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Old 01-18-2020, 02:12 PM
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Hi guys,

I've got that reverse GAS feeling right now. After ~8 years I'm looking at selling my Gibson J-45 Standard and related gear. I keep coming back to the fact that the J-45 does not fit me ergonomically and the past year of trying to make it work for me and using a strap has not alleviated that. While the tone is amazing and the setup is perfect, the body is just too big. I've stuck with it for 8 years because it takes me a long time to make a decision like this. I took me 11 years to decide to sell the last guitar! Luckily I've kept the J-45 in excellent shape and I know how to price it to sell so I think it will move pretty quickly locally. If the J-45 goes the amp, preamp, etc. will follow. I have no new gear "waiting in the wings" so to speak so I'll just bank the cash. I've written up the text of the ads and have taken some nice photos but I haven't posted ads yet. I will give the J-45 the old college try again this week to see if I can still find a way to make it work but I doubt it. It's just time.

Not really asking a question here, just sharing. Maybe you're in the same position.

Last edited by Guest 33123; 01-19-2020 at 07:27 PM.
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Old 01-18-2020, 02:29 PM
Joe Beamish Joe Beamish is offline
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I hear you. Personally, I would probably keep more guitars on hand if I had more space in my home, but I don't. So when it comes to clothes, books, guitars, whatever, if a particular item doesn't have a "job" to do, I will let it go.

A couple years ago, I sold off (my #1 guitar at the time) a beloved Guild jumbo because the body was too big for me to play comfortably, particularly finger style, which I was getting back into after being more of a strummer for a few years. My right forearm, and sometimes my right shoulder, was in too much pain when fingerpicking.

I never regretted letting someone else take it over who was going to play the heck out of it. And, letting go of the Guild opened up a new door for a different guitar to come into my life.

I really like keeping things lean and mean around here.
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Old 01-18-2020, 02:30 PM
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Rev Roy Rev Roy is offline
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Originally Posted by J-Doug View Post
Hi guys,

I've got that reverse GAS feeling right now. After ~8 years I'm looking at selling my Gibson J-45 Standard and related gear. I keep coming back to the fact that the J-45 does not fit me ergonomicaly and the past year of trying to make it work for me and using a strap has not alleviated that. While the tone is amazing and the setup is perfect the body is just too big for me. I've stuck with it for 8 years because it takes me a long time to make a decision like this. I took me 11 years to decide to sell my last guitar! Luckily I've kept it in excellent shape and I know how to price it to sell so I think it will move pretty quickly locally. If the J-45 goes the amp, preamp, etc. will follow. I have no new gear "waiting in the wings" so to speak so I'll just bank the cash. I've written up the text of the ads and took some nice photos but I haven't posted ads yet. I will give the J-45 the old college try again this week to see if I can still find a way to make it work but I doubt it. It's just time.

Not really asking a question here, just sharing. Maybe you're in the same position.
I’m not as patient as you. I played my J-45 daily for a little more than a year before finally giving up. They are GREAT guitars...but I ultimately had to admit that that particular one just didn’t work for me. A shame, really, because the previous J-45 I own was perfect for me but I stupidly sold it. Had hoped the second one would be just as good. It wasn’t. Guitars are all different...so if you get a good one keep it. If not, don’t be afraid to move it along...
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Old 01-18-2020, 02:35 PM
Jaden Jaden is offline
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I’m on board with this - considering my rudimentary skill level/ home use purposes, even thinking about other guitar acquisitions is pretty silly - I love what I have, though, and they all work well, so letting anything go would be regretful -
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Old 01-18-2020, 02:50 PM
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raysachs raysachs is offline
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Kind of, but not because I'm not liking a particular instrument. More just realizing that thinking about instruments too much is counter-productive to how I USE them. I have two electric guitars, a strat and a tele - they're both great but modest guitars, both Mexican built, well under $1000 each. And I play the strat all the time and the tele roughly never. And yet it sits there and kind of haunts me.

I was kind of thinking I should probably sell both of them and just get a really nice strat since that's clearly been my preference for 40 years and I spent 25 of those with a strat as an only electric guitar. And I started looking at $2000-ish strats. And they all had strengths and weaknesses, but at a certain point I just had to remind myself that my current strat is my favorite ever, that it's set up perfectly for me, that the electronics are modified to my personal taste. So why am I even THINKING about another strat?!?!?

