Gibson J-45

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.

Gibson J-45
A 1967 Gibson J-45 Guitar.
ManufacturerGibson
Period1942-present
Construction
Body typedreadnought
Neck jointDovetail
Woods
BodySitka Spruce top
Mahogany back and sides
NeckMahogany
FretboardRosewood
Hardware
BridgeRosewood
Colors available
Natural, Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Vintage Sunburst

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.

1969 Gibson J-45

Starting in 1968 Gibson made J-45's as square-shouldered dreadnaught-shaped guitars with a longer scale (25.5"), similar to the Gibson Dove. Serial numbers tell us that during '68 and '69 both slope-shouldered and square-shouldered J-45's were made before the model changeover was complete. In the '70's the J-45 was re-labeled as the J-45 Deluxe. A short run of slope-shouldered J-45 Celebrity models were made in 1984. By the late '90's the slope-shouldered body style returned for good.


Gibson J-50

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. There are mid-1960s J45 guitars with a natural finish and adjustable bridges and this can be checked by the stamp on the back seam brace.

Notable players of the J-45

Notable players of the J-50

Notes
  • Gruhn, George; Walter Carter (March 2008). "The Gibson J-45". Vintage Guitar magazine. 22 (5): 46.

References
  1. Leonard, Michael (19 May 2016). "The Gibson J-45: 20 Essential Facts". Gibson. Archive.org. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016.
  2. Vintage Guitar Magazine, March 2007
  3. Monty Python (2018-10-15). "Eric Idle talks about the inspiration behind his hit song "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life"". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 2018-10-20.
  4. Millard, Rosie (29 April 2014). "My perfect weekend: Gary Kemp, musician and actor". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
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