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1951 Gibson J-200 Natural
The SJ-200 was introduced in the late 1930s after Gibson Endorsee Ray Whitley voiced his desire for a big guitar that would rival Martin’s showy D-45. The model was the most expensive flat-top in the line-up at its introduction and has stayed that way that way ever since.
By around 1946, the pre-war rosewood SJ-200 evolved into the post-war maple J-200. With its tapered headstock, early patent-applied-for Kluson tuners and single-X top bracing, this 1951 J-200 has the unique look and tone of those early maple J-200s. Sometime in 1952, Gibson changed the top bracing to a double-X pattern with a much wider X angle and began using plywood sides – changes that had a noticeable effect on tone – and the 1947-1951 J-200 models offer a tone that’s unique among Gibson flattops.
This example is in wonderful condition and original but for nut, saddle, and frets. The guitar is crack-free and its only repairs are a reglued back center-seam and two sections of reglued back brace joints. There is an area of delaminated finish on the back’s upper treble bout, a chip in the rosewood of the bridge behind the saddle, and a few areas of worn-away lacquer where the guitar was in contact with its owner while being played. The fretwork is brand-new, completed here at Folkway this week, and there was no sanding of the fingerboard during the refret process. The aged bone nut was made here as well.
One of the best do-everything guitars ever designed, the 17” wide J-200 has a big and balanced voice with a surprising amount of brightness for such a large guitar. The body’s size and air volume gives back much of the bass that the maple back and sides would otherwise limit, and there’s a really fun compression in the guitar’s response. It’s amazing how full-sounding a light attack sounds on this J-200. Fingerstyle players have long understood the unique tone the model affords, and there’s a long line of fingerstyle blues players who swear by a J-200. Round-carve maple neck with bound rosewood fingerboard, 1-11/16” nut width, 25.4” scale.
Natural finished J-200s are outnumbered by sunburst versions two to one and are fairly rare. Gibson produced only about 150 natural-finished J-200s in between 1948 and 1951.
With original hardshell case
By around 1946, the pre-war rosewood SJ-200 evolved into the post-war maple J-200. With its tapered headstock, early patent-applied-for Kluson tuners and single-X top bracing, this 1951 J-200 has the unique look and tone of those early maple J-200s. Sometime in 1952, Gibson changed the top bracing to a double-X pattern with a much wider X angle and began using plywood sides – changes that had a noticeable effect on tone – and the 1947-1951 J-200 models offer a tone that’s unique among Gibson flattops.
This example is in wonderful condition and original but for nut, saddle, and frets. The guitar is crack-free and its only repairs are a reglued back center-seam and two sections of reglued back brace joints. There is an area of delaminated finish on the back’s upper treble bout, a chip in the rosewood of the bridge behind the saddle, and a few areas of worn-away lacquer where the guitar was in contact with its owner while being played. The fretwork is brand-new, completed here at Folkway this week, and there was no sanding of the fingerboard during the refret process. The aged bone nut was made here as well.
One of the best do-everything guitars ever designed, the 17” wide J-200 has a big and balanced voice with a surprising amount of brightness for such a large guitar. The body’s size and air volume gives back much of the bass that the maple back and sides would otherwise limit, and there’s a really fun compression in the guitar’s response. It’s amazing how full-sounding a light attack sounds on this J-200. Fingerstyle players have long understood the unique tone the model affords, and there’s a long line of fingerstyle blues players who swear by a J-200. Round-carve maple neck with bound rosewood fingerboard, 1-11/16” nut width, 25.4” scale.
Natural finished J-200s are outnumbered by sunburst versions two to one and are fairly rare. Gibson produced only about 150 natural-finished J-200s in between 1948 and 1951.
With original hardshell case