Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Who here is a fan of the Gibson SJ-200? I played one at International Vintage in November/December, and I must say, it's possibly my favorite acoustic guitar. It suits all the music styles I play, and is verastile, good for an acoustic guitar.

They're pretty nice, love the huge booming bass response and the crisp highs. HUGE body is a negative for me, though - I'm more a Gibson J45/Martin 000 fan.

I'm a big fan of them. I have one of the Townshend limiteds...it was a gift. It was also among the first ones off the line that were set up and signed by Townshend. I have a pic in another thread: viewtopic.php?f=44&t=378900&st=0&sk=t&s ... collection. It's a very different sort of acoustic as my main one is a J-160E. Huge response on it as Dan noted. The highs on it are absolutely amazing, as it's not the boomer that you'd expect from the huge body.

The Gibson SJ's are great guitars! I've played a couple, owned both a J-45 and a Hummingbird and the only negative was the fact that the action on the Hummingbird was too high and even after bringing it down, it was still too high. Small hands issue. Same kind of issue I had with a couple of Martin's that I owned, which is why I went with Taylor's. For me, they're easier to play and every bit as responsive as any of the guitars mentioned above. My 910 is a little over 10 years old now and has found a voice that's incredible! My jumbo is out of the Taylor custom shop and from jump has been nothing short of fantastic! If you're looking for a new acoustic, don't eliminate the Taylor's.

The Taylor's what?

I have a Gibson SJ-100 (same as a 200 but without the, in my opinion, ugly MOP on the moustache bridge). I played one in Knoxville, TN in 2004 and KNEW I had to have one.
What can I say about my big blonde Gibson...
I love it deeply, but I don't think it could ever be my primary acoustic guitar. It has a gorgeous rhythm sound and as much punch as any dreadnought. When you fingerpick a jumbo something special happens. No 000 guitar can ever hope to sound like a jumbo. Greasy double stop runs and single string leads sound nice on my Gibson too. The sound is balanced and rarely compressed. In unplugged sessions its shear volume tends to overwhelm other guitars, but that's okay with me. My only beefs with the Gibson are these:
1. I cannot reach the upper register without a cutaway. Perhaps I should try a Jumbo model with a cutaway...
2. Strings, for reasons I cannot guess, don't last long at all on my Gibson. The brightness and snap fade after just a few days. I liken it to the fuel economy of a big Caddy.
3. Despite its big, soulful voice it is not my go-to guitar. Rather it's a great instrument for certain songs.

Of course it's an American ICON of instruments. Elvis, the Everlies, George Harrison, Pete Townshend, Peter Buck, they have performed and recorded with Gibson superjumbos.
For me it's the Scottish claymore of guitars: impressive to wield and devastatingly effective.
Its size and appearance always garner appreciation. It lends a similar credibility to Rics. No hacks ever pull out a Ric -or a Gibson SJ.

longhouse wrote: No hacks ever pull out a Ric -or a Gibson SJ.

Uhhhhh....ummmmm....

I stand by that claim, Paul.

What's not to like?

jingle_jangle wrote:

longhouse wrote: No hacks ever pull out a Ric -or a Gibson SJ.

Uhhhhh....ummmmm....

Didn't Elvis "play" one?

Ah, Elvis. Not a virtuoso guitarist, that's for certain, but a TITAN nonetheless.

gellkeller wrote:

jingle_jangle wrote:

longhouse wrote: No hacks ever pull out a Ric -or a Gibson SJ.

Uhhhhh....ummmmm....

Didn't Elvis "play" one?

He really was good at what he did, despite not being much more than a strummer, early one before getting drafted. It really wasn't until he got back and got drafted for the Colonel's flicks that he really started down into hack-dom. He did use his signature SJ-200's as well as standard ones in the studio, onstage and in film throughout his career.