Whoa that 1936 reissue one sounds huge and full. You can really hear the difference. I have a J35 too - but it’s different again from these 2.

Searching for the perfect/best guitar should be a fun adventure. May the quest never end. Go on a date, spend as much as you can comfortably can. Don’t take on debt. Have the strength to hear and see the beauty in what ever you have chosen for years to come.

The historic looks smaller than the other. I sure would like to own that historic one, sounds great.

The J-35 is a true insider`s tip! Let me tell you why. Apart from neck shape, saddle width it is of course the sound that got me. The J-35 has less warmth than a J-45 but the same clarity with more emphasis on the upper mids. The trebles are loud and mellow, a very round sound, no brittleness. For me as a fingerstyle player who plays with his fingernails, I find it a great choice for ragtime oriented or Merle Travis/Chet Atkins stuff where you want clarity, note separation and not too much sustain. The reduced base volume (of the standard J-35 models) appeals to me as an intermediate player. In Travis picking, it produces some punch even without perfect palm muting. I first came across this guitar due to a comparison video between a J-45 and a J-35 (Standard) that Tony Polecastro did on this channel 10 years ago. I watched it 4 or 5 times and finally decided that I simply needed this guitar. At that time, in 2020, the J-35 was temporarily discontinued. I could only find one instrument left in just one online shop: last catalog entry, apparently a shelf warmer for a bargain price. So, I had no other choice than to blind buy. I have to say it is my favourite guitar since then, and I play it every day. It seems that one can expect more base from the voiced tops of the custom shop models like the instument shown here - a matter of taste.

In your comparison between the MV J35 Custom and J45, I said I liked the MV J35. Here, I like the Gibson Heritage J35 sound. The finish does make a difference. What is the neck profile like on the Gibson Heritage J35? Chris McKee (Alamo Music) said the J35 was more versatile than a standard J45.

They look and sound amazing guys!

huge difference! so much more body on the historic!!!

I liked the sound of the Special ... However with the $5K price on the Historic I think I'd have to just get the Martin Super D in GMRW ... My God what a sound.

Music Villa... the slope shoulder guitar enthusiast's pilgrimage destination! Nothing better than seeing you guys review a couple Gibson Jumbo's!

The thickness of the lacquer affects the tone of any guitar, acoustic or electric. I prefer the thinner lacquer guitars personally.

Love them both.. What kinda thump pick do you use?

Fly to Bozeman to play some great guitars and maybe meet good people like Quinton King.. #goals.

✌️👏👏👏👏👏

I like the sound of the Special, then again I'm attracted to shiny objects, ha, ha.

Boy when it comes to the specifics of the specs you guys are just stabbing blindly in the dark. If this was my job,as much as i love acoustic guitars,i would do my home work and know the very slightest nuances of the construction of each instrument. Like red spruce top,long slot in saddle, shorter dtop in saddle,nut and saddle material,what kind of braceings and tone bars. Aspects of the history of that year. Upper and lower bout measurements. Type and name of tuners. What type of sunburst,on what grade of sound board top. People are going to pay alot for these instruments ,the thing needs to be specifically identified and it should do everything but walk and talk.