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Aftermarket Report: 2024 Gibson G-45
I first reviewed this guitar in April, which was about two months after I bought it; so this aftermarket report is approximately 6 months after purchase. This guitar is now my favorite acoustic (if not overall). It’s the one I seem to pick up all the time and play even if I only have a few minutes.
So, I can say that this purchase was a success, not only because I got it at such a good price due to its repairs, but the fact that there's a fun factor that keeps me playing it. By the same token, there's some things people should know before buying this guitar, at least from my experience.
If you look through the past reviews on the internet, you'll see that it was basically an attempt by Gibson to create a solid wood American acoustic guitar for under a thousand, and that's what the initial price was. It didn't stay that low and eventually went up to 1200 and above but at the time it was a bargain.
I recently saw another brand being reviewed, a very famous brand which I won't name per se, that has a classic solid wood acoustic made in Mexico for just under $1,000 that is getting rave reviews. So, in terms of the Gibson G-45 being manufactured in the United States at that same price point, one could say that it was either a great achievement or an incredibly lucky break for a lot of guitar players who ignored some of the initial lousy and frankly inaccurate reviews that I was seeing about this guitar. Years down the line, if you look at the various reviews now, you'll find it’s overwhelmingly liked by its users.
I should point out one thing; that it being a very nice guitar, that is to say, not made cheaply, it's going to be more delicate than a regular run of the mill guitar. I live in a place where the humidity can go up and down drastically as with the temperature and what I found about this guitar is it has a very lively neck.
The guitar action originally was set a bit higher than Gibson spec. I brought it down to where I liked it but found a couple of months later, when the climate changed that it started buzzing so the strings were brought back up.
As you can see from the photo, after adjusting the neck every few weeks, I started keeping the truss rod cover off so the neck could be adjusted without eventually stripping the screws. It eventually ended up being adjusted a bit higher, around Gibson spec., like it was when it arrived.
That allows for the various fluctuations in heat and humidity that occur where I live, which is Illinois. Those who live in that state, as with a lot of the Midwest, know that the humidity level and heat can be extremely high followed by sudden rains and drops in temperature.
Now, as far as aftermarket comments in terms of the sound, I use 80/20 bronze strings, not the phosphor bronze, because I like the slightly scooped sound and on this guitar, it brings out a brilliant treble and, I guess you could say a sharper bass.
I've never quite warmed up to phosphor brass strings even though those are considered the best in terms of mid-range, etc. I've always felt it made the guitar sound a little too sweet. I also pick with my fingernails and don't bother to use a thumb pic, so the extra treble that you get from a bronze set helps. That's just a personal preference but I find that 80-20 brass works really well on this particular guitar which has a balanced tone and, I guess you could say, is a brighter sounding guitar than other Gibsons that I've owned and heard.
The port on the side hasn't gotten old, in fact for leisure playing I would say that it's a recommended feature particularly if you're not gigging or recording. It really adds to the pleasure of playing the guitar. As far as reducing the amount of bass, I don't really think it does that in the classic sense of the word, it just seems that way because its sound is a bit more ethereal or atmospheric.
In fact with some other acoustics I have, it’s now kind of odd hearing those because the sound projects out more and sounds a little distant, if that makes sense. Your results may vary of course.
So, half a year down the line that's my impression of the Gibson G-45. I think if you can get a used one, by all means at least try it out; I think you'll find it's a great guitar and it's certainly my number one acoustic. It’s always nice to have a story with a happy ending instead of why a guitar was sold or traded off.
Al Handa
July 19, 2026
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