BigKahune Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 ... I had wanted one about since I started playing in 1999 (although it went back and forth--wanted a Guild jumbo for ages, but the SJ-200 was where the heart was) and finally got one back in May .... Anyway, I love it like crazy. I go back and forth over which guitar is my favorite, but I think this might be the one. ... Great looking J-200. Love that lighter burst. I also really like the look of the Imperials. Congrats. . . B) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jannusguy2 Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Still have mine and it isn't going anywhere... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretplay Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 I think guitars like everything else go in fashions but guitar fashion moves slowly. Thirty years ago it was all dreadnoughts J45 and D18s the Neil Young age. Anyone playing a jumbo was a country player or maybe Elvis in Las Vegas well he was a country boy at heart. Today the movement seems to be towards jumbos and the waisted shape. There is a big movement towards small bodied guitars Ed Sherrin and John Mayer for example, perhaps this is the reason why J200 are out of fashion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Mine is content as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Mine is content as well. Is that a RW model? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songman Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 I love my new Gibsons (J45 2016 and Hummingbird HCS 2017) so much, and for the last month have played hardly any other guitar, that for the first time I am thinking that I might trade in my Martin HD28V for another Gibby (and that is saying a lot because the HD28V is a top model and mine is great). I have never heard a J200 live and was wondering if you good people could enlighten me somewhat. How does the J200 compare to a J45, a Hummingbird and an HD28V? I know, tall order, but any info is much appreciated. I am not saying I will go and make the trade immediately but I'd like to be informed as to whether it is worth it to start looking for a good J200, considering what I have now. I only use my guitars to write songs, compose and accompany singing. My playing style is a combination of strumming, arpeggio and fingerpicking depending on the song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSchooner Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 To the horror of the humidity police my J-200, my HD-28 and my F212XL hang on the wall for immediate gratification. It's almost always the J that gets grabbed. One big ol' G chord with the added D just makes me break out into a smile! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 Jannus... love your burst, man, Doug... yours is stunning as well. Is that Maple? Or a flamed mahogany? I think it's maple. No J200 here... although I used to own one in the early 1990s. I'm in a good place now, but I enjoy the great photos of all your guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 I love my new Gibsons (J45 2016 and Hummingbird HCS 2017) so much, and for the last month have played hardly any other guitar, that for the first time I am thinking that I might trade in my Martin HD28V for another Gibby (and that is saying a lot because the HD28V is a top model and mine is great). I have never heard a J200 live and was wondering if you good people could enlighten me somewhat. How does the J200 compare to a J45, a Hummingbird and an HD28V? I know, tall order, but any info is much appreciated. I am not saying I will go and make the trade immediately but I'd like to be informed as to whether it is worth it to start looking for a good J200, considering what I have now. I only use my guitars to write songs, compose and accompany singing. My playing style is a combination of strumming, arpeggio and fingerpicking depending on the song. Regardless of what/how/where you play - an J200 in maple will give you a whole different palette of sound and taste when compared to a J45 and an H'Bird. It is not 'louder' per se, There is just more of it. Like changing the tone selection on your Home Entertainment Center from "Action Movie' to "Orchestra Hall". It is definitely worth your while to go do your own sound tests. But, if you are looking for a sound that is different than what you've got - I'd stick with the traditional maple. G'Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 I've been fascinated by 200's since I was a mere lad of 13. Though I don't currently possess one, I've owned 4 over the years, each of which had its own charm. The bucket list calls for one more, and I'm just laying back and waiting for the right one to come along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songman Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Regardless of what/how/where you play - an J200 in maple will give you a whole different palette of sound and taste when compared to a J45 and an H'Bird. It is not 'louder' per se, There is just more of it. Like changing the tone selection on your Home Entertainment Center from "Action Movie' to "Orchestra Hall". It is definitely worth your while to go do your own sound tests. But, if you are looking for a sound that is different than what you've got - I'd stick with the traditional maple. G'Luck. Thanks fortyyearspickn, I am going to listen to a 2016 SJ200 some time in the next 14 days, and it is indeed maple! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Thanks fortyyearspickn, I am going to listen to a 2016 SJ200 some time in the next 14 days, and it is indeed maple! Best clear some super jumbo -sized space in that avatar ; ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Jannus... love your burst, man, Doug... yours is stunning as well. Is that Maple? Or a flamed mahogany? I think it's maple. No J200 here... although I used to own one in the early 1990s. I'm in a good place now, but I enjoy the great photos of all your guitars. It's maple. It is a 1 of 75 2012 Golden Age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songman Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Best clear some super jumbo -sized space in that avatar ; ). 😄 yes, if I should go for the SJ200 then the HD28V will have to give its place, we 'll see... 