G.A.S.

RetiredUnit1

Well-known member
Well, the good news is I didn't spend $29,999 on a real D45. Instead I spent $415 on a *NOT plywood* D45 clone with real abalone. I have a J200 clone with the plywood backing and sides and it just doesn't ring like my real Gibson J185ec does. This has real rosewood backing and sides, bone nut and bridge and ebony fingerboard.

Top Woods: Solid Red Pine Fir
Body Woods: Indian Rosewood
Color: Natural
Finish: Glossy
Bound: Real Abalone
Body Inlay: Real Abalone
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Nut / Nut: Bone
Ruler length: 25.5 inches
Fingerboard Material: Ebony
Number of frets: 20
Nut width: 1.75 inches
Bridge: Ebony
Tuner: Gold
Electronics: Fishman

This was to celebrate the END of the almost $300 a month I had to dump into the hospital bill I got after my wife died of the after effects of covid. Man, it was like paying off a car for 2 years. It was terrible. Here I was in serious emotional pain three days after she died and I get a bill for $6k and change for the part the insurance refused to pay. And it's DONE. done done done. Yay!

The bad news is it won't be here for a month. doh......


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Congrats on being DONE! I don't know a damn thing about acoustics, but that one looks real spiff.
Well the Martin D28 is the acoustic used by Jimi Page, Neil Young, and a $#!+load of other famous folk. Neil actually uses Hank Williams' D28 he bought after Hank passed. I remember when I bought my real D28e for $2100 back around 2000, my wife is literally saying "I don't know why you had to spend so....." and I started playing 'Needle and the damage done' and she literally stopped mid sentence and when I was finished said "Ok, you can keep it"

The D45 is pretty much the same guitar with abalone bling....

It's an amazing feeling when you play songs and they sound *just like* the recording....
 
How do you like it? I finally got a Chibson les paul that I'm satisfied with and it made me curious if I could ever be satisfied with a decent knockoff acoustic.


Also, I can't speak my mind about the US healthcare system without using words I'm not proud of. But I imagine you know the words.
 
How do you like it? I finally got a Chibson les paul that I'm satisfied with and it made me curious if I could ever be satisfied with a decent knockoff acoustic.


Also, I can't speak my mind about the US healthcare system without using words I'm not proud of. But I imagine you know the words.
I just ordered it on Friday, the lead time is 30 days but that's usually got some slack time added. So *sometime* in the next 30 days I'll find out! Maybe I'll do a video with it and my real D28 and see how it compares....

I just got an chibson SG with 3 P90's on it about a month ago, and it's *very* nice. Light weight, no flaws except some of the potting wax leaked of the pickups out which came right off when I waxed it, great sound!


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I just ordered it on Friday, the lead time is 30 days but that's usually got some slack time added. So *sometime* in the next 30 days I'll find out! Maybe I'll do a video with it and my real D28 and see how it compares....

I just got an chibson SG with 3 P90's on it about a month ago, and it's *very* nice. Light weight, no flaws except some of the potting wax leaked of the pickups out which came right off when I waxed it, great sound!


View attachment 56216
Well I'll be waiting to hear about yours before I pull the trigger :P I have a D-17m, I worked at a Martin dealer in college and that was the model I fell in love with. I love the sound but I don't play it that much really, if I can find a reasonable enough knockoff I would sell the D-17m and put the price difference toward other things.

The SG looks great! My les paul was a journey, it's the third Chibson I tried over three years. On this one I finally contacted the builder directly and gave specific requirements and paid a little extra to get a real mahogany body and a custom color. He decided to ignore a couple of requirements, but for the price I paid ($350 shipped) I can't really complain. I replaced all the hardware, nut, and electronics, so I was basically just trying to get a well-built husk, and I got it. It's my main guitar now, and I even paid a couple bucks so the serial number comes up as being built on my birthday :P
 
The inlays on those necks are my favorite inlays of any inlays every put in any neck at any point in time. So classy.
Well, the good news is I didn't spend $29,999 on a real D45. Instead I spent $415 on a *NOT plywood* D45 clone with real abalone. I have a J200 clone with the plywood backing and sides and it just doesn't ring like my real Gibson J185ec does. This has real rosewood backing and sides, bone nut and bridge and ebony fingerboard.

Top Woods: Solid Red Pine Fir
Body Woods: Indian Rosewood
Color: Natural
Finish: Glossy
Bound: Real Abalone
Body Inlay: Real Abalone
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Nut / Nut: Bone
Ruler length: 25.5 inches
Fingerboard Material: Ebony
Number of frets: 20
Nut width: 1.75 inches
Bridge: Ebony
Tuner: Gold
Electronics: Fishman

This was to celebrate the END of the almost $300 a month I had to dump into the hospital bill I got after my wife died of the after effects of covid. Man, it was like paying off a car for 2 years. It was terrible. Here I was in serious emotional pain three days after she died and I get a bill for $6k and change for the part the insurance refused to pay. And it's DONE. done done done. Yay!

The bad news is it won't be here for a month. doh......


