Lost & Found

[JuanCarlosVejar]

Folks hey I found this story browsing through the Gryphon Stringed Instruments site :

 

 

 

We first saw this early Gibson SJ-200 eleven years ago, when a relative of the original owner brought it to Gryphon to be sold on consignment. Evidently Roy King was a singer and songwriter who made at least one record, and got close to making it big without ever actually getting there. Roy’s idols, obviously, were Gene Autry, Ray Whitley, and other cowboy stars pictured with Gibson’s largest, most flamboyant, and expensive flattop ever, the Super Jumbo 200, so named because when introduced in the depths of the Great Depression it sold for a whopping $200.

 

Gryphon sold Roy’s guitar to David Helfrich, a local customer and good pal, just a few weeks later (that's David's photo in the email). Unfortunately, it was stolen within a few months, along with several of David’s other guitars, and we’ve been collectively pining ever since. A guitar like this, designed to wow ‘em from the front row of the auditorium to the cheap seats, was meant to be looked at. It seemed beyond comprehension that it could disappear such a short time after emerging from the closet here on the mid-Peninsula where it had spent the previous quarter century. We sent photos to other vintage guitar dealers, we scoured the pages of every issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine, but there was never even a peep about a Gibson SJ-200 named Roy. How could the thief sell it, we reasoned, wouldn’t it be obvious that you’d have an easier time fencing the Mona Lisa?

 

As it turns out, Roy King (the guitar, not the original owner) never went very far. Chances are good the thief grabbed the case without looking inside, for after all he, or they, were busy grabbing other guitar cases as well and might have been in a hurry. So it sat, somewhere, for a decade, as how could you risk fencing something that was so recognizable, so unique? But a few weeks ago our good friend Tony Marcus, long-time guitar collector and player (remember Cats ’n Jammers?) got a call from a dealer in SF who was asking what a 1939 Gibson SJ-200 in pretty good shape might be worth, and mentioned that it had the name “Roy King” on the fingerboard. Tony called us, and a few hours later made the rescue. The man who had it claims it was given to him, and since he made virtually no demands for a reward, we’re inclined to believe him. He seemed almost as relieved as we were that Roy was finally going home. Best of all, Roy seems none the worse for the experience, and Tony and Nancy are shown below, welcoming his return.

 

 

the photos that were attached to the story :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JC

[RichG]

Note the individual saddles. I've seen J-100's with both one piece and individual and J-55's that way. Also one other SJ-200 for sale in Germany like that. I guess they could be ordered either way.

 

Great story!

 

Rich

[ChrisA83]

Nice story!

[mike tango]

This is a great example of the difference between an independent instrument store and a music chain.

[jt]

A great story and very cool guitar. Thanks for flagging this for us.

 

Note the individual saddles. I've seen J-100's with both one piece and individual and J-55's that way. Also one other SJ-200 for sale in Germany like that. I guess they could be ordered either way.

 

On each of the models - SJ-200, SJ-100, J-55, the individual saddles appeared only during the first year (or thereabouts) of production.