Excellence For A Reasonable Price
Written: Jan 21 '01 (Updated Jan 21 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Classic Gibson style and construction at a relatively low price, great sound
Cons: None to speak of
The Bottom Line: A great guitar at a reasonable price!
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| sparkospunky's Full Review: Gibson J100 Xtra Acoustic-Electric Guitar |
The Gibson J-100 Xtra acoustic guitar is a part of the J-200 Super Jumbo line that the Gibson Guitar Company introduced in 1937. As the name of the line suggests, these flattop acoustic guitars are distinguished by their jumbo body style and huge sound chamber, which create an acoustic sound which is quite unlike that of any other guitar. The J-100 Xtra is one of the more modern components of the jumbo line, and I would like to give you my impressions of this wonderful instrument.
As I stated, the jumbo body style is the most distinctive feature of this guitar. The top of this guitar is solid spruce, and the back and sides are made of solid maple. The neck is constructed of mahogany with a rosewood fingerboard and mother of pearl dot inlays. I want to stress that there is not one piece of laminated wood used in the construction of this guitar--only 100% solid spruce, maple, mahogany and rosewood are used in the J-100 Xtra.
The rosette inlay is made of beautiful, shimmering abalone, and the patented moustache bridge that is the trademark of most Gibson jumbos is present on this guitar. The gold keystone tuners give this relatively unadorned guitar a look of understated elegance.
Don't let the lack of "extras" affect your opinion of this instrument. It lacks the loads of binding that are usually present on high-end Gibson guitars, and the simple dot fingerboard inlays involve minimal expense and craftsmanship. I really believe that the Gibson Guitar Company, in these days of skyrocketing guitar prices, is trying to produce an instrument without the frills that delivers the beautiful acoustic sound of the historic jumbo line.
Even though this guitar lacks some of the appointments of, say, the Gibson Hummingbird or Dove, it is still aesthetically pleasing. The classic jumbo style body with the moustache bridge and shimmering abalone rosette give this guitar a stark beauty that is only amplified by the grain of the spruce top and the gold tuning buttons. The visual appeal of this instrument is based in its' simplicity.
While the J-100 Xtra is not very "dressed up", that doesn't mean that shortcuts were taken in its' construction. The model that I "test drove" at my local music store felt very solid, and my session with it, which lasted approximately one hour, revealed not a single rattle or loose part. I've always felt that the Gibson Guitar Company devoted a great deal of attention to the construction of their guitars, and the J-100 Xtra that I played bore out this feeling.
The J-100 Xtra is a great player, too. As I've said before in some of my reviews of Gibson acoustic guitars, I have never been able to discern much difference in the feel of any Gibson acoustic neck. Suffice it to say that the neck of this guitar felt extremely comfortable in my hands, and it's conducive to almost anything the player chooses to do with it, including fingerpicking, soloing or just plain old simple chording.
The real story of the J-100 Xtra is the sound--there is no other guitar in the world that can replicate the sound of a Gibson jumbo body guitar. The big body and huge sound chamber give this guitar a rich, warm, full sound that is unique to the jumbo body. The balance between the bass strings and the treble strings is perfect, making it the ideal instrument to use as a part of a rhythm section. This guitar is loud and projects its' sound, which is ideal for the acoustic soloist. Finally, the uniform sound that this guitar offers will make it a favorite of the fingerpicker, who always searches for the guitar that projects, but maintains good balance between the bass and treble strings.
At approximately $2,000, the Gibson Guitar Company has produced an instrument that delivers the classic jumbo sound, but in a "dressed down" version, without the frills. If you're a guitarist looking for that jumbo sound at a minimum amount of money, you should look into this guitar.
Recommended:
Yes
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