Gibson J-45
Gibson J-45 | |
---|---|
A 1967 Gibson J-45 Guitar. | |
Manufacturer | Gibson |
Period | 1942-present |
Construction | |
Body type | dreadnought |
Neck joint | Dovetail |
Woods | |
Body |
Sitka Spruce top Mahogany back and sides |
Neck | Mahogany |
Fretboard | Rosewood |
Hardware | |
Bridge | Rosewood |
Colors available | |
Natural, Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Vintage Sunburst |
The Gibson J-45 is a dreadnought style acoustic guitar manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. It is generally regarded as Gibson's most famous and widely used acoustic guitar model.
The J-45 is part of Gibson's round-shoulder "jumbo" line, begun in 1934 with the Jumbo Flattop introduced to compete with C.F. Martin & Company's "D" line. It is noted for its sunburst finish, warm bass and good projection, and outstanding playability. The structurally similar naturally finished J-50 first appeared in 1942, but did not enter continuous production until 1947.
History
Introduced in 1942 to replace the inexpensive, Great Depression-era flattop J-35, the J-45 standardized the company's approach to the dreadnought guitar. With a list price of $45, it nonetheless initially only varied slightly, with strengthened internal bracing and a new teardrop-shaped pickguard. A headstock decal with the Gibson logo replaced both the old stark white silkscreened 'Gibson' of the thirties and the slogan "Only a Gibson Is Good Enough." It also had a more rounded, "baseball bat" style neck, as opposed to the "V" shape of the J-35 neck. The version produced today is substantially similar to the 1942 model.
Cosmetically, the J-45 was understated, intended as a durable no-frills "workhorse guitar" (its nickname given by the manufacturer). Although a few triple-bound top types were initially produced, the standard single binding was simple, soundhole ring austere, and neck only sported modest dot-shaped mother of pearl fretboard position markers. Gibson used a sunburst finish to cover up imperfections in the wood joins.[1] The top was solid spruce, the back and sides solid mahogany. Over time the sunburst has become iconic, with collectors preferring the J-45 to the higher-end J-50s of the same era. Apart from a small batch of natural-finish J-45s produced in 1942, the model was offered only in sunburst.
Gibson J-50
The J-50 guitars is essentially a natural-finish J-45, with a triple rather than single-bound top and other minor differences in trim. Gibson produced a handful in 1942 using high quality wood laid up before World War II-induced shortages took hold. By 1947 supplies had resumed, resulting in the model's official introduction.
Notable players of the J-45
- Elvis Presley (Used in some of his movies)
- Buddy Holly
- Bob Dylan
- David Gilmour
- John Lennon (composed songs in India on Donovan's J-45)
- Billie Joe Armstrong
- Phil Ochs
- Dave Van Ronk
- Aaron Lewis
- Woody Guthrie
- Lightnin' Hopkins
- Pink Anderson
- Mississippi John Hurt
- Skip James
- Donovan
- John Hiatt
- James Taylor
- Jeff Tweedy (Wilco)
- Aimee Mann
- James Blunt
- Jay Semko
- Mike Rosenberg
- Hayes Carll
- Bruce Springsteen
- Mirel Wagner
- James Mercer
- Peter Doherty
- John Renbourn
- Miles Kane
- Alex Turner
- Paul Weller
- Joey Ryan (The Milk Carton Kids)
- Jonathan Shearer
- Ben Gibbard
- Greg Brown
- John Jackson
- Phoebe Bridgers
- Gary Lucas
- Jake Kiszka
- Lucinda Williams
- Graham Nash
Notes
- Gruhn, George; Walter Carter (March 2008). "The Gibson J-45". Vintage Guitar magazine. 22 (5): 46.
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gibson J-45. |
- J-45 on Gibson website (2017 model)
- J-45 at Vintage Guitars website
- Gibson J-45 on Fretbase - includes specs, photos and videos