Members IanAlderman Posted September 14, 2009 Members Share Posted September 14, 2009 Right now, I'm looking at either a Songmaker DSR, a Hummingbird Artist, a Songwriter Special, or a J-45. I like the Songmaker because I've never had something with a rosewood back and sides, and I like the fact they took traits from other guitars (ie J-45 headstock, the rosette of the SJ-200, the pickguard from the Blues King, and the bridge from the Woody Guthrie Southern Jumbo) to make this piece, and what's best is that it's truly affordable! What I like about the Musician's Friend exclusive Hummingbird Artist Model is the fact there isn't the hummingbird artwork on the pickguard of this model. It appears to be less of a Heritage Cherry Sunburst and more of an Autumn Burst finish and those two things cosmetically add up. Hummingbirds are better IMHO for singing/songwriting as there isn't the loud boom that competes and sometimes takes over the voice. Another Musican's Friend exclusive is a Songwriter Special. An all black cutaway model that looks like something Johnny Cash or Elvis would rock but at the same time, looks rather contemporary. The neck seems to be thinner and I like how the electronics are under the saddle. I also like the unique-ness about this guitar. It's different- at once vintage and contemporary. These guitars are really hard to come by and that makes it something that speaks to me. I don't really play up high on the fretboard but if I got this, then I could do my covers of Sober quite easily. Just anything that requires reach would be effortless and this guitar I think might be a close second. The J-45 needs no introduction. With this, everybody knows the full scoop and as a lifetime investment, I clearly see no competition, which is where the predicament I'm having is coming from. I could easily obtain the Songmaker, which exudes vintage vibe, but this guitar in particular is the REAL DEAL. I'm not quite in the market for an authentic vintage one, that's for sure. I'm thinking the Modern Classic Rosewood if I were to get it. For the price, it cannot be beat. I'm just not sure what to think! If I could, I'd buy em all but I don't want something now and then regret it later. I've got some cream of the crop electrics and now I feel like it's necessary to step up the acoustic game. I know I'd play alot more acoustic if I had a nicer one. But therein lies the problem. I know I want a Gibson, but not quite sure which one, because there are qualities of each one that I really really like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted September 14, 2009 Members Share Posted September 14, 2009 Sounds like you are really into the looks of a guitar and not the sound qualities...That's ok. But each guitar is going to be different in playing style and sound. #1. The Songmaker is not a J45 by a long shot. #2. The Hummingbird Artist is a fine guitar and much more guitar than the Songmaker. I too prefer the plain pickguard. But really a different guitar from a J45. #3. If you can afford a J45, buy it. You won't regret it. But like any new instrument, play it first. Play 6 of them if you can and pick the best one out of the bunch...that is the one that sounds best to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members george black Posted September 14, 2009 Members Share Posted September 14, 2009 I once had a penco j45 lawsuit era from the 70s. That was amazing when compared to my 1961 round shoulder j50. I enjoyed both of those a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Oldskool Texas Posted September 14, 2009 Members Share Posted September 14, 2009 I haven't heard many good things about either the Hummingbird Artist or the Songmaker series. The Songwriter guitars are supposed to be great. I played a Hummingbird Artist and felt that sound-wise it's nowhere near as full as either a Hummingbird or a J-45, but that's probably to be expected, due to the price. When shopping for my J-45, I played three different versions: mahogany, rosewood, and custom shop adirondack top with mahogany back & sides. Of the three, I liked the rosewood the least. The mahogany models sounded smoother and more blended, better suited to strumming and singing, IMO. FWIW, I think the Songmakers are Canadian-made with a bolt-on neck, but I may be mistaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted September 14, 2009 Members Share Posted September 14, 2009 ......When shopping for my J-45, I played three different versions: mahogany, rosewood, and custom shop adirondack top with mahogany back & sides. Of the three, I liked the rosewood the least. The mahogany models sounded smoother and more blended, better suited to strumming and singing, IMO.FWIW, I think the Songmakers are Canadian-made with a bolt-on neck, but I may be mistaken. Canadian made Gibsons are bolt ons.....but that really doesn't bother me any. It's about the sound. I too prefer mahogany J45's. They are warmer to my ear. I like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Opa