Gibson J-45 Century 12-Fret Acoustic Guitar, Ebony

Chiming in for a legacy of awesome acoustic guitarcraft, the Gibson J-45 Century 12-Fret is a captivating departure for classic 1940s "Workhorses" with compelling, inspired bends from the time-tested Gibson tradition. Swinging in as part of the Gibson Century Collection of acoustics, the J-45 Century is an otherworldly timeline break that deviates from the history of Gibson's iconic round-shoulder dreadnought.

Way, way back in the early 1940s, Gibson kicked off their all-new J-45 round-shoulder dreadnought acoustic guitar. The now indispensable dreadnought shape served as the basis for lifetimes of American acoustic guitar music and dreadnought builds alike with a bold, full-bodied form and a 14-Fret neck assembly. Nicknamed "The Workhorse" due to its sonic character and versatility, the J-45 became a classic in the Gibson line and universally. Today's J-45 Century 12-Fret explores an alternate route of history with a variations on Gibson neck design and appointments for an overall reverent but alternative dreadnought.

The Gibson J-45 Century 12-Fret sets off familiarly to other Gibson J-45s. An iconic round-shoulder dreadnought body builds up from a classic combination of Sitka spruce and mahogany. Introducing authentically vintage acoustic tones into every performance, this Workhorse dreadnought body is then treated to a satin nitrocellulose lacquer finish with cream binding for a rich and smooth feel and aesthetic character.

Here, this J-45 truly breaks the mold with its neck. A mahogany neck enters in the picture at this point through compound dovetail neck joint assembly using vintage-accurate hot hide glue adhesive. The guitar's SlimTaper-profiled neck meets the body at the twelfth fret, in contrast to the usual historic fourteenth. This 12-Fret neck and board length inspire all-new creative directions to take for something to lose yourself in. A rosewood fingerboard joins up here with this neck lined with nineteen frets and Mother of Pearl Dot fret inlays.

This charming 12-Fret J-45 tops everything off with a great lineup of hardware specifications. First, the body is matched with a rectangular rosewood bridge landing at the base of the 24.75" scale with a bone saddle and TUSQ bridge pins. The setup provides a solid connection and transfer of motion string-to-body. At the scale's opposite end, a bone nut lands toward the iconic Gibson headstock adorned with Golden Age Strap tuning machines and cream buttons. This Gibson Century acoustic features a few unique aesthetic appointments including a Gibson L-00-style pickguard as it travels with an included premium Gibson Century Collection tweed hardshell case.

Generations in the making, this J-45 Century 12-Fret is an alternative spin on an icon.