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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

Love the way the custom shop made this guitar look vintage. the finish is hazy which makes it look old also the yellowed bindings look great. The guitar sounds great BEAUTIFUL action

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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

I bought this guitar several months ago by mistake. That's right, by mistake. I thought I was buying the latest iteration of the J-160E, i.e. solid spruce top, X bracing etc. I was so excited about finding one I just grabbed it, paid and waltzed off happy as a clam. When I got it home I noticed it was a "Custom Shop" guitar. So far, so good I thought. But then I realized I'd never heard of a Custom Shop J-160E. Then I dug into the details. This guitar is indeed a reissue of the Beatles' J-160E guitars. It is made exactly to the 1962 specs which means it has a laminated top and ladder bracing which translates to a ho-hum acoustic guitar on which you could park a semi. What does that mean? Ladder bracing is a no-no when it comes to better acoustics. It's strong, but the ability to allow the top to vibrate is compromised, thus a rather dull sound. This type of bracing and the laminated top were Gibson's second attempt at making an acoustic electric. Both bracing and laminated top were to prevent feedback (which, if you listen to the Beatles "I Feel Fine" you will notice feedback at the beginning - John's J-160E) Plus, you have to use electric guitar strings on this baby if you're going to get any kind of decent sound out of it. Yes, it features an adjustable bridge and that's pretty cool. And yes, the fit and finish are absolutely superb. The action can be lowered to almost the height of an electric with no fret buzz. Still it is an under-performing acoustic. Now the upside: With a little tweaking, e.g. the right strings, adjusting the pickup screws (poles) - lower bottom, higher top, you can get a remarkably close Beatles sound. I have a VOX AC30 and a Fender Deluxe Reverb with a Celestion Blue Alnico...great sound out of both. The J-160E sounds pretty good through them both. Also, to give it its due, while not a tremendous acoustic, the J-160E has a totally unique acoustic sound which to my ears and many others is very, very cool. So, bottom line, if you're looking for a treasure, a truly beautiful guitar with the right Beatles vibe and all that goes with the history of a 1962 Gibson J-160E, buy this guitar. It's pricey I know, but hey, you're buying rock and roll history as well. If however you're looking for a Gibson acoustic that plays and sounds like one, get a Gibson J-45 or, if you can find one, a modern edition of the J-160E.

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