Head to head
Gibson J-45 vs Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst
The verdict
The Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst comes out ahead overall — 74 to 69 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Gibson J-45 wins on
- Lower price ($2,200 vs $3,199)
Gibson J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst wins on
- Better build (91 vs 84)
- Better playability (75 vs 67)
- Better value (63 vs 58)
Scorecard
| Metric | J-45 | J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 69 | 74 |
| Build | 84 | 91 |
| Playability | 67 | 75 |
| Sound | 60 | 60 |
| Value | 58 | 63 |
Full specifications
| Spec | J-45 | J-45 50s Original, Vintage Sunburst |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Gibson | Gibson |
| Type | Acoustic | Acoustic |
| Years | 1942 | — |
| Country | US | US |
| Body wood | Mahogany | Mahogany |
| Neck wood | Mahogany | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Rosewood | Rosewood |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 20 | 20 |
| Scale | 24.75" | 24.75" |
| Pickups | None | LR Baggs VTC |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $2,200 – $2,800 | $3,199 |
| Body shape | Round-shoulder Dreadnought | J-45 |
| Top wood | Sitka Spruce | Sitka Spruce |
| Accessories | — | Includes Gibson Accessory Kit |
| Back | — | Mahogany |
| Binding | — | Multi-ply top, single-ply back |
| Body Finish | — | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body Styles | — | Round Shoulder |
| Bracing | — | Traditional hand scalloped X-bracing |
| Bridge | — | Traditional belly up |
| Bridge Pins | — | Tusq |
| 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 |
| Side | — | Mahogany |
| String gauges | — | 0.053, 0.042, 0.032, 0.024, 0.016, 0.012 |
| Truss Rod Cover | — | Black |
| Tuner Plating | — | Nickel |
| Tuners | — | Grover Strap Cream Button |
| Under Saddle Pickup | — | LR Baggs VTC |