Brand-new vs. REAL Vintage. Your opinion & Why?

[heavy_picker]

The Gibson J45 guitars in the 1950s and 60s were made with laminated sides and some had laminated backs. The laminated sides guitars do not have the cloth or wood strips on the sides when you look in the guitar. The strips were to stop the sides from cracking. The newer J45 guitars have solid backs and sides. I owned a 1966 J50 which had laminated back and sides, it did not sound anywhere as good as my 1948 all solid Southern Jumbo. I have played some new Gibsons that sounded fantastic.

[J Patrick]

...I need both...cause I really like both...and near as I can tell they both like me...

[colins]

Originally Posted by Coach Jim

I bought a Martin D-18 new in 1968 when I was 20. Now we are both vintage. I vote for vintage.

Nice line...and I'm guessing you've both got better with time!

[Orfeas]

I love the sound of some vintage models and I love some new models. It all depends what one wants. Surely, I am not dropping $4X,XXX for no vintage guitar no matter how good the sound is.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by zombywoof

I agree that the Waterloos as well as the Hauvers, and Fraulinis have been game changers. But I have never played a Waterloo that captures the sound of say my early 1930s Oscar Schmidt-made Galiano jumbo. No harmonics/overtones or sustain to speak of. It just gives you what it has and then gets out of the way. Then again, lurking in the back of my mind is the thought what would happen if I had the spruce bridge plate which runs the entire width of the guitar swapped out for a traditional sized maple one. I had this done with my pre-War Regal jumbo 12 string and it worked out well for both survival and sound.

Hey, someone else with a Galiano. I have a Kay-made solid wood squareneck, Spruce (I think) over Mahogany. Ladder braced. Best I can date it is late 30s. Great for playing old bluesy lap steel on.

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by Gmountain

I think old guitars are just old.



.

I love the smell of a new guitar. Seriously.

[beatcomber]

Originally Posted by heavy_picker

The Gibson J45 guitars in the 1950s and 60s were made with laminated sides and some had laminated backs.

I didn't know that!