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Gibson J 200 JR12


kuekoflaut

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Sweet Guitar. Is it a '92? There are a few out there and it looks like you have a good one. Thanks for posting her.

Hello Hogeye,

 

thanks for your vote. Yes, it is from 1992 and realy a great instrument. Where there different series (bad and good), what do you know about?

 

Thanks and regards.

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Hello Hogeye,

 

thanks for your vote. Yes, it is from 1992 and realy a great instrument. Where there different series (bad and good), what do you know about?

 

Thanks and regards.

Gibson did try to crack the 12 string market several times. They did a J-200 12 - J-100 extra 12 - B45 12 string reissue and a couple of Hummingbird 12 strings. There are probably others as well. I saw a beautiful Herritage Cherry Hummingbird at Music Villa a couple of weeks ago that was a wonderful guitar. It went fast. A guy from the Homecoming group saw it and bought it.

 

The B-45 reissue should have been a good guitar but something was missing and it never sounded quite right. The originals were the standard for years. The new ones just didn't make the grade. The J-200 Jr is the perfect platform for a 12 string. It's a nice size and has the strength to deal with the extra tension. The J-200 and the J-100 should have been the best because of their size but they just sounded to busy.

I believe that the Guild 212 XL is the finest 12 string out there and the J-200 jr 12 is a very close second.

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Gibson did try to crack the 12 string market several times.

 

 

And they have just re-issued the ES 335-12, but this time with a 1 3/4" nut and burstbuckers rather than humbuckers, plus coil splitting. I assume it's a limited run, as I've only seen it at Zzsounds.

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Gibson did try to crack the 12 string market several times. They did a J-200 12 - J-100 extra 12 - B45 12 string reissue and a couple of Hummingbird 12 strings. There are probably others as well.

 

The B-45 reissue should have been a good guitar but something was missing and it never sounded quite right. The originals were the standard for years. The new ones just didn't make the grade. The J-200 Jr is the perfect platform for a 12 string. It's a nice size and has the strength to deal with the extra tension. The J-200 and the J-100 should have been the best because of their size but they just sounded to busy.

I believe that the Guild 212 XL is the finest 12 string out there and the J-200 jr 12 is a very close second.

 

A number of years ago, a friend of mine alerted me to the presence of a J-200Jr-12 string, for sale at a local (to him) store. I called them up and bought the guitar. I happened to mention this to Ren, and he said "Yes, we built a bunch of those guitars (12-string) back in the early '90s; a lot of them just folded up and came back to the factory for repairs and replacement. We built B45-12s and J-200Jr-12s. The returned ones we hid under stairwells and behind boxes so that when the brass came around on tours, so they wouldn't see these things. If you have a J-200Jr from that era that HASN'T folded up, then it's a GOOD ONE!"

 

And it *was* a good one, a 1992:

92GibsonJ-200Jr-12VS_zpsdb6177b0.jpg

 

I eventually sold it because the neck was just a bit too hefty for my hand's comfortable playing.

 

By 1999, Gibson made the J-185-12 string model, basically a similar guitar to the J-200Jr-12, but with a different look for sure. The J-185-12 was lighter in build, and bolder in tone, but I *always* liked the look of the J-200Jr-12 a bit better.

99GibsonJ-185-12_Front_zps768f1beb.jpg

 

Incidentally, the J-200Jr was built on a 25.5" scale in its six-string version -- similar to the J-185s that preceded it in 1990-2 -- but the 12-string J-200Jr was built on a short 24.75" scale.

 

I have a photo of a J-200Jr-12 with a 1995 serial number on it, so they must have produced a few after the main period of 1992-3.

 

I agree with Hogeye about the 16" jumbo maple body being a close to ideal shape and volume and balance, with clarity and good sound, for a 12-string guitar. I've always far preferred these to the rosewood Songwriter and Hummingbirds and other 12-strings that Gibson built.

 

Fred

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...

Hi everyone

 

Glad to notice that I finally, finally found a forum that mention my guitar, the Gibson J 200 JR 12.

And it's from '92 and i perfekt shape.

 

But. I am sellin' it. And it has to land in a good home where it can be appreciated as for what it is.

 

Why?

Well, it's a hard one, it goes without saying, but the band that I am playing in is not into 12-strings at all

and I want to get myself a few more guitars and stuff that fits our genre.

 

And.

What to do? It goes without saying that I have to find people that know of this guitar. Ebay? No way.

Furthermore, I live and breathe in Finland so there might be moments that extra efforts have to be

made to sell this gem.

 

All in all - post Your thoughts. Gimme info on forums or prices for this kinda rare guitar. It is really in great

shape - the moment You get it in perfect tune, magic happens. No scratches, even surfaces, great finnish.

Ofcourse there'll be some photos later on.

 

Thanks guys for helping me out - maybe one of You will be the new owner of it?!

 

/ Patrik

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I happened to mention this to Ren, and he said "Yes, we built a bunch of those guitars (12-string) back in the early '90s; a lot of them just folded up and came back to the factory for repairs and replacement.

 

This has been the problem since Gibson came out with the B45-12 in 1961. The tops collapsed or the guitars just twisted themselves apart. The only way to keep them together was to beef up the bracing which resulted in not the best sounding guitars.

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  • 1 month later...

Hello Patrik,

 

I haven't seen any guitar-pics on your FB link....., not easy to say something, you informations are too weak. For me, the J-200 JR12 is the sweetest 12 string I ever heard. J can not understand, why someone wants to sell it.

 

Regards.

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  • 1 year later...

If anyones interested in one of these Ive decided to sell my 92' J200-JR12

 

Its the 90's model, never had any repairs and is in excellent condition. I am the 2nd owner.

 

pm for details

 

thanks for the heads up ..... I could use another 12 string [thumbup]

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