Celebrating 100 years of Gibson Flat-Top guitars, the Gibson J-45 Century 12-Fret re-envisions the brand’s iconic “workhorse” acoustic through a late-’20s lens. Most notably, this J-45 swaps out the model’s traditional 14-fret neck joint for the 12-fret design that ruled the day when Gibson began making flat-top-style guitars in 1926. Combined with the J-45’s time-tested slope-shouldered dreadnought form and short 24.75-inch scale length, the J-45 Century 12-Fret sings with a rumbling low-end presence and a voluminous projection. Moreover, the 12-fret construction shifts the bridge’s location closer to the center of the guitar, ensuring that fingerpicking styles of all varieties perform with a touch-sensitive response and a smooth, rounded-over warmth. Next, the mahogany neck leaps forward a few decades in Gibson history with its fast-playing SlimTaper profile. You also get a charming collection of era-appropriate appointments, including a rectangle rosewood bridge, cream body binding, plate tuners with cream buttons, and vintage-themed finishes. Coupled with a handsome tweed-style hardshell case, the Gibson J-45 Century 12-Fret's marriage of historic specs and adventurous anachronisms stands ready to shape another century of Flat-Top history.