So I decided screw it - I don't need or honestly even WANT another or different strat. This one has never hindered me for one second in making the music I want to make on it. I don't need to turn two guitars into one more expensive guitar. I can just keep the one and do whatever with the second one that I don't play. So I just put the tele in it's case and stuck it far in the back of the closet. If I ever need it, it'll be there. But I don't have to think about it there - I can't see it so like the two year old I am, that means it's not there. Maybe someday I'll sell it, but not because I need something else.

I have two acoustics and I have sort of the same dilemma with them. Except that one is carbon fiber and one is wood and I really dig both of them. If I was only gonna keep one it would probably be the carbon fiber because I don't really like one more than the other and it's overwhelmingly an easier instrument to own. No concerns about humidity or temperature or really anything else. But I love my 000-15SM too. So I'm keeping both and probably playing both. But I have to admit I'm at my happiest and most music-centered when humidity levels force it into it's case and I'm left with one acoustic and one electric within sight and easy reach. Do I want to play electric or acoustic right now - that's the ONLY thing I have to think about regarding the instruments. Then it all goes straight into the music. It's a really liberating feeling. So maybe one day I will sell the Martin and just have the Emerald and my strat and just stop thinking about instruments. I've done it before, I could do it again...

It feels like the opposite of GAS to me...

-Ray
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Old 01-18-2020, 03:20 PM
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Thanks for the comments and support guys.

I'm not in pain yet but I'm uncomfortable and unstable while playing the J-45 to the point where it is distracting me from what I'm playing. For those curious I have been playing for 35 years with the last ~20 solely acoustic so I know how to sit with a guitar. I am only 5'-9" though so that's a contributing factor size wise.

I should note that if I sell the J-45 I'll still have my 4 smaller bodies to play (Martin 000-18MC and 000-28VS, Gibson L-1 and L-00 Vintage). None of those give me any ergonomic issues. Also I don't need a guitar for that big strumming sound repertoire wise. I only fingerpick ragtime and blues and I don't see that changing.

Last edited by Guest 33123; 01-18-2020 at 03:28 PM.
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Old 01-18-2020, 03:34 PM
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SalFromChatham SalFromChatham is offline
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Default reverse GAS

I sold my J50 and other Gibsons and missed them, especially the slopes. I rebought a used J-45 TV. Of course do what you must, but I’ve heard you play yours. Sounded great. Good luck Doug. The used market is crap now FYI. Good for buyers. Not for sellers.
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Old 01-18-2020, 03:46 PM
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Thanks Sal. If I can't get a decent price for the J-45 I'll just keep it.

If I do sell it do I have to change my handle NoMoreJ-Doug?
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Old 01-18-2020, 04:04 PM
Jaden Jaden is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by raysachs View Post
Kind of, but not because I'm not liking a particular instrument. More just realizing that thinking about instruments too much is counter-productive to how I USE them. I have two electric guitars, a strat and a tele - they're both great but modest guitars, both Mexican built, well under $1000 each. And I play the strat all the time and the tele roughly never. And yet it sits there and kind of haunts me.

I was kind of thinking I should probably sell both of them and just get a really nice strat since that's clearly been my preference for 40 years and I spent 25 of those with a strat as an only electric guitar. And I started looking at $2000-ish strats. And they all had strengths and weaknesses, but at a certain point I just had to remind myself that my current strat is my favorite ever, that it's set up perfectly for me, that the electronics are modified to my personal taste. So why am I even THINKING about another strat?!?!?

So I decided screw it - I don't need or honestly even WANT another or different strat. This one has never hindered me for one second in making the music I want to make on it. I don't need to turn two guitars into one more expensive guitar. I can just keep the one and do whatever with the second one that I don't play. So I just put the tele in it's case and stuck it far in the back of the closet. If I ever need it, it'll be there. But I don't have to think about it there - I can't see it so like the two year old I am, that means it's not there. Maybe someday I'll sell it, but not because I need something else.

I have two acoustics and I have sort of the same dilemma with them. Except that one is carbon fiber and one is wood and I really dig both of them. If I was only gonna keep one it would probably be the carbon fiber because I don't really like one more than the other and it's overwhelmingly an easier instrument to own. No concerns about humidity or temperature or really anything else. But I love my 000-15SM too. So I'm keeping both and probably playing both. But I have to admit I'm at my happiest and most music-centered when humidity levels force it into it's case and I'm left with one acoustic and one electric within sight and easy reach. Do I want to play electric or acoustic right now - that's the ONLY thing I have to think about regarding the instruments. Then it all goes straight into the music. It's a really liberating feeling. So maybe one day I will sell the Martin and just have the Emerald and my strat and just stop thinking about instruments. I've done it before, I could do it again...

