First introduced in 1942, the Gibson J-45 has remained a mainstay Gibson acoustic model. It has earned its name as “The Workhorse” due to its wide acceptance, no-nonsense simplicity, and understated elegance. It’s one of the most recorded acoustic guitars in history and Gibson’s best-selling acoustic model of all time. Handcrafted with care in Bozeman, Montana, by Gibson’s expert acoustic luthiers, the new Gibson J-45 Special offers players a USA-built Gibson acoustic guitar at a very attractive price.
The J-45 Special has a round shoulder body constructed using genuine solid mahogany for the back and sides and a solid Sitka spruce top. The top is reinforced with our traditional scalloped X-bracing. This combination of tonewoods delivers a warm, balanced tone with excellent dynamic range that is great for any musical genre. The “concert depth” body is slightly thinner than on a J-45 Standard, giving the J-45 Special a leaner and tighter bass response that sits perfectly in the mix and also makes it easier to hold. The utile neck is attached to the body with a compound dovetail neck-to-body joint, and like all Gibson acoustic guitars, it is affixed with hot hide glue.
The neck has a comfortable and fast-playing SlimTaper™ profile, and the rosewood fretboard has a 12” radius and is adorned with simple mother-of-pearl dot inlays and is fitted with 20 standard frets. The traditional belly-up rosewood bridge is equipped with a TUSQ® saddle, and the nut and bridge pins are also TUSQ. High-quality Grover® Rotomatic® tuners ensure solid tuning stability. The J-45 Special is finished in satin nitrocellulose lacquer. It comes with an L.R. Baggs Element Bronze under-saddle piezo pickup with active electronics and an easily accessible soundhole-mounted volume control pre-installed for studio-quality plug-and-play anywhere. The J-45 Special also comes with a premium soft shell case.
Key Features
- Solid Mahogany Back and Sides
- Solid Sitka Spruce Top
- Rosewood Fretboard with Mother of Pearl Dot Inlays
- Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish
- Grover Rotomatics Tuners
- TUSQ Nut, Saddle, and Bridge Pins
- L.R Baggs Element Bronze Under-Saddle Pickup and Active Preamp
- Soundhole-Mounted Volume Control
- Premium Soft Shell Case
Specifications
BODY
Body Style: Round Shoulder
Body Shape: J-45
Body Material: Solid Mahogany
Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
Back: Solid Mahogany
Side: Solid Mahogany
Bracing: Traditional Scalloped X-bracing
Binding: Single Ply Cream, Top and Back
Body Finish: Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer
NECK
Profile: SlimTaper
Scale Length: 628.65 mm / 24.75 in
Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius: 304.8 mm / 12 in
Neck Material: Utile
Fret Count: 20
Frets: Standard
Nut Material: TUSQ
Nut Width: 43.815 mm / 1.725 in
Inlays: Mother-of-Pearl Dot
Joint: Compound Dovetail Neck-to-body Joint; Hot Hide Glue
HARDWARE
Bridge: Traditional Belly Up; Rosewood
Saddle Material: TUSQ
Tuning Machines: Grover Rotomatic
Pickguard: Teardrop; Tortoise
Truss Rod: Adjustable
Truss Rod Cover: 2-ply Black
Bridge Pins: TUSQ
ELECTRONICS
Under Saddle Pickup: L.R. Baggs Element Bronze
Controls: Soundhole Mounted Volume
Output Jack: 1/4" Endpin
Preamp: L.R. Baggs Element Bronze
MISCELLANEOUS
Strings Gauge: .012, .016, .024, .032, .042, .053
Case: Premium Soft Shell
