2000 Gibson J-45 Rosewood Slope Dreadnought Guitar

J-45 Rosewood models don't come into the shop very often. This should really be called a J-50 Rosewood, though, considering that natural top. Oh, well! Modern Gibson is nothing if not mildly-confusing. I suppose vintage Gibson was, too.

This is a local customer's guitar and it had a number of problems to address and all got solved -- it wound-up getting a neck reset, fret level/dress, bridge reglue, new bone saddle, and setup work and cleaning. It plays spot-on, now, and despite a prodigious belly under the bridge (I mean, this is what mediums do to guitars like this), it's holding firm and ready to roll.

Just like the D-18/D-28 divide, the difference between a mahogany-backed J-45 and a rosewood-backed one is that you get deeper, fuller bass with a little more sustain but lose some immediacy to the notes and some forward cut and punch. It still has plenty of volume, mind you.

This guitar has been ridden a little hard as it's been in band use but that's just the way we like to see them!

Don't mind the saddle taped to the back of the headstock... it's shop policy to stick it back there if we replace a saddle so it doesn't go missing until the guitar makes its way to the case...