Gibson J-185 Original Review

6mo update

So I took my J185 to my trusted luthier, had him do a setup for 10ga. strings with saddle and nut adjustments. I just thought it would be helpful to anyone who read my 1st review to give some follow up once the guitar had a chance to get set up and breath, and for the glue to dry as I had it in my hands within a month or so of its birth at Gibson Bozeman. Some reviews, including… read more my own, are colored by the excitement of having a new a piece of gear, the desire to justify your choice and to convince self that it's the best guitar ever made. With that in mind, I just want to re-confirm that this guitar gets better every time I pick it up. Its tones, overtones, harmonics and sustain/intonation are what I would call perfect, or magic, or a miracle - pick your own favorite word. It gives me more than I had ever expected every time I play it. If you aren't getting everything you want from your acoustic, you should at least try one of these. Your needs/wants may be different than mine, but as someone who has played for 60 years, blues/jazz, R&B this guitar is my all time favorite. Not sure that a country picker would like it more than a great Martin, but my experience says that Gibson Acoustic still makes truly great guitars.

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Chasing tone

So I am mainly an electric player, but everybody needs a good acoustic on hand. In the last 5 years I read the hype about Taylors being electric-player friendly, so I started with a 414ce. Left me thinking a bigger body would help, so I went through a Ltd Ed, 416 I think, and a custom ordered 716ce which I thought would be the one with Rosewood/Spruce and 24.75 scale. I tried a… read more 322ce after buying and returning a GS mini as a couch guitar. But as I began playing guitars around 1960 I had a sound in my head from guitars built in the 50's and I still had not found that big rich balanced tone. I decided that the last hope was a Maple body Redwood top custom, like a 616e, big but with Redwood over Maple. Now I'm at over $$$ at the big T, with no real reason to be optimistic about this one getting the tone right. Then I saw the J185, an old Gibson design Maple/Spruce at about half the price, and decided to buy one rather than try my 5th (6th?) T. I opened the case, put a set of 10ga strings on it, and there it was, even with light strings. Slim neck, 24.75 scale, and the lost tone of my youth. I'm sure it will just sound better as it ages, just like my 2012 CS335 does, my problem solved. Thanks Gibson Bozeman, new hightech methods and designs don't buy you tone, the tried and true and tested old school design does.

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