Hand-made by Gibson Acoustic in Bozeman, Montana, the
Gibson J45 True Vintage Acoustic Guitar offers the build, materials, looks, and tone of this legendary guitar as it was the day it was first introduced in 1942.
Nicknamed
The Workhorse for its simple, rock-solid construction, the J45 True Vintage stays true to the original in every way, including the same round-shoulder dreadnought body design, a top made from top-grade Adirondack red spruce, custom vintage top bracing, and back and sides constructed from pattern-grade mahogany from Honduras.
Gibson J45 True Vintage Acoustic Guitar Features
- Top-grade Adirondack top with pattern-grade Honduran mahogany back and sides
- Hand-scalloped, radiused top with vintage-style bracings
- Rosewood fingerboard with traditional binding and classic dot inlays
- Gibson plain tortoise tear drop pickguard
- Nickel Gotoh White Button Tuners
Nickel Gotoh White Button Tuners
Gibson’s J45 True Vintage features Gotoh’s nickel white button tuners. With a gear ratio of 15:1, these nickel Gotoh tuners deliver precision tuning in a durable housing that provides maximum protection for the gear and string post. All moving parts are cut for exact meshing, eliminating the possibility of slippage, with a special lubricant inside the gear box for smooth and accurate tuning stability.
Pickguard
The pickguard for the J45 True Vintage is Gibson’s standard plain tortoise tear drop shape, which has been used on the J45 since its introduction in 1942. As with all of Gibson’s pickguards, the coloring, inlay, and binding are all done by hand.
Rosette
A rosette is the beautiful, hand-crafted circle around the soundhole, and can be one of the most ornamental elements of any acoustic guitar. It is also one of the most subtle and complicated woodworking decorations on any acoustic guitar. The rosette on the J45 True Vintage is a simple single-ring rosette consisting of three-ply binding, adding a stylish, understated elegance to the J45 True Vintage.
Rosewood Fingerboard with Traditional Binding and Classic Dot Inlays
The fingerboard of Gibson’s J45 Vintage is constructed from the highest grade rosewood on earth, which is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled experts before it enters the Gibson factories. The resilience of this durable wood makes the fingerboard extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The J45’s classic dot inlays are made of genuine mother of pearl, and are inserted into the fingerboard using a process that eliminates gaps and doesn’t require the use of fillers.
Body Tonewoods
The top of the J45 True Vintage is made from top-grade Adirondack red spruce, while the back and sides are constructed from pattern grade Honduran mahogany, giving the J45 True Vintage the same full, balanced expression, warm bass, and excellent projection that earned the original J45 its much-heralded reputation. Selecting the right wood, and the formula to dry it out, are two of the most central procedures to Gibson’s guitar-building process. Beginning with its first catalog in 1903, Gibson has assured its customers that every guitar would be built using woods with the most durable, elastic, and sonorous qualities, and today’s guitars from Gibson Acoustic are no different.
Bracing
Every acoustic guitar made by Gibson features hand-scalloped, radiused top bracing inside the body, a feature normally found only in limited run, hand-made guitars. By scalloping each brace by hand, the natural sound of the acoustic is focused more toward the center of the body, enhancing the instrument’s sound projection. The J45 True Vintage features a variation of Gibson’s X bracing pattern situated behind the soundhole, with a set of tall and thin braces for the back, and scalloped tall and thin braces for the top, all bonded with hot hide glue.
This legendary bracing design—exactly as it appeared in the first J45 in 1942—delivers a balanced expression, with punchy, deep lows, warm mids, and clear, crisp highs. When pushed for more volume, the J45 True Vintage projects a natural compression, which helps it blend nicely with any accompaniment.
American Musical Supply - an Authorized Gibson Internet Retailer
American Musical Supply has been selected as one of Gibson's very few Authorized Internet Retail Sites in the United States. As one of only a handful of companies to have this honor, AMS offers an extensive line of Gibson products, all covered by a Limited Lifetime Warranty available only from Authorized Gibson retailers.
Gibson is recognized as one of the most respected guitar builders in the world and AMS is proud to have a decades-long history with them. We are truly honored that Gibson has chosen us to bring their world-class instruments to you.
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