I want a Gibson J180 Acoustic Guitar

[motorcitychick]

I don't understand why it is so difficult to find a Gibson J180 acoustic guitar! I have been searching for years for one and I still can't get my hands on one. I don't care for the new Cat Stevens edition with the pin less bridge and that awful looking pickup on the sound hole. He didn't even have that on his original guitar. Please Gibson just make a simple J180 without the electronic's so I can be full filled

 

[Lauri Vennonen]

Acoustic - Jumbo

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How about this one? I have their J-50 copy and like it better than Gibson 50s original J-45 that I got to compare it with.

 

[zombywoof]

I do not have clue what Bozeman is currently offering in their catalogs. As far as I know though the J180 has only been issued in limited runs of generally no more than 100 guitars. On the upside though, there have been numerous runs beginning around 1987 including Billie Joe Armstrong and Dwight Yokum models. I have seen runs with both the pinless bridge (as per the originals) and fixed saddle bridges. But it seems to be one of those things where you can ether wait for the next production run or buy used.

As to electronics, every Gibson we have in the house was built when all that was available was a P90 at the end of the fingerboard extension. But Bozeman, like many others, believes modern players want more up to date electronics so their inclusion is common. I get it where you can find it ridiculous to have to pay for something you not want or need. But if the onboard pickup systems truly offend you, you can simply remove them and go with a No-Jack end pin.

 

[Jayyj]

If you can live with a different name on the headstock, Alister Atkin makes a beautiful replica complete with a relic finish and the big pickguards. They're very lightly built so they typically sound very lively and resonant. As a vintage Gibson acoustic enthusiast I'm a big fan of his Gibson style guitars.

 

[wox]

J-185 is more common, both are 24.75 maple/spruce afaik.

 

[motorcitychick]

I decided to have a Made 2 Measure one being built for me. My sales guy is calling Gibson and the guitar will have the same specs as the Everly Brothers edition that came out a few years ago, with no electronics in it. I am just waiting for the sales guy to call me back with the price and how long it will take to get built. I am tired of trying to hunt one of these guitars down, so I am just having one made especially for me.

 

[Tony Done]

I just had a look at the Cat Stevens model, an ugly piece of nonsense, IMO. Why use a pinless bridge, for example? The original Everly Bros J-180 as used by CT had a typical Gibson-style pin bridge. The pickup looks like a Baggs M1 active, but the specs say UST.

 

[motorcitychick]

I agree with you Tony about the Cat Stevens edition. I looked into that model and decided not to go with it, due to the pin less bridge and that awful pickup on the sound hole. I can not see myself trying to thread strings through the sound hole to find the opening on the bridge to string through. Cat Stevens didn't even use that pickup nor was it around back then. I guess his edition had to be changed a bit, so it would not infringe on the Everly Brothers edition. Gee Wiz the price of this new edition of Cats is out of this world. Only 50 are being built and I am sure they have already sold out to collectors, which is good for them. I am having my old built to the brothers specs. Much cooler!

 

[zombywoof]

I just had a look at the Cat Stevens model, an ugly piece of nonsense, IMO. Why use a pinless bridge, for example? The original Everly Bros J-180 as used by CT had a typical Gibson-style pin bridge. The pickup looks like a Baggs M1 active, but the specs say UST.

The Original Everly Bros. guitars which Gibson came out with in 1963 had a pinless bridge which was done at the request of the Brothers. Pinless bridges in some form of the others had been around for a bit. The earliest guitar with one which I have owned was a ca. 1940 Regal 12 string jumbo which had a front loading wrap around bridge. Kay later went the same route but opted for an adjustable saddle version while the flagship Harmony Sovereign had a straight through loader from the day the model was introduced in 1958. The Harmony version though while simpler was not well thought out as there was virtually no string break angle. Today Lowden guitars sport pinless bridges.

 

[Tony Done]

The Original Everly Bros. guitars which Gibson came out with in 1963 had a pinless bridge which was done at the request of the Brothers. Pinless bridges in some form of the others had been around for a bit. The earliest guitar with one which I have owned was a ca. 1940 Regal 12 string jumbo which had a front loading wrap around bridge. Kay later went the same route but opted for an adjustable saddle version while the flagship Harmony Sovereign had a straight through loader from the day the model was introduced in 1958. The Harmony version though while simpler was not well thought out as there was virtually no string break angle.

I'm not a fan of pinless bridges, it seem like an unnecessary risk to me with high string tensions. The pics I found all showed pin bridges, but a closer look using "63" in the search spec found this, with pinless bridge:

It also looks to have bolts in the bridge, as does the new model, which is an effective fix for my risk worry. I'd still go with pin bridges though.

 

[zombywoof]

I agree with you Tony about the Cat Stevens edition. I looked into that model and decided not to go with it, due to the pin less bridge and that awful pickup on the sound hole. I can not see myself trying to thread strings through the sound hole to find the opening on the bridge to string through. Cat Stevens didn't even use that pickup nor was it around back then. I guess his edition had to be changed a bit, so it would not infringe on the Everly Brothers edition. Gee Wiz the price of this new edition of Cats is out of this world. Only 50 are being built and I am sure they have already sold out to collectors, which is good for them. I am having my old built to the brothers specs. Much cooler!

It is not that hard to string a pinless bridge. You just need to bend the tip a bit to help guide it through the holes. But if you are having the guitar built to '63 specs it would not only have a pinless bridge but the non-scalloped X bracing Gibson started going with in 1955. As far as I know Bozeman has never issued a guitar with this period correct bracing.

Here is a cool video about a '63.

 

[Mikeo01247]

I know this will not help, but I have owned this J185 for 30 years. It's a super nice guitar. NOT 4 SALE.

I'm sure the J180 sounds amazing. I just don't care for the double pickguard

 

[Dbl_D]

Not for nothing, but if you look at CS vids from the '70s, he's playing Ovations.
In the vid I watched after he came out of "retirement", it almost looks like he's playing a J200. *Almost*
Given his track record, I'm thinking "Anything for a Buck".

 

[zombywoof]

I'm not a fan of pinless bridges, it seem like an unnecessary risk to me with high string tensions. The pics I found all showed pin bridges, but a closer look using "63" in the search spec found this, with pinless bridge:

It also looks to have bolts in the bridge, as does the new model, which is an effective fix for my risk worry. I'd still go with pin bridges though.

Gibson began using machine screws to attach bridges in the late-1930s. The reason probably initially had to do with the small gluing surface on the early rectangular bridges.

 

[motorcitychick]

I know he played Ovations a lot also. Yes he did play a J200, but he is mostly associated with the J180. All of us have to make money some way we can, unless we are trust fund babies. I am not one of those, so I have to work for what I have. Kudos to Stephens for having an artist edition, like so many others have had in the past, he deserves one too.

 

[Tony Done]

Gibson began using machine screws to attach bridges in the late-1930s. The reason probably initially had to do with the small gluing surface on the early rectangular bridges.

Thanks, I'd never really thought about when they started doing it.

 

[rowdyyates]

Just get a Collings SJ.

 

[Bobbybigbucks]

Collings = Big Bucks

 

[motorcitychick]

I favor Gibson guitars.

 

[Eddie-Applegate]

I’ve always wondered if the large dual pickguards have an appreciable influence on the acoustic sound —

It’d be interesting to do a side-by-side comparison of a 180 and a 185