Gibson J-200

I believe this gutar was made in 1991 It is one of the earlier J-200's made by gibson montana. It has aged very well has a nice darker natural solid spruce top and beautiful flamed solid maple back and sides. It has a fatory installed pick-up which works very well and sounds good. It came with the original pink interior case. The case was kind of beat but thats what they are for guitar is in nearly mint condition.

I play blues and rockabilly a lot as well as I lead worship music in a big a church and this guitar is great for that. I must say that I have owned some great guitar and I still do and sound wise this one takes the prize. I have owned a Martin D-41, Guild D-55, Tacoma DR-38, a 70's BC-rich D-35 acoustic with brazilian rosewood. I currently own a Gibson custom Dove in Flight. This guitar sounds absolutely amazing. I can't believe it way better than a brand new SJ-200 the age great they get better looking and sounding!!!! I'm looking forward to 10 years from now with this guitar. I has a big bright sound but because of its big size it has a lot of bass too!! Buy one if you can ok!

I bought this guitar used and it was set up good no complaints

This guitar is great for playing live and is very solid and well made and looks great I get lots of compliments on it when I play is live. The laquor finishs show up well under lots of lights. I can depend on this guitar

I haven't dealt with gibson

Buy one of these guitars at some point before you die you will love it ok!!!! It is the best I have ever owned sound wise!!!!

This is a 1999 Gibson SJ-200 Reissue (also known as the J-200), made in Bozeman, MT. I bought it used in early 1999 on e-bay from a music store. However, when it arrived, it was in mint condition and I couldn't detect any signs that it had been played. So to me, it was a brand new guitar without the lifetime warranty. It has a Jumbo body with solid spruce top, solid flamed maple back and sides, with natural (blonde) finish. It has a 3-piece (maple-mahogany-maple) neck with rosewood fingerboard and mother of pearl crown inlays. It also has a rosewood moustache bridge with mother of pearl bar inlays. It comes with a "bullet proof" deluxe case. I do have a couple of complaints. The Gibson tuners work fine, but the cheap looking off-white plastic knobs detract from the overall beauty of the guitar (gold plated metal knobs would be a much nicer touch). Also, some of the painted flowers on the pickguard are wearing off (due to heavy strumming), even though pick scratches hardly show on the pickguard itself. These last two items are only cosmetic, though, and don?t detract from the superb performance of this instrument; but that is why I?ll give it a 9 in this category.

The maple body brings out the high and mid-range, and the jumbo body brings out the base; a perfect balance for my playing style. The guitar really projects (it's loud), but that's how I like it. However, choice of strings is critical to get the sound you want. When I first received it, the lower strings had a dull "thuddy" quality, and so I assumed it just needed new strings. I made the mistake of buying Gibson J-200 light strings. This didn't improve the sound much, because that's what was on it in the first place. So I switched to Martin SP lights. This made all the difference. The sound is awesome! I have settled on Martin SP custom lights, but I am sure there are many brands that would do the job.

The fit and finish on this guitar were perfect. I don't know whether the music store had done any custom set-up work on it, but the action is set just right for me; low enough for ease of play, but no buzzing. The neck is a bit wider at the nut than a standard dreadnought. I quickly adapted and really like it. However, when I pick up my Guild D-40, it takes some time to get used to the narrower neck. But that's ok, because the J-200 is my main guitar now.

I have had this guitar for 3 years, and it has seen a lot of play. No problems or noticable wear at this time. With the exception of the pickguard (mentioned above), it still looks like the day I bought it. The case provides more than enough protection for taking it out of the house, but I haven't checked it as airline luggage yet. I am confident enough to just take this guitar (no back-up, except an extra set of strings).

I have not had to deal with Gibson or an authorized repair place yet.

I have been playing guitar for about 38 years. I played heavily for the first 12 of those years, then much less for many years, but got back into it the last 5 years. I have owned several guitars over the years and have played many that I didn't own. Prior to the J-200, my main guitar was a Guild D-40 that I have owned for over 30 years. Before buying the J-200, I spent some time in the showrooms of some large music stores trying various brands and models. I was trying to decide between a Martin HD-28V, a Guild JF-55-12 and a Guild JF-65. Then I played a J-200, and decided I had to have one. If this guitar were to be lost or stolen, I would be on e-bay in short order trying to replace it.

