Product Description

One of the most popular models ever, the J-45 is the iconic Gibson guitar. The back and sides are mahogany, top is spruce, this one is post war, with their new logo and truss rod, slightly smaller "C" shape neck, not much changed otherwise from the Banner years, still with the 1 ¾" nut width and small straight bridge. This one is actually 4 ½ ounces lighter than our early Banner SJ. This is a primo example! It has been played a lot, as evidenced by all the finish wear; a good deal of the neck finish has been worn off. The famous Gibson finish crazing is everywhere and it looks like the frets are newer, with nice low action and enough saddle showing. The only repairs that I can see are two cleated pickguard cracks with a newer finger brace that looks like it was put there to support them. The tone is clear and almost sweet, with a subtle strength and power behind it. I hesitate to give too much of a tone description because it is so variable in any great vintage guitar. String type and age, how much it has been played recently, the room you're playing it in, the state of your ears (mine are getting old and have lost some high end), the players touch and more. Recordings, like so many sellers are doing, are dependent on all of this plus the microphones and their placement, the quality of the equipment and more.