Information about J3 Brand Guitars?

[Dr. Vegetable]

I have a semi-hollowbody that I bought a couple years ago used. It looks very much like the one in this picture, though mine is more of a caramel color:

This is an amazing guitar. Mine has a brass nut and just a stompin' tone - an immensely playable guitar. It must be very special if I bought it even though it isn't an Ibanez.

Unfortunately, it has no model number, serial number, or any other identifying marks other than the "J3" logo on the headstock. I have not been able to find any real information about this brand. A google search when I first got it told me that the company was a small brand founded by three guys named "John" or "Jim" or something like that.

Does anyone know more about this brand?

 

[alteredbeast]

Re: Information about J3 Brand Guitars?

never heard of em, but dude looks pretty happy jammin out.

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: Information about J3 Brand Guitars?

never heard of em, but dude looks pretty happy jammin out.

Yeah, he even <gasp> took his tie off!

Dude is apparently a Jazz player/instructor in the posh suburbs of Boston.

 

[The Dali]

Re: Information about J3 Brand Guitars?

Maybe this is the Facebook page for them:

http://www.facebook.com/J3CustomGuitars

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: Information about J3 Brand Guitars?

Wow, good find! The odd thing is that I'm not even sure that's the same guitar maker. J3 Custom Guitars seems to be named for its proprietor, John J. Januszewski, where I recall in the past finding info that my J3 was founded by three dudes whose first names start with "J."

C'mon, guys, there is no possibility that I have stumped this group with a guitar question!

 

[The Dali]

Re: Information about J3 Brand Guitars?

There was a MySpace page I found about it where they were made in CT... but it doesn't have any other information.

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: Information about J3 Brand Guitars?

So I sent an email to Joe Weinberg, the guy in the picture. He called me yesterday evening and we had a nice chat about that guitar. I'll relay what he told me here so I can find the info again in 6 months...

It turns out Joe is the previous owner of my J3. He met the J3 guys at a guitar show, and they gave him an endorsement deal. He had a couple of these that they gave him. He had some work done on the fretboard/frets and had the brass nut and Grovers installed, and of course he changed the pickups. He thought my guitar might be the one in the picture, above, but mine has dot inlays vs. the blocks shown.

The J3 line was indeed founded in CT, designed by three guys named John, and built in China at the same factory that builds for Jay Turser. (Wow - hard to believe this fine instrument came out of the same factory that makes Turser...) Joe thinks J3 went out of business some time around 2008.

 

[coateslc]

Re: Information about J3 Brand Guitars?

Hi, Just reading this. My husband and son are two of the three Js. They did manufacture guitars about 1o years ago, I'm about to put one up for sale on Ebay so stay tuned.

 

[coateslc]

Re: Information about J3 Brand Guitars?

Yes, my husband and son are two of the Js. They sold them for a brief time about a decade ago. I will be putting one up for sale on Ebay within the next week. Stay tuned! Glad you liked it.