Sitedrifter Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Hey all, I am new to Gibson and will be buying a J200 model in the very near future. It seems to me the pickguard placement issue has been brought up before but I do not see anyone from Gibson responding to the issue. I have noticed the pickguard placement on J200s (same model) vary from being right on the sound hole edge to almost 1/2" away from the sound hole edge. I thought jigs are used to place the pickguard yet the variation shows me it is hand done and pretty much without regard to the placement the designer of the guitar wanted. Something as simple as pickguard placement variations across the same exact model give me a bit of concern about QC in other areas of the guitar far more critical then the pickguard. Basically I don't want to shell out thousands and it be a crap shoot with QC. I know this issue is probably been beat to death but I would love to hear thoughts on this especially what Gibson says if anyone spoke to them or if they posted on the forum. I did email them and am awaiting for a response to my query. Thanks Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 We did a poll a while back...only less than 2% like the pick guard to cover the rosette....lol......but that's where most of them wind up..... http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/100907-lets-end-this-debate-about-pickguard-location/page__p__1364642__fromsearch__1#entry1364642 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 some vintage SJ 200's : here's my lefty Montana 1930's golden age reissue from last year : I hope some of this helps JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sitedrifter Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 We did a poll a while back...only less than 2% like the pick guard to cover the rosette....lol......but that's where most of them wind up..... http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/100907-lets-end-this-debate-about-pickguard-location/page__p__1364642__fromsearch__1#entry1364642 Good information showing what people prefer and I wonder why Gibson has not listened. But, I have no issue if the guard covers part of the rosette but what bothers me is the placement in regards to the sound hole. They seem to be place where ever the tech feels like it as opposed to a specific place each time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Long & short of it seems to be, there's two camps, those liking the rosette covered and the section completely protected, then there's the one who like a more traditional and historically accurate placement, ie, the rosette to be fully seen... that's all well and good, but then you'll see both placements have also appeared historically. This brings us back to two camps... This is a preference thing, not a QC thing. I like many others prefer the rosette to be seen, so I changed the placement of my guard, no big deal.... I will repeat that it in no way should suggest QC issues. Model lines with the rosette covered will all have the rosette covered, model lines which don't won't. Despite the fact that we love to imagine all these big grizzly bear types fashioning these out of pure magic dust, they're manufactured guitars built with good specs to a high standard in a modern enough plant. They're no more at risk of QC issues than the other well known names really.... Some are also built custom, to custom specs, so you may see variants there too, but, they are not the standard hence custom... Buy it, live happily ever after ;) Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sitedrifter Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 I am not talking about covering the rosette or not rather the what seems to be an almost random placement of the pickguard in relation to the sound hole. Below are two images showing the difference in distance form the sound hole yet they are the same model made within days of each other. This is what I would call a slight QC issue which brings me to my concern in that if this small issue seems to be *always* present what other issues could I realize that would be more if a major concern? The second picture (to me) looks like the guard is properly placed along the neck which leaves about 3/8" space to the sound hole where the 1st picture I think the guard is cocked a bit at the neck allowing the 1/8" space to the sound hole. I may seem picky but for $4k I need to be. And remember it is not so much about Hey I can remove the guard and re-position it, it is more about QC issues that may be present if this simple task of pickguard placement can't be accomplished with consistency at Bozeman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sitedrifter Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 I may just suck it up and go for it. I love the sound of the J200 and want it bad so... Wish me luck as I almost have the wife talked into it :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I may just suck it up and go for it. I love the sound of the J200 and want it bad so... Wish me luck as I almost have the wife talked into it :D S, I forum member Lefty55 , was just as nervous as you went a few weeks ago he ordered his first gibson a lefty J 200 standard . He was afraid ... once he recieved the guitar he played and he loves the tone of it . are you near a 5 star gibson acoustic dealer ? or will you be ordering online ? JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sitedrifter Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 S, I forum member Lefty55 , was just as nervous as you went a few weeks ago he ordered his first gibson a lefty J 200 standard . He was afraid ... once he recieved the guitar he played and he loves the tone of it . are you near a 5 star gibson acoustic dealer ? or will you be ordering online ? I actually just posted a question asking for a quality Gibson dealer in NJ. I plan on checking out the guitar if a dealer has one (near me) otherwise I have no issue purchasing online form my favorite dealer. JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I never even thought to look at the SJ-200 PG placement. Seems fine to me, especially since it has the line around the border - seems to carry the symmetry of the rosette all the way around. Here's mine, looks Ok, sounds flippin' great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty55 Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 You bring up an interesting question duluthdan. Why do some J200 pickguards have the outline border and some do not. My 2011 J200 Standard does not have the outline and I wish it did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 You bring up an interesting question duluthdan. Why do some J200 pickguards have the outline border and some do not. My 2011 J200 Standard does not have the outline and I wish it did. Depends on what earlier era the guard was copied from. The line was dropped around mid-'55 (and the celluloid was changed at the same time to the more transparent stuff). Bozeman has had a lot of variants of the classic flowered (S)J-200 pickguard over the years. The current TV's have pickguards stamped from the same plate used in Kalamazoo, which was rediscovered a few years ago [Added later: I think I got this wrong. See response to JC, below.] and the 75th Anniversary 1930’s Golden Age SJ-200 Limited Edition (not to be confused with the earlier 75th Anniversary model) had an accurate copy of the earlier pickguard with the line. The other dozen-plus designs -- including the one on your J-200 Standard -- are more like "inspired by" the originals than completely accurate copies. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Depends on what earlier era the guard was copied from. The line was dropped around mid-'55 (and the celluloid was changed at the same time to the more transparent stuff). Bozeman has had a lot of variants of the classic flowered (S)J-200 pickguard over the years. The current TV's have pickguards stamped from the same plate used in Kalamazoo, which was rediscovered a few years ago, and the 75th Anniversary 1930’s Golden Age SJ-200 Limited Edition (not to be confused with the earlier 75th Anniversary model) had an accurate copy of the earlier pickguard with the line. The other dozen-plus designs -- including the one on your J-200 Standard -- are more like "inspired by" the originals than completely accurate copies. -- Bob R adding to what Bob said ... I think gibson doesn't have lefty versions of the pickguard molds they use for stuff like the Hummingbird TV (they use the original 1960's mold for the right handed ones) and the early SJ 200 TV's that had the outline ... my J 200 TV is a 2007 and it has a "standard" pickguard : the 1930's Rosewood version had the guards made in the "custom shop" ... so they agreed to make a lefty version of the pickguard with the outline . JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 adding to what Bob said ... I think gibson doesn't have lefty versions of the pickguard molds they use for stuff like the Hummingbird TV (they use the original 1960's mold for the right handed ones) and the early SJ 200 TV's that had the outline ... my J 200 TV is a 2007 and it has a "standard" pickguard : Hmmm, I might have been thinking of the Hummingbird guard when I told that same-plate story. In any case, the TV pickguards do vary -- I've owned one with like and one without -- but the recent ones without-line are pretty close to a late-'50s-and-later. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 I never even noticed the "with" and "without" lines around the border before. Too many drugs in the early 70s finally catching up with me I suppose... Hope SiteDrifter finds one that sings, regardless of the details, bottom line is that rumble in your soul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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