j-45

Rig Rundown: The Band Camino

Efficient, economical, and exacting are the key features that allow these pop-rockersā€™ finely-tuned setups to pump out buoyant ballads and bangers.


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Robi Johns has played a role in Gibsonā€™s acoustic operation since 1990, when he left teaching and running a music store to become the locationā€™s in-house musician.

The Gibson acoustic divisionā€™s head dreamer studied with Christopher Parkening, toured, played, taught, and has collaborated with many artists on signature models in his three-decade career.

Bozeman is known as the Sweet Pea City, a reference to the prolific flower that put this colorful Montana burgh on the map in the early 1900s. But most of us know it as the home of the Gibson Acoustic Craftory, where the brand makes guitars ranging from historic models like the L-00, J-45, Hummingbird, Dove, and J-200 to signature guitars for Jerry Cantrell, Orianthi, and Kebā€™ Moā€™ to the companyā€™s budget-priced Generation Collection, which offers updates on Gibsonā€™s slope-, broad-shouldered, and cutaway models, all with sound ports. Turns out the regionā€™s stable, dry climate is good for building guitars as well as raising blossoms.

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Some of the world''s finest artists have recorded on this classic acoustic from Gibson. It features some of the first renditions of guitar production found in today''s market.

The Gibson J-45 has been a favorite with players and collectors since its debut in 1942, although its roots can be traced back ten years earlier with the unveiling of the Martin Guitar Companyā€™s Dreadnought series. The Martin D series quickly became popular with players because of the increased volume these large guitars provided. Gibson retaliated in 1934 with the Jumbo. The Jumbo and the Dreadnought shared similar dimensions and volume levels, but Gibsonā€™s unique, round-shouldered look set it apart from the competition. The economics of the Great Depression caused the Jumbo to evolve into the lower priced, less fancy J-35 in 1936. By 1942, the J-35 was dropped in favor of the enduring J-45, which has since become a staple of the Gibson flattop lineup.

The J-45 featured this month has features common to others produced in 1964. It has an adjustable bridge (introduced in 1956), large frets (1959), a cherry sunburst finish (1962), and mahogany back and sides with a spruce top (standard since the end of WWII). The red tint of the cherry sunburst has faded to an almost golden color, which is common on J-45s made from ā€™64 to ā€™66.

The slim, comfortable neck of this example has the somewhat rare and interesting feature called a ā€œstinger.ā€ The back of the headstock is painted black to hide a flaw in the wood. The black paint ends in an attractive point at the bottom of the headstock while rest of the neck continues on in the usual see-through cherry.

The smooth sounds of a J-45 can be heard on recordings made by Buddy Holly, Donovan and Bob Dylan. More detailed information can be found in the book Gibsonā€™s Fabulous Flat-Top Guitars by Eldon Whitford, David Vinopal and Dan Erlewine.





Dave''s Guitar Shop
Daves Rogerā€™s Collection Is tended to by Laun Braithwaite & Tim Mullally
All photos credit Tim Mullally
Daveā€™s Collection is on dispay at:
Dave''s Guitar Shop
1227 Third Street South
La Crosse, WI 54601
608-785-7704
davesguitar.com