A Maple-topped Marvel from Sweetwater’s 6-string Experts
Our Sweetwater-style Gibson Acoustic Dealer Select SJ-200 flips the brand’s biggest, boldest, and most blinged-out Super Jumbo foundation with one massive deviation from historic (or modern, for that matter) Gibson specs: a breathtaking quilt maple top in place of the SJ-200’s traditional spruce slab. Not only does this change catapult this guitar’s visual grace beyond the towering expectations set by the standard SJ-200, but it also grants this Super Jumbo a unique sound all its own. Given maple’s inherent rigidity, our Sweetwater-spec SJ-200’s quilt maple top sings with a deep and round response that recalls the naturally compressed sound of mahogany- and koa-topped classics, only with a touch of extra clarity and shimmer. Traditional hand-scalloped X-bracing and AAA flame maple back and sides then complete this guitar’s big-bodied profile and unleash a chest-thumping degree of low-end firepower and projection. On the opposite end, you get a traditional 2-piece maple neck in Gibson’s comfortable rounded profile, topped with a rosewood fingerboard, split-block inlays, and elegant binding. Furthermore, the stiffness of the maple top also provides our Dealer Select SJ-200 with superior feedback resistance when you plug in its LR Baggs Anthem electronics. Topped off with a time-tested floral-themed pickguard, a mustache bridge with bar inlays, and gold Grover Imperial tuning machines, our Dealer Select SJ-200 delivers a singular Super Jumbo experience set to Sweetwater’s specs!
Related Videos: Dealer Select SJ-200 Acoustic-electric Guitar - Seafoam Green
Dealer Select guitars: curated perfection from Gibson Custom and Sweetwater
This unparalleled instrument wears the badge of Sweetwater and Gibson Custom’s Dealer Select collaboration, a prestigious program that enables us to provide our most discerning customers with custom-spec’d, limited-run Gibson Custom guitars with exclusive features and appointments. Through this initiative, Sweetwater’s guitar experts work closely with artisans from Gibson’s Custom Shops in Nashville and Bozeman, Montana, to dream up inventive and alluring variations of Gibson’s most beloved guitars. From custom finishes to from-the-ground-up tonewood transformations and beyond, our collection of Dealer Select instruments boasts a personalized touch that off-the-shelf production models simply can’t match — and you can only get them at Sweetwater!
Exquisite quilt and flame maple body
The top of an acoustic guitar is undoubtedly the critical factor in determining the overall response and character of an instrument. You can believe us when we say that our Sweetwater-spec Gibson Acoustic Dealer Select SJ-200 utterly transforms this model’s iconic voice and vibe with its hand-selected quilt maple top. It’s quite a visual departure from the historic SJ-200, and while the model has never been shy about its extravagant aesthetics, our Sweetwater-style twist all but guarantees that this 6-string will steal the show onstage.
Of course, the top’s visual appeal is only half the story here! As for the tone, maple’s significantly stiffer nature results in a slight reduction in unplugged volume, along with a beautiful natural compression that recalls the character of hardwood-topped instruments wearing koa or mahogany. That said, this Super Jumbo’s body still dishes out a serious degree of volume and punch, keeping things crisp and clear with its matching flame maple back and sides. It all comes together to result in a sound that’s undeniably SJ-200, only with a slightly rounder and more focused character. Finally, our Dealer Select SJ-200 absolutely sings onstage with its LR Baggs Anthem Electronics, granting superior feedback resistance thanks to the stiffness of the maple top.
You will be heard with Gibson’s Super Jumbo body style
Gibson’s Super Jumbo guitars were originally built to cut through the loudest acoustic ensembles, allowing them to compete with the mandolins and banjos that were prevalent in the pre-amplified era. It’s still a thrill to hear the well-balanced sound of a Super Jumbo ringing out loud and clear. Many guitarists at Sweetwater — from rockers to country pickers — choose these guitars for their incredible sound, projection, build quality, playability, and — let’s face it — stunning looks. Take the stage with this beauty, and all eyes will be on you!
Built in Bozeman in the handcrafted Kalamazoo tradition
For more than eight decades, Gibson’s acoustic instruments were crafted in the historic Parsons Street Factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan — only a few hours’ drive from Sweetwater’s Fort Wayne, Indiana, campus. Gibson’s acoustic and electric guitars were built side-by-side there for much of the company’s history. Subsequently, production was relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, over the course of several years between the late 1970s and the early 1980s. Although this change of scenery worked brilliantly for Gibson’s electric lineup, it was quickly discovered that the hot and humid climate of the American South was perhaps not the ideal setting for acoustic guitar building.
Gibson’s acoustic division ultimately packed up its side presses and chisels and journeyed off to the picturesque city of Bozeman in 1989. The move was preceded by Gibson’s purchase of the Flatiron company in 1987; the latter’s immaculate mandolins demonstrated that The Treasure State’s semi-arid climate was the perfect setting to craft Gibson’s historic acoustic instruments. More than three decades down the line, the Bozeman factory comprises a well-seasoned workforce of master craftspeople — many of whom are multi-decade Gibson veterans — and produces what many musicians consider to be among the company’s finest creations.
Gibson Acoustic Dealer Select SJ-200 Features:
- Exclusive Gibson Acoustic Dealer Select creation, spec’d by Sweetwater’s guitar experts in-person at the Bozeman factory
- Quilt maple top with traditional hand-scalloped X-bracing provides this SJ-200 with a rounder, more compressed character than its Super Jumbo siblings
- AAA flame maple back and sides offer crisp, singing clarity and alluring visual appeal
- Massive Super Jumbo form factor delivers thundering bass and ample acoustic projection
- 2-piece maple neck in Gibson’s comfortable rounded profile
- Glassy rosewood fingerboard, complete with binding and split-block inlays that mirror the headstock’s grandeur
- High-class gold Grover Imperial tuning machines offer lock-tight tuning stability
- LR Baggs Anthem electronics combine an internal mic system and a piezo pickup to fully capture this guitar’s acoustic character
- Lightly sprayed nitro lacquer finish will develop and age in, just like a vintage Gibson
- Historic SJ-200 aesthetic appointments include a floral-themed pickguard and a mustache bridge with bar inlays
- Traditional Gibson construction includes a compound dovetail neck joint set with hot hide glue
