1997 Gibson J-45 1962 Vintage Reissue Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar w/ Case, Yamano Exclusive

Up for sale, a 1997 Gibson J-45 1962 vintage reissue model dreadnought acoustic guitar in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. A limited run model that predated Gibson's acoustic instrument Historic Division by a number of years, this J-45 was a model ordered by Gibson's Japanese distributor Yamano, exclusively offered to the Japanese domestic market. Recently imported from Tokyo, this USA-made Gibson was crafted at their Bozeman, Montana factory and has a traditional 1962 look and feel with a large tortoise pickguard and warm two-tone Vintage Sunburst gloss nitro lacquer finish.Featuring a traditional slope shoulder dreadnought shape, X bracing, solid Sitka spruce top, and solid mahogany back and sides, this J-45 delivers the smooth growl of mahogany when you dig in hard while retaining definition in the bass register. A single strum yields exquisite projection with plenty of bold muscle, while the trebles are sweet and punchy and the midrange character is balanced and complex. Truly a no-nonsense powerhouse dreadnought, this J-45 does an admirable job recreating the iconic instrument it's based on both aesthetically and tonally. The guitar weighs 4lbs 8oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 12-53 strings, easy-playing action, and optimal intonation.The one-piece mahogany neck has a chunky carve that splits the difference between a C and a soft V shape, offering full shoulders in all registers, measuring .880" deep at the 1st fret and .960" at the 9th. The slab rosewood fretboard features the original slender frets which have their full factory height and well-rounded crowns, only showing a hint of wear beneath the plain strings on frets 1-3. The guitar conforms to traditional Gibson spec with a 24 3/4" scale length, and the nut measures 1 11/16" in width. The headstock retains the original individual double line Gibson Deluxe tuning machines with white buttons and push-in bushings. There is some light lacquer checking on the back of the headstock.The rosewood bridge sits flush with the top on all edges, and the compensated saddle has plenty of height. The ‘62-spec dark red tortoise pickguard is the correct shape and thin material used in the era, ensuring the top resonates maximally.Well-kept and crack-free, the guitar exhibits broad lacquer checking across the nitro lacquer Vintage Sunburst gloss gloss finish on both the top and back, with a few scattered, small dings on the top and a handful of faint finish scratches on the body as a whole. The neck profile retains its smooth gloss, with a shallow nick on the treble-side shoulder behind fret 7 that has no impact on playability.The original Gibson hardshell case with purple plush interior is included, along with a piece of original paperwork (in Japanese).