Gibson SJ-200 owners and fans, please help me with a first-world problem

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by DCCougar

Yep, that's a real beauty, Bruce. Gibson consistently does the burst just right, unlike the not-quite-right burst on my SJ comparable jumbo Guild F50R produced in New Hartford. Guild did hit it right on my jumbo 12er JF30-12 properly bursted in Corona, California....

F50R

If I only ever buy 1 more guitar ... it will be a Guild F50R ... that one's a beauty, love it!

[RalphH]

You can't have any Gibson in a natural finish. It's just all wrong, sorry. They only make them to try to steal customers from Martin, but any TRUE Gibson fan gets sunburst

I'd kidding of course -- but not 100% -- to me it's part of Gibsons signature look, and what makes a Gibson a Gibson.

[jrb715]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

I prefer the Antique Natural finish on that model guitar myself.


whm

Entirely with Wade on this. It's pretty great to have a beautiful blonde in your arms.

[EZYPIKINS]

Best sounding one I ever heard was black. A 50's model. If I could ever get my hands on that one that would be sweet. But owner not parting with it. It belonged to his Dad.
If I was to spend the cash today. I'd go with Natural with Maple back and sides.

[Stomp]

I had a 1990 Gibson J200 Natural as noted back in the older portion of this thread, and a year later I did manage to find a nicer sounding (to me) sunburst SJ200 after all !

Here it is with other "family members":



I've since found a nice Gibson LP Jr. in vintage sunburst to add to the gang which sounds great, it looks like this...



I also had a '54 Gibson A40 mandolin (now sold) which had a cool aged natural "pumpkin" look to it like this....



.... "pumpkin" and sunburst are my fave Gibson finishes.

[G55ddl]

Originally Posted by jdto

That is just spectacular

Absolutely stunning. I think I would have preferred this sunburst over antique, but I’m a lefty and have to take what I can get when I can get it haha. Saying that, I do love the antique natural finish also. It arrives on Monday, it can’t come fast enough.

[G55ddl]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

I did end up buying a SJ-200 and I went for Vintage Sunburst.

Wow!!! A beauty for sure.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

I don't name many of my guitars but the J200 is 'Blondie'. Just sayin'.

[bobster7]

So tough! For me the J-200 is one of those rare guitars that looks equally great in natural or with a burst. For me an L-00 has to have a burst and I generally prefer a J-45 over the natural J-50 but with a J-200 I think it comes down to the specific guitar and the quality of the tops used/quality of the specific burst. If there’s still nothing really in it flip a coin!

[jdto]

I think the burst helps the detail on the bridge and pickguard pop a bit more. Also, I just love bursts.

[Duck916]

Isn't this purely and aesthetic question? I prefer bursts, but other prefer natural finishes. Since you have a bunch of bursts, maybe it's time for a natural.

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

A huge fan of nurses? Okay, you’ve got a lot of company there.


whm

Yeah. My mother was one of the first nurse practitioners in the U.S. She had to deal with the AMA's strong opposition to any increase in the authority of nurses. So, I am a huge fan of nurses, and RNPs in particular.

[Mark Stone]

For a while in the 1970s, I found myself in possession of a blonde J-200 ------- and the Sunbursts looked mighty tasty! So my next J-200, also in the 70s, was a sunburst ------ and the blondies looked great to me. Grass is always greener, as they say . . . . although it really wasn't my problem, because they were both borrowed.

[Brucebubs]

I wanted an SJ-200 for about 50 years before I finally got one.
The first 40 of those years it was always going to be a blonde.
Changed my mind as I got older.

[Jim Owen]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

I wanted an SJ-200 for about 50 years before I finally got one.
The first 40 of those years it was always going to be a blonde.
Changed my mind as I got older.

Funny how that happens, Bruce. I’m glad for you that after 5 decades, you got your J 200. That one is a beauty.

[ricfreak]

Blondes have more fun