Making its debut in 1936, Gibson’s new J-35 almost immediately became one of the company’s most popular “pre-war” flattops, until it was replaced by the J-45 in 1942. Utilising Gibson’s advanced-jumbo bracing pattern gives the 35 a tad more bottom end than the 45, (without sounding boomy), but also managing to deliver more upper-mid sparkle… splitting musical hairs, it maybe comes down to being the difference between country/bluegrass and folk/rock.
Original design
Gibson brought the J-35 back in 2012, retaining much of the original design, but with a few little tweaks to meet the demands of the new century. The Sitka Spruce top, pale Mahogany back & sides, and the Mahogany neck remain the same, along with the 14/19-fret, 12” radius Rosewood fingerboard and the ‘firestripe’ / Nick Lucas-style scratchplate.
LR Baggs
Twenty-first century refinements include a Tusq nut and compensated Tusq saddle, and most importantly, an LR Baggs under-saddle Element pickup system, with soundhole-mounted volume control. The soundhole rosette and firestripe scratchplate are from the 1936 original, as is the pale Mahogany finish , however sometime later in 2013, Gibson changed to a darker, less authentic stain.
Hand-sprayed nitro
Other features include vintage-style nickel tuners, 1936-shape bridge, scalloped top bracing, four-ply top Binding, (single-ply rear), full 24¾” scale, modern rounded-C neck profile, and hand-sprayed nitro finish, in Antique Natural.
Banner headstock
The “ONLY A GIBSON IS GOOD ENOUGH” banner headstock logo was not on the originalJ-35s, but did feature on the J-45 and others, from 1942 until 1945.
Like this
We mentioned earlier that the J-35 could perhaps be thought slightly more a country/bluegrass leaning instrument than the J-45’s slant towards folk/rock. How does that translate in the real world? EXACTLY like THIS and THIS.
Harmonic detail
Thank you Mr Tyson. Lighter and a tad brighter than a J-45, the sound is extremely full-bodied, with that real Gibson harmonic detail across the entire dynamic range, whether you’re quietly finger-picking, or hammering away like a cannon, all down to the use of the advanced-jumbo bracing pattern.
Condition
Completed in May 2013, our J-35 remains in Excellent+ condition, showing very little playwear, with as-new frets and zero fingerboard wear. It has even begun to develop some nice nitro checking in a couple of spots, hinting at the beauty it’s set to become over the next few years. It will arrive at your door in its original blue-lined Gibson hard shell case, with FREE COURIER DELIVERY included to any address in Australia. ($100 airfreight to New Zealand, $175 to the US, Canada, UK and mainstream European countries. International freight added at checkout)
Weight: Nothing! Well, almost nothing – a fraction under 4lb 2oz / 1.86kg
Just Guitars
