Expensive vs. Cheap Gibson Acoustic Guitars | G-45 Studio vs. Southern Jumbo 

How refreshing it is to watch guitar videos that don't feature some dopey loud-mouthed 'character' spouting off opinions as they plug their gear (or music instruction course). A modest, softly-spoken and well-informed presenter who knows the instruments and demonstrates them in order to accentuate the points in his presentation rather than exercise his ego. Thank you, Cooper. :)

Glad to have found your channel. I have recently bought a G45 studio, I love the brightness and lightness of it. I had no idea they were being discontinued!

Cant stop rewinding to 13:44 over and over again... Such a beautiful sound

I recently picked up a used G-45 Studio and I like it. I was not super into it at first but the tone really grew on me after a week or so. Someday I will get a J45 Standard but this will do for now. Great comparison and excellent playing!

Thanks Cooper, always a pleasure to watch your videos

Damn, that's some astounding playing, Chris! I lost focus on the comparison hearing your playing haha

Glad you gave your opinion. Wish y’all would do that more. Thanks.

They both sound great man!! Love the demo’s

Great presentation and excellent playing. Thank you.

G45 sounds fine, but a relatively generic modern tone. The SJ has that lovely, rich Gibson tone, that makes them so unique from other brands.

Very good tech talk. I enjoy a very good explanation about the instrument all the way down to the bracing , tunners, and string choice from factory. P.s. Great playing.

Yes! Cheap vs. Expensive and Hidden Gems are my new favorite Alamo Music video series!!

We picked up the J-45 Studio with Rosewood back and sides and absolutely love it. The sound is amazing and it's missing nothing, in spite that it's a studio. Front and back binding, compound dovetail neck joint, solid Rosewood back and sides, Sitka Spruce top, one piece carved neck, bone but and saddle, grover romatic tuners and has LR bags VTC system (if you like that, we do not and will be removing it) at around $2,500.00. And it comes with a Gibson hard case, not a gig-bag. Getting ready to upload my 2 years later video soon

I bought the exact Southern Jumbo Original from Alamo music that Chris used in the previous video close to a year ago. I’m soooo head over heals in love with it. If I had my choice again, I would go for the higher end Gibson.

Love my G-45 Studio, also nailed it with the martin retros on the gibson, put some on this and loved them, trying out the D'Addario XS phosphor bronze on them now, not too bad, do like the tone of those Martins over D'Addario

Good honest review Cooper,cheers !

I have a J-35 and a G-45 standard. My preferred guitar is the G-45. It is super playable. I feel so lucky as it is difficult to buy now.

Another great video Cooper!!!

They’re discontinuing it? Man that was one of the best deals for an all solid American made guitar and to me a sign that Gibson was moving towards making more affordable guitars... I guess not anymore...

Beautiful playing!

I tried both the Walnut and rosewood j45 studio and the Walnut version sounded better and louder, crisper and brighter. It's a win-win, it's cheaper and looks awesome.

The Walnut tone sets this guitar above the Southern Jumbo. To my lone left ear, the G45 sounds more woody and BETTER!

If I could play half as good as you I would buy any Gibson I wanted. This was an excellent comparison, well explained and played. Thank you.

I'd love to see you do something on the L-00 series.

Fantastic playing!

You guys make great videos. i have a Martin DRS2 and I think it is dread size body but I find I reach way out over the body to play it. The bell of the guitar is 5 inch depth so are these guitars thinner i guess i should ask? Thank you

Cooper, for a minute I thought there might be an exchange program this week since Chris was in a production with Ted. Glad Patrick wasn't close to any guitars this week . Enquiring minds want to know... Did you buy the Martin D-14F?

Really amazing playing man.... either guitar sounds amazing when you play it

I've got the J15.. lovely guitar, still consider it more "luxurious" than the G series.still though these are incredible value for money. One of my best buddies has one, and it plays great.

What songs were you playing? Would love to learn these.

I just picked a g writer on a trade. Its a nice guitar. My Taylor 210 is a hunk of crap. Neck twisted, wood split, way to bright. I know it's a plain Jane but i love this thing. Sounds really good and i guess only time will tell. I paid around $450 for it in trade value so i'm not out a lot of money if she goes south..

My goodness, Cooper, playing actually gets me emotional, I’m sitting here right now, with tears in my eyes. Just beautiful man!

