NGD - Gibson mini-mini Jumbo

ICBM

Finally managed to find enough money to buy a guitar that I've had on loan/trial from a friend for a couple of months, today...

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b582/IntegratedCircuitBigMuff/CJ165_zps7408a649.jpg

It's a Gibson CJ-165. If a J-185 is a mini J-200, then a CJ-165 is a mini J-185 or a mini-mini J-200!

Maple back and sides and neck, spruce top. From pics online, most of them seem to have a different pickguard or no pickguard, but this is definitely original.

It's very deep for such a small guitar - almost the same depth as my full Dreadnought-sized Dove (which is also all-maple/spruce). Tone-wise it's possibly not at all what you would expect for a small all-maple guitar - it's not bright. The Dove is actually a lot brighter, as well as deeper - more even, almost scooped. This is the opposite - almost all midrange, very thick and punchy - which is quite odd considering they're built so similarly, and was even made in the same year (2008).

It really complements the Dove perfectly - which is funny, since I didn't think the Dove needed complementing until I heard this guitar! So there is still no 'perfect' acoustic. But possibly there is a perfect pair . I tried not to want to buy it for ages too - I don't really 'need' it - but it really just would have been too hard to let it go.

Another interesting fact is that now I own the same number of acoustic guitars as I do electrics, which is the first time that's been true since I was 18. Must be getting old .

Guitar_Slinger

Ooh, that looks purty!

Good that you got to try before you bought it, too.

stickyfiddle

Lovely. I wold have liked to try one of those when I got my Dove but couldn't try one. Looks like it'll have to stay on the list

xSkarloey

Happy NGD. A friend of mine has a J185.

I really like the balanced tone and projection from those smaller Gibbos.

Enjoy!

noisepolluter

Ding dong!

CloudNine

Nice one man! Have read many times about your love for the dove, hopefully this matches up to that.

The 'belly up' versus 'belly-down' bridge thing always intrigues me. Was it a structural decision, or just designed to be different?

ICBM

CloudNine said:

Nice one man! Have read many times about your love for the dove, hopefully this matches up to that.

The 'belly up' versus 'belly-down' bridge thing always intrigues me. Was it a structural decision, or just designed to be different?

No idea. Martin always did them the other way round. Structurally, it probably doesn't make a lot of difference. Gibson always bolted their bridges anyway!

I think the Dove will always be 'my' guitar, and in truth it is 'better' than this in the sense that it has a more 'universal' sound - you can do more with it, it's more even across the frequency range and very balanced. I actually thought it was totally even until I played this one next to it, and it turns out the Dove is slightly hollow in the mids, which is OK since I tend to like that sort of sound.

What this one ends is my search for a 'cheap-sounding' guitar. I don't mean that in a bad way - I was looking for something more middy, smaller-sounding and almost boxy in some ways, and I expected it would be a cheap guitar that did it best. Actually no - I tried several and was never happy - but this one does, it's the same sort of sound but just much better.

It also happens to be an extremely comfortable guitar to play - more so than the Dove, which demands you hold it right, at least if you're my size! - this one is small enough that you can just slouch on the sofa with it. The neck is marginally smaller too, as well as shorter scale (24.75" vs 25.5 for the Dove).

The only disadvantage of it being an 'expensive cheap guitar' is that I can't just chuck it around at open jams like I was hoping to be able to! Unlike most Gibsons I'm sure the neck will stay in one piece, being maple, but it's still a lot more fragile than my resonator so I'll probably keep that as well if I can afford to...

Gassage

Mini Jumbo?

Would that make it a mumbo?

Or a MumboJumbo?

ICBM

A few more pics in better light…

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b582/IntegratedCircuitBigMuff/CJ165_1_zps3c9af515.jpg

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b582/IntegratedCircuitBigMuff/CJ165_2_zpsb6e9677e.jpg

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b582/IntegratedCircuitBigMuff/CJ165_3_zpsa4d0d9ad.jpg

Deijavoo

!!!

Nice.  Always wanted a Dove too.   I need more guitars.

Gassage

Gorgeous. Simply lovely.

ICBM

Thank you .

The funny thing is that if I saw a PRS with that much flame on it, I would be the first to say it was horrible! It seems OK for the back of an acoustic, but not for the top of an electric for some reason. No, I don't know why...

Philly_Q

Gosh, that's lovely.  It's not often I get acoustic GAS.

bandmaster188

Ooh yeh, that's nice!

xmrchi

What a fantastic looking guitar

ICBM

Thanks again .

A comparison with the Dove, for those interested!

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b582/IntegratedCircuitBigMuff/2014-11-24114912_zpsbe965040.jpg

richardhomer

ICBM;430316" said:

Thanks again .

A comparison with the Dove, for those interested!

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b582/IntegratedCircuitBigMuff/2014-11-24114912_zpsbe965040.jpg

Looks lovely.

Do you have to move your sofa when you want to read a book from one of the lower shelves?

thermionic

The Tube Amp Book - what a surprise!

ICBM

richardhomer said:

Do you have to move your sofa when you want to read a book from one of the lower shelves?

Yes, but it's very light and on felt pads - I actually turned it round for that pic, in fact. It certainly weighs less than my amp, anyway .

thermionic said:

The Tube Amp Book - what a surprise!

Signed by Aspen Pittman, too .

ESchap

Beautiful looking guitar @ICBM  ;

I thought I wouldn't like maple bodied acoustics (assumed they would be too bright) until I tried a Lowden in GG Edinburgh recently, beautifully balanced tone it had.