Gibson J-200 custom shop?

[malcolmallan]

Hi.... new to the forum and looking for some advice.....

 

I am looking at buying my first Gibson acoustic and have been interested by a local ad advertising a J-200 standard. I contacted the seller, and they are now looking for an extra £400 (about $600) as they say that they have just discovered that it is a Custom shop model. Is there any way of verifying that this is the case?

 

Looking at the pictures there are no obvious signs... e.g. no'Custom' on the headstock and it appears to be a rosewood rather than ebony fingerboard. Can it be verified by the serial number?

 

Any help gratefully received....

[J-200 Koa]

Can you post an image of the guitar?

[albertjohn]

Hi malcolmallan and welcome to the forum.

 

You're in the right place. There is a huge wealth of knowledge here, although not behind my keyboard.

 

You'd think the advertiser would have known it was a Custom Shop wouldn't you?

 

Pics are going to help you with your question. The serial number should, with the help of Gibson, identify the precise model and origins as well.

 

I think the label inside will also help. What exactly does it say?

[malcolmallan]

Hi guys... thanks for the input so far. The guitar was originally listed on ebay (link below). This ended but has been relisted on a local advertising site.

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280486043852&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

 

When I approached the seller by email they said they had recently taken it to a shop and were told that it was a 'custom shop' so are now asking an extra £400. I am a little nervous about it as I have asked about why the ebay sale fell through, but not really had an answer on that. They also didn't respond to my request for the serial number.

 

On the plus side it is local to me so I can easily go and see it - however I don't want to be stumping up extra cash for a 'custom shop' model that is just a standard j-200. They also could not articulate the extra features that are on this guitar as a custom shop model. It sounds like the seller thought they had a standard, have been told its a custom shop but don't really know that for sure.

 

Any more clues from the link???

[BigKahune]

... The serial number should' date=' with the help of Gibson, identify the precise model and origins as well. ...[/quote']

 

+1

 

Welcome.

 

Gibsons from the custom shop usually (but not always) have a custom shop marker on them - like a headstock inlay, the TRC, a decal on the back of the head stock, sometimes on the label. There have been rosewood b/s versions of the SJ200 that weren't from the custom shop as well as some that were. So as albertjohn says, check the serial number with Gibson and see what they say.

 

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-SJ200-Rosewood-Custom-AcousticElectric-Guitar?sku=580330#used

 

[albertjohn]

Would a Custom Shop circa 2004 have a standard black case with blue lining? I know TVs from around 2007/08 had a brown case with pink lining. Of course the case might not be original.

[MisterGibs]

My humble opinion is that this guitar is NOT a custom shop.

 

This is a custom shop SJ 200:

 

[bkharmony]

IMO, that is not a Custom Shop J-200.

 

1. It would have a Custom Shop logo on the back of the headstock

2. It wouldn't come in the standard black/blue fur case

3. I see nothing "Custom" about that J-200.

 

Even if it is, the seller seems like a flake. There are lots of J-200s out there. Deal with someone you can trust. Believe me on this!!!

[BigKahune]

IMO' date=' that is not a Custom Shop J-200.

1. It would have a Custom Shop logo on the back of the headstock

2. It wouldn't come in the standard black/blue fur case

3. I see nothing "Custom" about that J-200.

Even if it is, the seller seems like a flake. There are lots of J-200s out there. Deal with someone you can trust. Believe me on this!!![/quote']

 

Yep.

 

After looking over the pics, it looks to me like Standard with a burst finish (which was/is available on the STD). The trim is standard - the Custom features abalone. Same case as my 08 SJ200 (standard case).

[onewilyfool]

I watch the local Craigslist a lot and I've noticed that for MARTIN guitars, the "CUSTOM" label actually LOWERS the value of a guitar. When Martin makes a custom, they just put "CUSTOM" on the neck block. You can write to them with the serial number and get all the specs, but it just says custom. So, I've noticed that if a HD28 is being sold beside an HD28 "CUSTOM" the HD28 usually sells for more. Those Martin guys like tradition, and Martin's exact records go back almost to the beginning. I'm not so sure for the Gibsons. One guy locally had a J-200 "CUSTOM" for sale....the custom feature was that the pick guard was plain, with no engravings or color on it. He said in his listing, that it cost $150 MORE for that feature?????? Well, like I said, a lot of guitar player/collectors, are traditionalists.....so it sat, and sat, and sat. I don't know if he EVER sold it. So, for me, the jury is out on whether that custom sticker on the back of the neck, or the neck block, or the truss rod cover actually changes the value much. BUT, if you like the guitar, get it. I think it is ridiculous to say that just because it says "CUSTOM" that it is worth 600 bucks more?????? If it has 600 bucks of extras, like gold hardware, bone nuts and saddle, special inlays, or the like, THEN it may be worth more, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and is it beholdin' $600 from your wallet???? For me, that is rubbish.