John Posted September 14, 2009 Members Share Posted September 14, 2009 I have a very short list of "dream" guitars that I hope to own someday. There's only one Gibson on that list.......the J45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Oldskool Texas Posted September 14, 2009 Members Share Posted September 14, 2009 Canadian made Gibsons are bolt ons.....but that really doesn't bother me any. It doesn't bother me, either, but it's worth noting that these are not Bozeman-made with the traditional construction of their US models, in case that matters to the OP. I can't imagine what effect, if any, either would have on the sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pinchegordo Posted September 15, 2009 Members Share Posted September 15, 2009 My questions is .......with so many great guitarson the market now why buy a Gibson ? Unless your looking at their top lines ,your pretty much buying a name,but hey just my opinion ......whatever makes ya happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IanAlderman Posted September 15, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 15, 2009 My questions is .......with so many great guitars on the market now why buy a Gibson ? For awhile, I was debating whether or not to buy a Martin or a Taylor and I already have a Martin, which I liked, but I'm looking to get something new. I have 2 Gibsons already, and I for one like the tone and playability. Even if the 2 Gibsons I have are electric, I received 2 amazing guitars for the price I paid and have enough faith in the brand to get yet another guitar that'll bring me years of playing pleasure. Taylor just doesn't really speak to me. I know Gibson gets a bad rep from QC issues blah blah blah but I for one like them and find myself drawn to their guitars for some reason. The fact that the songmakers are made in Canada and are bolt ons really don't bother me much. I still like the myriad of design features of these guitars, but I think when it's all said and done, I'm after a proven time tested design. Maybe if funds allow down the road, one of these will be a backup or something. The Songwriter that I was talking about though, seems to be a good intermediate solution- intermediate being something I'd play continuously for about 3-5 years where the J-45 should probably fill the bill of lifetime playing. I like the thinner neck, the X bracing, the whole old/new thing going on there. It's a guitar I actually see myself playing at some point in my life. Having a guitar that doesn't sound as loud and full seems tempting to me. I have a guitar that's a cannon and it's very annoying trying to compete with the projection of the guitar when I'm singing. I'm thinking about this direction, but wonder how the tone of the guitar would mature over the years. I didn't want to have buyer's remorse- I didn't want to spend 2 or 3K on a guitar, but after playing my Silverburst Custom today, I don't feel any regret whatsoever for spending as much as I did for that guitar. I feel like that was a worthy investment and I feel like if I got the J-45, then I really wouldn't need to get another guitar, possibly ever. I'm at a point where I'm not GASing like I was before- the electric setup is solid as ever, and I'm content. I'd just like to get to that point on the acoustic plane. It's just unusual for me to drop that much cash on an acoustic, because I don't play acoustic that much. I'd like to play more acoustic music, as an aside, to do something different from my electric music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members larry50 Posted September 15, 2009 Members Share Posted September 15, 2009 The Hummingbird Artist is a square shoulder, while the J-45 is a round shoulder. I would prefer to buy a Gibson round shoulder, such as the J-45 or an AJ, but I must admit that the Hummingbird Artists model's I've tried have sounded great, and looked great too. Looks like a lot of guitar for just under $2K. But a good J-45 or AJ is hard to beat IMO. The Songmakers are made in Gibson's Garrison plant in Canada, and I don't think they quite have them dialed in yet. If I want a rosewood square shoulder dread, I'm looking at a Martin not a Gibson, so the Songwriter is not really for me. Nice guitars though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Oldskool Texas Posted September 15, 2009 Members Share Posted September 15, 2009 I feel like if I got the J-45, then I really wouldn't need to get another guitar, possibly ever. I'm at a point where I'm not GASing like I was before- the electric setup is solid as ever, and I'm content. I'd just like to get to that point on the acoustic plane. That's exactly where I found myself. Buying my ES-339 stopped my electric GAS in its tracks; I haven't so much as looked at another electric guitar since. I wanted that same satisfaction from an acoustic, and I found it in a Custom Shop Adirondack J-45. Get what you want. Period. {censored} the haters; they don't have to like it or play it - you do. I haven't lost