Gibson SJ200
Meet the Super Jumbo, King of the Flattops
The the Gibson SJ200 is one large guitar. So large the SJ stands for Super Jumbo… another fantastically creative name by the Gibson guitar team! Anyway, this acoustic has long been a favorite among Country superstars.
While this axe was created in 1937 for the “singing cowboys” of television fame, Ray Whitley and Ray “Crash” Corrigan, the SJ200 continues to be a favorite among diverse artists today.
Prime Players of the SJ200
1. Everly Brothers
2. Buddy Holly
3. Emmylou Harris
Playing the SJ200
Like a lot of high end Gibson acoustics, be prepared to soil spoil yourself if you play or buy this guitar. See, that’s the danger of buying a
really high-end axe: it makes all your other guitars look like trash. Anyway, that’s another story…
The first thing you’ll likely notice is that this guitar is BIG. Man, they call it the Super Jumbo for a reason… Why so big? Back in the pre-amplification days, this monster was made to compete with loud mandolins and banjos oinstage. While we guitarists enjoy probably too much amplificaton these days, this guitar puts out a nice loud sound even unplugged.
While this mama is large & in charge, she’s still light on her feet: she doesn’t weight much and she has a nice, thin neck.The sound is well-balanced, with notes ringing out loud and clear. The maple sides and spruce top pumping make tones at home whether strumming or employing delicate fingerpicking.
The tone seems to be a perfect combo of everything you’d expect from a bad-a$$ acoustic: it’s bright, jangly, deep, and loud all at the same time.
Today, you can pick out the SJ200 in a few different flavors: The True Vintage, The Modern Classic Reissue, The Studio Acoustic… heck, even Pete Townsend has a Signature model.