[malcolmallan]

Problem solved........ the seller has come back and stated.....

 

"have sussed out that in fact the guitar shop were confusing the model for a custom - it is the standard which is above the modern classic in terms of price and of course quality."

 

The serial number is - 00244083 - how do I get Gibson to verify it?

 

The seller has now gone down to his original price. Have to say, I am not massively impressed by my dealings with the seller so far..... need to decide if I want to go for it - he has stated that he is not prepared to sell for less than his original price so he is not interested in me making an offer! Also, now that I have been looking in to it, I do like the look of a custom - but maybe I should settle for that being my second J-200 :-))

[bkharmony]

"it is the standard which is above the modern classic in terms of price and of course quality."

 

That's rubbish as well. Price, yes. Quality, no. The only difference is a couple inlays on the bridge and a different (IMO worse) pickup system. We just had a thread on this last week, as a matter of fact.

 

This one's a nutter, mate.

 

P.S. How do you like my British colloquialisms?

[malcolmallan]

yeah - you sound like you are from London, mate!!

 

Funny, this guitar doesn't have any pickup on it.... is that about right for a 2004 standard and does that devalue it significantly??

[Hall]

Hi malcolmallan:

 

Where is their documentation? None? Case closed. edit: Just saw your above post. You going to look at it?

[malcolmallan]

Hi the hall groper.... not really too sure if I am. Not really impressed with the seller - he has been at best cagey, at worst misleading about the guitar which makes me wonder about it (also, he has not told me why the ebay sale fell through), plus he is not open to an offer (I would probably have gone in £100-£200 below what he was asking).

 

On the plus side it is a J-200 standard in tobacco sunburst, available locally which is about £800 pounds less than new. On the other hand, it doesn't have a pickup on it, and for an extra few hundred pounds I could get a brand new modern classic which it sounds is not that different. It looks like you need to go to a custom to get some real extra benefit, e.g. ebony fingerboard, albone inlays, bone nut, gold harware, etc. So could be tempted to wait until my bonus come in a couple of months and go the whole hog! I am viewing this as my 'life partner' acoustic :-) I have a couple of very nice electrics, but only a modest yamaha acoustic at the moment so need to decide where I stop my budget stretching.

 

I hadn't realised the variety in the J200 range. I have played a couple and loved the feel and deep sound. I am kicking myself for not buying when in the US a couple of months ago - the exchange rate was great, plus prices are significantly cheaper there anyway. My concern was going back through customs and charges but there was no one there! I was at Rudy's store in Soho in NYC and they had some serious acoustics in there - very nice. I would be interested to hear peoples thoughts on whether it is worth going from Moden Classic to Standard to True Vintage to Custom??

[onewilyfool]

I'm just throwing this into the ring.....there ARE fake Gibson acoustics coming out of China now. I posted a link to one a while back on this forum. On the J-200 the bridge and the headstock are somewhat slightly different. So be very careful. It sounds like you can trust this guy.....juuuusssst about as far as you can throw him. But there are types like that out in the world. See below before buying from this guy

 

http://fibsons.com/category/acoustic/

 

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/consumers-beware-1111/

 

http://www.tradetang.com/for-sale/Gibson-J-200-Standard-Acoustic-Electric-Natural-SJ-200-/114327-1682492.html

 

http://www.tradetang.com/for-sale/1992-Gibson-J200-J-200-Acoustic-Guitar-Near-MINT-/112051-1462773.html

[rar]

Would a Custom Shop circa 2004 have a standard black case with blue lining?

 

It's to late to be relevant to the original question, but ...

 

The answer is "It could". If and when the AT/AB Custom Shop cases are out of stock, a custom might ship with the standard case. Hey, it's Gibson!

 

- Bob R

[Hall]

It's to late to be relevant to the original question' date=' but ...

 

The answer is "It could". If and when the AT/AB Custom Shop cases are out of stock, a custom might ship with the standard case. Hey, it's Gibson!

 

- Bob R

 

[/quote']

 

 

Mine did. It is a custom I had it made for me in maple with some, much appreciated, name drop help. I didn't raise heck on the case for the instrument is just as I ordered in all custom specs, etc. And, as you said Bob, "Hey it's Gibson!" Thanks, for getting me back to the original question because my case is for sure applicable on this one.