 10 out of 10
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"Gibson SJ-150: The ultimate jumbo acoustic barely under $2K !"
Feature:
The SJ150 is the SJ200 with lesser appointments, but the plain pickguard with stripe surround is nice. The tuners could be replaced later with Gotohs. The finishing and workmanship on this guitar is first rate. Excellent maple with an open grain pattern and the top is a very good one cosmetically. No fault in the workmanship and the setup is fine. Nice case; I wish they'd abandon the bright blue interior and go to a dark violet or something luxurious for the top line guitars.
Quality:
Gibson quality is not impressive in most of their line to me. At their prices, they should have no flaws and be set up dead on. They are Gibson, after all!
But this particular guitar appears to be very well made and only the tuners are lacking in quality. I can live with that. and replace them in a year or whenever they become sloppy.
Value:
For a Gibson upper line guitar, it's worth the under-$2K price. The sound and the build, cosmetics and action meet that level of quality to my ear and hands. Most of the Gibsons and Martins and Taylors just don't sound all that great (maybe 15% sound fine).
But this individual guitar is a very excellent example of what a Gibson can and should be. They are hard to find even in a medium sized town like Richmond, VA.
Desirability:
It's a handsome guitar, clean, crisp, and cosmetically appealing in every way. No one would say this is a mediocre looking guitar. I'd like to see it with ebony fretboard and bridge, but that's a dream wish. As is, it looks fine and the back is lovely.
Sound:
I have a Taylor jumbo, a Guild GAD jumbo, and one fine luthier jumbo dread from Brian Galloup ('Norther Light') that is a professional caliber instrument by any measure.
The Taylor is second rate by comparison and the Galloup an Gibson are on a par. The Galloups are about $5k with an 18 month wait. Mine is a 1999 and in great shape and probably the best sounding acoustic I ever played (maybe 400 guitars over the years). The Gibson SJ150 is right there with ist.
Excellent sustain, volume, definition, intonation, and that 'shimmer' in the trebles. A strong mid range ('punchy') and a really good bass (Gibsons tend to be dull in the bass). A lovely sound and wasted on strumming: this is a fingerstyle guitar! I'm no fan of Gibsons and have owned a 1960's J45 and a recent smaller body model that was nice at $1700. At $2K, the SJ150 is worth it, definitely.
A '10' is so beautiful it makes you get teary. This guitar is approachng that level and it is brand new. In a year it will be a '10' for sound.
Ease of Use:
I'm a picky player and want the action almost perfect: 3/32" and 1/16" at fret 12 on the bass and treble E's, respectively and just a hint of relief (I play with nails from classical study). This guitar only needs a light touch on the nut slots to pass the '3rd fret test'. But right now it is almost perfect with regular lights. Mediums may add just enough relief and boost the tone quality into a '10'. No one would complain about this guitar's action and it plays the entire neck great!
Support:
This I cannot answer, so will rate it '8' arbitrarily.
Overall:
I seldom rate any guitar a '10', but OVER-ALL, for just under $2K, this is a '10'. It's not chep to buy but it's not 2500-3300 like a Bourgeois or expensive Taylor. I have never found a Taylor on a rack that equals this SJ150 Gibson for sound. I have played one or 2 vintage Martins in this league. But Gibson has the jumbo 'thing' under control!
Submitted: 1/19/2008
Style of Music: Crossover country, vintage rock and roll and country, mostly my own songs (blues, romantic, country, southern blues/rock)
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"Super Guitar."
Feature:
Everything is top-rate. I love the inlays. Very well done. I can't say enough about this guitar.
Quality:
This might be the sweetest guitar I have ever owned, and I've owned a bunch. It's right up there with the Hummingbird and D18 I had years ago. This guitar is stunning. No excess glue. No sloppy work on the inside. Everything fits perfectly.
Value:
I think it's definitly worth the money. Superb instrument.
Desirability:
I'm glad I bought it. Sex appeal? Look at those pics of Emmy Lou Harris when she was playing a super jumbo Gibson. Don't get any sexier than that.
Sound:
The J150 rumbles. The sound is pure. The sustain rings on and on. There is no muddy sound like you get on some Martin Dreads (and I love my Martins too). In the sound department, the J150 is a real ass-kicker. It's superb. Unplugged, it is louder than anything else. Don't believe all the Gibson bashing that goes on. Gibson is making some great guitars.
Ease of Use:
The neck is very comfortable for me. Not much different from my Martin HD28. Maybe just a bit thicker, but like the Martin, very comfortable. I've been doing a lot of fingerpicking with it. Fast neck. The notes ring very clear and loud. I've had the J150 about 4 months now and I am loving it.
Support:
No problems as of yet. I called them when the guitar was being made and asked for a pretty low set-up because I fingerpick alot. It came in great.
Overall:
It's simply a great guitar. The first Gibson I've bought in about 15 years. I'm glad I did it.
Submitted: 6/14/2006
Style of Music: folk, country
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