Members molex Posted March 30, 2008 Members Share Posted March 30, 2008 Pound for pound,best bang for your buck, 2 different but hightly desirable guitars, which would get your vote? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members moctzal Posted March 30, 2008 Members Share Posted March 30, 2008 If it's a good one, the Gibby.Shouldn't you make a poll for this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members molex Posted March 30, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 30, 2008 poll created, eventually! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hudman Posted March 30, 2008 Members Share Posted March 30, 2008 I'm big Gibson J45 fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members larry50 Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Well, I have a D-35, so I guess my wallet voted for me. But I'd love to get a nice J-45. All the new ones I've played recently have been terrific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members recordingtrack1 Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Having never played a Martin D-35, I cannot vote on this. I have played a D-28 and a couple of J-45's. I love the balance and overall sound of a J-45. When I was a kid growing up, the music leader in my church owned a J-45 that was out of this world. I always coveted that guitar. Maybe I will eventually get my hands on a 35 to try out. RT1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TCBronson Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 I've played both a D 35 and D 28 and actually liked the D28 better. Never played a J-45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 The old "if" clause...If its a nice J45...kinda sad I got to make that distinction. The Martin probably has better in house product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cripes Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 The Gibson gets my vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DEP Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Big J45 fan here, so that's how I voted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FunkaGuitar Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 martin, for consistancy but if you find the good j45, hands down will beat the martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Which one sounds best to you? Maybe the best-sounding steel-string acoustic I ever heard was a J-45 or a J-40. It's been 20 years and I still remember that sound. I've played a lot of J-45's & J-40's since then and not one impressed me with its sound. Some sounded dead. And one model would sound different from another. None sounded like that guitar I played in an Atlanta recording studio one time. I tend to stay away from high-end Martins. I don't care for the sound. I think they're over-priced & over-rated. I voted J-45. But do yourself a favor and try a Guild F-50R or a D-55. Save yourself some money and get a better-sounding guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gthom Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 I've played a couple J45s that were practically perfect. And I'm not a Gibson fan, the J45 is the only Gibson acoustic I've ever really taken to. Overally, more of the D35s I've (briefly) played are better, but the couple J45s that had it going on...they were among the best guitars I've ever touched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members totamus Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Martin all the way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Depends on your usage...if you're strictly a first-position cowboy-chord rhythm player, a D-35 is pretty decent...it'll pump out the bass lines in between the chords with authority! OTOH, if you play a variety of music (fingerrpicking, flatpicking, slide, lead and rhythm), the J-45 is generally a bit more versatile... But either can be used for anything and either is a great choice! Me, I'd most likely go w/ the J-45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Steve Goodmans stage guitar for years was a J45...mic'd of course. As he got older he moved over to a Martin and eventually into a Japanese custom (1981) as seen on his only dvd and the cover of his album...Santa Ana Winds...As best I can remember....One night I asked him, "where's the Martin?" He replied, "the Martin doesn't travel very well (weather), my Gibby doesn't care about weather. Kind of like a mailman." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dave251 Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Of all the choices, these two guitars vary more in tonal response than just about any other guitar models I've played. A great D35 is the perfect rhythm guitar with medium strings, and a pretty fair fingerpicker with light strings. D35s are braced very lightly, and will need a neck reset at some point in their life(as do most well made flattops). The later ones(the ones with the stick on pickguards, post 1980 or so) are generally good instruments. The J45 is a great rhythm guitar, and the instrument of choice for playing fiddle backup from the Texas crowd. Also a great rock n roll strummer. They seem to run about the same ratio of great ones to mediocre ones. Use medium strings only on the shorter scale..... be aware that I personally have fixed dozens of j45s for the crack that seems to develop alongside the fretboard. This is a difficult crack to fix and keep it that way. I always preferred a D18 or D28 for lead work, though.... Be sure to play both before you purchase, and buy the one that fits YOU.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members missedmyexit Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 martin, for consistancybut if you find the good j45, hands down will beat the martin I must have always gotten the dud in the Gibson family. I love the look of the Gibsons but every time I play one I am underwhelmed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 I've only played one D-35, and it was an amazing sounding guitar. If the store still has it next year (they've seriously overpriced it, but will match) I may go for it. As for one vs the other, it will depend on the individual guitars. So far, I haven't played a Gibson acoustic that was 'all that,' though I know they're out there. Cheers, Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Dreds aren't my favorite design. Too boomy and unbalanced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jimbo79 Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 I vote for the J45. I've played a couple of nice J45's and a J50. The Martin's I've tried just haven't impressed me much. But each to his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pk1fan Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 I voted Martin , the gibsons I have played from the 1950's are nice too . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members timmay8612 Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Quality control for Gibson sucks IMO. Every new J-45, hummingbird, etc. has sounded like it has a pillow stuffed in it. Do yourself a favor and hunt for a used small shop instrument. Huss & Dalton, Santa Cruz, Goodall Aloha, etc. Best of luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members J45dale Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 For the life of me I can't compare these two fine dreds.Different scale, different tonewoods, different braceing thickness, different tone and feel. I'm a no vote.Try a D18 and a J45, at least the same tonewood.Dale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Oldskool Texas Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 I agree with J45dale - these are, to me, two complete tonally different beasts. If I was using it strictly as a backup to my vocals, I'd go with the J-45. If it was going to be my do-it-all, I'd take the Martin. I think it's more versatile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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