Bought this in 1974. Didn't know anything about Guitars then, but Elvis, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, etc. all had one so it must be good. At the time it was the best sounding guitar I had ever played, until a year later when I played my friend's Martin D-28. So THAT'S how a good guitar sounds.
The 70's was NOT the time to buy a Gibson. The quality during this time was really poor.
Sadly, this guitar was an investment, I've been stuck with it ever since. New Gibson's might be better, but not this one.
To show how poor Gibson were during this period, I originally bought a Custom Dove. Beautiful to look at. Took it home, started to polish it, turned it over and discovered the back had NEVER been join together. There was a clean split going down most of the back. Not a crack, smooth edges that were NEVER joined. Bells and whistles should have gone off when the music store offered to swap it for the J-200 they had just got in. Just a dumb kid at the time I guess.

Large, deep bass. That's what I SHOULD be saying, but that is NOT the case. This is not a very loud guitar. I would say that the sound is even and clear with good substain. But did doesn't seem to have much personality to it. Action has always been high, took it to an authorized Gibson repair shop but they couldn't do much for it without major re-work of the cheap bridge, not the moustache usually associated with J-200's.

What a weird neck. It is only 1 1/2 inches. I kid you not. I have seen other J-200's and NONE of them have a neck this thin. I thought with my small hands that it would be great, but it has never worked out.
The top is NOT top grade spruce, you can barely seen any grain in it at all. Back is nice.

It has lasted all these years, but I only play at home. Then again, they recently found Dinosaur vomit that has lasted millions of years, so what does lasting for years mean????

Poor. The back split one year after buying this guitar. Sent it back to Gibson. They repaired it and sent it back to me. Looked at my repaired back only to find 4 drilled holes in the back of the guitar!!!!!!!! 4 holes. 4 holes. 4 holes.
What where they thinking? How could they send this guitar out with 4 holes in the back? Pure garbage. Yes I got them to replace the back, but what poor poor poor workmanship.

I've been playing since 1971. Bought this in 1973. I own an Ovation Custom Legend which sounds worlds better than this Gibson, An Ovation Glen Campbell 12 string in 1974, good sound and quality. I picked up an Ovation UK-II eletric from E-Bay for $195. What a steal! Great sounding and playing electric guitar
I have heard that Gibson has turned it around and have been making quality guitars since the 1990's. That's nice but I'll never buy another Gibson.
If I were stranded on a desert island with this guitar, I would break it up for fire wood.
If this guitar were stolen, I'ld use the money to buy a Taylor or Martin or Guild or Adamas.
True story, my house was robbed. The theif actually moved this thing out of the way to take my $200 Sears TV.

The J-200 is Gibson's all solid wood country jumbo guitar. This one has a pick-up under the saddle, is blond in color, and has all the nice features one comes to expect from Gibson. The country style in the bridge, though, looks a little funny - like a mustache. And the pickguard is downright UGLY! I feel like I'm Woody in Toy Story playing this guitar.

Whenever I play this guitar I think - "Why didn't I get the Guild jumbo instead?" I'm trying to like this guitar, but for the price and the sound it produces, it doesn't seem to match up to Guild's jumbo which is heavier, feels more solid, and resonates better workmanship. Feelings of regret come when I hold this Gibson.

The advertisements say that the Gibsons are "Masterbuilt." I suppose this is true - but frankly, the Taylor's and Larrivee's of this world are making a better product. I just still feel regret over this guitar.

The tuners on this guitar are OK - but again, the lightness of the guitar makes me feel as though I'll get a hole in it if I bump it into a table. Again, if this guitar were $300 - 400.00, I could accept the guitar, but to pay close to $2000.00 for this guitar is not worth it.

