Gene Autry 1939 J 200

[JuanCarlosVejar]

folks ,

 

for those of you who like the 12 fret versions or are fans of the old country western scene :

 

 

here's some info on the guitar :

 

Gibson presented Autry with this custom-made guitar model J-200 #462E in 1939. He owned two of these flat-top guitars which are now very rare and valuable

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JC

[rar]

Gibson presented Autry with this custom-made guitar model J-200 #462E in 1939. He owned two of these flat-top guitars which are now very rare and valuable

Interestingly, there are few pictures of Gene playing this guitar -- most of them taken at home -- and I don't think it ever made a movie appearance. (Since he always played a character named "Gene Autry", the name on the fretboard wasn't an issue.). But his similarly-decorated "mini J-200" -- much like Ray Whitley's well-known "party guitar" -- did show up in movies. Story is that he got it specifically because he needed a smaller guitar to play when riding Champ in films. Ren got a chance to see and spec the mini at the Autry museum, where it's stored in a vault. I've talked with him about building a copy a few times, without Gene's name to avoid the legal issues associated with that, as It would be about the coolest guitar ever IMHO.

 

-- Bob R

 

P.S. Maybe Hogeye will chime in with the story of Dale Berry's J-200. I think I've got a photo of it somewhere.

[JuanCarlosVejar]

Interestingly, there are few pictures of Gene playing this guitar -- most of them taken at home -- and I don't think it ever made a movie appearance. (Since he always played a character named "Gene Autry", the name on the fretboard wasn't an issue.). But his similarly-decorated "mini J-200" -- much like Ray Whitley's well-known "party guitar" -- did show up in movies. Story is that he got it specifically because he needed a smaller guitar to play when riding Champ in films. Ren got a chance to see and spec the mini at the Autry museum, where it's stored in a vault. I've talked with him about building a copy a few times, without Gene's name to avoid the legal issues associated with that, as It would be about the coolest guitar ever IMHO.

 

-- Bob R

 

P.S. Maybe Hogeye will chime in with the story of Dale Berry's J-200. I think I've got a photo of it somewhere.

 

thanks Bob . It's always a pleasure to read you

 

I know the guys in Bozeman built at least 1 replica (I guess with the specs Ren took) :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know where this guitar ended up ... But I contacted Fuller's once to see if they could get me a replica without the Autry (so you are not alone !!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

JC

[rar]

That one is full-size, not the mini. Gibson was interested in building some of these to sell in the Autry museum with some percentage of the proceeds going to one of Gene's charities -- same deal as with the Autry D-45 replicas Martin did (not to mention the bluebird boot replicas, and lots of other Autry museum stuff). Didn't happen. Just another sad Gibson story Hogeye can tell you if he decides to.

 

-- Bob R

[BigKahune]

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Cool stuff.

 

Thanks for the pics. . B)

 

 

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[JuanCarlosVejar]

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Cool stuff.

 

Thanks for the pics. . B)

 

 

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you are welcome Big K =)

 

 

 

 

 

JC

[RunningDownTheR]

thats a super cool guitar... thanks for the nostalgia moment.

[GDC]

That thing looks mint. Gibson history right there.

[jt]

I played the prototype replica a few years back. A wonderful and fascinating guitar.

[rar]

Just thought I'd mention the Autry replica wasn't the only one they've done. Two or three years ago, Don showed me a Jimmy Wakely SJ-200 reproduction at the factory. (Didn't take a picture, unfortunately.) It was less interesting than the Autry, since Jimmy's was a pretty stock prewar J-200 but with a pickguard that had his name engraved on it and a single horseshoe squeezed onto the fretboard between the soundhole and the last of the regular inlays. (Given what Monogram paid, he probably couldn't afford the extra $50 to have his name on the fretboard.) Still pretty cool -- especially since Jimmy played his in a bunch of his movies. Sadly, it was headed off to some museum for display rather than to someone who was going to play it.

 

-- Bob R

[JuanCarlosVejar]

Bob ,

 

this looks like the mini you mentioned before :

 

 

 

 

 

it looks much really really small .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JC

[JFairweather]

This guitar is seen in the movie Goldmine in the Sky.