Gibson Acoustic 50s J-45 Original - Vintage Sunburst Reviews

Big thank you to Andrew Plassman, my Sweetwater rep for over six years. I wasn't sure about the Gibson 50's J45, especially coming off my two Martins, 000-28EC and CEO-7. But Andrew walked me through the J45 and helped me determine the 50's series would probably feel at home with me. And he was so right. Was thinking I'd sell one of my Martins once I let the J45 breathe and open up. But who am I kidding… I'll keep all three.

The build quality is exceptional on the J45. Fit and finish, bracing, tone wood quality, and setup top notch. Gibson has without a doubt has entered a new era of building great instruments over the last five years. And the acoustics coming out of the Bozeman plant are right up there with Martin and Taylor, if not a little better.

Glad I made the purchase. And always glad I shop at Sweetwater.

got a good deal on a used model from Sweetwater and I don't have any complaints. Plays nice looks and feels like prior owner had a good setup done and does the gibson compressed muted mahogany tone which is the reason I prefer gibson acoustics over the other guys. I actually prefer this guitar over my custom shop southern jumbo with rosewood. The southern jumbo is a good guitar in its own right but it really does the prewar Martin vibe more so than what I consider the gibson acoustic sound. obviously that's not a bad thing necessarily many folks consider martins especially prewar martins to be better guitars than gibson acoustics but my preference is for the 50s gibson acoustic sound that is less about resonance and volume and more about just good tone. for anyone deciding between this and the standard model the standard has a slimmer neck and the tone sits somewhere between this model and the booming Martin tone.

Straight out of the box my J45 was perfect, I will not have to have this guitar set up! I`m most impressed with the vintage C shape neck, its more comfortable than any Taylor or Martin I`ve played lately. This guitar is more than beautiful and sounds like a cannon and other than making simple adjustments (locking Machine Heads, Bone Nut And Saddle) this acoustic is amazing and perfect for me and my playing style. Do Not Sleep On This Amazing 50`s reissue!

This 50s J45 has not only lived up to, but exceeded my expectations. I had reservations about the more "rounded" neck profile but found it to be quite comfortable and not a stark change from my guitars with more slim or different profiles at all.

I've wanted a Sunburst J-45 for 47 years. My main guitar is a well played in Martin D-28CW #454 and I never believed I would find another guitar to come close to holding a candle to it's tone and projection. Badly wanting a J-45 and no easy option to play a half dozen, I ordered the 50s Vintage Sunburst J45 from Sweetwater. I could not be more pleased with the tone and volume of this guitar. If the piezo element under the bone saddle diminishes tone or volume (acoustically) at all, I sure can tell it. This guitar vibrates deep into my chest when I play it. Kyle with Sweetwater attended to my questions and my purchase. I could not be happier with Sweetwater's service in the sale either. I found the "chunkier" neck as some describe it, to play very easily. Upon arrival, the action was set up perfectly for my taste.

I rarely buy brand new guitars, particularly via mail order. I have always wanted a J45, and I prefer a chunky neck, so this was a no-brainer for me. My sales rep Chris Lewis was very helpful throughout the process, which was my first guitar purchase from Sweetwater. The guitar plays and sounds great. I also have a pristine 1985 Martin HD-28. Two different animals altogether, yes, and both excellent in their own ways, yes, but for me, the Gibson wins (e.g., the deep C neck shape is perfect, at least for me, and I think it adds something extra tonally to the guitar). Lastly, the wood and finish smell that emanates from the case when you open it is intoxicating (e.g., if they made it into a men's cologne, I would probably wear it on a daily basis).

This is my "Holy grail". Everything about this guitar is what I've always wanted
I was 13 when my buddy's Dad let me mess around with his for an hour or so. I was amazed at the playability and tone. The tone really got me. I wish I had more time to play. It makes you want to play. As most Gibson's do. The only change I made was putting Grover rotomatics on it. The strap tuners had the vintage look but wouldn't stay in tune. No good to me if they don't stay in tune. Other than that ...... Its practically flawless.im looking forward to many beautiful sounding hours with this beautiful guitar.

Im in love again! At first I thought I might have some issues with the thicker neck. Nope, I worked right through it! By the next day the neck felt PERFECT! Love the vintage look. It plays AMAZING! Great Tone, Sustain and Intonation!! Smooth as butter!

Worth every penny. It sings. My new Favorite Guitar. Go Gibson if your serious about your music.

