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  #31  
Old 09-17-2018, 12:44 PM
Rhythmdoctor Rhythmdoctor is offline
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Originally Posted by brencat View Post
I used to own a 2017 J-45 Vintage and I bought it from Wildwood. I'll let you figure out the rest...
Cool, thanks.

I just heard back from my local shop - Gibson will custom make me a J-45 vintage with an L.R. Baggs pickup installed. However, they can only do torrefaction on the top wood. Also, they said the cherry burst finish would come out darker due to the torrefaction top. Below is the link to a Hummingbird Vintage with said cherry burst, this is the image they sent me to show me how the color would turn out. I'm not sure if it's worth it.

Link to Hummingbird Vintage with cherry: https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com...l-case/6883017

Suggestions/Advice welcome. They would charge me $4,500 for this custom order. Not sure it's worth it, considering I can get Vintage now for $3,300. However, I do prefer the cherry color and this would be a lifer guitar for me.

Edit to add: that $3,300 price is not guaranteed, would need to call Wildwood. My local shop has a 2018 J-45 Vintage that I've played and love and will sell to me for $3,900. So if anyone is actually going to give me advice (I'm looking for it!), maybe consider the $3,900 price and that would be without a pickup.
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Last edited by Rhythmdoctor; 09-17-2018 at 12:54 PM.
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  #32  
Old 09-17-2018, 01:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Rhythmdoctor View Post
Cool, thanks.

I just heard back from my local shop - Gibson will custom make me a J-45 vintage with an L.R. Baggs pickup installed. However, they can only do torrefaction on the top wood. Also, they said the cherry burst finish would come out darker due to the torrefaction top. Below is the link to a Hummingbird Vintage with said cherry burst, this is the image they sent me to show me how the color would turn out. I'm not sure if it's worth it.

Suggestions/Advice welcome. They would charge me $4,500 for this custom order. Not sure it's worth it, considering I can get Vintage now for $3,300. However, I do prefer the cherry color and this would be a lifer guitar for me.

Edit to add: that $3,300 price is not guaranteed, would need to call Wildwood. My local shop has a 2018 J-45 Vintage that I've played and love and will sell to me for $3,900. So if anyone is actually going to give me advice (I'm looking for it!), maybe consider the $3,900 price and that would be without a pickup.
Personally, I wouldn't pay $4500 as you are now putting yourself in comp with real vintage pieces, and have no guarantee it won't be a dud. Also, as good as the J-45 Vintage is, there is still nothing IMO that compares with aged 50+ year old wood.

Go ahead and explore the Wildwood angle, but there's a couple things I should remind you of: 1) You may not get the deal I got (I was an existing customer), 2) Mine was a 2017 and there may have been a price increase for 2018 models, and 3) Gibson is in bankruptcy and may have issued new guidelines on dealer discounting in the interim.

Since you found one you like and played it person, maybe you go back to that guy and say you got a better quote, how about we settle on X instead... with X being $3500 - $3600. How does that sound ?
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  #33  
Old 09-17-2018, 01:59 PM
Rhythmdoctor Rhythmdoctor is offline
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Originally Posted by brencat View Post
Personally, I wouldn't pay $4500 as you are now putting yourself in comp with real vintage pieces, and have no guarantee it won't be a dud. Also, as good as the J-45 Vintage is, there is still nothing IMO that compares with aged 50+ year old wood.

Go ahead and explore the Wildwood angle, but there's a couple things I should remind you of: 1) You may not get the deal I got (I was an existing customer), 2) Mine was a 2017 and there may have been a price increase for 2018 models, and 3) Gibson is in bankruptcy and may have issued new guidelines on dealer discounting in the interim.

Since you found one you like and played it person, maybe you go back to that guy and say you got a better quote, how about we settle on X instead... with X being $3500 - $3600. How does that sound ?
My brain agrees with you My heart wants that frickin' cherry burst no matter the upcharge! I think you nailed it though about the GUARANTEE. I could get this custom made sweet thing and if the tone isn't what I expect, I'm screwed. I would be covered for actual flaws, but the tone is subjective. While I think these are made very consistently, the small risk probably isn't worth it, especially at that price tag. I appreciate your input.
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  #34  
Old 09-17-2018, 02:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Rhythmdoctor View Post
I think you nailed it though about the GUARANTEE. I could get this custom made sweet thing and if the tone isn't what I expect, I'm screwed. I would be covered for actual flaws, but the tone is subjective. While I think these are made very consistently, the small risk probably isn't worth it, especially at that price tag. I appreciate your input.
Happy to help and good luck. I will add however that, IMO, the risk on going custom is not small. It's huge. When I bought my J-45 Vintage, they had about 6 in stock to pick from. Mine was loud, bold, and assertive -- an obvious standout which I zeroed in on immediately. But another one was fairly subdued with a lot of nuance and elegance... not quite dead opposite, but radically different. Three more were somewhere in between but kind of 'meh'. And I don't remember the last one.