View attachment 56200


View attachment 56201


View attachment 56202
 
I have a Sigma DM2, which is D-18ish with the same bracing and construction. Sigma was Martin's import brand starting in the 70s. They were made in Japan, and then Korea. This is the "family guitar." My mother in law asked me to be the custodian of it. I had never played a Martin before this guitar but it was easily the best sounding guitar I've ever played.

1000000646.jpg 1000000647.jpg
 
Well, the good news is I didn't spend $29,999 on a real D45. Instead I spent $415 on a *NOT plywood* D45 clone with real abalone. I have a J200 clone with the plywood backing and sides and it just doesn't ring like my real Gibson J185ec does. This has real rosewood backing and sides, bone nut and bridge and ebony fingerboard.

Top Woods: Solid Red Pine Fir
Body Woods: Indian Rosewood
Color: Natural
Finish: Glossy
Bound: Real Abalone
Body Inlay: Real Abalone
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Nut / Nut: Bone
Ruler length: 25.5 inches
Fingerboard Material: Ebony
Number of frets: 20
Nut width: 1.75 inches
Bridge: Ebony
Tuner: Gold
Electronics: Fishman

This was to celebrate the END of the almost $300 a month I had to dump into the hospital bill I got after my wife died of the after effects of covid. Man, it was like paying off a car for 2 years. It was terrible. Here I was in serious emotional pain three days after she died and I get a bill for $6k and change for the part the insurance refused to pay. And it's DONE. done done done. Yay!

The bad news is it won't be here for a month. doh......


View attachment 56200


View attachment 56201


View attachment 56202
Damn… that’s purdy…
 
A Chartin? Hope it's a decent player. It looks nice.

Is there an actual branding on the headstock? The picture is kind of blurred but it looks like they copied the CF Martin name into the soundhole stamp. Makes me wonder, if you can build a decent guitar, why not brand it with your own name?
 
A Chartin? Hope it's a decent player. It looks nice.

Is there an actual branding on the headstock? The picture is kind of blurred but it looks like they copied the CF Martin name into the soundhole stamp. Makes me wonder, if you can build a decent guitar, why not brand it with your own name?
I have often wondered the same thing....why? It makes no sense.

Grote and another mfgr whose name escapes me now, do label their head stocks with their own name. And you can order your own head stock emblem for another $50.

I'm thinking of getting that with the next one I order. My monogram perhaps.... I drew this in Visio.

Elwood Amps Logo 1.jpg
 
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Is there an actual branding on the headstock? The picture is kind of blurred but it looks like they copied the CF Martin name into the soundhole stamp. Makes me wonder, if you can build a decent guitar, why not brand it with your own name?
Because of people like me :confused: My main electric is a "Chibson" les paul, and I 100% would not have purchased it if it had a different name on the headstock. The builder (who I worked with directly) was an excellent builder and I have zero quality complaints about his work. Quality wood, quality finish, straight neck, good fret dress. Easily worth more than I paid for it, and he certainly has the skills to launch his own boutique-quality brand with his own name. But there is a large market of people that are willing to pay more because it has Gibson written on the headstock.

If this one turns out to be a decent quality instrument, I would be willing to sell my actual Martin to buy something like this, but only if it actually has the Martin logo. Because I'm vain and stupid and put importance on things that don't matter.
 
Because of people like me :confused: My main electric is a "Chibson" les paul, and I 100% would not have purchased it if it had a different name on the headstock. The builder (who I worked with directly) was an excellent builder and I have zero quality complaints about his work. Quality wood, quality finish, straight neck, good fret dress. Easily worth more than I paid for it, and he certainly has the skills to launch his own boutique-quality brand with his own name. But there is a large market of people that are willing to pay more because it has Gibson written on the headstock.

If this one turns out to be a decent quality instrument, I would be willing to sell my actual Martin to buy something like this, but only if it actually has the Martin logo. Because I'm vain and stupid and put importance on things that don't matter.
Funny, I'm the polar opposite. If I had to choose between a perfect fake for $300 or an authentic that's had some asshole modify the headstock and rattle can the body, if priced accordingly I'll take the ugly stick. I'm still just as vain buy I'm only worried about what I think of myself.
 
Funny, I'm the polar opposite. If I had to choose between a perfect fake for $300 or an authentic that's had some asshole modify the headstock and rattle can the body, if priced accordingly I'll take the ugly stick. I'm still just as vain buy I'm only worried about what I think of myself.
I'm sort of middle of the road on this. China doesn't have copyright or patents, and it's legal there. I keep a string changing log inside each case, and on that log is a note 'This is a real xyz' or 'This is a xyz clone made in china'.

fwiw, this guy has eBay rating of 100%, and it's very hard to get 100% of guitar players to agree on *anything* lol 🤣

This is not the same seller, but I've bought several guitars from them. All very good. This listing is for an *unbranded* Chibson j185 jumbo. If it doesn't say solid wood back, then it's laminated. This doesn't say, ergo, laminated. I think laminated is fine for a solid body electric, but just doesn't cut it with acoustic. I have a J200 clone that's laminated and it's just *ok*.

 
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