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Martin d35 or Gibson J45?


molex

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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.:eek:

 

RT1

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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.

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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.

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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. :)

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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."

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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....

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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

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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

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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.

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