Southern Jumbo verses J45???

LessPaul

Just got back from Nashville’ and whilst there, managed to drop by Carters Vintage guitars  ( Heaven! )  Had a go on a 1965 Gibson Southern Jumbo’  WOW!   what an amazing playing /  sounding guitar! And has certainly now got me gassing for one…. But just out of interest how do they compare to a J45?  which seem to be more readily available here in the U.K  as opposed to the S’ Jumbo. 

Tbh’ I’ve never been a big fan of acoustics’  basically down to how they play / feel compared to an electric?

But that Southern Jumbo was something else, and sounded absolutely amazing.

Anyone here ever compared the two? 

If it wasn’t going to be such a ball ache getting it back I would have definitely  pulled the trigger on that one.

Alterlifeson

The Non-Custom shop SJ found in the same line as the Standard/50s/60s J45 are essentially a tarted up regular J45. Same materials, same construction but you get neck binding, split parallelogram inlays, proper headstock inlay and metal buttoned open back tuners.

When you get to the Custom Shop Banner SJ, the back and side materials change to rosewood from mahogany. I am guessing the 65 you played was original? Or CS? 

I've been through the same fight myself after trying a CS banner SJ in the Gibson Garage.

MSedg

Was it this one?

https://cartervintage.com/shop/gibson-southern-jumbo-1965-sunburst/2ymwJx7HE3L7xDULivHGDh86fjS

If so worth noting that most current production Gibsons will be slope shoulder rather than square as in this case. Affects the sound a bit. Are you looking at vintage or new ones?

LessPaul

MSedg said:

Was it this one?

https://cartervintage.com/shop/gibson-southern-jumbo-1965-sunburst/2ymwJx7HE3L7xDULivHGDh86fjS

If so worth noting that most current production Gibsons will be slope shoulder rather than square as in this case. Affects the sound a bit. Are you looking at vintage or new ones?

That’s the kiddie! As I say’ an amazing guitar. 

LessPaul

Alterlifeson said:

The Non-Custom shop SJ found in the same line as the Standard/50s/60s J45 are essentially a tarted up regular J45. Same materials, same construction but you get neck binding, split parallelogram inlays, proper headstock inlay and metal buttoned open back tuners.

When you get to the Custom Shop Banner SJ, the back and side materials change to rosewood from mahogany. I am guessing the 65 you played was original? Or CS? 

I've been through the same fight myself after trying a CS banner SJ in the Gibson Garage.

Yes it was an original 65….. It had’  had some work done, but was faultless. 

Whitecat

IIRC during much of the Norlin years (from sometime in the 70s) the Southern Jumbo had a 25.5" scale. Before and since it was short scale though, same as the J-45.

MikeP

I think a modern gibson is really unlikely to have that tone

MikeP

I bought a guitar at Carter's and just carried it home with me, few years back now. 

LessPaul

MikeP said:

I bought a guitar at Carter's and just carried it home with me, few years back now. 

I did seriously contemplate doing that tbh?   

MikeP

Gibsons and that hit and miss era in particular are really variable. I'd play all the 60s examples in any model that you can find, the necks were slim, and keep going till you find the right one. No more difference between 2 SJ's than between a j45 and an SJ.

LessPaul

MikeP said:

Gibsons and that hit and miss era in particular are really variable. I'd play all the 60s examples in any model that you can find, the necks were slim, and keep going till you find the right one. No more difference between 2 SJ's than between a j45 and an SJ.

Thanks @MikeP  

dallcorp

I've had a J45 and an SJ  (both True Vintage models from when Ren Ferguson was heading their acoustic shop)
Apart from the  fancier inlays etc the SJ had a closer spacing between the bridge and the bridge pins. This makes for a steeper break angle as the strings cross the saddle (and increased downward pressure on the saddle.) This was the only "structural" difference I noticed between the two models. They were both fantastic guitars and I'd strongly recommend trying either if you can find any True Vintage models.

LessPaul

dallcorp said:

I've had a J45 and an SJ  (both True Vintage models from when Ren Ferguson was heading their acoustic shop)
Apart from the  fancier inlays etc the SJ had a closer spacing between the bridge and the bridge pegs. This makes for a steeper break angle as the strings cross the bridge (and increased downward pressure on the bridge.) This was the only "structural" difference I noticed between the two models. They were both fantastic guitars and I'd strongly recommend trying either if you can find any True Vintage models.

Thank you @dallcorp ;

dallcorp

You're welcome. It's a small but significant difference that is almost always overlooked when people discuss these two very similar models.