Epiphone Inspired By Gibson J45 - Update. There was a big issue!

I had a couple of problems with my new Epi J45

[@BenCoombs]

Great info and glad you got it sorted. Cheers!!

[@idolhanz9842]

I bought an uninspired by gibson SJ-200 recently that has a overly large bridge saddle cavity that causes the saddle to flop over at a 45 degree angle back towards the neck. That same epiphone guitar mastershit piece has a misaligned tuner holes ! Chibson forever!

[@promoted738]

Love the IBG J45 - I've had mine for quite a while. As a performing artist I'm fussy about the amplified sound - In my opinion, ANY under saddle pickup will sound like hard plastic - I tear them out immediately and use a magnet sound hole pickup with a built in mic. As for the guitar itself, it's a bit of a heavy build but it feels and sounds great. Very satisfying "Gibson" like experience. I've owned about 7 proper J 45's over the years, including a Banner (very pricey). This IBG version is really good comparatively. The Hummingbirds are good - the SJ200's don't sound like much at all. Though, the newest version of the Epiphone SJ200 that comes with a hard case for 1500.00 is pretty killer.

[@andysfishingandflytyingcha2310]

Hi, in the last two weeks l've acquired two Epiphone acoustics. One, a IBG 1942 VOS antique burst Banner J45 with the Braggs electrics. Now this is a "15" serial no. Very early build from China (072). I was a little concerned when l saw that it wasn't a "23" from lindonesia, but l shouldn't have been. It has no build quality issues whatsover. I couldn't find a single thing wrong with it. The tone is incredible. Shimmery highs, the middle thud that we all love about J45's and a lovely low end. Plays like a dream. I like to mic up my acoustics when out playing live but l have to say that the electrics in this thing are great. I can get to sound so natural just by plugging it into a regular amp but straight into a desk it's wonderful. I was also lucky enough to find what l think maybe the only Epiphone Excellente in the UK and she came to me last week. Wow wow wow! The most beautifully appointed guitar. All mother of pearl, bone and ebony in all the right places but the tone! So sweet and responds so well to a more gentle approach. Not sure why Gibson are allowing these things on the market at the prices they're going for. If they had a Gibson logo and were made in the USA they'd be £2-4000 more! Cheers!

[@andysfishingandflytyingcha2310]

Oh and by the way, the 1942 Banner has a much smaller pick guard, which is nice! 🤣

[@rayr1541]

Which one do you like better, the banner or the standard ibg? I’m deciding between an open box IBG standard for $523 or biting the bullet and going for a brand new IBG banner for double that.

[@andysfishingandflytyingcha2310]

​@rayr1541 l haven't played a standard IBG Epi J45 so l can't help you. What l can tell you is that l played seven Gibson J45's at the Garage in London, from the standard up to the top of the range and each and everyone of them were as dull as dishwater, no resonance, not middle thud or sparkle and they were so quiet! My Epi banner blew them all away which is why l took it home and it saved me two grand!

[@lancehouck]

As much as I love fishman unfortunately all their Sonitone pickup guitars are like this. I’ve had two inspired by Gibson acoustics and they both had to be worked on to fix this issue. The other thing that will happen is because the saddle is all wonky you won’t hear certain strings as well. It’s easily fixed but it’s a good idea to just remove the pickup. Needless to say as cool as these guitars are I won’t be buying another one. I will most likely do a j45 standard. Thanks for the video! Good stuff! Love how it sounds in the beginning. Very full!

[@GraemeCampbellMusic]

Thanks Lance. I'm glad I've now swicthed to the Rare Earth humbucker in this, made a huge difference, and easy to dial in a decent sound in a noisy pub.

[@barnaclerusty]

I took my pick guard off.. looks and sounds great. I usually take them off or get a custom one made. I’d much rather have the natural wood look than plastic. I will probably have to look into a new pickup at some point. Wonderfull playing guitars 😊

[@borhergu]

Buenas! Tengo la epi Slash j45, y es igual a esta que tienes, que es la IBG de Epi. Las dos tienen el mismo golpeador. Cómo pudiste quitarlo? Quiero hacer lo mismo y poner uno de lágrima finito. Gracias.

[@jackkennedy8100]

I removed the pick guard from mine. It took a while. It would never have fallen off. It is far too thick and is bound to reduce the volume and tone. The one criticism I have of my IBG J45 is the fact that the edge of the neck is very sharp and therefore can be uncomfortable to play e.g. if you use 'thumb over' chords. I will round off the edges so it's not ultimately a big deal.

[@thomasecallaghan1111]

I got an Alvarez MF60OM, but also want a bigger guitar that sounds great banging out heavy handed cowboy chords without sounding like a clanging overtone cacophony, like most guitars I've tried! Looking forward to seeing the Alvarez MD60 vs the J-45 comparison as thinking of getting one or the other - would be great to get your input. Thanks man 🎶

[@oldbrownshoe4886]

I remove pick guards from my acoustics because I don't flail around wildly when I play. Artists like Willie Nelson or Richie Havens do need pick guards. The difference in the sound with or without is infinitesimal, I just don't like them. Thank you for the update. Please play some I'd love to hear more IBG J45 stuff, picked. Just a straight down G, C, and D is all I need. Is yours made in China or Indonesia? They're making them in China now.

[@GraemeCampbellMusic]

Mine is Indonesian

[@andyssportscardz2277]

I have the same guitar, kind of the same problem, when I first got it it was doing great best guitar I had and then it started fading out and when u hit the guitar it would got back to normal it still does that but it also pops/ static noise when playing a gig every now and then. Bought the guitar in November brand new for 800 so I’m very bummed.

[@GraemeCampbellMusic]

It’s definitely worth swapping the pickup out and if necessary checking the saddle. Makes a huge difference. Now I’ve got it sorted this is my main gigging guitar

[@dw1208]

I’ve been looking at this guitar graeme and for the money it’s good. Talking pick ups I had a yamaha dw20 fitted with a K&k pure mini and for my home playing it’s great no batteries or farting around hust plug in and play. Have you tried an Eastman E10 SS……very nice guitar and lovely to play it’s a wee bit cheaper than a Gibson j45 and a wee bit more expensive than the IBG you have.

[@GraemeCampbellMusic]

I haven’t tried an Eastman yet, but I’ve heard good things.

[@fredtorph]

Thanks for the info! Did you install the passive or active rare earth?

[@GraemeCampbellMusic]

I put a Rare Earth Humbucker in, much better.

[@yonohesidohasidoeste9282]

What's the problem with your epi j45?

[@GraemeCampbellMusic]

It's explained in the video 😃

[@johnpatriot9406]

@thomasecallaghan1111...Based on your wants and needs you listed below, I can very confidently recommend the IBG J200. Just make sure it's made in the old Samick Masterbuilt factory in Indonesia! Incredible guitars coming from that plant. As far as the J45's go, buyer beware. Epiphone has recently started producing those in a couple different factories in China. The 5th and 6th numerals in the serial # is how you confirm. If those two numbers are not "23", it's made somewhere other than Indonesia. "23" is the factory code for the Samick Masterbuilt Factory in Indonesia. 10,13,15,16,17 and 18 are all made in Chinese factories. 12 & 20 are made in either Korea or China. 21 and 22 are made in Korea.

[@GraemeCampbellMusic]

The J200 is one that I want to try too, it’s on the list 😀