Richard Hawley

Richard Hawley Forum
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 10:13 am

All times are UTC [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 12 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Gibson J-200 advice
PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2010 12:56 pm 
Offline
Too much time on my hands
User avatar

Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:11 pm
Posts: 541
Location: South East
Hi all, I've got some money coming and the deal is I can put it into a guitar as an investment i.e. one that will at the very least hold it's price. Now I've fancied having a J-200 for ages and now's the chance. I couldn't stretch to a real old one but can go to the £2,700 range. I hear from various sources and reading interviews with the like of Pete Townshend that J-200s are very inconsistent and it is necessary to try a lot to find the right one but I love their sweet strumming sound when they are good. Pete Towshend said he tried 10 in Manny's NY before finding a good one but here in the uk you'd be lucky to find a shop with 3! So any suggestions on what to look out for? Of course the sound is the overall winner. I'm a bit nervous about ending up with a duff one.

_________________
http://www.myspace.com/shambolic-charm


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2010 5:59 pm 
Offline
The Boss
User avatar

Joined: Fri May 30, 2003 9:54 am
Posts: 18679
Location: Sheffield
don't bother i would get an Atkin guitar i have three and they piss on new Gibson acoustics from a great height
http://www.atkinguitars.com/index.htm

_________________
now,then!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2010 10:48 am 
Offline
Too much time on my hands
User avatar

Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:11 pm
Posts: 541
Location: South East
Any idea if the Atkins hold their price? - I am being given this money on the understanding it has some investment value.

_________________
http://www.myspace.com/shambolic-charm


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2010 12:38 pm 
Offline
The Boss
User avatar

Joined: Fri May 30, 2003 9:54 am
Posts: 18679
Location: Sheffield
i understand your thinking,i would go with your heart not your head mate

_________________
now,then!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat May 29, 2010 9:50 am 
Offline
Too much time on my hands
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:56 pm
Posts: 567
Location: Lancashire. The correct side of the Pennines
I wouldn't buy new - as soon as you walk out of the shop, you've lost at least £700 on it and you would never get that money back.

For £2700 and an investment I would find a vintage Gibson acoustic or even a '40's Gibson archtop acoustic like an L7, L12 or L10. You could get a great sounding '50's one from America including secure insured shipping + customs charges for £2700.

That's what i'd do anyhow :wink:

Check out the inventory of these places to get an idea of what's available for the equivalent $ price which is just short of $4k

http://www.gruhn.com/

http://www.musurgia.com/index.asp

http://www.umanovguitars.com/

I'd stick to '30's - '50's era Gibson acoustics as they started to go a bit off in the mid-late '60's.
You'd be hard pressed to find a '50's J200 for £2700 but if you are set on one then i'd get a recent second hand one.



Also - contrary to most other makers like Fender, Gibson + Gretsch - Martin were turning out some really good instruments in the late '60's early '70's

_________________
Twang is, as Twang does.

http://www.myspace.com/stevebillybuckley

http://www.myspace.com/thewagontrain


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 2:05 pm 
Offline
Too much time on my hands
User avatar

Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:11 pm
Posts: 541
Location: South East
Well I went on my quest for a dream guitar checked out places here and in London, went to places that advertised they had Atkins in stock but none of them did (I know he is more of a made to order Luthier but I wanted to try one first and see how it resonated with me, guitars preferences are so personal) I was even ready to go to Canterbury. I tried Martins, J-200s J45s old epis all sorts and ages. Then whilst in London I checked out a shop in Kew that advertised having Atkins, J-200s and plenty of other vintage guitars. Well they didn't have any Atkins they has some lovely old Martins and gibsons which weren't quite what I wanted and they had a Pete Townshend sig J200 which I thought might be the one as I love the sound Pete gets out of his J200...but no, boomy and unbalanced. Then there was a Sunburst J200 on the wall 2008. I had wanted a natural one but the guy recommended I try it so I did and..instant Pete Townshend - it had THAT sound You know the start of Wonderwall, early Cat Stevens sweet clear no breaking up when you strum it hard. It was a 2008 standard, not the year or the colour I had wanted but..but I didn't get it. The shop was closing and I didn't wan't to make a rash decision on such a big purchase. I said "if it had been blonde I would take it now but I don't know". So I went home some 80 miles away and it wouldn't leave my head, this was the 7th J200 I had tried most were totally dead sounding or just mediocre and unimpressive. Woke up in the morning and knew I had to get it. So phoned up and bought it.
So here it is:
Image

and it is inspiring and encouraging. I actually feel like I am not as bad a player as I thought. I could never get an even strum out of my other guitar, recording them was always a case of eq-ing and compressing, struggling with the mic position. This guitar, stick the mic somewhere out front and it sounds great. I wasn't sure how much difference there would be between my other acoustics and a high end one but after playing that one I couldn't actually bring mysellf to play my cheaper Jumbo. I had it in the shop and what I thought sounded half decent sounded complete crap after that one. Phew I finally got the sound I wanted.
..now for the hit album to pay for it :)

_________________
http://www.myspace.com/shambolic-charm


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 6:24 pm 
Offline
The Boss
User avatar

Joined: Fri May 30, 2003 9:54 am
Posts: 18679
Location: Sheffield
when you get a good one they are amazing i have played so many and they have always dissapointed,i would like a nice old one though

_________________
now,then!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 11:49 pm 
Offline
Hawleytastic!
User avatar

Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:26 pm
Posts: 1460
Location: Dvblinia
What a beauty. All the best with it !

_________________
breakingtunes.com/thechoirinvisible/


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:35 am 
Offline
Hawley Super-Groupie
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:33 pm
Posts: 498
Beautiful guitar. Well chosen :wink:


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:49 am 
Offline
Hawleytastic!
User avatar

Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 9:06 am
Posts: 4372
Location: SHEFFIELD
i've got an epiphone j-200 from 1996, lovely sound for an Epi too, it has that booming tone. would love to play a Gibbo tho, that one looks ace. I wouldn't be able to stop playing Elvis tunes on it!

_________________
we're gonna rock this town, rock it all night long!

www.myspace.com/roamingson
www.facebook.com/roamingsonuk
www.facebook.com/marklyall


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 4:27 pm 
Offline
Newcomer
User avatar

Joined: Mon May 17, 2010 5:53 pm
Posts: 21
Location: Galway, Ireland
Beautiful guitar. Enjoy!

_________________
I wasn't born so much as I fell out.....


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:27 am 
Offline
Newcomer
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 10:34 pm
Posts: 17
Location: South Bend Indiana USA
Lovely. I just got a J 150 after a loooooooong quest (I'm a lefty) and was a little leery. But it's just magical. Better than I ever dreamed. Cancel the social calendar.

_________________
"I don’t want to see plays about rape, sodomy and drug addiction... I can get all that at home"


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 12 posts ] 

All times are UTC [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group