🎸 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin 1940D28 Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Over the years, I've had three J 200's, a '66 or '68 I don't recall. Nothing to brag about. I decided in the early '90's I'd like to try one again. After a couple years of waiting, I ended up with one from Mandolin Bros, It was a beauty with I guess European Maple body, a 1991 mod as I remember. It was a nice looking and sounding J 200. Our local dealer got a 1997 J 200 with the American maple, although not as pretty as the earlier ones, the tone and volume far surpassed any J 200 I'd previously played. Times were tough for the dealer at the time, I bought it for $1700 in '98. At the same time, I had an early Montana Advanced Jumbo for sale along with the '91 J 200. I had many calls for and sold the AJ and J 200, about the year 2000. One of the gents that had set up a meeting to try out the AJ wanted a good Gibson, I showed him the 1997 and let him play it. That did it for him, his $2000 cash left him with the best sounding J 200 I've ever known, and me with $300 extra bucks. I never did go after another maple J 200, but always was interested in a Rosewood model. To end my long winded story, I used my money at the time, for a 1944 Gibson J 45 Banner model, Mahogany and Sitka, and never once again desired a Maple body guitar. Remember, only my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvi Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 if your j 45 was made in 1945 I dont see a modern j 200 being on the same planet- just my opinion J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 I don't know a lot about (aside from my own opinions) how older Gibsons (or Martins, etc) compare to newer models. However, back in the late 90's, at one of the Johnny Cash Conventions I attended, I was given a tidbit of info that might fit into this discussion on J200's. Cash attended a few of the conventions, but often he was not feeling well-enough, so the members of his band and family were always around. We'd sit around and talk about Cash, guitars, and music with them and they'd tell us stories about Cash and songs and the "old days." I distinctly remember a discussion with Marshall Grant about Cash's favorite guitars and being in the recording studio for albums. Grant said that Cash was a big Martin fan because he loved the deep bass, but that at times Cash would record with a guitar other than his own if a friend requested it. Anyway, Cash recorded a song titled "I've Got A Thing About Trains." The song was written by Jack "Cowboy" Clement. Marshall Grant said Cowboy Jack asked Cash if he'd give the song a try on one of his (Clement's) guitars. He said the guitar Clement wanted to hear it on was one of those great big Gibsons "like Johnny used to play" (Grant's words). I have no idea what the tone woods were, the year it was made, strings, etc, but the way he described the guitar, I figured it was a super jumbo. When Cash was handed the guitar, Grant said he started "beating it to death" with his heavy-handed strumming to kind of get the feel of the guitar. He said the strumming sound from the guitar was like from another planet and that Cash liked it so much that he wanted to do that strumming as an intro to the song and set the tone for it. The song was then recorded with the Gibson.... I was surprised to hear that this guitar was not a Martin (Cash's favorite brand through the years). I've liked the song since I first heard it, but automatically assumed the train-chugging strum was one of Cash's Martins. Kind of cool for me to know that it likely was a Gibson. There are some "live" videos of Cash doing this song with other guitars, but none of them have this deep and overwhelming resonance. Anyway, Marshall Grant and the Cash guys were full of great stories. Here's the studio recording of the song. It was done in mid-69. Wish I knew more about the Gibson model, but it's a true monster and killer sound. Cuts through everything. This is the sound I tend to hear coming from a super jumbo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 if your j 45 was made in 1945 I dont see a modern j 200 being on the same planet- just my opinion J They have to be judged/evaluated by different sets of standards, and your opinion is accurate to my experience as well. Upon a time I made a very active effort to approximate my vintage instruments with modern stuff. Sublime failure. Not that current offerings aren't excellent - just not the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Here's my two J200's customs. Koa and RW. I had a nice maple standard I sold earlier this year. Soundwise I thought it was the best of the three but not being a custom made it the easiest to move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 Nice shot, there, Dave- Fido's choice: tree or fire hydrant? Oh. . . guitars: So those two are going the way of the Standard in maple, just a matter of time? How could you post those beauties without a kiss and tell? The koa has more bark of the two? That rosewood 200's just dripping with abalone. . . or is that the P-word? (Paua) Still love the bridge inlay on this one: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 Nice shot, there, Dave- Fido's choice: tree or fire hydrant? Oh. . . guitars: So those two are going the way of the Standard in maple, just a matter of time? How could you post those beauties without a kiss and tell? The koa has more bark of the two? That rosewood 200's just dripping with abalone. . . or is that the P-word? (Paua) Still love the bridge inlay on this one: I took the Dorito's off the guitars before I took these shots so you wouldn't talk about me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 Still have mine and it isn't going anywhere... This is the nicest J-200 Ive ever seen, the shade of the burst is legendary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 This is the nicest J-200 Ive ever seen, the shade of the burst is legendary. I've gotta go with Jessie's amberburst - just beautiful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GtrPknMama Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Are those old Jumbos falling out of favor? Lovin my Sweet Thang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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