J-45 Advice Needed - GAS and Re-balancing the "Portfolio"

[JBCROTTY]

Bear with me here. I'm gassing for a J-45 and need advice on what type of J-45 to buy.

I want a rosewood guitar to complement my humble stable of guitars - currently walnut, mahogany, and laminate.

I have kept to a strict one-in-one-out policy (the wife's policy more than mine) but may have to breach that policy to round out the stable.

I bought a Gibson J-15 (Walnut) last September and love it.

I have a Yamaha FG180 50th (Mahogany) that I also like a ton.

Rounding out the stable is a Yamaha FG700S laminate B&S that I will never sell (love it and, frankly, not worth enough to bother trying to move it).

Because I dig the J-15 so much I have been playing J-45's in stores. The ones I have played have been mahogany. Really digging them. But I want a rosewood guitar and I know there are J-45 rosewood options, but I have never played one.

Are the rosewood J-45's the same legendary sound as the mahogany? I know the tonal differences between the two. What do you think?

If I bought a J-45 mahogany, I would sell the Yamaha FG180 50th - in essence replacing the mahogany Yamaha with the J-45. I wouldn't like it, but would do it. In this case I would then pick up a Yamaha LL16R or a Yamaha LS16R to acquire the rosewood I want. Or should I look at another rosewood option? GA or Dred size - has to be solid wood.

Or should I keep the FG180 50th mahogany and buy a J-45 in rosewood? I really like the Yamaha brand and dig my FG180.

I'll keep playing both to try to determine what I like best but what do J-45 owners think? I want to limit the financial outlay and will likely buy used on everything.

[Rev Roy]

Never played a rosewood 45...but I’ve had two “regular” 45s. Stupidly sold the first one, so soon bought my current one. The iconic 45 sound is hog TO ME. Others I’m sure love their rosewood versions. The hog 45 and a rosewood Martin dread cover all the sonic territory I need...as my sig indicates.

[bryantjudoman]

How about a Gibson advanced jumbo? It's a rosewood dred. I have tried a few and they sound great. Some are darn well spectacular. I have a hog. j-45 and it is a sweet sweet guitar. Everywhere I go people are always telling me how nice it sounds. It makes me practise more lol.

[JBCROTTY]

Originally Posted by bryantjudoman

How about a Gibson advanced jumbo? It's a rosewood dred. I have tried a few and they sound great. Some are darn well spectacular. I have a hog. j-45 and it is a sweet sweet guitar. Everywhere I go people are always telling me how nice it sounds. It makes me practise more lol.

Good suggestion - I'll check them out.

[Tuffblue]

Originally Posted by JBCROTTY

Good suggestion - I'll check them out.

I ditto the Advanced Jumbo. Nice

[Rev Roy]

Also check out the Songwriter Studio Deluxe. It’s the only new model Ren Ferguson introduced when he was with Gibson acoustic. Really a nice rosewood Gibson dread. I had one...but swapped it for a Taylor 712e 12-fret with the lead guitarist in a touring band outta Ft. Worth. He loved it and is probable picking some sweet notes from it somewhere in America tonight.

[scottyguitar]

Look for a J 45 Custom. Sitka top, rosewood back and sides. Mine is a 2016 model. It is a CANNON. From the moment I started playing it in the store, it sounded awe inspiring. The only other guitar in the place that even came close was a Martin CEO 7.

It has extra bling on the headstock, fingerboard and bridge but I bought it for the incredible tone. I would put it up against any other guitar in its price range.

Scotty

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by scottyguitar

Look for a J 45 Custom. Sitka top, rosewood back and sides. Mine is a 2016 model. It is a CANNON. From the moment I started playing it in the store, it sounded awe inspiring. The only other guitar in the place that even came close was a Martin CEO 7.

It has extra bling on the headstock, fingerboard and bridge but I bought it for the incredible tone. I would put it up against any other guitar in its price range.

Scotty

Interesting. I’ve never heard a CEO-7 described as a cannon. Sweet little guitar. I had one...but my heavy handed strumming and picking tended to over drive the top. Not so my 45.

[Larry Mal]

The short lived Gibson J-29 is very similar to the J-45, I think the primary difference it has is the rosewood back and sides. The bracing is the same, the shape the same, the scale length the same- unlike the Advanced Jumbo, which is surely a wonderful guitar.

[magictwanger]

I can understand your situation and have similar tastes and quite a few guitars myself.....It's nice to have complimentary guitars with different tonewods and that's how I built my small collection......As for Gibson,I have a fabulous Limited Edition Fuller's 1939 Gibson J-35 Reissue(Adi/Mahogany) and wanted another short scale Jumbo/Slope......I played around with quite a few and wound up with an Eastman E20-SS(EIR/Adi).....An amazing instrument that can be had at a ridiculous price,based on the overall build quality and sonic attributes.....If you seek one out you won't be disappointed and your wife will not be too annoyed by the price....Which,imo, can be doubled based on it's attributes!.....Good luck.

Originally Posted by Larry Mal

The short lived Gibson J-29 is very similar to the J-45, I think the primary difference it has is the rosewood back and sides. The bracing is the same, the shape the same, the scale length the same- unlike the Advanced Jumbo, which is surely a wonderful guitar.

I'm with Larry. Find a used J-29. The two or three that I played were tone monsters, and shared 90% of the attributes of a J-45, including the scale length.

[SalFromChatham]

J29, J45 Custom, AJ... those are the ones. The J29 used is crazy cheap. They didn’t sell well.

Go to the WildwoodGuitars website and browse. Happy hunting!

[Shades of Blue]

If I was looking for a rosewood dread, it would have to be a Martin. No doubt in my mind. J-45 to me is quintessential mahogany...love mine.

[eljay]

I second the idea of a J-29. They're fabulous guitars. Good luck with your quest!

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by eljay

I second the idea of a J-29. They're fabulous guitars. Good luck with your quest!

Yeah I didn't think about that! You can get a pretty good price on one as they've been discontinued. I've seen them as low as $1100