1940 SJ 200

[duluthdan]

Incredible looking SJ 200 on the AGF. A MUST SEE.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=339772

[E-minor7]

Absolutely dreamish - is it rosewood. .

 

One of those guitars you'ld like to actually hear.

 

But look at the saddle, , , or missing saddle.

 

Guess one can't see this picture without asking how much that 'point-saddle-concept' influences the sound.

 

In fact I been wondering about this topic lately :

 

How important is it to have the saddle as one component and would it color the sound if an ordinary saddle was split in two, say bone and (softer) horn or tusq.

[slimt]

Wow,,, Stunning Guitar.. love the Brazilian ... Neat grain..

[JuanCarlosVejar]

What a beauty !

I'd love to hear it !

 

Thanks Dan ... my favorite guitar

 

 

JC

[MR GIBS]

I'd love to hear the beast too!

[RichG]

Beautiful. A museum piece, for sure.

 

It's funny about the individual saddles as I was going to post something yesterday on that. My 1939 J55 has them. I was playing it along side my SCSJ and the SJ sounds better to me. A fuller sound. Both have DR Rare 12's. There are many differences in the guitars other than the saddles so this is not a scientific test for sure. I even recorded them to listen later and still like the SJ. Maybe someday I'll get a chance to A/B the J55 with one with a one piece saddle. They were available both ways in 1939 only.

 

If that SJ 200 was a car it would be a "barn find". I guess this is a "closet find"

[blindboygrunt]

What a beauty !

 

Can't believe someone said 'hey come look at this , but , no , you can't play it'

 

!

[E-minor7]

It's funny about the individual saddles as I was going to post something yesterday on that. My 1939 J55 has them. I was playing it along side my SCSJ and the SJ sounds better to me. A fuller sound. Both have DR Rare 12's. There are many differences in the guitars other than the saddles so this is not a scientific test for sure. I even recorded them to listen later and still like the SJ. Maybe someday I'll get a chance to A/B the J55 with one with a one piece saddle.

 

Guess this is a topic very hard to measure -

 

Certainly needs to be done on the same guitar.

'Thinking into it' is difficult too, but it must have something to do with collective transmission contra individual ditto.

Does the vibe (vibes of all 6 strings) travel better over a broad mass or do the individual units create more clarity. . .

[62burst]

Sound quality may have caused this design to be an evolutionary dead end/ adjustability not worth the cost in tone. Would like to know the hardware used/ what the adjusters screw into. What's it look like on yours, Rich?

[BigKahune]

.

Looks like the same one (by the wear on the back of the neck) that was at Elderly for a couple years, check it here http://elderly.com/vintage/items/20U-12195.htm

 

As I recall it was listed at Elderly for $125K. Someone bought it, Elderly no longer has it.

 

On Elderly's sales page for the guitar they had a pic of the original owner -

 

 

 

 

<edit> I see there's another thread on this here - http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/112145-original-1940-sj200-post-on-agf/page__gopid__1515408#entry1515408

 

.

[Hogeye]

Sound quality may have caused this design to be an evolutionary dead end/ adjustability not worth the cost in tone. Would like to know the hardware used/ what the adjusters screw into. What's it look like on yours, Rich?

 

When Gibson/Montana reissued several models that used the individual adjusters Ren actually machined them in the custom shop. There was a brass insert that had a threaded hole. It was inserted into the bridge and then a bone adjustment screw was threaded into the brass component. I was amazed at the fine work Ren did on this project and bought a bridge and the inserts just to have them. They cost a fortune.

 

Ren actually made several replacement inserts for the guy that had the guitar that ended up at Elderly. The guy was a sheepherder during the depression and he became a favorite to the folks that worked at Gibson. The Mando his wife played was not a Loar but it did sell for $50K. Elderly sold that as well.

[RichG]

Sound quality may have caused this design to be an evolutionary dead end/ adjustability not worth the cost in tone. Would like to know the hardware used/ what the adjusters screw into. What's it look like on yours, Rich?

Mine are bone and threaded and screw into the bridge. I'm not sure if there are brass inserts. I'm too chicken to take one all the way out. Obviously if they don't bottom out on anything then the only transmission to the bridge is laterally. Mine don't have what looks like a locking nut on the ones in the J200 pics.

 

Next string change I will investigate.

[Hogeye]

Mine are bone and threaded and screw into the bridge. I'm not sure if there are brass inserts. I'm too chicken to take one all the way out. Obviously if they don't bottom out on anything then the only transmission to the bridge is laterally. Mine don't have what looks like a locking nut on the ones in the J200 pics.

 

Next string change I will investigate.

 

What looks like a locking nut is actually the brass insert that is placed in the bridge. The bone adjuster is screwed into this insert.

[RichG]

What looks like a locking nut is actually the brass insert that is placed in the bridge. The bone adjuster is screwed into this insert.

Thanks. That makes sense. I guess mine doesn't have them.

[gottabetweed]

There is much discussion in that thread about the tech refusing to try out the guitar without the owners permission. I wonder if he got the owner's permission to share those pics?

 

That guitar is just beautiful, and I am glad he did, but I think that may be a greater violation of the code than giving it a few strums.