I had initially wanted to get a Taylor guitar because I like that high end sparkle sound. However, I couldn't seem to find one in my price range that had a good balance of mid-range tones, as well, at least not to my personal preferences. Don't get me wrong, Taylors are fantastic guitars.I decided to check out the Gibson J45 - the workhorse guitar. I honestly had no idea which one to get and there is such a varied price range. Honestly I wanted the $4k Regal model but I also wanted to live (my wife would have killed me), so I looked at some of the lower priced models.I had this particular model, the Rosewood model with the block inlays and the standard in mind. I wanted a cutaway model and a burst finish so these were the models that stood out. Unfortunately no retailers near me had any of these on display so I took a chance.Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical of Richlite for the bridge and fingerboard. I prefer a normal chunk of wood like rosewood or mahogany for no other reason than it's the traditional way of doing things. Both the Rosewood and this model had the Richlite material. After spending hours playing this guitar, I honestly don't even think about it. It sounds great and has a nice, solid feel.In terms of sound, this guitar really does it for me. I can achieve that top end sparkle but there's a good mid-range sound, as well. It's a nice, even sounding guitar overall. The one downside for some individuals might be that there is only one control on the guitar: volume.… read more You'll have to pay for a higher-end Gibson J45 in order to get tone control. For me, it's a non-issue.This guitar is a really great looking model. It's not overly fancy. You've got pearl dot inlays and the Gibson headstock logo is pretty plain. The binding is black so it doesn't really stand out. The burst finish is well done.I personally like the thin neck profile. It's got a great feel overall for me. I was surprised at how light this guitar was, as well, but then again I was playing a jumbo acoustic prior to this. The tuners are pretty good on this guitar and have kept this in tune very well.

Musical Background:
Home player for nearly 20 years.

Musical Style:
Mostly rock and folk read less