the thinbody was the volume compared to the others. I found very few places where I could play a loud acoustic.

Here's where the Johnson falls down--very inconsistent from one guitar to the next. PLAY IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT! For instance, on one of my Johnson's, looking inside you I see a very messy job where the joints are glued. On the the one the neck was not set right--placing a flat edge across the fretboard--the bottom of the straightedge hits the bridge well below the top. I'm sure that's why people complain that you can't ever get good playing action. On my other one the neck points to the bridge just above the top like it should, but I notice a buldge around the soundhole where it meets the neck. I don't know if someone did this to compensate for the bad neck placement, but it works--the guitar plays great (after a professional setup). It looks like they come with plastic nuts and saddles. But for the initial price of the guitar, this means you've got the money to customize things like the nut, saddle, pins and tuners with your favorite components. I guess I wish someone would make a better quality thinbody (the Johnson's only 3" deep) dreadnought.

I've played these guitars a lot and traveled quite a bit with them. One is at least 5 years old and has held up find.

Any time I've asked Johnson question on the specs for the guitar they have been forthcoming and gotten back to me within a day.

I love the form factor of this guitar and the tone. I can't find anyone else that makes a thinbody acoustic electric. I have a Kona that's a under 4" deep. The build quality is better but the tone is not as rich, Please, Johnson Guitars, make a better quality JG-660 AGAIN with the neck set at the proper angle. Actually I wish Rainsong would make a guitar with this form factor so I wouldn't have to worry about the weather and humidity. I pay some bucks for one.

i've been playing music for 20+yrs..i was kind of leary when the sails man wanted me to try it out.i played it and immediatly bought it.went to a gig with other bands playing,one band had a gut playing a $800 taylor i dont think it sounded any better than mine if anything worse.i'm a martin player myself,but i'm very satified with my johnson.the sound will surprise you.

i havent had to make any adjustments,the action is set up pretty good,i might have it taken down a little.it has a fishman 3 band eq.sounds great.the finish is flawless.the tuners are nice and tight.i couldnt ask for a better lookin acoustic.been in this buisness for a while now and for a very good quality acoustic for a cheap price this is the guitar.

so far very reliable i just got it in october.played about 10 gigs with it plus i got a 4 year old running around the house holding up good so far

i love the it sounds,looks,and plays.you could spend a small fortune on a acoustic guitar like i have,but for the money it would make an excellent first guitar,or one for the person who plays gigs or on the road all the time.it's that good of a guitar.i'm going to get another one in a different color.

made:2002 in china
color: blueburst
laminated top, sides, back, and neck
eq w/ piezo under the saddle
thin body w/ cutaway
small neck
horrible tuners
some form of X-bracing

it sounds like a thinline guitar. IMO-sounds much better after the braces were sanded and the nut/saddle were replaced. i run it through a kustom PA now. i use a mic and a soundhole pup. i took the electronics/piezo out. sounds pretty good through the PA with what i'm using. before...it sounded like a wounded duck.

action was ok. didn't matter though. i set it up how i like it. there were some paint flaws, lots of glue spots inside the guitar, horrible saddle, horrible nut

this guitar withstands live playing. i've had it for 3 years and been pretty rough with it. the finish won't last. the tuners don't hold up very well. i wouldn't worry about using a back up if you are using a mic and a soundhole pup or something else. i'm not sure about the electronics the guitar came with. i got rid of them. my guitar has been out in the extreme heat as well as cold dry weather. it hasn't fallen apart.

i tried to contact them once. never got a reply back. i think the guitar came with a 1 year warranty.

i am giving it a 3 overall. the reason being is that it has held up and after some work i got it playing very nicely/sounding pretty good live.

the funny thing is i have spent more money on things for the guitar than it's worth. i replaced the nut, saddle, bridge pins, tuners, electronics, sanded/reshaped braces, and got rid of the horrible paint on the neck. after doing all that i am happy with it but wasn't happy with it for a long time.

my wish list for the guitar originally would be a decent pup, decent tuners, different bracing, different paint on the neck..something fast, bone saddle and nut, non-plastic bridge pins, and all solid wood construction...plus a second strap button on the heal of the neck

Its all been said before. Mine is a natural solid top---definiteley---not ply as is the last reviewers. Bought in New Zealand and badged as an AXL 6500 NEO but a 660T nonetheless. Purchased it one afternoon because I was gigging that night and my trusty old Yamaha FG35 had been pinched by some mindless moron. Thought "What the heck I'll by this cheapy now and look for a good accoustic when I've got the time" What a mistake.I haven't put it down since! 3 band EQ plus presence control, great finish and a sound which well belies its price. This guitar is the bees knees for its price, but being so cheap will probably never get the kudos it so well deserves. HOW DO THEY DO IT

Sounds better and more balanced than any other thinline accoustic out there, period. Balanced, rich and no overpowering strings. I have to roll the treble back a touch when amplified (through a Laney or Trace Elliot) but I do the same with other accoustics to get my sound. Unamplified it is amazing how full it sounds, equal to the aforementioned Yammy and this is a thinline!! Top Marks

No problems here, the frets are smooth, action nice- the only mod I have made is to file the nut down about a mil. and tweak the truss rod about half a turn. Oh its now got all steel strings, not phosphor bronze as purchased, and a second strap button. It seems to me from other comments made on this page that Johnson's quality control is a bit sporadic.

