Gibson J-45 vs. Gibson J-45
 

Hey there,

first off: I've been a silent reader for quite some time now and just recently signed up as a forum member. Happy to be here! Also, I'm not a native speaker, so I'm sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes in advance.

With my first thread I'm hoping to get some input to help me making a decision on a new guitar. After playing for some years now I've been saving up money to buy my dream guitar, the Gibson J-45 Standard VS, hopefully being able to play it a lifetime. I read a lot about potential inconsistencies along different Gibson models and as a guitar in that price range is quite an investment for me, I wanted to make sure to able to compare a few. With the current situation all major guitar shops are locked down, so I ordered three J-45's to give them a play.

My first impression is that each J-45 is individual in looks, feel and sound, but none of them something I would consider being a bad guitar at all. Still, I'm very unsure what my priorities should be when picking one of these three guitars, so here's a quick wrap-up of the different characteristics of each guitar.

The first one:
https://i.imgur.com/dcx3Xtp.jpg

Look and feel: Absolutely flawless, I really like the grain of the wood. Straight neck that perfectly plays up and down. The setup is perfect.

Sound: If I didn't have any other J-45 to compare it with, I'd say it's good. Certainly dry, very warm, a decent punch, but the sustain and overtones are lacking a bit (even though I'm lookin for "that" Gibson sound). I could understand someone playing it and calling it dead. I'd say it's alright, but it could be a bit better.

The second one:
https://i.imgur.com/YPJImqG.jpg

Look and feel: Straight neck, the setup could be a little better. A glue blob here and there, not perfectly flawless where the neck meets the body, but I guess I don't mind. Something that I find a little confusing is the off-center Burst. It's a little more apparent looking at it than assessing it on an (overexposed on purpose) picture, but the bottom of the body has much larger darker areas than the top. I'm really all about symmetries when it comes to design so that is an aesthetical issue for me, just not sure how significant this should be for my decision.

Sound: It simply beats the first one. It brings all the tonal characteristics I've been looking for and shines a little more on the high notes. It's more versatile and sounds good strumming and fingerpicking.

And the third one:
https://i.imgur.com/x6VTFQB.jpg

Look and feel: Well, I didn't know there were J-45s with bridges and fingerboards this light. And I really don't like it. On the other hand, the top looks great and has a very vintage tone to it. Other than that, there are some glue spills again, a white colored stain on the bracing (visible through the soundhole) and a fairly high string action that would certainly need a proper setup.

Sound: Clearly the winner of all three. It's full, warm, loud and punchy while still having this growl. It has beautifully warm overtones and just fills the room.

And here's my dilemma: The "worst" sounding J-45 is the (subjectively) nicest looking one with a flawless finish and overall quality. The best sounding J-45 really puts me off when it comes to looks. I know you can darken Rosewood to a certain extend using fretboard oil, but I don't think it would get even close to the tone of the other J-45s. Also, I don't know if I should mind these minor issues related to the finish and overall quality.

Some might say I should focus on what sounds best, but beside the finish issues aesthetics are a big factor for me that directly translates into the joy of picking up the guitar and jamming with it. On the other hand, it would certainly be stupid to pick the "worst" sounding guitar when you could have one that has so much more to it.

What would you do in my position? Should I try getting used to the light colored bridge and fretboard of the third guitar? Is the burst-issue on the second guitar really not a big deal and therefore it might be a good compromise between looks and sound? Or should I hope that the first one will open up eventually? (even though this wouldn't seem right and it's questionable whether time will bring any improvement)

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks,
Patrick

What would I do?

#3, all day long. You can darken the bridge and fretboard. Buying a guitar with the hope that it will "open up" is a losing proposition. Though it may improve over time, so will the others.

That is so subjective, all I can offer is an opinion. For me tone and playability would come before ascetics.

Welcome to the AGF!

That off center burst on #2 would be an immediate dealbreaker for me.

I would go with #3. Very nice burst on that one and the fretboard and bridge don’t bother me. All the better if it’s the best one sonically.

Go with the one with the funny looking bridge. Imagine how
one day when you come in contact with the right luthier, you
can get a better looking bridge on there, shouldn't cost a
ridiculou$ amount. I'd be able to get past the fretboard color
pretty easily.

-Mike

Hi Patrick,
Your are asking for opinions and this is mine.
Based on your descriptions of these, I would go with number three.
You can safely darken the fret board and bridge with a periodic application of
“F 1 Oil” by Music Nomad. I actually like the way it looks. mine has some of those light highlights and it looks great with the burst.
Since you really seem to abhor it looks-wise, for me it really comes down to how much better it sounds than the other two. If it’s head and shoulders better, that’s the one I’m going with. A J45 is such a personally rewarding guitar tonally speaking, I just couldn’t compromise on that aspect. I tried three of them when I was looking and bought the one that sounded the best. Every personin the room where I auditioned them said hands down the one I picked was “the one.”
I got mine set up to my specs, so to me that is not relevant to the discussion.
BTW, the burst on the third one is similar to mine.

#3 for sure. It's very easy to get tired of a guitar that doesn't sound great, and if you went with any of the other's, you'd regret it. A setup is very easy on these guitars too. Tone above all else, IMO.

First....hello, welcome, and congratulations on the new guitar(s). It is an enviable position to be in :) .

Like others, I would pick the one that sings to me the most, number 3 in your case. A little cosmetic inconsistency or carelessness from the build is a bit of a downer as one would expect a top manufacturer to be more careful about those things but if the sound and feel are exactly what I want then I can overlook it. Your comment about the color of fretboard and bridge wood....it is wood and IMO the differences from one piece to another are like people, what makes each unique. I personally love that and appreciate builders that don't simply stain or paint away every bit of color variation to the point where each are the same uniform color.

Congratulations !!

It's been my experience that guitars with high action are louder and punchier and after a proper setup with lowered strings it may be closer in sound to the other two. I personally put up with some higher action to get the most out of my dreads.

At least you're playing the guitars you're buying. Giving advice on guitars neither one of has played is much harder, yet it seems to be a special gift that many others far more skilled than myself, possess.

Pick the best sounding guitar. Your first ding on the second best sounding guitar will make you regret choosing it.

No question I would keep the best sounding one. I like the lighter bridge and fingerboard, and when you're playing it only your audience would be looking at it!
I should tell my wife that it is standard practice to order guitars in threes!!

Wait. That's my advice. My experience has been that what ever bugs you about a guitar will always bug you and the irritation will wear on you until you sell it. But that's me. It's worth thinking about. You sound like a person that wants a solid buy in on your guitar choice. If this is true wait until you get that feeling of, all in, before you buy.

As fa as looks I agree with most and like #3. But while there will always be a bit of difference due to things such as the final hand sanding of braces, I do not think these are as individual when it comes to sound as rumor would have it. As noted above they will differ depending on setup and also what strings on them, how long they have been sitting and such. Gibsons though have come a long way since the 1940s when a part was considered finished when it looked "close enough." As has been said about the Banners, the only thing consistent about them is the impossibility of finding two which sound alike.

#3. An Guitar Honey will definitely darken the bridge and fingerboard.

Welcome to the forum, Patrick. Your English is better than mine, sorry to say, so no apologies needed there.

I would definitely get #3. I do cabinetmaking as a hobby and find that bridge to be quite a beautiful piece of wood. It may darken a bit, but if it really bothers you down the road you can always have it replaced. You can't replace bad sound.

I take every new guitar for a set-up, even the ones that play well. They always get better.