What are your three favorite Gibson models? Why those?

[VJP5]

I love the AJ - hands down my #1. I hope someday to get mine back from my son, who somehow thought I died and bequeathed it to him

#2 -J-45 Rosewood - "the workhorse' but in my favorite tone wood.

#3 - J-15 - Outstanding bang for the buck.

[cmd612]

1. WM-180 (the Working Musician line, plain-clothes version of a J-185). All the sweet, versatile awesomeness of a J-185, but without the bling (a plus in my book) and at a great price.

2. J-45. In the immortal words of Jonathan Richman, "There's something about that sound. . . ." (He was singing about a Fender Stratocaster, but the sentiment is similar.)

3. One more? Not sure. I've played some I liked a lot, but there are a lot of models I haven't had a chance to try yet.

[ChrisE]

I've played and drooled over tons of Martins and Taylors.

My Gibson experience is far less, so my list begins and ends at J-45. I've played two or three and they were great. J-45 could be "the one" in my book, but I've also always liked the funky retro cool vibe of the Hummingbird, although I've never played one.

[zombywoof]

I own three Gibsons - all made between 1935 and 1946. Based on newer Gibsons I have gotten my hands on though I would go with:

L-00 Legend
Custom Shop RI Nick Lucas
2013 RI 1943 Gibson LG-1 (all mahogany, X braced)

[eljay]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

I think you need to post some photos showing the BACKS of these guitars, too, given that one is koa and the other acacia.

Please?


whm

happy to oblige. wish the image was larger . . .

[TBman]

I like the J's J-45, J-15 and J-35. The Hummingbirds, Songwriters, etc are nice, they just don't ring my bell. I'd like to try some of the smaller bodied ones, but no one carries them around here, except maybe Lark Street could have some old ones. Hmmm.....

I've never played the J-50 or 29.

[Golffishny]

J45, I've played a number of really good ones. They are what I think a backup guitar is supposed to sound like, deep, full and balanced. If my shoulder could stand it more that 15 minutes I'd own one.
LG2 AE, a great all around guitar with good balance and plenty of power. Still a very good fingerstyle guitar also. Comfortable to play.
Hummingbird. I played about 10 before I found one that grabbed me. The tone and feel were close to the J45 but not quite a deep sounding to me. I can see the attraction now. Again, not for my shoulder.

[RussL30]

My all time favorite is the 90's Gibson Gospel reissue.

Great Mahogany Gibson dreadnought tone, but really projects with its arched back and long scale. You can pick these up used at a great price. Mine had been in my family for 22 years and will never be sold.

Here's mine.



No. 2 is the Advanced Jumbo. I've played at least 5 different examples, and have yet to play a bad one. I could only imagine what one of the original vintage ones sound like.

No. 3 is the Gibson Hummingbird. Such a sweet sound with short scale Mahogany, and one of the most beautiful guitars ever.Im a sucker for square shoulder dreads.

Honorable mention to the family of slope J models. I also really like songwriter and HB pro/ artist series. The best sounding Gibson I ever played was a 60's slope shoulder in natural (J50 maybe?) but I passed on it because the binding was coming off. That thing sounded magical.

[GibbyPrague]

It would be the maple J-150 and the Southern Jumbo.

The J-150 because it has such an even tone, warm but clear, and sounds just superb plugged in. Rich with that great Gibson midrange, but not at all muddy.



And the Southern Jumbo, the Aaron Lewis model, based on his '51 specimen.
Because it just does it all and is a great allrounder, and my favourite Gibson unplugged.



And here is a vid with all of them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNcDl8cnCtE

Got a favourite ?

[Orfeas]

I've never owned a Gibson, but I love the Birds. Especially one of the new model with adi top. The Pro is the other bird that I like. Why? I just like the sound, the neck, the looks. Not a dread size lover in any means, but they are lovely instruments.

[Mycroft]

LG-2. Warm, woody, midrangy. Versatile as a fingerpicker or for flatpicking. Great singer's guitar.

Nick Lucas. I've played several of the originals, and I have two guitars (A Froggy Bottom and a McAlister) based on the small-bodied, deep-sided design of the Lucas. Big sound, yet also responsive to a light touch as well as strong flaqtpicking.

J-185. Ergonomically more comfortable than a J-200, yet still with that "big guitar' grand piano feel to the tone. More responsive at the lower end of the dynamic range. My favorite large guitar design, over the full j7umbos and over Dreads.

TW

[jim777]

Nicest guitar I ever played, PERIOD, was a '52 Gibson L7c. Wish I could have afforded it, maybe someday.

[Steve DeRosa]

In no particular order:

• Advanced Jumbo - all the reasons have been covered so I won't rehash...
• L-5 - one of the few genuine game-changers in the acoustic-guitar world, still defines the jazzbox genre nearly a century later...
• J-15 - just an amazing guitar for the money, shows what the current Gibson factory can do when they really put their minds to it...

[fuman]

Gibson J-185. One of my all-time favs. I generally prefer dot inlays, but 42-style Martins, these double-parallelogram inlays and Guild slotted diamonds are the exception. The most beautiful shape and perfect proportions ever designed.

J-185-EC. Can you tell? It's love.

Gibson 40s J50: If I could find one like the one I played about 12 years ago, the best sounding guitar I've ever had in my hands, and light as a willow branch.

[mr. beaumont]

The ones with f-holes!