2021 Gibson J-45 Studio Rosewood Slope Dreadnought Guitar

Update 2023: The fella who bought this in 2022 sent it back for consignment -- it's just not quite his cup of tea. Oh well, his loss! The only difference between my original post and "now" is that he removed the interior label so it would look a little more classic. Otherwise it came back in the same condition it left. See here:

Now back to my writeup from 2022...

This guitar is only a year-ish old but it's definitely had some love even so. It looks like the original ('50s teardrop-shaped) pickguard might have been replaced with a big, '50s-style, countrified pickguard and there's pickwear on said guard and around it and also a few light dings on the top with mild light scratching here and there found on the rest of the body. Still, it presents itself as "new but lightly-used." I pictured the dings in glared light so they're obvious.

All that aside -- what a guitar! Being a Studio model, this J-45 is just a little bit different from your average version. Its body is thinner (more like 000-size depth) at the neckblock and endblock and it also has Indian rosewood back and sides instead of mahogany. These changes both make it a lot more comfortable to play (my own preferred acoustic is a slimmer-depth dreadnought, too) and also give it a different sound, too. It's still very woody and "Gibsony" but to that is added a bit of a Martin 000-28 vibe -- it's got good lower mids and bass and a strong, even sound. I really, really like it as a country chorder and strummer but it does the fingerpicking thing nicely, too. I still like it best with a flatpick, though, where that rosewood depth to the sound gives it a bit more meeoooow.

My only work was to set it up. The frets are only very lightly played and in good order and the guitar plays like a champ.

Repairs included: setup.

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid Indian rosewood

Bracing type: x

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: mahogany

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 54w-12 lights

Neck shape: medium C '50s style

Board radius: ~10-12"

Truss rod: adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-narrower

Scale length: 24 5/8"

Nut width: 1 11/16"

Body width: 16"

Body depth: 4"

Weight: 4 lbs 7 ozx

Condition notes: as mentioned above, there are some mild dings in the top that are not obvious unless light is glared on them. There's also mild usewear/light scratching here and there throughout the body but it basically looks newer. The pickguard is probably a replacement/addition and shows pickwear on it and around it. A pickup was removed from the guitar and the endpin is currently filled, redrilled, and an endpin in place (not in photos, sorry). The saddle is tall with plenty of adjustment room and I've gotta give Gibson credit for nailing the '50s bridge shape. A strap button was added at the bottom of the heel.

It comes with: its original hard case.