Gibson J-45 Standard Acoustic-Electric Guitar (with Case)

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Play a piece of history when you pick up a Gibson J-45 Standard. This workhorse dreadnought acoustic delivers great tone with an LR Baggs Element pickup.

What's special about this item?

Feature: What it does:
Hand-scalloped top bracing Built out from body center for greater projection
Sitka spruce top Projects rich, crisp and responsive tone
LR Baggs Element pickup system Natural sonic reproduction and feel
Mahogany back and sides Dry and airy tone; clear, present midrange

Classic styling and modern components come together in the Gibson J-45 Standard, a "workhorse" of an acoustic-electric guitar that, since its introduction in 1942, has set a standard for Gibson's line of round-shoulder, dreadnought guitars. As one of the company's best-selling acoustics, the J-45 Standard is highly regarded for its full and balanced expression, warm bass, and excellent projection. With Rotomatic tuners, beautiful tonewoods, and an L.R. Baggs Element pickup, Gibson's J-45 Standard begs to be played.

Hear the J-45 for yourself with this zZounds exclusive video:


Tonewoods of the Highest Caliber for This Workhorse

Top-quality tonewoods and craftsmanship give the J-45 Standard its expressive sound, projection, and superior feel. The guitar's top is constructed of AA-grade Sitka spruce, while the back and sides are made from pattern-grade Honduras mahogany. Simple yet sweet, the rosette on the J-45 Standard is a single ring consisting of three-ply binding. Rounding out the instrument is a fingerboard made of high-grade rosewood, along with dot inlays made of pretty mother-of-pearl.

Grover Tuners at Your Service

The J-45 is equipped with nickel Grover Rotomatic tuners for precision tuning and performance. To prevent slippage, all moving parts are cut for exact meshing, and a countersunk tension screw lets you control the tuning tension to any degree. The Rotomatics get their smooth, accurate tuning stability from a special lubricant inside the gear read more box.

X-Braced for Great Acoustic Projection

Slightly different than other Gibson acoustic guitars, the J-45 Standard has a variation of the company's X bracing design situated behind the sound hole, with a set of thin, tall braces for the back and scalloped thin, tall braces for the top. Thanks to this bracing pattern, you get a guitar that delivers a balanced expression with punchy, deep lows, warm mids, and clear, crisp highs. This instrument is ideal for any guitarist wanting a natural, open, musically robust sound.

Baggs Active Acoustic Pickup System

The J-45 Standard comes standard with the L.R. Baggs Element active acoustic pickup system featuring a solid, low-profile undersaddle element (or transducer) that many say are more stable than most ribbon-type pickups. To deliver unrivaled performance from an undersaddle pickup, the Element works alongside an onboard preamp with a removable volume control mounted just inside the sound hole. According to Gibson, the system's sleek and effective design removes unnecessary internal components to enhance the coupling between the pickup and the guitar, as well as improve the sensitivity of the transducer for a robust, lively, and natural acoustic sound with excellent dynamics and delicate high end. It's powered by a standard 9V battery housed inside the J-45 Standard in L.R. Baggs' Battery Bagg.

Learn more about the Gibson J-45 Standard with this video:


Features:

- Dreadnought acoustic-electric guitar with L.R. Baggs Element pickup
- Elegant Sitka spruce top, Honduras mahogany back and sides, and rosewood fingerboard
- Understated mother of pearl dot inlays
- Unique X bracing design
read less

Body
- Top Species: AA-grade Sitka Spruce
- Back and Sides: Pattern Grade Honduras Mahogany

Fingerboard
- Species: Rosewood
- Inlays: Dot Inlays

Hardware
- Tuners: Nickel Grover Rotomatic Tuners
- Pickups: L.R. Baggs Element Active Acoustic Pickup System

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 800-444-2766

Gibson J-45 Standard Acoustic-Electric

The J45 has been Gibson's top-selling acoustic guitar for years. Nicknamed "The Workhorse" and first introduced in 1942, Gibson's most popular acoustic is now the icon of its round-shoulder, dreadnought line, world renowned for its full, balanced expression, warm bass, and excellent projection. Subtle changes to the bracing of its predecessor -- the J35 -- made Gibson's J45 one of most technically advanced guitars of its time.

Nickel Grover Rotomatic Tuners

Grover's original Rotomatic tuners are an engineering marvel, with abundant style and performance exactly suited for the J45. With a gear ratio of 14:1, the Rotomatics 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. A countersunk tension screw lets players regulate the tuning tension to any degree. A special lubricant inside the gear box provides smooth and accurate tuning stability.

Body Tonewoods (back, sides and top)

The top of the J45 is made from AA-grade Sitka spruce, while the back and sides are constructed from pattern grade Honduras mahogany, giving the J45 its world renowned full, balanced expression, warm bass, and excellent projection. 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.

Pickguard

The pickguard for the J45 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 is a simple single-ring rosette consisting of three-ply binding, adding a stylish, understated elegance to the J45 Standard.

Rosewood Fingerboard with Rolled Edges and Dot Inlays

The fingerboard of Gibson's J45 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 dot inlays are made of genuine mother of pearl.

L.R. Baggs Element Active Acoustic Pickup System

Gibson Acoustic's J-45 comes equipped with the popular Element Active Acoustic Pickup System from L.R. Baggs, which features a low-profile undersaddle element -- or transducer -- that's proven more stable and durable than many standard ribbon-type pickups. Combined with an onboard preamp with an unobtrusive and removable volume control mounted just inside the soundhole, the Element delivers performance not previously attainable from an undersaddle pickup. Its sleek and effective design removes unnecessary internal components to enhance the coupling between the pickup and the guitar, and improve the sensitivity of the transducer for a robust, lively, and natural acoustic sound with excellent dynamics and delicate high end. The Element works with a standard 9V battery, which is housed inside the guitar in L.R. Bagg's Battery Bagg.

Bracing

The J-45 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. This legendary bracing design delivers a balanced expression, with punchy, deep lows, warm mids, and clear, crisp highs. When pushed for more volume, the J-45 projects a natural compression, which helps it blend nicely with any accompaniment.

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. (10 ratings)
Submitted October 16, 2013 by Nick F in Asheville, NC

"Great guitar!!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
First off, when you open the case its like Christmas every time you look at the guitar. Excellent tone and when you drop it down it really starts to sound good. I would recommend taking it and getting it professionally setup. The action is a little high right out of the box. Also I was disappointed that the nut is plastic. For the money, you would think it would be a bone nut. Same for the pins, they are plastic. The finish is beautiful and has the wow factor. However, if you don't want to see finger prints, every little fine scratch, or are just OCD, this is probably not the finish you want. Other than that I would recommend this to anyone if you are wanting a very playable guitar that has a great tone. I've played several Martin and Taylor guitars before purchasing my J45 and you could not get me to switch to anything else other than another Gibson.

Musical Background:

Freelance

Musical Style:

rock, country,
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