Loud, Bassy, Warm J-45?

[Dean Riley]

So help me in my quest... first off, I do know with Gibson that trying each guitar is the way to go... I have tried multiple standards and owned one, sold it, miss it, and want to get back into the J-45 game :-)

I want a J-45 that had good volume, good bass, is warm, and preferably not a huge neck... where would you look/what models?

Had been leaning towards a Vintage (2012-2019), possibly a TV but had read those can be quiet... Custom Rosewood?

Thoughts?

I currently have 3 Martins, a HD-35, a Custom shop D-18 and a custom shop M-36 in Mahogany. All 3 are loud (hence why looking for a loud j-45 is appealing so it's not as big of a shock when I switch) I am probably going to move the D-18 as the custom shop M-36 pretty much does all the same things and is comfier for me to play as it's a SS... I love D-18s but really miss the J-45 tone too.

Thanks!

[DM3MD]

The J-45 Studio Rosewood is a good choice. It has the best neck you could want. Medium volume.

The J-45 TV checks off many from your wishlist, but is about $1,000 more than the studio and no longer being produced.

The J-45 Mystic Rosewood is a good choice, but isn’t readily available and doesn’t hold a TON of bass.

The WM-45 is the loudest and has a ridiculous amount of bass for a bargain-priced instrument from about 20 years ago.

The J-45 Standard isn’t the loudest out of the box, but it matures well, is balanced, and has a medium feel neck.

The J-15 has a great neck, but it’s volume to bass to treble ratio isn’t the strongest.

The J-45 Rosewood (1999-2006ish) has the most volume, most bass, most headroom, and most comfortable neck combination.

I own (or have owned) all of those guitars.

If you want to go above and beyond everything above, go for an Advanced Jumbo. It truly is a bone-crusher.

[Dean Riley]

Originally Posted by DM3MD

The J-45 Studio Rosewood is a good choice. It has the best neck you could want.

The J-45 TV checks off many from your wishlist, but is about $1,000 more than the studio and no longer being produced.

The J-45 Mystic Rosewood is a good choice, but isn’t readily available and doesn’t hold a TON of bass.

The WM-45 is the loudest and has a ridiculous amount of bass for a bargain-priced instrument from about 20 years ago.

The J-45 Standard isn’t the oldest out of the box, but it matures well and has a medium feel neck.

The J-15 has a great neck, but it’s volume to bass to treble ratio isn’t the strongest.

The J-45 Rosewood (1999-2006ish) has the most volume, most bass, most headroom, and most comfortable neck combination.

I own (or have owned) all of those guitars.

If you want to go above and beyond everything above, go for an Advanced Jumbo. It truly is a bone-crusher.

Great feedback thanks!

Yea I have been thinking about an AJ . I really do want to stick with short scale tho as that's part of what draws me to the J-45...

Had a J-15 and a J-45 standard - agree with your assessments for sure!

How did you like the Rosewood 45s? I have pondered one of those for awhile now... I do like the mahogany J-45, but I'm wondering if a rosewood version will give me what I'm looking for... did you find it still warm or was it "metallic"?

What of those were your keepers?

[Mr. Bill]

Stick with mahogany back & sides & short scale if you want a magical J45

[zombywoof]

I do own a Gibson J50 which has been described as having a low end which would make a pre-War Martin D28 Herringbone run for cover. But it was built in 1942 and as such it was not as much a result of design but of quirks in the build and at least one big mistake in the top build.

You are obviously though talking about New School Gibson Tone. And Bozeman has its own ideas as to what sounds best. I have got my hands on J45s with low ends which range from subdued to a bigger clearer bass. I always figured this was due to say one set of hands going with a more radical scalloped bracing than the next or perhaps a slight difference in top thickness or something. So, I guess the upshot of it is you cannot rely on the what the specs tell you but have to judge the guitars as individuals which means taking the time to sort through them finding the one which says what you want it to say.

[zombywoof]

I had forgot to mention it but Bozeman also uses two different bracing footprints in their guitars. It is not as much rear or forward shifted (that is a Martin thing) but has different angles. What they call their AJ or Vintage Style bracing is set at a wider angle than their Standard bracing. The AJ style was what Bozeman went with in the J35, J45TV and others.

