Gibson Custom Shop Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood Light Aged Acoustic Guitar, Faded Vintage Sunburst

Hearkening to Gibson's original "King of the Flat-Tops," the Gibson Custom Shop Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood Light Aged is a regal replica. Following in the example of Gibson's first SJ-200s, originally constructed with rosewood back and sides before switching to maple, this Gibson Custom Shop acoustic model taps into a legacy of authentic rosewood royalty.

The Gibson Custom creation we see before us today throws it over to pre-war and Depression-era Gibson models of the day. The Great Depression, weighing heavy on the musical instrument market, resulting in original rosewood SJ-200s being produced and purchased in limited supply. This limited demand and supply from the day today places original pre-war rosewood SJ-200s among Gibson's most coveted acoustic guitars.

The Gibson Custom Shop Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood Light Aged is an authentic recreation with accurate material choices and ornate appointments. This whole experience begins with a thermally aged red spruce top and, of course, the original rosewood back and sides. Summoning the grand voice Super Jumbo bodies are known for, this combination of red spruce and rosewood makes for an exceptional tonal base. The red spruce's thermal aging imparts a lived-in character usually reserved for much older guitars while its red spruce traditional scalloped braces brings the totality of the sonic character into full 3D. Gibson Custom's Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood utilizes hot hide glue to assemble its X-Brace pattern.

From here, the Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood welcomes a two-piece AAA maple neck in a "D" profile. This neck connects comfortably in the palm for seamless playing. Featuring a walnut stringer down the length of the back of the neck and a stinger on the back of the headstock, the neck exhibits geometric visual motifs that elevate the guitar's presentation. A bound ebony fingerboard fitted with twenty standard frets and Mother of Pearl graduated crown inlays lays across the AAA maple.

This Gibson Custom Shop model is decked in ornate appointments that make the model a visual masterpiece. For one, multi-ply top, back, and headstock binding appears across the SJ-200, accenting the Super Jumbo's curvature. For another, a bone nut, saddle, and bridge pins. The model's pickguard features multi-colored dots and a double border while an ebony SJ-200 Four Bar Moustache bridge with Mother of Pearl inlays grounds strings at the base of the scale.

Wrapping this entire acoustic up, we have the "Light Aged" in "Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood Light Aged" with a special contribution from the Gibson Custom Shop's Murphy Lab division. The Murphy Lab's Light Aged finish treatment works to visually and tangibly age the guitar's lacquer finish into a rich and refined result. This Gibson Custom model travels with an included period-correct Pre-War Red Line hardshell case for safety and security.

With the Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood Light Aged, the Gibson Custom Shop captures the essence of a seldom-seen classic of the Gibson acoustic canon.

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