Fully agree with Copper here, he's very honest n I love that about him, with Chris sometimes you see the salesman talking, with Cooper it's always fair

Man your playing is impeccable

Hey, guys please do the comparison between Yamaha AC5R vs Red Label(made in Japan) guitars!! I can not decide which one to choose

My son really likes the "historic" Southern Jumbo 1942. One difference in this Southern Jumbo is that Gibson put an Adirondack top on the 1942. The historic has an aged tone (torrified) Adirondack top in place of Sitka Spruce. I like the sound of that Southern Jumbo but I have a great sounding Gibson Chris sold me. Thanks. Oh, and I'd change the title to "expensive vs inexpensive". Besides Epiphone, try a Guild DS 240 Memoir Solid Too Slope Shoulder Dreadnought. Again, it depends on what you're doing with the guitar...are you singing with it, playing in a group, playing at Church, learning guitar or just family fun?

You da man Cooper. Savin' all my gig money for a Southern Jumbo. Love the way you play.

The Southern Jumbo seems to have a lot more bass presence to it. I can see why people would want to fiddle with either/or...but I'll always be a Mahogany and/or Rosewood fan. Luckily my Gibson has a Mahogany neck with Rosewood back/sides so I don't have to choose LOL

Prefer the Walnut on this video, i had a D 00018 and i ended keeping my other 000e Walnut. Either way they all sound good when they are played on their own. Great review thanks

what song is played at 12:34?

The G45 Studio sounds great. I’m not sure the Southern Jumbo is worth $2K more IMHO. I have an HP415W & love it - great songwriter guitar, with a cutaway & pickup to boot.

Hola..!! El diapasón de nogal se puede hidratar con aceite de limón.? Pregunto porque he escuchado que el aceite de limón es para diapasón color oscuro, y este de nogal se ve blanco.

Great musician.. every guitar sounds amazing in his hands..

It's odd, I preferred the sound of the cheaper one - more vibrant?

Is the back of the neck on the G45 studio supposed to be gloss?

The J45 sounds more refined - but the G45 is also definitely awesome.

Great player

What’s the name of the songs in the Demos?:)

How does this stack against the Martin Road series 10E? Same price.

The back of the body on the G45 has a white unstained streak in the center. Whats that?

I'm wondering where we can buy some of Cooper's music. I learned that he gigs by watching other videos, someone that good has to have something in wax by now!

I sold a G-45 standard and replaced it with a Epiphone J-45 inspired. The Epiphone is closer to a ``J-45 sound``. I also replaced the plastic bridge pins on the Epiphone for Tusk pins, added some harmonics.

I wonder what’s the deal with the strap button here... on mine g45 it’s located in different position 🤔 It’s on side instead of at the back

Good review man with some nice playing.

A few brief comments. I actually prefer the brighter sound of the G45 as opposed to what I feel is the slightly muddier sound of the SJ and If I were in a Bluegrass jam I want the brighter sound of the G45 to be able to kick some serious butt. As for “cheap” vs “expensive,” even if I did prefer the sound of the SJ, I would reserve it for concert venues where people in the audience could recognize and appreciate the sound of a quality instrument. I would have the G45 as my ”bar” guitar to be used in places where the audience is for the most part a bit too inebriated to appreciate the sound of a quality instrument and where chicken wire is often needed to protect the performers from the rowdier customers.

I believe the G-45 is a shallower body depth than the SJ and J-45. Maybe that would account for some of the brighter tone?

Thanks for the tip on the Martin Retros. Light gauge 0.012 - 0.054? Also, I wasn't in the market for a G-45, but I still seem to see them in stock, but with a hole in the body. Are these new? FYI, my new 1950s J-45 is in UPS on the way here this week. Psyched.

I need the tab for this

I love these videos

The G45 sounded dryer, crisper, cleaner and right for the style you were playing. The SJ sounded lush with overtones, maybe not the best for finger picking, but better for laying into big chords. My J45 standard for backing up my wife on violin, unless its swing and then I have to grab an archtop or my louder then hell Macaferri style axe. For sitting on my couch alone,, lost in places I don't know how I got to, and don't know how to get back, but love in the moment, its the OM (Eastman.) Great vid, BYW

I got my G45 shortly after they were introduced and it has been a great addition to the lineup. I kinda figured it was going to be a limited run guitar because, at its price point, it was definitely stepping on the toes of Epiphone Inspired by Gibson models and a few of the modern collection guitars. For what it's worth, I think the Fishman system is louder and easier to balance than the LR Baggs system. They are both great electronics, but the Fishman just has something about it that seems more just friendly, sound wise.

The less expensive one definitely sounds brighter to me. But it’s still a nice guitar!

okay, lets talk about how good he is though. oh my!

Play both in person and you will most definitely feel and hear a big difference.

