I have owned two Gibsons in my time. The first was a J-45, with sunburst finish that I paid $50 for in a pawn shop about 1960. It lasted through my overseas tour courtesy of Uncle Sam, and through graduate school, until I needed money for the down payment on a car. The second was a 1940s J-35, with the banner logo "Only a Gibson is good enough." Both were great sounding instruments. I played a new Gibson about a year ago, and thought it OK, but overpriced.