Tell me about this J-200 Koa....and J-200's in general

[Mr.Woody]

OP here. I was reading back over this thread when it dawned on me I hadn't posted the video I made a few months back of this guitar beside the J-45 I ended up purchasing.

Also fun fact: my wife and I ended up renting a room in the lower level of the home where this guitar lives, so I still get to play in whenever I like!!!!

Here you go, enjoy

[Mr.Woody]

Another down-the-line update. I ended up needing to borrow this guitar yesterday to do some last-minute music at a hospital. It was honestly perfect for the setting. It was all finger picking, and it was big sounding, but not loud. Good clarity, and worked well with my singing. Really cool guitar for sure!!!!

[Bob from Brooklyn]

I have a maple J200. It is one of my favorite finger pickers.

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by Bob from Brooklyn

I have a maple J200. It is one of my favorite finger pickers.

Funny Bob, I would only rate my SJ-200 as 'average' for bare flesh finger-style however using a pick is like flicking a switch - guitar just comes alive!

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Funny Bob, I would only rate my SJ-200 as 'average' for bare flesh finger-style however using a pick is like flicking a switch - guitar just comes alive!

Interesting Bruce. Is yours maple? Mine just seems to pick up the high-end articulation I need with bare flesh. My little cedar Eastman is good at this also.

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by Bob from Brooklyn

Interesting Bruce. Is yours maple? Mine just seems to pick up the high-end articulation I need with bare flesh. My little cedar Eastman is good at this also.

Yep, maple with 'thermally aged' spruce top.

I had a beautiful maple Huss and Dalton MJ Custom that was a lighter build and super responsive, a superb finger-style guitar but it didn't have the tonal depth of my SJ-200 and didn't come close when strumming with a pick.

[donlyn]

Tell me about this J-200 Koa....and J-200's in general

Originally Posted by Mr.Woody

*
I finger-pick a LOT, and also do some singer/songwriter type stuff, as well as lead worship from time to time. I've only played one other J-200, but it was only for a few minutes, and i remember nothing about it.

So, can you tell me both about this specific guitar, and also about J-200's in general? I've been reading a little bit, but haven't really dove in quite yet.

*

Mr.Woody,

Can't tell you much about the Koa J-200 'cause I never played one.

But J-200s I can talk about. I love 'em.

I currently own 4 six string J-200s. Besides the Gibson and 2 Epiphones in my signature, I also own a sunburst Sigma 'G'-200. (Multiple Gibsons would be nice, but the expense is too much for more than one. And that one was expensive back when I bought it new.)

I've been playing guitar for nearly 60 years, and totally acoustic for the last 30 and counting. I fingerpick all my instruments using my nails as picks. At some point I found that Jumbo guitars produce the most naturally balanced sound to my ears. All of my current guitars are Jumboes or of Jumbo-related shapes, and mostly also in size too. The Taylor Grand Concert shape is essentially a mini-Jumbo. And their Grand Orchestra models are louder replacements for their previous Jumbo line. I favor Elixir strings on my guitars, and use the PB HD Light gauge on most of my six string instruments. HD = {.013, .017, .025, .032, .042, .053}, basically mixing Medium trebles with Light gauge bass strings. The slightly fatter trebles provide a nice boost to the sound, and the large bodies do not need heavy bass strings to be heard. Also helps contribute to that balanced sound. And I like the resulting tone of the Elixirs and my fingernails in combination. The nut widths on the Taylors are 1+3/4", while the nut widths on the Gibson/Epiphones are 1+11/16". The Sigma model is 1+3/4" and features an older style slightly fat 'C' carve which I like a lot. Being the newest-to-me, it gets a lot of my current playtime while I explore it.

I find that Jumboes make great fingerpickers, whether played softly and delicately or just letting loose. And given the size it's nigh impossible to overdrive them. And given their excessively curved body sides, I think the resulting effect on re-directing sound waves all over the place internally gives them all a noticeably slower rate of decay.

A couple of these feature laminate back and sides, which are quite useful in times of wicked high humidity, usually in late August and early September, when the large solid wood bodies can sound like they are filled with socks. The laminates and Grand Concerts keep their sound much better in such times.

I also own a twelve string Epiphone I-B-G J-200, but it's brand new, sounds and plays great, and I haven't even changed the strings yet. So no real comments other than I like it.

Don
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