Gibson J45 Custom

The Gibson J45 has become known over the years as "The Musician's Workhorse" It has achieved a certain "vibe", and has been played in it's various forms by people such as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Donovan, Harvey Andrews, Ralph McTell, Jim Crawford and my friend Paul Cowley. If I'm honest I've always fancied having one primarily because of that "vibe".

I accidently bought this J45 one day when I wasn't intending to buy anything let alone another big shiny guitar. Another aged relative had left me a small legacy, and once more my wife encouraged me to spend some of it on something tangible to remember my Aunt by. So after some indecision as to whether it should be a Guild 12 string, or a Gibson Blues King L-00 I decided to forget all about it until the probate court decided if there was enough cash in the estate to pay out the legacy, which was in some doubt. I popped into a guitar shop one Monday lunchtime, just killing time really, and I came out with this incredible J45 Custom model with rosewood back and sides. It is truly awesome, with deep resonant bases, a full mid range and crisp trebles. There are definitely no more aged relatives, so this has to be it as far as guitars go. Anyway, we don’t live in a big house so there are no more beds to hide hard-shell cases under.

But then there is the question of that L-00.....

"If a man knows how many guitars he's got, then he hasn't got enough."
(Ralph McTell in concert Birmingham Town Hall June 2009)