a wink of sleep over the money I've spent on my Gibsons. They make me happy and I plan to grow old with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IanAlderman Posted September 15, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 15, 2009 That's the #1 reason I bought my J-45. I felt that the punchy volume of my Martin was something my singing had to compensate for; I wanted something that complimented my vocals, instead. That's exactly where I found myself. Buying my ES-339 stopped my electric GAS in its tracks; I haven't so much as looked at another electric guitar since. I wanted that same satisfaction from an acoustic, and I found it in a Custom Shop Adirondack J-45. Get what you want. Period. {censored} the haters; they don't have to like it or play it - you do. I haven't lost a wink of sleep over the money I've spent on my Gibsons. They make me happy and I plan to grow old with them. That's exactly what I'm thinking right there. I haven't had this level of satisfaction from an electric since the Silverburst and the more I think about it, the J-45 seems to be what I'm after. Again, having a sloped shoulder guitar is something new and different to me, and having something I've never had before could inspire some love and not only that, a whole new songwriting that I've yet to discover. Pretty much the litmus test for my guitars is how much inspiration I can draw from them. "How inspired to play am I when I'm holding such and such guitar?" I always ask myself that question. I've let a PRS go because it didn't inspire me much. I'm letting a 1979 Les Paul KM go for that very reason. Not a bad guitar at all and in wonderful shape, but I haven't written anything memorable on it- I haven't taken it to any shows- it's just a heap of cash in the case that's just laying there. And it just doesn't do for me what it used to when I first bought it, even after getting the action fixed and the dead spots corrected. I just didn't connect with that guitar. With the Silverburst, I connected with that guitar. It was like even though I bought it on the internet, it felt like that very guitar was made for me, like it was fate for us to be brought together or something. I have a feeling that after I see that much money disappear from the account, I'll feel a familiar sting of seeing a lot of money go, but it'll be a good hurt. And you're right. There seems to be a lot of Gibson hate on the HC forums but so far, I've been lucky to have such nice guitars from the company. No corksniffery here, but I've also spent quite a bit of money for the quality too. When it's all said and done though, the combo of a sloped shoulder, history, tone, and vibe all wrapped up is definitely making it easy to choose my lifelong music partner. There are a lot of guitars and amps and whatever that I'd like to have. What kind of guitar player are you if you're not thinking about owning some piece of gear you don't own? However, instead of having a bunch of nickel and dime guitars over the years, and buying and selling and trading and consigning every couple years or so, I feel like now is the time to buy an acoustic to finish off any kind of GAS and just simply move on with life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members george black Posted September 15, 2009 Members Share Posted September 15, 2009 There is a very valid point to be made in favor of the gibsons when it comes to singing. I agree that gibsons can be played a little harder without being so loud that they distract from the vocal effort. Back when I had both martins and gibsons I would nearly always grab that j50 round shoulder when performing to a small crowd without a mic or acoustic amp. It sounded better when I could really project the natural vocal and get down on the guitar without it being too loud. Of course, I,m not that way any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members panhandler Posted September 15, 2009 Members Share Posted September 15, 2009 Songwriter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted September 15, 2009 Members Share Posted September 15, 2009 Sounds like you won't be happy until you get a J45...but if you have the bucks, by a used one....a really used one. They start at about $2500 but the difference in sound is more than measurable...plus they already opened up and plenty of extra Mojo inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AndrewGG Posted September 15, 2009 Members Share Posted September 15, 2009 If you can find a good AJ, buy it. IMO Gibson don't make a better acoustic guitar than this and it truly is a fabulous guitar. Of many J45's I have played over the years not one has sounded anything but dull and muddy; maybe it's my ears, maybe it's the combination of woods and short scale, I don't know. Definitely try before you buy with Gibson; I don't know of another manufacturer where quality of build and tone varies so widely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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