It ain't called a workhorse for nothing.
Written: Mar 27 '05 (Updated Mar 27 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Punchy, Reliability, Loud
Cons: No pre-amp. Look before you buy. Tad higher action.
The Bottom Line: It is THE workhorse. Buy it and play it for life. Play it hard play it loud.
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| bertbert's Full Review: Gibson J-45best-Seller Since |
Managed to try out a friend's relatively new J45. I was looking forward to trying out this guitar I heard so much about.
Features:
Made in the good ole USA, the J45 is a deadnought with solid Sitka spruce top, solid Honduras mahogany back and sides, V shaped mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard. It comes with the signature amber teardrop sunburst that distinguish this guitar from every other. The guitar looks simple and elegant with its white bindings and plain pearl dots. Very timeless look. It comes with vintage tuners with plastic(?) oval shaped knobs. It also comes with an active Fishman transducer with a endpin jack. The 9v battery is attached in body accessed through the soundhole. No pre-amp here.
Build quality, Setup, Action and playability:
The J45 looks like a very solidly built guitar. However, I do have to mention about some Gibson inconsistencies. The first one my friend got have 2 stress lines in the top right below the bridge. It bothered him so much that he exchanged it for a new one. In the store, I have also noticed some J45 with less than acceptable wood grains as well as action. The action on my friend's J45 feels relatively higher than my liking and the stings feel tight (he insist he was using 12s). After playing for around 20 mins my fingers got really tired. Apart from that intonation and tuning stability are both very good.
Sound:
This guitar begs to be played hard. The sound is loud (tho not as loud as a jumbo) and punchy. I can really feel the bass of this guitar. Trebles are ok and the mids are very pronounced. As someone put it, this guitar has a darker sound than the Taylors. As I strum harder the sound rings better and gets punchier. For the fingerpicker, this guitar is good for fingerstyle blues and moving basses where some finesse is called for. It is not as suited for delicate sounds but for the in-your-face kind of music. This guitar is perfect for strumming and for that "unplugged layla" sound. Plugged in to a small acoustic amp, the guitar sounds acoustically accurate. I could not detect any piezo squak (thanks to the transducer). The lack of a preamp may bother some but I do not see it as a negative. Most amps and pre-processors comes with ample controls anyway. Having too much control may not be the best thing. For folks who want to plug this into a soundboard direct, I strongly suggest a pre-processor or a pre-amp, that way you can control the sound of the guitar.
Overall:
This is a very solid guitar and will last you a lifetime. Be careful when you choose one. Test and doublecheck before you make the plunge. The sound is perfect for strummers and some heavy fingerstyle. If you want to do delicate stuff you should look for a smaller body. This guitar just screams to be played hard.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bertbert
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Location: Shanghai, China
Reviews written: 29
Trusted by: 8 members
About Me:
There is no spoon.
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