Personally, I would NEVER order a custom from Gibson. Go with the devil you know, have played, or gotten a sound sample from.
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  #35  
Old 09-17-2018, 02:41 PM
Rhythmdoctor Rhythmdoctor is offline
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Originally Posted by brencat View Post
Happy to help and good luck. I will add however that, IMO, the risk on going custom is not small. It's huge. When I bought my J-45 Vintage, they had about 6 in stock to pick from. Mine was loud, bold, and assertive -- an obvious standout which I zeroed in on immediately. But another one was fairly subdued with a lot of nuance and elegance... not quite dead opposite, but radically different. Three more were somewhere in between but kind of 'meh'. And I don't remember the last one.

Personally, I would NEVER order a custom from Gibson. Go with the devil you know, have played, or gotten a sound sample from.
All true and good points. I was under the perception that these all sounded pretty close and consistent, but you're input is definitely something I need to consider. Again, thanks!
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  #36  
Old 09-17-2018, 03:50 PM
PhilFish PhilFish is offline
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My solution to wanting the cherry burst was to buy an Epi humming bird 2005, that I leave on a stand in my kitchen. See and play it a lot, Great burst, sound well not a Gibson
I love my 2011 45TV
Good luck in your per suite
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  #37  
Old 09-18-2018, 10:46 AM
Rhythmdoctor Rhythmdoctor is offline
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@brencat

In case you care... Last night I ended up buying the J-45 Vintage that was in the shop. Decided against the custom order. I think it was the right decision.

Here's my NGD thread
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  #38  
Old 09-18-2018, 10:41 PM
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Originally Posted by brencat View Post
Why do you have this on order, and why are you willing to wait until Christmas? Wildwood Guitars in Colorado has four 2018 J-45 Vintages in stock right now. Call and ask for Steve Stuart... ask him to play all 4 and give you his honest opinion. Then tell him you will pay $3200 - $3300 shipped. Setup is included in the price, fyi.
Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I didn't see this comment .. kinda snuck past me.. but yeah, Bren, I totally know what you're saying, but I decided to go a different route. I love Wildwood, they're one of my favorite shops, but I have a kind of working relationship with a couple other places too. I decided to go with someone else.. it doesn't bother me that I don't have access to it right away, and made it easier to swing the cash for it anyway.

I will definitely try to remember the name Steve Stuart, though! I've always window shopped at Wildwood, and I have a Wildwood AJ, but I've never personally bought anything from them, yet. Came close with one of the Nick Lucas customs, but it wasn't meant to be.

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for th advice and shed a little light on why I said I had one "on order" - namely, that it's voluntary!

Oh and congrats to whoever it was who said they ordered one!! I will be looking out for that NGD post; with one on the way myself (granted it'll be a couple months) I've taken a keen interest in anything to do with the new J45 V's.

Thanks
Scott
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  #39  
Old 02-15-2019, 08:12 PM
v32 finish v32 finish is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thegreatgumbino View Post
I don’t think the J45 Vintage has the advanced bracing, Sal. The spec sheet states, “Traditional Hand Scalloped X-bracing, with hot hide glue”.

https://images.gibson.com/Products/A...-One-Sheet.pdf

The AJ spec sheet states, “Hand Scalloped Advanced X-bracing”.

https://images.gibson.com/Products/A...-One-Sheet.pdf
Sorry to resurrect my own kind of old zombie thread.. but I was searching for something and this post got me thinking. You know, I have heard of this exact same fact, but I would be hard-pressed to tell anyone the *actual* difference between the 'traditional' scalloped X brace and the scalloped 'advanced' brace. Can someone please fill in the gap for me? Is it simply the placement, I'm guessing? Forward shifted or what have you? Perhaps the angle of the X? I'm kind of studying Gibson lore lately, as it were, and this is something kind of basic that I should know... .
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2003 Washburn WD44S | Sitka/Hawaiian koa
2018 Gibson J-45 Vintage | Torrefied Adi/Mahogany
2015 Gibson Wildwood AJ New Vintage | Adi/EIR
Fishman | Loudbox Mini | Primetone 1.0mm

"what is the universe? the universe is a symphony of vibrating strings.." -michio kaku
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