Who knows, I've played it live for about 2 years now and it's still as good as new, no obvious signs of wear. The only reservation could be the tuners(feel a bit grungy) but they havent performed poorly yet, so maybe I'm just being critical. Always take a spare battery, basic stuff.

My dealer put a second strap button on for me FOC. How much more can they do.

Been playing for years, Rock and Blues, this guitar is used in the accoustic stuff soleley. I'd definiteley buy another one if the moron who stole my FG35 reappears. Can't get over the value for money this instrument represents. JOHNSON ROX !!!

Blue stain gloss finish is beautiful!
Thin body is very comfortable to hold and play.
EQ preamp and pickup sounds great.
Full neck and body binding is nice.
Tuners work good.

Guitar sounds surprisingly full for a thinbody.
4-band EQ sounds great plugged straight into My Mackie P.A.

Guitar is flawless excelent workmanship.
Action setup a littke high past the 5th fret.

So far so good! only had it for 2 weeks.

Mandalay music co. was easy to order from and had prompt shipping.
Shipping rates were cheap.

Outstanding value! Worth every cent! Great for guitarist on a tight budget like me!

This guitar is made in China; seems to have a solid top, but others say it's not. Looks solid to me. It comes with a four band graphic equalizer (active electronics run by an easily replaceable 9V battery). This is a thin body cutaway with a natural finish. Tuners are individual, enclosed. It came with a free gig-bag, which I promptly disgarded for a case. It comes with Martin strings. It comes with only one strap button (on the butt of the guitar), but really should have two. You will have to install the second one yourself. It also came with a strap and an input cable.

I play all styles of music, and this guitar handles all of them pretty well. I was blown away by the sound. Really. As an acoustic, I couldn't believe the sound which came from this "thin body". When I was shopping, I almost bought a thin body Ibanez, which was a nice guitar, but it had a tinny sound, without much depth. This is what I expected, but the Johnson has a surprisingly deep sound. When played as an electric, the equalizer/preamp is AWESOME! It has a full range of adjustability, and a lot of boost.

As much as I like this guitar, this is where it falls a little short. The action needs to be set up properly by a competent technician. The bridge should be changed to one that compensates the "B" string. Such a bridge is not expensive, and is easily changed. I got my set up done and had a set of light strings put on for less than $20. The action had to be lowered as well. We could not get it quite as low as I would have liked because of fret buzzing, but we got it pretty low, and it is acceptable. Contrary to several of the other reviews of this model, my guitar had very good fit and finish, and NO finish flaws what so ever. It is a beautiful looking guitar.

I see no reason why this guitar will not last a long time if given reasonable care. The guitar comes with a (cheap) battery for the equalizer/preamp, and it crapped out on me in the middle of a performance very soon after I got it. I learned two things. 1. The preamp is switched on when you plug in the cable, draining the battery. and 2. Use a high quality battery, and always carry a spare.

I bought the guitar from Mandalay Music. I found them to be very friendly and efficient. No problems. I have not needed to go back to them for warranty or service, however. The guitar has a two year warranty.

I've played guitar for 40 years. I've owned MANY guitars. I even owned a "Ric" which belonged to George Harrison before 1967. While some like real expensive guitars, I don't think it's necessary to spend a lot to get a good performing instrument. This guitar is a great guitar for casual playing and performing. Would this be the choice of a professional? Probably not. If this guitar was lost, stolen or damaged, would I replace it with the same thing? Probably so. I play with a guy who has a fairly expensive Takamine acoustic/electric. I'd take my Johnson over his guitar anyday. I bought this guitar sight-unseen because I needed a cheap guitar. I was not disappointed. In fact, I continue to be impressed by what a good deal I got.

others have listed the features, just one correction.. its a laminate top, NOT SOLID!!!!!

I use it unplugged unless im playing in chapel for school....... Sound is surprisingly good for a thin body..... I got it cuz i have back problems and i dont like a full dreadnaught.... i was suspecting it to be lacking in the bass area, but i have found that is is actually very balanced and sounds very good. The electronics are GREAT! plugged in sounds wonderful, if u have an acoustic amp.

