Gibson G-45

trolley

Are they any good?
I don't play much acoustic, I have a Fender F-something (bought years ago), and there's one for £650

Tannin

I've not played one but they are said to sound pretty good (if you like Gibson acoustics).


AGAINST: 
* El-cheapo build with no binding. Body binding on an acoustic is an important (many would say essential) protection against accidental damage. If you ding a guitar even quite gently, the binding (which is usually a hard, tough timber like maple or ebony, or an artificial equivalent) takes the hit, often without damage, and if it is damaged, it can be replaced - unlike the  much softer top timber. 
* The usual Gibson short scale (629mm) - which may or may not be something you like.
* A rather narrow nut (43.8mm) - not excessively small but a bit on the tight side. As an electric player, you may rather like this.

FOR: 
* All-solid
* Made by Gibson in the USA
* Said to sound similar to other, more expensive Gibson acoustics.
* At £650, it is well-priced. Not a screaming bargain, but a pretty decent price for what it is.
* I am not remotely a fan of Gibson acoustics (not saying they are bad, simply that I have never yet played one I liked) but if a  Gibson G-45 isn't a major upgrade on any Fender acoustic, I'll eat my boots.

TLDR:
* Play it first.
* If you like it, buy it.

MartinB

Which model and year G-45 is it? The 2019-20 G-45 Studio and G-45 Standard don't have the soundport on the side and do have binding (top only on the Studio, top and back on the Standard), then the 2021-present G-45 Generation is the model with the soundport and unbound body. The Studio and Standard also have nice hard cases and Fishman Sonitone electronics (better than nothing, but not a lot better).

I had tried the 2021 model when it came out, I liked the sound and thought the setup from factory was surprisingly good, but with the unbound top it felt a little too austere for me at the price. Then earlier this year I'd sold another guitar and was looking around for an acoustic I liked, tried a used 2020 G-45 Standard in a local shop and particularly enjoyed it, even alongside some more expensive Gibsons and other brands, so I went for that one.

They do have a bit less bass than a classic J45 due to the slimmer body depth, but it's still around the same depth as a Martin 000. Mine has recognisable Gibson qualities to the sound (strong lower mids, a dry sound with relatively fast decay, almost a compressed quality if fingerpicked firmly), bit it's a slightly leaner and more "modern" version of it. So if the J45 is your true goal, keep saving, but it's a good sounding guitar with a little more of its own character then a lot of guitars in this range. I would also look at the Eastman and Epiphone slope shoulders, which are a bit closer to a "vintage" recipe.

I don't mind the nut width on mine, it's still noticeably more roomy than the 1 11/16" nut on other Gibsons, and the edges aren't excessively rounded so the string spacing makes good use of the available width. The string spacing at the nut on mine is actually no narrower than on my 1 3/4" nut Eastman E1OM, because the Eastman has heavily rounded edges and the frets are bevelled to follow the rounding, reducing the available playing width. So a nut width measurement in isolation doesn't always give a complete picture.

My gut feeling would be that if the one you're looking at is a 2019-20 G45 Studio or Standard, £650 is pretty good value. If it's a 2021 or newer Generation model, it's still fair if you like the guitar, but less of a bargain.

tony99

Honest but uneducated opinion: there's better at that price, used at least.

I tried one when looking for a dreadnought last year, it wasn't a stand out really, and I tried many.

Ended up with a Yamaha.

MartinB

tony99 said:

Honest but uneducated opinion: there's better at that price, used at least.

I tried one when looking for a dreadnought last year, it wasn't a stand out really, and I tried many.

Ended up with a Yamaha.

It took a bit of thought for me, I tried out various Yamahas (mostly the LL and LJ16), assorted Eastmans, a used Larrivee, a used 15 series Martin around the same time, and it felt like logically any of them should be a better guitar for the money. But the G45, and particularly the older Standard model that I ended up with just had a particular sound and response that drew me in and worked for me. It's plainer cosmetically than the other options and the Yamaha and Eastman are neater internally, but even the cheaper Gibsons just had a vibe for me.

tony99

MartinB said:

tony99 said:

Honest but uneducated opinion: there's better at that price, used at least.

I tried one when looking for a dreadnought last year, it wasn't a stand out really, and I tried many.

Ended up with a Yamaha.

