J-45 alternatives??

[BigToeify]

Hi All. I'm looking for alternatives to the J45. I like the idea of owning a J45 but I heard that the standard model is very hit or miss when playing them and I don't want to travel to multiple places to just hopefully find a good one. I am looking for other companies that design their own guitar after the J45. That may be better built than Gibson's and the quality control is such that I can limit my need to travel around to try the same model.
I'm hoping some owners of other builders can chime in here. I am going to be on the hunt to try out guitars soon and I need to know dealers.
Thanks!

[llew]

My two favorites are Kevin Kopp and John Walker. Both built for Gibson under the watchful eye of Red Ferguson. But there are others. Greven, Fairbanks, Flammang, Pre*War and on and on. In my opinion there is no better J-45 style guitar to be had than Kevin Kopp's K-35. He's a one man shop and produces maybe 30 something guitars a year? Adi over Honduran mahogany with a beautiful sunburst and feather light. Loud, warm, dry, and woody. Check with Steve at Acoustic Music Works in Pittsburgh. He seems to have an abundance of Kevin's guitars these days?
https://www.acousticmusicworks.com/?make=kevin-kopp

[geelinus]

Methinks the humbug about Gibson quality/consistency is just that -- humbug.

The best alternative to a J-45 is another J-45.

Buy one, you'll love it.

[zmf]

Others will chime in with suggestions on single luthier builds, but the ones I've played that you might/should consider are the Santa Cruz slope-shouldered dreads. My go-to is a Santa Cruz VS, and I'm a big fan of the RS. These are lightly built, highly responsive guitars -- particularly in comparison to the average J-45 you're likely to run into.

If you did want to stick with Gibson, you might put the Wildwood Guitars shop customs on your radar -- they can be excellent examples that are a cut above the standard model.

[SKYHIGH]

“Only a Gibson is good enough”...


Really I would hunt for the right J45. I think the recent J45 qualities are rather good and I have tried many.

I also tried several Kopp, Collings CJ, etc and as much as they were nice in their own ways, they didn’t scratch my J45 itch...like the J45.

[DCCougar]

Surprisingly, I never played a J-15 I wasn't pretty impressed with.

[Shades of Blue]

Ordered my J-45 early this year. Amazing guitar. I think the “hit or miss” statements are old sentiments that just seem to hang around and never go away. Martins vary, Taylors vary, and Gibsons vary.

So let’s say you find a J-45 alternative that costs more and has a certain sound. How do you know that it’s gonna be a good one? Find a place with a good return policy and order a J-45.

[mdshax]

The concerns about the current J45 quality are totally overblown. Of the 5 or so I've played recently, all were excellent. I'd say just go and play one.

Someone else mentioned the J15, which I also highly recommend. Every one that I have played has been phenomenal. I'd have no problem ordering one sight unseen.

The current crop of Gibson acoustics is among the highest quality of the modern era, in my opinion. Don't listen to the oft-repeated "wisdom" of the Internet bandwagon--I find it usually comes from people who either aren't the biggest fans of the Gibson sound (which is fine, a personal preference) and/or who haven't played a new Gibson in quite some time (which is . . . not very helpful). I don't find the variations between individual Gibsons to be strikingly different than variations between models of other guitar makers.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by BigToeify

Hi All. I'm looking for alternatives to the J45. I like the idea of owning a J45 but I heard that the standard model is very hit or miss when playing them and I don't want to travel to multiple places to just hopefully find a good one. I am looking for other companies that design their own guitar after the J45. That may be better built than Gibson's and the quality control is such that I can limit my need to travel around to try the same model.
I'm hoping some owners of other builders can chime in here. I am going to be on the hunt to try out guitars soon and I need to know dealers.
Thanks!

When I was shopping for mine, every one of them that I played sounded excellent. The big surprise while I was playing every J-45 I could get my hands on was the J-15.

I'm currently doing preliminary research for another guitar and road trips are part of the plan. When you are going to spend over $2,500 on a guitar, getting your hands on one to test drive is the best way to go if possible.

Soundwise though I have read here that a CEO-7 is similar. I don't know how accurate that is.

