Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Class of ’25
Guitarist
|August 2025
This year’s acoustic scene is in rude health, boasting innovation and classic craft
GIBSON J-45 SPECIAL £1,699
A trio of Specials launched earlier this year — comprising a J-45, Hummingbird and L-00 - and they're more than just a price-point exercise in bringing a Gibson electro under £2k. ‘Good guitar on a budget’ sums up this Sitka spruce/ mahogany J-45 with utile neck wood, which includes the LR Baggs Element Bronze system and its soundhole volume control. Our review sample came very well set up. It's a good player and exactly the sort of guitar to take on a gig: a versatile all-rounder with strong tonal projection. www.gibson.com
LR BAGGS AEG-1 £2,015
This story is from the August 2025 edition of Guitarist.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Guitarist
Guitarist
GEAR of The YEAR
THE BEST GUITARS, AMPS & PEDALS OF 2025
4 mins
January 2025
Guitarist
All Aboard
Reading a manual to find out how to connect your acoustic guitar to Bluetooth might deter some traditionalists, but there is treasure to be found for the adventurous
5 mins
January 2025
Guitarist
CONTROL SHIFT
The XS-100 and XS-1 pitch shifters set out to give modern players dominion over the wildest effect on the pedalboard. Boss's Matt Knight tells us more
7 mins
January 2025
Guitarist
The King's Head
The bombastic benchmark of the 'brown' sound has been channelled through a singleended EL34 power section and hybrid preamp, with significant volume and price savings
4 mins
January 2025
Guitarist
Fretbuzz
A monthly look at must-hear artists from all corners of the guitar world, from the roots of their sound to the tracks that matter most
2 mins
January 2025
Guitarist
Go Getter
Blackstar's palm-sized audio interface is a godsend for players who want better audio on their phone-recorded videos
2 mins
January 2025
Guitarist
FLOOR AMPS & MULTI-EFFECTS
This year's new tech puts a world of effects at your feet
1 mins
January 2025
Guitarist
Affordable Flight
With plenty already in the line-up, Gretsch has released a new range of both Electromatic and Streamliner Jets that appear modern- aimed and very affordable. What's new?
4 mins
January 2025
Guitarist
DELAY & MODULATION EFFECTS
Electro-mechanicals revisited, analogue modulation refined and esoteric ambiences combined
1 mins
January 2025
Guitarist
1967 Gibson Barney Kessel
This isn't a guitar I would normally choose for an article, but I think it demonstrates just how extreme Gibson's custom division was prepared to get in order to make a customer happy back in the day.
3 mins
January 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size