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2 Questions - My New SJ-200


Brucebubs

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Loving my new Custom Shop Historic 1957 SJ-200 but a couple of things caught my eye.

1. - The saddle is not compensated,  just straight like my Guild F-412. Are all SJ-200's like this?

lizmH8wl.jpg

2.- There's nothing stamped on the back of the headstock - no serial number or 'Made In USA' - is that unusual? ( those Gotoh keystone tuners are superb too)

M5uN5XPl.jpg

Edited by Brucebubs
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I suspect that on the Historics, they are keeping things as close to historically consistent as they can.  The "original" version of this guitar would not have had a serial number on the back of the headstock.

For example, on the Legend series J-45 and L-OO, the factory order number was ink-stamped on the neck block, like the originals, with no label.

I see yours has a label, which is historically correct. Does it also have the serial number ink-stamped on the neck block? (The original probably would not have, so this is just a matter of curiosity.)

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7 minutes ago, j45nick said:

I suspect that on the Historics, they are keeping things as close to historically consistent as they can.  The "original" version of this guitar would not have had a serial number on the back of the headstock.

For example, on the Legend series J-45 and L-OO, the factory order number was ink-stamped on the neck block, like the originals, with no label.

I see yours has a label, which is historically correct. Does it also have the serial number ink-stamped on the neck block? (The original probably would not have, so this is just a matter of curiosity.)

Made me go look ... and you are absolutely correct - serial number is ink-stamped on the neck block. Thanks for that.

I did note in my NGD thread that the internal label has the model as just 'J- 200' where the warranty and COA list it 'SJ-200".

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Just now, Brucebubs said:

Made me go look ... and you are absolutely correct - serial number is ink-stamped on the neck block. Thanks for that.

I did note in my NGD thread that the internal label has the model as just 'J- 200' where the warranty and COA list it 'SJ-200".

Labels sometimes go astray, but an ink-stamped neckblock is there to stay...

Don't worry about the SJ/J conundrum. Your guitar is known by both names . The  "J" and "200" says it all. 

Just so you know, the J/SJ 200 shares the same body plan (shape in plan view) as Gibson's big 17" "advanced" archtops such as the L-5/L-7 from the mid-1930s on. My L-7 lived in a case designed for the J-200.

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Historically a 1957 J200 would have both an FON on the neck block and a different serial number starting with an "A" on the label.   Our 1960 J200 has both and it is identical to a '57 with the exception of the neck carve and tuners.

But now maybe I can get an answer to the question of does the '57 Historic have the second wide angle X brace above the soundhole or the lower X with the upper transverse bracing.  

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10 minutes ago, zombywoof said:

Historically a 1957 J200 would have both an FON on the neck block and a different serial number starting with an "A" on the label.   Our 1960 J200 has both and it is identical to a '57 with the exception of the neck carve and tuners.

But now maybe I can get an answer to the question of does the '57 Historic have the second wide angle X brace above the soundhole or the lower X with the upper transverse bracing.  

I'd like to know myself - can you show me the difference in pictures or drawings so I know what to look for?

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10 hours ago, Brucebubs said:

I'd like to know myself - can you show me the difference in pictures or drawings so I know what to look for?

 

You do not need a diagram.  Just look or slip your fingers up there.  If its is a single X brace guitar there will be one straight  brace running the width of the guitar above the soundhole.  If it has the upper X brace you will see the two lower legs of the brace essentially forming a V. 

The strange history of the SJ/J200 is that it presented Gibson with an engineering problem they attempted to solve by going different routes.  And one of the main problems centered on top stress forward of the soundhole.   The pre-War guitars had, I believe, the second X brace above the soundhole.  When the model was resurrected as the J200 after the war they went to a single X brace but with I believe as many as three transverse braces above the soundhole.  Then in 1951 they returned to the double X brace footprint.  That year you will find both versions.

The other odd thing about the J200 is that Gibson continued to use the fabric or wood side supports after that feature had vanished on most of their guitars during the early -1950s.  Our 1960 J200 has wood side supports.  The only other model I know of where side supports were continued was the CF-100.  My '57 had the blue fabric supports.  So it was a feature Gibson appears to have continued only on their top of the line acoustics.

Here is a quick photo  I snapped showing the side supports.

Gibson-Side-Brace-2.jpg

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Thank you for the replies regarding the bone saddle.

There is a straight brace on the top between the soundhole and the neck block and looking the other way toward the bridge there is definitely no straight brace and the 'V' of the upper 'X' brace is obvious - sitting just forward of the 'V', almost in the 'V' itself,  is another small brace shaped like a pyramid!

No side supports at all.

Planning to use my phone and wife's ipod to take pictures when I do my first string change.

Edited by Brucebubs
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28 minutes ago, Brucebubs said:

Thank you for the replies regarding the bone saddle.

There is a straight brace on the top between the soundhole and the neck block and looking the other way toward the bridge there is definitely no straight brace and the 'V' of the upper 'X' brace is obvious - sitting just forward of the 'V', almost in the 'V' itself,  is another small brace shaped like a pyramid!

Planning to use my phone and wife's ipod to take pictures when I do my first string change.

 

That answers my question so I thank you.  

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2 hours ago, j45nick said:

ZW, is the second x-brace forward of the soundhole, replacing the more typical transverse brace forward of the soundhole?

 

Yes, the second X brace was used in place of the more conventional transverse brace above the soundhole on single X braced guitars,    

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