NGD non-Guild content

[Cougar]

Back when they first came out in 2013, I had Music Villa in Bozeman keep an eye out for me for a new Gibson J-15 burst. Just as one came in, a New Hartford F50R popped up on reverb which I ended up getting for a great price. I put the J-15 behind me.... until now. A guy over on AGF had one for a good price I couldn't pass up. Not a burst, but I can live with that. It's in great condition, 2014, abalone rosette, very nice silky top, walnut back -- not the greatest figuring on the back like some I've seen, but it's weird -- the dark areas change to light and vice versa, depending on the angle you're looking at it. I think 12-strings are easier on the fingers, lol. Haven't taken photos yet - here's the ad photos....

 

[Christopher Cozad]

I like the Walnut!

 

[GAD]

Moved to non-Guild forum

 

[GGJaguar]

Nice looking wood on that one!

 

[Stuball48]

And something about a sloped shouldered guitar, I like it!

 

[twocorgis]

Congrats! If it's anything like my WM45, it will be a great guitar.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Walnut is a surprisingly great tonewood for an acoustic. I had a Larrivee L-03WL, and while a tad subdued due to Larrivee's bracing design, I loved that guitar. It was a fantastic finger style guitar, and also shined when playing solos in a band setting. His L body shape is genius, kind of a mix between an F30, dread and jumbo, all mixed into 1. Oh and a classical guitar body too.

 

[Cougar]

Thanks, all!

Walnut is a surprisingly great tonewood for an acoustic.....

Yeah, walnut was unheard of, at least by me, when the J15 first came out. The reviews of this guitar were through the roof.

I'd forgotten all the specs. It's a slope shoulder of course, short scale (24.75"), 1.725 nut (I was surprised it's not 1.68), 2-piece maple neck, LR Baggs Element. When they first came out, I recall they were $1350. I'm surprised they're now discontinued! Gibson's site last mention had them at $1800. I didn't even check reverb's sold listings when I bought it, but I just did, and my sixth sense was correct -- got it for a little under the lowest price of all the sold J15s. Pretty happy with this guitar. It's not a 12-string though.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Thanks, all!

Yeah, walnut was unheard of, at least by me, when the J15 first came out. The reviews of this guitar were through the roof.

I'd forgotten all the specs. It's a slope shoulder of course, short scale (24.75"), 1.725 nut (I was surprised it's not 1.68), 2-piece maple neck, LR Baggs Element. When they first came out, I recall they were $1350. I'm surprised they're now discontinued! Gibson's site last mention had them at $1800. I didn't even check reverb's sold listings when I bought it, but I just did, and my sixth sense was correct -- got it for a little under the lowest price of all the sold J15s. Pretty happy with this guitar. It's not a 12-string though.

I remember it as being sonically close to mahogany, however there was a koa like quality to it as well. I admit my memory in general is not great...

 

[Cougar]

I admit my memory in general is not great...

Hang in there, youngster, it gets worse.

 

[davismanLV]

That's really beautiful, Coug!! I like that guitar a LOT!!

 

[bobouz]

Very nice Coug! In 2014, I purchased one of the first J-15s off the line, and it had a custom shop logo on it - only one I ever saw like that until they came out with the sunburst model. It eventually gave way to the funding of my current J-50. Sonically, it was closer to maple than anything else & very punchy. Indeed, walnut makes for a great looking & sounding tonewood - Congrats!

 

[Cougar]

Very nice Coug! In 2014, I purchased one of the first J-15s....

Thanks, bobouz. Yeah, I guess it was 2014, not 2013 that the J15 first came out. This one is a 2014. Gibson's serial number code is pretty understandable. So it was the 21st guitar built on March 24, 2014 at the Bozeman plant. A google search shows me yours was January 2nd. Yeah, that's early!

 

[bobouz]

Thanks, bobouz. Yeah, I guess it was 2014, not 2013 that the J15 first came out. This one is a 2014. Gibson's serial number code is pretty understandable. So it was the 21st guitar built on March 24, 2014 at the Bozeman plant. A google search shows me yours was January 2nd. Yeah, that's early!

Wow, don’t know how you managed to dig out the details, but yes, that sounds right! It was the first one listed by American Musical Supply, and they took 15% off after some negotiating, so iirc it was in the neighborhood of $1275. The specs kind of blew me away for the bucks, and the walnut body was intriguing. One additional detail of note that does not show in your pics is the 3-piece maple neck (w/walnut center strip). So quality woods throughout, full nitro finish, and a definite sleeper in the world of Gibsons!

 

[bobouz]

Thanks, bobouz. Yeah, I guess it was 2014, not 2013 that the J15 first came out. This one is a 2014. Gibson's serial number code is pretty understandable. So it was the 21st guitar built on March 24, 2014 at the Bozeman plant. A google search shows me yours was January 2nd. Yeah, that's early!

Okay, I got curious & had to Google it, too. Quickly found the serial number along with the factory checklist date in a 2014 thread from the Gibson forum. Sure not like the old days when you had to dig like a mad man to get a little scrap of detailed guitar info!

 

[chazmo]

Walnut's awesome! Good luck, Cougs.

 

[BradHK]

That is beautiful! A question for the acoustic experts - Given the comments above regarding walnut, why don’t we see it used more often for back and sides on acoustic guitars?

 

[GGJaguar]

Given the comments above regarding walnut, why don’t we see it used more often for back and sides on acoustic guitars?

I've seen it used on budget/economy acoustics from the 1930s and also on some lower end Epiphone archtops from that time as well. It seems it fell out of favor after that. I think Taylor reintroduced the wood in the 1990s with their models using Claro walnut. I don't follow Taylor so I don't know if they still use it. McPherson has been using some really nice flame walnut on their guitars since 2004 along with Bastogne walnut which is a hybrid between English and Claro walnut.

 

[chazmo]

I think Taylor reintroduced the wood in the 1990 with their models using Claro walnut.

They built quite a few with grafted walnut too. They had some sort of local source for that wood and it was gorgeous (if you like a two-tone style of back).

I played a few walnut Taylors and to me they were the best sounding of the bunch. Since they were made to the specs of the same guitars in mahogany and rosewood, it really says someething (to me). Yeah, I think walnut is under-appreciated as a tonewood with guitar builders, and I think it's fantastic (from my limited experience).

I guess they're still using walnut, GG, but it appears to be on some of their lesser models. Anyway, here's their evaluation of it. To me, it's a much deeper sound than koa (which I don't particularly like), but they make a comparison to it.

Taylor Guitars

Taylor Guitars is a leading manufacturer of acoustic and electric guitars. As well you can build to order via our custom guitar program. Taylor guitars are widely considered among the best-sounding and easiest to play guitars in the world.

www.taylorguitars.com

 

[Cougar]

That is beautiful! A question for the acoustic experts - Given the comments above regarding walnut, why don’t we see it used more often for back and sides on acoustic guitars?

Yeah, like I said, I'd never heard of it before Gibson came out with the J15. And I couldn't believe the reviews this new model was getting. People were going crazy over it. It seems OK to me -- nothing THAT special. Well, better than just OK, I guess.

I just happened upon this "back wood tonewood chart...."