Head to head
Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst vs Ibanez V40CE
The verdict
The Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst comes out ahead overall — 74 to 62 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst wins on
- Better build (91 vs 61)
- Better playability (75 vs 64)
Ibanez V40CE wins on
No standout advantage.
Scorecard
| Metric | J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst | V40CE |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 74 | 62 |
| Build | 91 | 61 |
| Playability | 75 | 64 |
| Sound | 60 | 60 |
| Value | 63 | 62 |
Full specifications
| Spec | J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst | V40CE |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Gibson | Ibanez |
| Type | Acoustic | Acoustic |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | US | — |
| Body wood | Mahogany | Spruce |
| Neck wood | Mahogany | — |
| Fretboard | Rosewood | Nandu Wood |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 20 | 20 |
| Scale | 24.75" | 25.6" |
| Pickups | LR Baggs VTC | Ibanez Undersaddle |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $3,199 | — |
| Accessories | Includes Gibson Accessory Kit | — |
| Back | Mahogany | — |
| Binding | Multi-ply top, single-ply back | — |
| Body Finish | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer | — |
| Body shape | J-45 | Cutaway Dreadnought body |
| Body Styles | Round Shoulder | — |
| Bracing | Traditional hand scalloped X-bracing | — |
| Bridge | Traditional belly up | Nandu Wood bridge |
| Bridge Pins | Tusq | Ibanez Advantage™ |
| Case | Hardshell Case | — |
| Controls | Volume and Tone Controls | — |
| Finish | Nickel | — |
| Fretboard inlay | Mother-of-pearl dots | — |
| Fretboard radius | 304.8mm / 12.0in | — |
| Fret Count | 20 | — |
| Joint | Compound Dovetail Neck-to-body | — |
| Model | OCRS4550VS | — |
| Nut | Bone | — |
| Nut width | 43.81mm / 1.72in | — |
| Pickguard | 50's, Tortoise | — |
| Profile | Rounded | — |
| Saddle Material | Bone | — |
| Scale length | 628.65mm / 24.75in | 650mm/25.6" |
| Side | Mahogany | — |
| String gauges | 0.053, 0.042, 0.032, 0.024, 0.016, 0.012 | — |
| Top wood | Sitka Spruce | Spruce top |
| Truss Rod Cover | Black | — |
| Tuner Plating | Nickel | — |
| Tuners | Grover Strap Cream Button | — |
| Under Saddle Pickup | LR Baggs VTC | — |
| A Length | — | 19 3/4" |
| A Width | — | 42mm at NUT |
| Back Sides | — | Meranti back & Meranti sides |
| Battery | — | 9V x1 |
| B Width | — | 15 7/8" |
| C Max Depth | — | 5" |
| C Thickness | — | 21mm at 1F |
| D Thickness | — | 22mm at 7F |
| Factory Tuning | — | 1E,2B,3G,4D,5A,6E |
| Inlay | — | White dot inlay |
| Output Jack | — | 1/4" output |
| Preamp | — | Ibanez AEQ-2T preamp w/Onboard tuner |
| Radius | — | 250mmR |
| Recommended Bag | — | IAB540-BK |
| Recommended Case | — | FS40DA |
| Soundhole Rosette | — | Water decal |
| String Gauge | — | .012/.016/.024/.032/.042/.053 |
| String Space | — | 11mm |
| Tuning Machine | — | Chrome Covered tuners |
More J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst comparisons
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- J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst vs J-45 EC Studio, Vintage Sunburst
- J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst vs J-200, Aged Vintage Sunburst Gloss

