GIBSON G-45

The all-rounder

No prizes for guessing (nor is Gibson trying to hide the fact) that this guitar is based on the most popular acoustic in the Gibson catalogue, and one of the most popular of all time. Like Marmite, the G-45 gives us the first sign that the striped ebony fingerboard is potentially divisive. That’s because, unlike Marmite, our G-45 includes a red-ish brown streak from the 1st-12th fret that you’ll either live with or walk away from. It’s worth noting that the other three guitars here were fitted with extremely even, dark ebony ’boards, so if you think it’ll bother you, try and select the guitar you buy.

Consider this the do-it-all model in the series, with its familiar rounded-shoulder profile and medium-sized body delivering a balanced sound. There’s plenty of dynamics on offer, too, from soft strums to bringing out the snap when you play hard, and we found the G-45 equally at home between strumming and finger picking.

As expected, there’s more volume, projection and a fuller frequency spectrum coming out of this one compared with the G-00, but it’s still pointy - another reason this guitar’s ancestor has had full-time employment for decades.

With that in mind, it’s a shame that there’s no electro option on the G-45, as its base tone and response lends itself perfectly to a band line-up, and some players simply don’t need or want the cutaway. But electrifying this workhorse isn’t a difficult task (an LR Baggs Element as found in the range’s electro models is a simple aftermarket fit), more an inconvenience in this case.