It feels like the opposite of GAS to me...

-Ray
Sometimes I miss having a Stratocaster in my collection - the ‘50s American Original w/ fat c neck and nitrocellulose finish is undoubtedly a nice guitar (with apologies)
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Old 01-18-2020, 04:10 PM
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Sometimes I miss having a Stratocaster in my collection - the ‘50s American Original w/ fat c neck and nitrocellulose finish is undoubtedly a nice guitar (with apologies)
That was one of those I wanted to play if I had decided to try to move toward a higher end instrument. I'm reasonably sure I'd like it. Wait, it's the '60s version that has the fat C neck (and rosewood board). The 50's version has a fat soft-V neck and maple board. I've played the '60's version and liked it but it was honestly very similar to my Cray but with a tremolo to deck or block - not much change.

And I played a Silver Sky back to back with my Cray a while back and I loved it, but not really MORE than I love the Cray. Just differently. Awesome pickups, but different. And I couldn't see any reason to get rid of one I know I love for another one I'd just have to get to know and would probably love too. And would cost a few dollars that keeping what I have won't...
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Old 01-18-2020, 04:19 PM
Joe Beamish Joe Beamish is offline
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Originally Posted by SalFromChatham View Post
I sold my J50 and other Gibsons and missed them, especially the slopes. I rebought a used J-45 TV. Of course do what you must, but I’ve heard you play yours. Sounded great. Good luck Doug. The used market is crap now FYI. Good for buyers. Not for sellers.
I believe this, in regard to acoustic guitars. But I'm wondering, what makes you say so? On what basis?

I'm guessing there are more new guitars that deliver plenty of value, more choices, than before. For example, while I'm not personally a fan of (say) Waterloo guitars for the price, a lot of people are indeed fans of Waterloo, and these guitars do indeed provide a type of sound that might previously have been found only among vintage instruments.
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Old 01-18-2020, 05:00 PM
SmokeyJoe77 SmokeyJoe77 is offline
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Hi guys I am sorry I don't have the money to buy a J45 but that is my dream guitar!!!!! Well maybe one day i will be good enough to actually play! Right now I do not deserve a Gibson, I had 2 Gretsch electromatics semis which were amazing! I think upgraded we're about £550 each, that's probably my max budget for a new acoustic which I am looking for, £550...
Tired of tanglewoods etc a Gretsch acoustic would be a choice I'd go for?? What do you guys think?
I have this old MIJ 12 string hummingbird copy to get rid of, it's too good to throw away but taking up space, would anyone want this 12 string for a small price? I would happily ship to somebody if they pay shipping, it must be worth something?
It won't let me post picture, it's black, like a Gibson hummingbird copy 1980s I think with green abalone and mother of pearl hummingbird scratchplate, grover tuners..maybe a vintage?
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Old 01-18-2020, 05:04 PM
SmokeyJoe77 SmokeyJoe77 is offline
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J Doug I get what you mean, I have the same with my parlour guitar, it's uncomfortable.. I prefer the dreadnought body, I wish I never brought a small bodied guitar , I must find the place in the forum to sell guitars, I am new here today.
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Old 01-18-2020, 05:11 PM
Humbuster Humbuster is offline
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I have gone through this before and sold everything except 1 electric and 1 acoustic.

However...just this week I elected to start shopping for a new 000 size box.Wife nodded her approval so let the shopping begin.

This will more than likely be the LAST guitar I ever purchase as retirement funds and old age (arthritis) are catching up to me.
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Old 01-18-2020, 06:27 PM
boombox boombox is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SmokeyJoe77 View Post
….that's probably my max budget for a new acoustic which I am looking for, £550...
Tired of tanglewoods etc a Gretsch acoustic would be a choice I'd go for?? What do you guys think?
Not meaning to hijack the thread, if you want a nice little blues box, Gretsch do indeed do some nice laminated bodies, but £550 will get you a really nice second-hand Furch/Stonebridge, Faith, Guild or even a new Epiphone, all in solid wood and would come closest to getting the slope sound you may be after.
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