[Davis Webb]

Originally Posted by BigToeify

Hi All. I'm looking for alternatives to the J45. I like the idea of owning a J45 but I heard that the standard model is very hit or miss when playing them and I don't want to travel to multiple places to just hopefully find a good one. I am looking for other companies that design their own guitar after the J45. That may be better built than Gibson's and the quality control is such that I can limit my need to travel around to try the same model.
I'm hoping some owners of other builders can chime in here. I am going to be on the hunt to try out guitars soon and I need to know dealers.
Thanks!

They are NOT hit and miss.

[Rmz76]

Originally Posted by BigToeify

Hi All. I'm looking for alternatives to the J45. I like the idea of owning a J45 but I heard that the standard model is very hit or miss when playing them and I don't want to travel to multiple places to just hopefully find a good one. I am looking for other companies that design their own guitar after the J45. That may be better built than Gibson's and the quality control is such that I can limit my need to travel around to try the same model.
I'm hoping some owners of other builders can chime in here. I am going to be on the hunt to try out guitars soon and I need to know dealers.
Thanks!

While there are fewer J-45 inspired models on the market, plenty of options exist..

All solid wood under $1000-

Epiphone AJ45ME - $699
Blueridge BG140 - $699
Recording King RAJ126 - $599
Eastman E10SS - $999.

If you want boutique built, Santa Cruz and Collings offer models.
All good choices depending on what you're after, but I've not found anything that makes that low E thump sound like a good Gibson J-45. If the house were on fire and I could only save one guitar, I'd probably save by BG140.

[zmf]

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

Hit and miss ...yeh right...the people that say that are hit and miss.

Not to start an argument, but, from my experience, I don't understand this. I've been to pretty good guitar shops, played a lot of guitars, picked up J-45s and J-50s, thought what the heck's wrong, and looked at the shop owner, who just shrugged.

Sabotage with bad strings?
I just don't appreciate the muted thud everyone else likes?
Have I been going to the wrong guitar stores?

I've played a few great Gibson slopes, but also a lot of bad.

Guess I'm a hit or miss kinda guy?

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by geelinus

Methinks the humbug about Gibson quality/consistency is just that -- humbug.

The best alternative to a J-45 is another J-45.

Buy one, you'll love it.

Originally Posted by SKYHIGH

“Only a Gibson is good enough”...


Really I would hunt for the right J45. I think the recent J45 qualities are rather good and I have tried many.

I also tried several Kopp, Collings CJ, etc and as much as they were nice in their own ways, they didn’t scratch my J45 itch...like the J45.

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

Ordered my J-45 early this year. Amazing guitar. I think the “hit or miss” statements are old sentiments that just seem to hang around and never go away. Martins vary, Taylors vary, and Gibsons vary.

So let’s say you find a J-45 alternative that costs more and has a certain sound. How do you know that it’s gonna be a good one? Find a place with a good return policy and order a J-45.

Originally Posted by TBman

When I was shopping for mine, every one of them that I played sounded excellent. The big surprise while I was playing every J-45 I could get my hands on was the J-15.

I'm currently doing preliminary research for another guitar and road trips are part of the plan. When you are going to spend over $2,500 on a guitar, getting your hands on one to test drive is the best way to go if possible.

Soundwise though I have read here that a CEO-7 is similar. I don't know how accurate that is.

Ditto. I’m on my second J-45 (stupidly sold my first) and bought both online from Music Villa, the 5-Star dealer in Bozeman just a couple miles from the Gibson Acoustics plant. Fantastic guitars. If you are jonesing for a J-45 nothing will scratch that itch but a J-45.

[RussL30]

I’ve never played a bad J45. Some better than others, but none that weren’t at least pretty good. I think Gibson has put out a lot of really good guitars over the last few years. Although not a 45, I have two Bozeman Gibsons that are 20 years a part and they’re both great.

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by mdshax

The concerns about the current J45 quality are totally overblown. Of the 5 or so I've played recently, all were excellent. I'd say just go and play one.

Totally agree. It's one of those urban myths. Gibson are just as consistent as any Martin or Taylor.