I've been playing guitar for close to twenty years nopw. My first guitar was a Takamine F-340S and it lasted a good decade and served as a great beginning guitar. I went from there to Guild and have enjoyed my Guilds since then. But to pick up this Gibson (which was a gift to me) and to play it compared to the Guild and even the Takamine is to feel like I was taken to the cleaners. Gibson, in my opinion, is the most overrated, overpriced, and cheaply manufactured guitar maker in the world - I guess JC Penny brand would hold that title. But to pay $5000.00 for a Les Paul or $4000.00 for a John Lennon, and $2000.00 plus for this J-200 is lunacy. As you can obsviously tell, I will never buy a Gibson again and I intend to trade mine in ASAP for a Taylor or a Larrivee.

This big blonde beauty was made up in Montana in 1986. The attention to detail is incredible. She is SO beautiful, I play her only occasionally. This guitar is unmodified, with no electronics.

I play country and blues. The J-200 is a superb country guitar, with lots of bottom and a clean bright sound when acoutic leads are called for. It has a somewhat stiffer action than my dreadnaught. It may not be as well suited to blues, as it has a more "happy day in the sunshine-y country" voice even when the chords are minor and the strings are bending.

The only complaint I have is that the factory tuners are a tad sticky.
No modifications have been made at all, save for lighter strings than were on when I bought her.

The wood and inlay is gorgeous and worked with a high level of craftsmanship.

This guitar is too pretty to take on the road, IMHO, although Emmy Lou Harris and Sheryl Crow take theirs along! It is obviously a dependable type of guitar with an old pedigree of recording and live performances. I see that even beat up vintage Gibson acoustics in my neighborhood (SoCal) demand huge prices.

I have no contact, but never needed to, either.

I have been playing for 35 years. I have three Brazilian Giannini acoustics (12-string Craviola, 6-string deadnaught, classical). Also, I have a swell AIMS knockoff Tele from about 1975, with the original hot Maxon lead pickup that sounds just like Jerry Reed's. Recently I acquired a Gretsch Les Paul-wannabe G2404 that is a rock-solid axe. My first guitar was a bump Harmony f-hole archtop that I really regret selling (30 yeays ago). Also, I had a Univox Mosrite copy that I really (ditto...) I played through a mediocre Gibson 40 watt solid state amp for years. When it died the third time, I replaced it with a Crate DXJ-112, which I am growing to love.

My only regret about the J-200 is that I did not buy 4 or 5 of them at that price (what was the shop thinking...what was I thinking?)

It was made in '90 in Bozeman, MT. I bought it in '90 at Acoustic Music in Salt Lake City. It's a sunburst, spruce top, you know the details given the popularity of this legendary guitar. Super jumbo size, came with a nice case, no electronics, but I added a Fishman pick-up earlier in 2000. The original tuners are poorly designed, lasted about 8 years, and I have replaced almost all 6 of them now with a better-designed replica of the originals from Gibson.

I like this guitar very much. Deep bass. Full sound.

Action could be better for me and there's always been a buzzing on a couple strings at the 12th fret, but overall, it's been a good friend for 11 years.

YES to all of the above, except for the weakness of the original tuning heads.

Company has been very friendly. They sent me free tuning heads a few years ago and they're not even covered in the warranty. Nice guy on the phone. And they've answered my e-mails. Certainly light years away in customer service from Guild who sent me form letters and an e-mail with typos and mis-spellings.

The Gibson J-200 is a classic that looks and sounds great. Fancy finish, lots of features, a guitar to have for a lifetime. Elvis played one, so did the Everlies early on, Emmy Lou Harris, Reverend Gary Davis, the early cowboy singers, Lefty Frizzel, Ron Wood, Dylan on the Nashville Skyline album, Townes Van Zandt, Pete Townsend these days, Hal Ketchum, Gram Parsons, and so many others...and for good reason. Made in America too. If you can afford one, go with it, you won't regret it.

I found this baby in Wurlitzer store in Boston in 1990 or
thereabouts and I paid only $1350 as this was BEFORE
the MTV and nobody wanted an acoustic guitar, especially
Gibson and then J-200 nicely sunburnt finish with moustache :-)

Great DEEEEP, deep, deep spine emotional sound.

Unbelievable in open tunning like open G - wow.

But mayn you have to be a good player ... I play since 1960
so I get 10 and this baby too :-)

It's higher than Taylor but may that's a J-200

No problem - I have the original case too.

Don't need tem ...

The best special acoustiv there is.

