Gibson Acoustic '50s J-45 Faded Acoustic-electric Guitar - Faded Sunburst Reviews
The Gibson Acoustic J-45 is the best-selling Gibson acoustic of all time — and for good reason! This balanced, round-shouldered dreadnought guitar features undeniable looks and impressive capabilities. Each J-45 is built in Bozeman, Montana, by passionate artisans, and this latest Gibson Acoustic '50s J-45 acoustic-electric features a nitro satin finish for reinvigorated looks, feel, and tone. With features like gig-ready LR Baggs VTC electronics and a glorious solid-wood construction, this J-45 is a perfect all-purpose guitar. A spruce top paired with mahogany back and sides, a mahogany neck, and a rosewood fingerboard yield distinct resonance packed with equal clarity and depth. It’s a multi-purpose masterpiece that Sweetwater players highly recommend having on hand for studio sessions, gigs, and more!
Earn $125 back in Bonus Bucks† OR pay $105/month with 24 month financing*
$125 Earn $125.00 back in Bonus Bucks† on this purchase when you use your Sweetwater Credit Card without financing. Select your offer in checkout. Terms
As low as $105/month
with 24 month financing*
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Highest Rated Reviews
J 45 shaded '50's model
Perfectly set up. Right out of the box.Love the satin finish and attention Gibson put into this guitar.Finest instrument I've played in over 50 years.Even the included case is so well made. I couldn't be happier with this investment. Thank you so much Sweetwater. Gordon B
50,s faded gibson j45
I normally use sweetwater for all my guitar related things. But I had happened on a small guitar shop that had this faded 50,s j45 set up and on display. After spending 20 minutes or so playing it , I decided I wanted to take it home. A great playing and sounding guitar. I have a j45 standard ,but this guitar just jelled with me.
Playing them at home side by side
I can tell you honestly, the faded 50,s is lighter,and has a bit more resonance. Lighter nitro finish I'm sure is the reason.my standard j45 weighs 4 lb,s 7 oz,Oz,. The faded 50,s is 4 lbs on the nose.
If you get a chance , play one. You won't be disappointed.I did change out the strings to martin marquis 12 53 gauge.
Great For Me, Maybe you too!
My main guitar is a Martin DSS-17 which has a personality of it's own. This J45 had visual similarities but I was attracted to it more because I wanted a more compressed "strummer" of a guitar. Also, I wanted a rich sounding Eb backup to compliment the E standard twang of the Martin.
One thing to note- The 50's faded J45 has a deeper neck than an Standard. I have big hands so it's not a big deal, but I imagine it could be a deal breaker for some other folks. As others have said, this guitar won't fill a room but you shouldn't ask for it to do so. It sits perfectly against a singer's voice and when run through a Fishman Loudbox Mini it's pure gold. You can hammer down on it and the chord doesn't split the ears. You can play it sweetly, and it's also has a great resonance when palm muting (great to sing over). Compared to the Martin the hammer ons and off will be much less pronounced. The Martin - Think Childers. The J45 - Think Riley Greene and Cody Jinks.
If I had to choose one guitar, I wouldn't. I take them both everywhere.
The one thing I wanted that the Standard has is a pearl inlay logo on the headstock. Oh well, it's perfect enough.
Really playable guitar
My wife had a j45 but she fell in love with this guitar the instant she tuned and played it. Believe it or not this guitar has a deeper woody sound with highs not too chimey. Also, something she really liked this guitar weighed only 4.2 pounds and her standard j45 topped out at 4.10 pounds. That's a noticeable difference. I am sure the finish has a lot to do with it. You will also notice that this guitar has a bit more pronounced volume and suspend, again related to finish and bone nut and saddle. Once she finished playing this guitar at Guitar Center, she gave it back to sale man (reluctantly) and we called our rep. Kevin at Sweetwater, as we always do when buying guitars. He had a great selection to choose from. As usual a set up, strings, tusq pins and low action. Expect the BEST from Sweetwater and you will never be disappointed!
Such a great guitar
I bought mine locally, but wanted to add a positive review here. These J-45's are great guitars in terms of looks, playability and sound. I tried several different J-45's in the store, and the nut was cut very well, but so low you would think the open strings would rattle on the 1st fret. Yet there is no rattle or buzz at all, and this makes for a great feel around the first 3 frets area. This model resonates to the point where it gets your attention when you're not even thinking about it. After about a minute, I was like, "wow, the whole body and neck are vibrating on this guitar". The neck is pretty big, so some will need to get used to that, but I think the fretboard radius (12" IIRC) makes it very comfortable to play. In fact, having been a square shoulder dred lover all my life, the slope shoulder on this also adds to the comfort. It feels like an old friend, just sitting on the couch playing it. The natural (satin) finish keeps me from having to worry about scratches and polishing, etc. The tone is full range, the way I hear it: nice big bouncy bottom, nice mids and highs. When I ring out an open E chord and listen closely, there are harmonics bubbling around all over the inside. One problem I had with mine, which was the same case with my new Martin D-28 and HD-28, is these companies don't clean up the fret ends very well: they just chop them off, give 'em a wipe, and send them out. It's not that they're sticking out from the fretboard, it's that they don't round the bevels, and so you're going to feel that as a sharpness after a while. Therefore, you may need to have a professional round the fret ends for you. I love Martins and Gibsons, they both sound very woody and balanced, but Gibson's acoustics have a bit more "woody bite" to my ear. I wouldn't part with either. But back to the J-45 - if you've watched some video demos of this model, you'll see and hear that this guitar is worth every penny. I absolutely love, and favor mine. Cheers!
55 reasons and more
The same as usual, my guitar came studio-ready straight from the box. It plays like silk and fills the room with sound. The 55 inspections that Sweetwater uses allow me comfort in knowing that the guitar has been thoroughly checked for great quality. Top-notch and very reliable, Sweetwater service is always there for you. It's long-term too. Clint Bransteter has been the same sales engineer that I have dealt with for 10 years now. Sweetwater delivers over and over again. No matter who you deal with, Michael Saulnier, Uriah or pretty much any sales engineer at Sweetwater, the professionalism is obvious. Oh yeah, the guitar is all I wanted and more. This guitar is just right.
My New Gibson
This is the best sounding acoustic I have ever heard. It is made so well. So easy to play. I am actually speechless for the first time in my life. Thank you Sweetwater for delivering this beautiful piece to me in record time.
Special
Now that I have played this guitar for several weeks now I have really grown to love the dickens out of it
