Customer Reviews

Gibson J-45 Custom Acoustic-Electric Guitar, Vintage Sunburst

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Probably. If you like the super dark forties vibe gibson sunburst then you will almost certainly think so. The guitar has a glass finish which makes this super dark sunburst sing. The rosewood sides and back are very lovely too. They have deep and vibrant grain and are a variety of brown that I far prefer to mahogany. The headstock is the most striking combination of gold, piano-black and mother of pearl inlay. The inlay is perfect - exuberant but not too showy. Everyone goes 'wow' when they see this guitar.

And of course, who cares how it looks eh?

Happily, it sounds the way it looks (as long as you get the dark sunburst not the natural). That is, it sounds dark and mellow but still forceful and articulate. I don't like flat top acoustic guitars much - I play archtop guitars (typically with a little amplification). I particularly dislike the brassy, stringy, zingy, metallic string sound I associate with most acoustic guitars (and with strumming styles of playing). This guitar will sound fabulous strummed (as everyone knows from the records), but it gives a body, a mid-range presence (a dirtiness?), to the sound that evens out the stringy top end. That makes all the difference I think. I can't hear that voice coming from Taylors or Martins (at least not very often.) So a certain warmth is the key to this guitar. If you want that warmth, you want this guitar.

But the sound can't really be separated from the feel - and the feel is the very best thing about this instrument. It feels soft. The strings are happy for you to fret them - they try to help - they want it to be easy and enjoyable for you. Thanks strings. This is all about scale-length of course. At under 25'' string tension is lower than one is used to from other guitars (which tend to be 25.5''). Combined with the slightly wider than standard neck (which means the strings are nicely spaced), the guitar is a treat to play.

So we have warm and soft - that's nice but it seems to threaten clarity and volume. Blankets are warm and soft. The point is that, despite its warm sound and soft feel the instrument projects very well and is not dull in any way. I like that combination or characteristics. I don't think it is hard to like.

I don't know how crucial the rosewood back and sides on the custom model are. They could be totally crucial.

I also have an Epiphone masterbilt that is a round shouldered acoustic made of spruce and rosewood. It feels like it is twice the weight - three times the string tension - and half the voice. Whilst obviously well built, it is very crude in tone and in construction compared with the J45. So crude that it makes the J45 - at three (and a bit) times the price - seem good value.

There are lots of acoustic guitars out there hugely more expensive than this - but none can be more distinctive in sound, feel and looks. The dark sunburst situates this acoustic in a city night - the light browns of Taylors and Martins evoke campfires and summer festivals. Give me night in the city.

This is quite simply THE sound for an acoustic guitar. It is an instrument with no challengers. I can not ever imagine playing something else as my main guitar after using this for a couple of days. For one thing, it is the loudest acoustic guitar I've ever played and has incredible projection without losing anything in clear pristine tone. To me, it is the ultimate singer / songwriter guitar.