I have the divine Martin D-42 for Martin sound,
I have the Taylor 714 for the concert fingerpicking
and I have Ovation for the stage and I own
the 12 string Yamaha BUT
when it comes to express emotions I pick the J-200.

This is the QUEEN of all acoustic guitars.

My J 200 is a 1995 model, sunburst, maple sides and body.
I had put in a EMG acoustic pickup under the sadle. The shopmaster did a bad job. He drilled a hole in the side of the guitar instead of using the strap knob hole! Too late ... I already payed for the guitar.
It still is a well build, good looking and shiny peace of craftmanship. I bought it new in 1996; had to wait one year! to have it delivered ...

Wonderfull. Never heard such a balanced, big sounding , and rich toned guitar. I mainly play it at home, and sometimes on stage at acoustic evenings. I am scared of hurting this beauty on stage, but on the otherhand, you can't be unseen when you come out with this stunning beauty, and I am each time extremely proud to show me with this peace of art on stage. I play rythm guitar. Quick riffs or arpegio everything sounds wel. Using a very soft pickup you can play wonderfull rythm parts. Used it in studio once and it was an instant recording succes.

Gibosn has a bad reputation overhere when it comes to the factory setup and finisching of their products. This was the case for my J 200. It took me several guitar lutiers to fix my guitar. I finnaly found one. He did a great job. Now this guitar is playing like like butter. Low action, very soft playing even with 12' as upper E.
I always try other guitars in the shops I visist but except one I tried a Martin M68 ( custum shop) I never head this combination of action, sound and visual quality.

Have it fo 5 years . Still the best !

Depends upon the level of qualification of the local dealers, supliers. I finaly found a good luthier and at very reasonable prices!

I've been playing for 10 years, had a copy of a Martin D45 made by Hashimoto. My other guitars are Fender Tele and Gibson Es335.
I am very happy with this acoustic guitar. If I can find the cash I would like to by me a good Martin to complete my collection

Mine's a '97 SJ-200 -- don't think there's any significant difference between it and a "regular" J-200. This is one big guitar. Maple sides, back and neck. Extremely "flamey". Very light weight due to internal bracing scheme. Grover-style tuners. An extremely beautiful, fancy, guitar. Has a pickup, but haven't used it except for tuning.

I walked into Mars thinking I'd buy a Martin. Played several dreadnaughts, then just for grins picked up a J-100. I'd never considered a Gibson acoustic, even though I've also got a Les Paul Standard. (Talk about a difference in weight!) The J-100 just sounded incredible! You have to like a brighter tone, although that depends alot on where you pick. I frequent E-bay a bit and found I could pick up a slightly used J-200 for the same price as a new J-100. So I did. The sound of the J-200 is indistinguishable from the J-100. Very big, clear, bright sound. No mud in chords. Elixir light weight strings are a perfect choice. Have noticed that the sound is sensitive to humidity. Don't let the guitar dry out. The tone drys up, too.
I also looked at a Guild all-maple guitar. It was a few years old, and there was no comparison. The Guild sounded dead compared to the Gibson. The Guild uses a thicker top instead of the bracing in the Gibson and is a much heavier guitar. I had a luthier repair a scratch on the headstock and he said there is greater variation among individual maple guitars than rosewood or mahogany. He thought this one had great tone.

Intonation is perfect. Action has varied with seasonal changes. Some buzz when I let it dry out too much this past winter. A couple tuners don't do anything for half a turn, and then suddenly change the pitch drastically. Finish and flame are incredible.

The previous owner must have been a working musician. The case was a wreck and the pick guard is heavily scratched. He/she must have picked/strummed VERY hard. The guitar otherwise looks and plays like new. I'd say it must be very durable.

Don't know.

I love this guitar. Sometimes I wish it were a little smaller. It is definitely a hunk of guitar to haul around. But the tone, the action, and the beauty of the guitar is incredible, especially at the price I paid for it. You have to open to a brighter sound than your typical rosewood guitar, but be sure to pick up one of these and play it a bit before shelling out $4000 for a top notch Martin. And if you can't afford what I paid for a J-200, look for a J-100. You'll get the same tone in a much plainer package.