Here is where this johnson looses points........ The first one i looked great finish wise, but i noticed after the first day that the action was terrible..... I took it in to have it adjusted and was told the neck was put on crooked...... I inspected the neck for myself (i dont trust the people at guitar shops for fear they are trying to rip me off) and i found that it trully was on completely wrong...... I sent it back and got a new one... This one's neck is one correctly, but the action is relatively bad and i cant get it to come down no matter what i do (truss rod, lowering saddle, everything) and the finish is all screwwed up....... Anyways, overall the lower end johnsons (like this one) are more prone to finish flaws..... My guitar teacher just became a johnson dealer and i am going to trade this guitar for a 670, which is a full sized dreadnaught, because they hardly ever have flaws and sound infinately better with the 2/3 solid top....... So i give this model of guitar a 3, but other johnsons are not this bad...... also, i suspect that the finish flaws and bad action have to do with the store i bought it from, mandalay music, which has nice enough employies the lower quality johnsons (they seem to be screwed up from the factory..... all of them....)

seems reliable...... The tuners arnt as good as the upgraded ones on the 670, but the electronics are the same, and VERY GOOD! anyways, besides the finish flaws all over, its not a bad guitar, especially for the price, but up the 40 bucks and get the 670, much much better.

I dont know if johnson has any sort of customer support....... But mandalay is very good with costomer service...... They reply to emails quickly and allowed me to send the screwwed up guitar back even though the week money back gaurenty was up. Nice people. One guy helped my dad and i take off some of the saddle to lower the action a little.

Great sounding but screwwed up finish....... thats about it.....

Bought in November 1999. Chinese-made with solid spruce top. Sides, back and neck appear to be mahogany...but I assume sides and back are laminated. Medium gloss finish. Thin-body style cutaway with active electronics (volume, bass, mid, treble, presence). Really nice enclosed tuners. Neck is fairly thin and fast. I bought this with a REALLY nice Johnson fitted hardshell case. I would think about buying Johnson cases for all of my guitars.

Unamplified sound is pretty good, especially for a thinbody. Surprisingly good bass! I play it through a Carvin AG100D. Amplified, this guitar sounds amazingly good. Terrific bass and nice, glassy highs. Sounds incredibly natural through this amp. Extremely well balanced sound - doesn't have that harsh bite. Have also played it straight through the board and it sounds great that way, too. It is not noisy at all.

Here lies the major problem with this guitar. Setup was lousy. Dealer brought down the saddle before he shipped it to me. I cut down the slots in the nut and adjusted the truss rod a little bit. After the adjustments it plays pretty well. The finish details are horrible. The binding is crooked around the cutaway. The side dots in the cream colored neck binding look like they were made with a dry flair pen. Just below the bridge there is a crease in the spruce that is quite noticeable when the light hits it right. The frets were really rough and needed considerable attention.

I think this guitar will be reliable. It seems to be pretty solid. I use it regularly without a backup, and don't foresee any problems. It only came with one strap button. I put in another strap button in the heel of the neck.

Two year warranty. I sent it in (they paid the postage) for a wooden pin that had come loose inside the guitar (fit and finish again). They repaired it and sent it back. No problems.

I have been playing for 30 years (since I was 8 yrs old) and have been through a lot of guitars. I bought this one to bang around with, and it is great for that purpose. Amplified sound is wonderful, unamplified sound is acceptable. I would buy another one, but I would hope that they have improved upon their finish detail. I bought this guitar on price alone, and I think that I got much more than I paid for.

This acoustic/electric thinbody guitar was made in China and has a single internal acoustic pickup and external four band equalizer (volume, bass, treble, and presence). Back and sides are mahogany, top is spruse, 20 fret rosewood fretboard. Bone trim looks fine from the front but there are spots up close that don't look do good. Overall, a nice looking, nice playing guitar. Handy cutaway. Doesn't have a second strap pin, only one on the bottom.

I generally play this guitar unplugged, as it is the guitar I use when everyone else is in bed and I have to be quiet. I play a wide range of music, and this guitar can handle it all. The tone is surprisingly deep for a cheap thinbody--it sounds comparable to me friend's $600 Martin. Sounds good plugged in, although I haven't done much with it that way. As good a sound as you'll get for the money.

Everything was good out of the box. Finish gets a bit rough around the trim.

Haven't broken a string, I've banged it around and it hasn't disappointed me. Played once live, pretty mellow stuff, but I didn't have a backup and things went fine. Solid enough to last a long time. Has some trouble staying in tune over relatively short periods of time (1-2 weeks).

N/A, but 2 year warranty

Just to tell you how good this guitar is for the price, my roommate saw mine and immediatly went out and bought one for himself. He plans to do studio work with it this summer, and the sound is good enough for it. For $140, ou won't get anything better. HIGHLY recommended for people on a budget or people who want to learn. Very versatile. I can't see myself buying another acoustic for a long, long time...this one should do me fine.