[slimey]

If you. have the inkling have a look at the Kopp K 35, A Fairbanks or a Walker. 3 Luthier builds that I think do a better job of Gibsons than Gibson.
Having said that I use a Standard J45 as a gig guitar ( having removed the standard pick up ) because I wouldn't want to take one of the above anywhere a little hairy.

[Rogerblair]

Originally Posted by Mr. Bill

Stick with mahogany back & sides & short scale if you want a magical J45

I agree. When you put rosewood on a J45 frame, it is no longer a J45. It becomes something else (as a D18 becomes more of a D28 when you build it out of rosewood). The person at Gibson that named it a J45 Rosewood should be made to stand in the corner for the rest of the day.

If you want rosewood, look for an Advanced Jumbo. Longer scale, rosewood, and very powerful.
A good J45 standard is impossible to beat in my book.
Rb

[Dean Riley]

Originally Posted by Rogerblair

I agree. When you put rosewood on a J45 frame, it is no longer a J45. It becomes something else (as a D18 becomes more of a D28 when you build it out of rosewood). The person at Gibson that named it a J45 Rosewood should be made to stand in the corner for the rest of the day.

If you want rosewood, look for an Advanced Jumbo. Longer scale, rosewood, and very powerful.
A good J45 standard is impossible to beat in my book.
Rb

Roger that - I think that's where I am at too...

Leaning towards a J-45 Vintage or TV at this point

[Brucebubs]

No-one has mentioned the Custom Shop Historic Series 1942 Banner J-45 - could certainly be worth checking out.

[Dean Riley]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

No-one has mentioned the Custom Shop Historic Series 1942 Banner J-45 - could certainly be worth checking out.

Wondered about those - but don't they have chunky necks?

I'm 5'7" with size small hands :-/

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by Dean Riley

Wondered about those - but don't they have chunky necks?

I'm 5'7" with size small hands :-/

Can't help you with the neck but I have the 1957 SJ-200 from this Historic Series - I believe they all have thermally aged tops, hide glue construction and very thin finish - no pick-up system, the focus is pure acoustic - period correct hard case is a nice touch too.

[drtedtan]

The biggest, bassiest, warmest J45 I ever played was a 1944 J45 at Gruhn’s six or eight years ago that had a mahogany top. It sounded like a cross between a J45 and a Martin HD28. Unfortunately, those don’t grow on trees, so that doesn’t help much.

All I can add is that the J45TV isn’t warm or bassy IMO. It sounds like a late 40s or 50s J45, which I would describe as “pinched” and “nasally” so I would recomend you avoid this model.

Maybe a used J45 standard that has opened up would be what you are looking for.

[popeoftx]

Originally Posted by drtedtan

The biggest, bassiest, warmest J45 I ever played was a 1944 J45 at Gruhn’s six or eight years ago that had a mahogany top. It sounded like a cross between a J45 and a Martin HD28. Unfortunately, those don’t grow on trees, so that doesn’t help much.

All I can add is that the J45TV isn’t warm or bassy IMO. It sounds like a late 40s or 50s J45, which I would describe as “pinched” and “nasally” so I would recomend you avoid this model.

Maybe a used J45 standard that has opened up would be what you are looking for.

I agree with this assessment of the J45TV. It is awesome sounding but I would never use "bassy" to describe it.

I have a 2016 J45 Standard that checks all the boxes except for "loud" especially compared to a lot of Martin dreads.

[zombywoof]

Originally Posted by slimey

If you. have the inkling have a look at the Kopp K 35, A Fairbanks or a Walker. 3 Luthier builds that I think do a better job of Gibsons than Gibson.
Having said that I use a Standard J45 as a gig guitar ( having removed the standard pick up ) because I wouldn't want to take one of the above anywhere a little hairy.

Bozeman has shown they can issue a J45 which will stand up against anything the small shops come out with. The two which quickly come to mind were the J45 Legend and 2013 run of Banners issued in conjunction with the "Kalamazoo Gals" Project. In both cases the guitars were copied from Bannerheads loaned to them. With at least the early Legends, Bozeman went as far as to resurrect some of the old machinery so they could duplicate the saw marks on the bracing you see in the originals. For whatever reason though Bozeman has not shown a ton of interest in coming out with dead bang recreations of guitars from past catalogs other than when it comes to aesthetics.

That said though I do own a Fairbanks Roy Smeck I picked up used a couple of years ago. It is a heck of a guitar with Dale absolutely nailing the bracing found in the originals.