Whats the title o the song 13:00 to 14:00

Beautiful and effortless playing. I prefer the SJ...its worth the extra momey if you can.afford it

If you look at what most singer-songwriter type players play with, mahogany is the more common tone wood because of that tight mid-range... The reason it mid-range focus instruments don't try to steal the show. They complement and spotlight the vocal.. Rosewood, especially paired with Adirondack (I know you guys at Alamo love your Adi tops) is a horrible choice for the singer-songwriter because, while that Rosewood/Red Spruce guitar might sound fantastic, it's going to have long sustain, booming lows and ringing highs and it's going to be a very difficult beast in the mix to try and get a good clean vocal on top of. I've watch your channel and you guys get a lot right, but I you have some gaps in knowledge when it comes to pairing the guitar to the performance scenario, at least when it comes to this one very popular performance scenario of vocal-acoustic guitar performance.... It's not a universal truth, if you have a vocalist who has an amazing 3+ octave range that can project over the loudest, longest sustaining guitar, then THAT singer will probably want something like a Martin HD-28V or some comparable boutique built canon. But most singer-songwriters either have gentle voices or use dynamics where the go from a whisper to a scream and still need a mid-range, short sustain guitar like what a Gibson J-45 does.... bracing plays a part too, although Rosewood b&s the Martin D35 a great singer-songwriters guitar.

It's amazing how much better the 3000 guitar sounds

Great review. Hey, all we can ask is for honesty.. it is based on subjective, but a review without subjective opinion is empty.

What name of song do you play ? 🥺🥺🥺🥺

I got a g45 studio.made a few upgrades on it. I like it, it does the job but i wish i bought the j45 studio walnut instead.

Is the g45 quieter/thinner sounding? I ask this because the body depth is really slim compared to other dreadnought acoustics.

While the J45 is my fave acoustic, the G45 is a beaut in itself

I really dig the second song Cooper. What's the title of that song?

You mean the guitar store doesn't suggest the discontinued model guitar anymore? Shocker.. G45 sounded great..

I don’t like the glossy necks on the expensive Gibsons The budget model is nicer in walnut aesthetically not sonically, the expensive one sounds far better

Why they always play the intro to bass fishing shows on these demos?

I feel like slimming down the body was a mistake. Walnut is awesome, budget version is awesome, but why slim down the body? I think that's why the tone changes. Obviously the walnut has a different tone, but Gibson has been using walnut for years up and down their range. It sounds great.

Clicked on this vid because I wanna buy a gibson but ended up wanting to buy whatever hair care products you're using

If ya want a Gibson that will walk over both of them and most Martins….try a Advanced Jumbo 👍😎

Southern Jumbo sounds deeper and fuller.

Sleeping on the Blacktop by Colter Wall?

Walnut splits the difference between rosewood and mahogany, sonically. That makes sense since it is softer than rosewood and harder than mahogany. Walnut shouldn't be considered a lesser wood but a different wood, a different sound. I have a rosewood guitar. I have a mahogany, too. I don't consider them better (or worse.) Again, different.

studio is nice but lacks depth bass ..the richness of a j 45 or southern jumbo

That Jumbo looks and sounds great. But there was nothing wrong with the G45 either. As regards you guys getting to 100k subs my suggestion is that you get some otters. They got these Otter channels on RU-vid and they all have like 1 million plus subscribers and all their videos are at over 1 million views like 3 days after being released. 😂🤣 Nice playing by the way.

Where can I learn what he played ?

300 would be more like cheap and this is not a bad guitar I use it on stage and have a Martin D 18 I know your boys want to sell them hummingbirds d28s

Cooper can really play that thing. Good lord.

No Story, j45!!!!!

The G sounds like really good guitar. The SJ sounds like america!

Gawwww, he said a lot of complimentary stuff about the G but once he played the Jumbo, boom, no comparison

The J45 Standard is the middle of the range. The high end is the True Vintage.

I should have bought one of the G-45's. I hate that Gibson stopped making it, but what are you going to do.

Woody tone...because it’s made of wooooood.....😂

Too bad the g45 seems to have been discontinued

why not strumming?

I agree that Gibson only really become special at the higher price points. Same with Martin. Budget priced guitars from heritage brands just never seem like great value. I like the Walnut. It’s a very balanced tonewood; like a more woody darker maple. Relatively flat EQ curve. I have a spruce/walnut OM with Martin Retro Monel strings and it makes for a chameleon guitar that disappears into various styles. A guitar’s guitar. The guitariest guitar.

Cheap one sounds much better to me

Of course Gibson's are great but Its not am unique tone, its more brand than a veeeeery special sound; for how expensives they are I'd prefer a Taylor or Martin, even lower models have a distintive tone

The southern jumbo sounds better for what you’re playing. The high notes are a bit more pronounced. Just a bigger voice and certainly better looking!