Greg showed me this guitar when I was there last. I played 4 others. This was the game changer. Triple threat. Sound,Feel and Looks. Greg was great

To begin with, I rarely write reviews but could not help it with this amazing instrument. Gibson has some really good stuff going out in Bozeman. This guitar has it all-tone, playability, and beautiful vintage look/build quality. To expand, the J45 has a resonance/sustain right out of the box that is beautiful. I would attribute this to the combination of its mahogany back and sides with spruce top tone woods and 24.75 short scale. Sounds great acoustic as well as using the Baggs electronics. As this guitar ages via play, it will only improve. Playability is enhanced greatly by aforementioned shorter scale, nut width, and rolled/beveled fretboard edge. As to appearance, the sunburst is stunning with the aged binding and vintage tuners providing a cool mojo. This is a new purchase., but my only pre-purchase concern was the ability of the vintage tuners to hold tune-I'm a stickler with tuning machines holding. I'm very pleased that to date they are holding tune very well. Kudos to Gibson for including two way humidipack in the case candy. A small, but appreciated item. Finally, I always appreciate the 55 point two person inspection by Sweetwater AND a big shout out and thank you to my man, Greg Savino, for his assistance with this purchase. Beyond being an accomplished musician, Greg has consistently provided outstanding service and guidance over many years. I highly recommend Greg. Almost forgot- the case is very nice too.

This J-45 is simply amazing to play and stunning to look at! It plays so easily but the sounds are complex and rich. I'm more of a strummer and it's perfect for simple rhythm and chording. However, I do like finger-picking a handful of songs and for fun. This guitar made me fall in love with picking styles as well and I'm now learning some different picking styles that I've never used before. I'm not just pleased with this guitar but smitten. Everyday when I open my case the smell of the guitar alone gets me excited to want to play. This is definitely a guitar every player should have in their collection! Thanks, Sweetwater(that includes everyone from Ben in sales to Casey in tech support)!

I just bought this guitar from Sweetwater. I shopped around and they were the easiest to work with and gave me the best deal. I was leary of purchasing a Gibson online without playing it, because, as you may know, their quality and tone can be "inconsistent". However, this guitar was perfect for what it is!!! Amazing tone and feel!!! Yes, the neck is definitely "meatier" compared to a J45 Standard (not much), but it's quite comfortable and bar chords are very easy. The tone is a little less warm and a tad more "stringy" than the Standard, which gives it has an incredibly balanced sound. It's looks and feels like a "brand new vintage guitar".

When I first purchased the Gibson 50's J-45, I wasn't crazy about it. That has all changed now. If you purchase this guitar, give it some time, at least a couple of months. I'd also suggest pulling the pickguard. If you have to have a pickguard, go with something much smaller. The one that comes with it takes up way too much real estate and dampens the soundboard. It was very well built. Also, the orange label is simply there to let you know it's a special release, not necessarily a custom shop build. It is probably one of the most balanced Gibsons that I've ever played. I did a video comparing it with the Epiphone IBG J-45 and have included it in this review.

It's sad that the neck was a little too chunky for me, because the sound and tone of this guitar is absolutely beautiful. Big bass but with clarity, and a wonderful mid range that has been drizzled with honey. The highs articulate and clear without being thin or brittle. Overall, just an awesome instrument

Love this guitar, after I took out the electronics and cut a new bone saddle for it. I definitely heard the sound open up after taking the piezo out. More importantly than that: the wiring harness BUZZED inside the guitar. Super annoying! Not how I want a new guitar to behave. I very much wish Gibson would offer more acoustics without pickups, especially on the original series stuff... like they were ~originally~!

I recently acquired this guitar and I've playing it for a few months now. Traded a Martin 000-18e for it and was very hesitant to do so. Like any other acoustic, it's up to you and your own preferences as to whether you'll like the guitar. This guitar sounds fantastic. It's the first Gibson I've ever owned and frankly, I didn't think I'd grow to like the thicker neck. But now, I do like it. This guitar is definitely more beautiful in person than on a website, and again, it sounds better than it looks. The LR Baggs electronics are fantastic too. They're very simply and it's a pumping little pre-amp.

If I had any critiques it would be the tuning machines. I'm not as big a fan of the attempt at staying vintage as some would be. These particular tuning keys tend to drop out of tune more than some of my other guitars. So, I feel like I'm constantly checking tuning when on stage. I may end up buying the newer Gibson machines to put on it.

All in all, I do love this guitar. It has amazing looks and sound.