Gibson J-45 "60's" Model
 

Hello AGF,

I have been considering acquiring a 60's J-45 model from Gibson because of the nut width and neck profile. I am wondering if anyone has experience with this model and what your thoughts are?

How do you like the neck? The Adjustable bridge? Overall playability, etc.

Thanks!

There were a lot of changes to the J-45 in the 60's so not all models from the decade compare well with each other.

In 1961 they went to the wide neck but also to the adjustable bridge. They also went to a large plywood bridge plate.

1963 has the plastic adjustable bridge, which is just horrible but only lasted a year.

1968 they went to much heavier bracing, which typically sounds pretty bad.

1969 they changed the body shape and went to 25.5" scale.

If it were me, I'd look for one from pre-1961 as they almost always sound better with the small maple bridge plate and Rosewood non-adjustable bridge but it I needed one from the 60's, I'd look for one pre 1968 that has had the adjustable bridge replaced. Many from 1963 have had it done as the plastic bridges just sound horrible!

I think he might be asking about the newer "Original 60s J-45" production model that Gibson released a couple years ago

Thanks for the response and yes, I should have clarified I am talking about the newer "Original 60s J-45" production model that Gibson released a couple years ago.

Appreciate the "catch" and hearing if anyone has experience with this model.

I tried a few, and ended up with a 50s model because the neck suited me better.
But, the 60s models I tried sounded and played great.
The adjustable saddle doesn't hurt the sound -- and makes it very easy to fine tune the action.
And the 60s are also lighter, most likely because they don't have electronics.
I also like the wine red and ebony colors, as well as the white batwing pickguard with the logo on it.

These are being built to add more product to the line that that they can call a J 45, more than a nod to the era. I just played an Epiphone USA Frontier that was very uninspiring.

Other than marketing, for the life of me I don't see why they would want to emulate the product of the sixties. I have some experience with 60s J 45s, as I was once in the market for as old a Gibson as I could afford, and that was 60s. I played about ten, ranging from 62 until 68. Six I'd define as horrible, two were OK, two were pretty good, and if you count the Epiphone Texan I bought, two were exceptional. All for the most part had started life with adjustable saddles.

This leading to that subject. One particular shop tried to make bad guitars better by making the bridges solid. They, IMHO, didn't. My gut feeling is the bridges didn't make all those guitars bad, Gibson did. Now, this is a fact. Even if you find the very best J 45, you might not like it because of the bridge. It has a high end zing that is metallic. I'd venture Gibson is not going for a real 60s tone. My Texan is absolutely the best for the acoustic Stones tone circa 1972. It also has that Gibby slamming bass thump.

Try before you buy one either new or old, unless you find a real 60 or 61. Those and earlier guitars are pretty good bets.

Although the OP was obviously talking about the current 60s Original J45, talking about guitars built in the 1960s:

I have no idea what "wide neck" guitars you are talking about. The only six string guitars I can think of which would meet this description during the 1960s were the FJ-N Folksinger and F25. These sported the same necks Gibson's classical guitars so had a 2" nut, a shallow C carve neck and a flat board. The standard six stringers though sported the same 1 11/16" nut they had since 1947 albeit with a skimpier neck carve. Sometime in 1965 Gibson went with a 1 9/16" nut.

The square shoulder J45 first appeared in late-1968 alongside the round shoulder version. Gibson also continued to issue round shoulder J45s into early-1969.

Here is a question. I always figured if there was a tone sucker in the 1960s Gibsons it was that maple laminate bridge plate which was large enough to qualify as a piece of furniture. When it comes to bridge plates size matters. I assume Kalamazoo found this a necessity to support the ADJ saddle bridges which weighed four times more than a standard fixed saddle bridge. I just find it hard to believe though that Bozeman is going with this same design and has not found a way to get around it. Is this, in fact, the case?

No.
They've done away with the large laminate bridge plate and plastic saddle.

The OP is asking about the current 60s designation, and people are giving opinions on the original versions from the 1960s.