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 Fingerstyle2 |
Well-heeled Gibson fans: 1940 SJ-200 at Gruhn |
Lead | |
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(05/12/09 3:58 PM) |
AG5710 Gibson SJ-200 (More photos...)
, 1940, VG++, original L-5 style flowerpot inlay, neckset, refret and new bridge by Gruhn Guitars, a superb sounding instrument - the best sounding rosewood
J-200 we have ever encountered, HC......$100,000
David |
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 Metropro |
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(05/12/09 4:24 PM) |
Clearly, Gruhn feels that the economy is having no impact on top tier guitars. Of course, since I don't know beans about Gibsons, I can't say that a
1940 SJ-200 is "top tier." But $100k certainly qualifies in my book.
Chris |
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WRAWLINS |
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(05/12/09 5:04 PM) |
Well-heeled indeed... It's a beautiful instrument, but it seems like the market would be rather limited for that guitar.... They're not very versatile,
mostly just good for strumming.
Maybe he's hoping it will catch Emmylou's eye. best, Wade
Last Edited By: WRAWLINS
05/12/09 5:26 PM.
Edited 1 times.
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littlewingsn |
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(05/12/09 5:08 PM) |
I'd say thats " top tier" ... Gorgeous box!
That fingerboard and bridge look like rosewood to me , do we know when they switched from ebony? Also how many prewar sj-200's were made ? I am guessing not much more than 100.
Last Edited By: littlewingsn
05/12/09 5:20 PM.
Edited 1 times.
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John Thomas |
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(05/12/09 5:55 PM) |
WRAWLINS wrote: Hmmm. I'm guessing that you've not played a rosewood, long scale (26 in.) , pre-war SJ-200. What a gorgeous, powerful, and versatile instrument. I wish that I had the funds.
.... John
www.johnthomasguitar.com Please visit www.bannergibsons.com to see what Willi and I are doing! |
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WRAWLINS |
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(05/12/09 6:01 PM) |
Perhaps you could expound on their versatility...
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littlewingsn |
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(05/12/09 6:09 PM) |
John Thomas wrote: Ditto. Maybe we can go half, do you have 50k? 
These are indeed special instruments nothing at all like their postwar counterparts.
Last Edited By: littlewingsn
05/12/09 6:13 PM.
Edited 1 times.
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John Thomas |
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(05/12/09 7:22 PM) |
WRAWLINS wrote: Well, you've got an acre and a half of red spruce with single X brace and 3 tone bars over rosewood, driven by a 26 inch scale. For fingerpicking, imagine Rev. Davis's 1950s SJ-200 on steroids. You'll also have enough bass to compete in the bluegrass parking lot jam. Playing one of the approximately 100 pre-war, rosewood SJ-200s is a memorable experience. Sean, If we both sell every guitar we own and our cars, we could do this! I'll volunteer my home to house the guitar and you're welcome to come down any time, by bus of hitch hiking, to play it. Deal? Deal or not, we need to get together soon to do some picking.
.... John
www.johnthomasguitar.com Please visit www.bannergibsons.com to see what Willi and I are doing! |
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Buck |
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(05/13/09 8:08 AM) |
Elderly has one too, on consignment by the original owner.
Todd
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BHguitars |
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(05/13/09 8:29 AM) |
This guitar looks pretty good and priced fair to me. While usually priced in the range of a period D-28 they often are compared directly to the D-45 and
that's no nonsense. Also less than 100 made. BTW, the sound of these is worth that price IMHO. They are big and boomy but also clear and crisp. No other
guitar comes close.
Willi |
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photorc |
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(05/13/09 10:08 AM) |
This sounds close to what we hear when the Advanced Jumbo is described. So how does the early SJ-200 compare to the AJ?
Robert |
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plaintop |
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(05/13/09 10:27 AM) |
Good question, also that rosewood doesn't Brazilian. Any idea on the origin?
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bfisher690 |
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(05/13/09 10:43 AM) |
Looks like Indian or Amazon?
Experts? Brian |
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BHguitars |
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(05/13/09 12:15 PM) |
So how does the early SJ-200 compare to the AJ?Robert, The AJ is more in the D-28 range since the construction is similar: same scale, body, bracing, similar woods. The prewar SJ-200 got an extra long scale of about 660 mm (what is that in inches?). The bracing usually is 2 tonebars non-scalloped and solid. The tops also are not really thin meaning they are at the thicker side (at least at those I have seen). The guitars are not light weight and the combination of the heavy and big RW body, the solid bracing and the solid and heavier maple neck along with the long scale create a very powerful guitar without any trace of being too bassy or muddy. In my opinion it is the loudest and biggest sounding steel string guitar ever built. I don't say it's the nicest sounding as it's not everybody's cup of tea to have such a power and big sound (especially not too early in the morning). I think I have heard or read somewhere that Stephen Stills once owned one and said it was the best sounding guitar he had. Looks like Indian or Amazon?East Indian RW (Dalbergia latifolia). Willi
Last Edited By: BHguitars
05/13/09 12:17 PM.
Edited 1 times.
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kmacguitar |
I'll just throw this up for comparison...(wow and double wow) | ||
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(05/13/09 12:17 PM) |
http://www.elderly.com/vintage/names/gibson-super-jumbo-200-%281940%29--20U-12195.htm
I've been drooling over the Elderly one for a while. I think the J200 is under-apreciated and particularly here on the UMGF seems to get little of the fanfare it deserves. There certainly are folks who rave about them but my take is that even among died in the wool Gibson fans the J200 is far less interesting than the aforementioned AJ or original Jumbo or J35, or compared to their contemporaries thru the '50s and '60s. I know 3 pretty serious guitar collectors with excellent Gibson examples who have never had or pursued the J200. I somehow caught the J200 bug early on and it stuck. My '64 is a long way from the ones in this thread but I can attest to being in the same room with 2 rosewood J200s, both for sale, each for the (then) ridiculous price of $2000 each in 1973 (Largo Fla, DD Yokley's Banjo Ranch). I had enough experience to know that I was in the company of royalty, and yes they sounded like nothing I'd ever played before (or since really). DD Yokley was a strange guy and we thought he was getting senile for those prices, but he knew exactly what he had. These instruments drip mojo like nothing else on the planet IMHO, (maybe Norman Blake's burst 12 fret D28 is in the same ballpark), Kerry Ps: anybody out there ever hear of or knew DD Yokley?? |
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