It took a bit of thought for me, I tried out various Yamahas (mostly the LL and LJ16), assorted Eastmans, a used Larrivee, a used 15 series Martin around the same time, and it felt like logically any of them should be a better guitar for the money. But the G45, and particularly the older Standard model that I ended up with just had a particular sound and response that drew me in and worked for me. It's plainer cosmetically than the other options and the Yamaha and Eastman are neater internally, but even the cheaper Gibsons just had a vibe for me.

Hey we like what we like, as long you try a few because that's how you'll find what you want usually.

I always thought I'd be getting the YAM LL16 - great guitar, but I ended up with the A3M, and it's fab!

Revolutions

I really liked mine. But then got a Martin 000-15m & realised that the next step up makes a big difference. If I were in the market again, I’d save up & pay double the amount for a J-45.

trolley

Apparently it’s a 2021 model. 

Not sure if I’ll go & try it- it’s a bit of a schlep. But I might wander over next week when Mrs. t’s at work

Winny_Pooh

Depends on your expectations, it's a decent guitar and a big step up from the £300 or less bracket. You might like the Gibson scale if only an occasional acoustic player. 

Eastmans and other good used guitars can also be had in that range. 

maltingsaudio

Can’t help but feel there are better offerings out there at that price, I would be looking at Godin, Simon Patrick Breedlove etc . In my experience the cheap end of Gibson acoustics don’t compete with the top end of other lesser brands, but of course your buying into the name.

Soupman

How it sounds depends really on what/how you play.
Have you considered a used Taylor? They're nice, and seem to appeal to players more used to electrics.
Happy hunting! 
 
 

Timcito

Revolutions said:

I really liked mine. But then got a Martin 000-15m & realised that the next step up makes a big difference. If I were in the market again, I’d save up & pay double the amount for a J-45.

I haven't played the G-45, but I've played quite a few J-45s in Guitar Center (USA) and liked none of them. They strike as essentially strummers' guitars and have a relatively dull response when fingerpicked, which is my style. The G-45, by all accounts, has a brighter response, which makes me think it would be more to my liking.

Dumodal

Go for a used J15, the best bang for your buck Gibson Acoustic.

guitarjack66

Does it have to be a Gibson?

Timcito

guitarjack66 said:

Does it have to be a Gibson?

For me, it did not. Some months ago I bought an Eastman E1SS slope shoulder dread modeled along J-45 lines. It's a lot more vibrant and responsive than any of the J-45s I've played. It cost a fraction of the price, too.

guitarjack66

Timcito said:

guitarjack66 said:

Does it have to be a Gibson?

For me, it did not. Some months ago I bought an Eastman E1SS slope shoulder dread modeled along J-45 lines. It's a lot more vibrant and responsive than any of the J-45s I've played. It cost a fraction of the price, too.

This sounds quite wise,although it seems the main advantage of Gibson,Martin,Fender is holding their value a lot more. I'm not sure I could hold on to a guitar just because I might get most of my money back even if its not that great inthe first place.
This is easy for me to say as somebody who cares little about the headstock name though.

Timcito

guitarjack66 said:

Timcito said:

guitarjack66 said:

Does it have to be a Gibson?

For me, it did not. Some months ago I bought an Eastman E1SS slope shoulder dread modeled along J-45 lines. It's a lot more vibrant and responsive than any of the J-45s I've played. It cost a fraction of the price, too.

This sounds quite wise,although it seems the main advantage of Gibson,Martin,Fender is holding their value a lot more. I'm not sure I could hold on to a guitar just because I might get most of my money back even if its not that great inthe first place.
This is easy for me to say as somebody who cares little about the headstock name though.

I paid something like $600 for a brand new E1SS. It's difficult to imagine how I could lose money on that, whatever I eventually decide to do with the guitar (which will almost definitely be to keep it because it's great).

trolley

So, whilst waiting in Manchester for Uriah Heep this week, I went into Forsyths and looked at 4 acoustics. I wasn't sure on the sizes etc that Iwanted, but it turns out little guitars don't do it for me. I found the Eastman whatever a bit boxy, and the tension meant I was fighting the strings. But he also gave me a Faith Naked Neptune - and that was a revelation. So much so, I might have to get one. Really easy to play and sounded quite balanced to my ears.

Never played one before, but it'll be for further consideration