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. Due 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.įrom its inaugural appearance in 1937, Gibson’s SJ-200 immediately filled a need for a deeper, more balanced and powerful sound, and giving 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. 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 early J-45.
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.
Ask a guitarist to name the ultimate Gibson acoustic, and many will reply that it’s the J-200.
0 kommentar(er)
