The original hard shell case is also in very good used condition, with the never-set combination lock’s instructions in the pocket and a gorgeous royal purple shroud to protect the magic inside. This is an icon which actually plays and sounds like an icon in addition to its eye-catching beauty. The action is set up for fast and aggressive playing at 3/32” at the 12th fret low E (with lotsa saddle and the truss rod if you want to tweak it lower). However, there are no visible cracks or repairs anywhere, everything looks original, and the sound, of course, is phenomenal. There is also some finish crazing all over “to let the sound out,” as my luthier says, with a bit of the finish actually flaking off in one place on the back side.
![83219009 gibson j 200 83219009 gibson j 200](https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--Q3-HZoDB--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1360299523/gd6jibelrcrhsau7vnu8.jpg)
This particular SJ-200 was made in 1997 (serial number 91077018), and judging from the visible fret wear up through the 12th fret or so, it has been played very well and frequently for 21 years. All of this makes it well worth its MSRP, which currently starts at $3799, and usually is hundreds more. It also has a bound rosewood fingerboard with mother-of-pearl crown inlays, a rosewood “moustache” bridge with striking mother of pearl double inlays, and an engraved pickguard to add visual impact to its wonderful playability, with a 25.5” scale and a nut width of 1.725”. The SJ-200 has generally been available in sunburst and natural finishes, featuring gold Gibson Deluxe tuners, a solid Sitka Spruce top with scalloped X-bracing, figured maple back and sides, and a three-piece laminate neck (maple/rosewood/maple). In 1955 the name was simplified: from here on, it was mostly called the Gibson J-200 then production was shifted to the Bozeman, MT, factory, and it reverted back to the SJ prefix. It was 1947 when the tonewoods changed – the back and sides were now being made of maple, which many guitar aficionados prefer as it allows for clearer separation of the notes. From its inaugural appearance in 1937, Gibson’s SJ-200 immediately filled a need for a deeper, more balanced and powerful sound, and gave purveyors of the new American music scene of the 1930s a reliable, well-built instrument, capable of projecting the sound of the guitar well beyond that of any other acoustic on the market- setting a standard others have been trying to match ever since.ĭue to the weak post-depression economy and wartime austerity, demand for this high-end guitar was very limited and production quantities were small. The SJ-200 was noted for its super-large 16 7/8" flat top body, with a double-braced red spruce top, rosewood back and sides, and sunburst finish. Gibson entered into production of this model in 1937 as its top-of-the-line flat top guitar, initially calling it the Super Jumbo, but changing the name in 1939 to the Super Jumbo 200 to reflect its retail price at the time, $200 note the comparison to the $45 for the early J-45.
![83219009 gibson j 200 83219009 gibson j 200](https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--i_KGhtmN--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1499719701/kyo6ulxbbj6fvcpqzrq5.jpg)
The J-200 is known as the “king of the flat-tops” for good reason: it is simply the world’s most famous acoustic guitar, and certainly one of the most popular. Elegant and flamboyant even by Gibson’s top-line standards, the J-200 has found fame in the hands of numerous legends: Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jimmy Page, Neil Young, and The Edge, to name but a few. Has had a neck set that was done very well and new bridgeplate to correct specs.Ask a guitarist to name the ultimate Gibson acoustic, and many will reply that it’s the J-200.
![83219009 gibson j 200 83219009 gibson j 200](https://loviesguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IMG_1207.jpg)
Very Good, some light finish checking on top and back, play wear on treble side of top, and a bit of finish wear through on neck (treble side at nut).