A Masterful Replica of Gibson’s Iconic Super Jumbo
Lightly aged to mimic the wear of a well-loved vintage classic, Gibson Acoustic’s 1957 SJ-200 Murphy Lab Light Aged is an immaculate replica of Gibson’s legendary Super Jumbo model. It all starts with a thermally aged Sitka spruce top, providing you with all the sonic depth and vintage character you’d expect from a half-century-old 6-string. A massive Super Jumbo-sized body with maple back and sides produces superb sonic balance across the spectrum, with growling lows, forward midrange, and beautifully bell-like highs. On the opposite end, you get a sturdy maple neck carved into a period-correct "Historic" profile, topped with stunning rosewood, and then finished with graduated crown mother-of-pearl inlays. Finally, it simply wouldn’t be “king of the flat-tops” without an array of royal appointments — the 1957 SJ-200 Murphy Lab Light Aged boasts all the high-end aesthetics of an authentic 1957 model, including the iconic “mustache” bridge, stylish headstock stinger, floral-themed pickguard, and multi-ply binding on just about every inch of this superlative 6-string.
Related Videos: 1957 SJ-200 Murphy Lab Light Aged Acoustic Guitar - Vintage Sunburst
Traditional maple-bodied construction
Crisp, balanced, and packing the projection of a small canon, there’s a good reason why the SJ-200 is revered in the acoustic world as the “king of the flat-top guitars.” The 1957 SJ-200 Murphy Lab Light Aged exemplifies these qualities, with a massive Super Jumbo-sized body comprising gorgeous maple. While maple is somewhat uncommon on smaller-size guitars, it’s all but the standard for Super Jumbos. Why? Super Jumbo guitars have quite a bit of surface area, which can quickly lead to an overly boomy bass response. Historically, maple has proved the perfect remedy for this problem, supplying a superb tonal balance of crystal-clear highs, present midrange, and enough low-end to make even the most formidable dreadnought shudder.
Cutting-edge Gibson thermal aging
Any guitarist who’s ever beheld a true vintage instrument knows that old acoustic guitars have a certain magical quality to their tone that’s tough for a modern instrument to capture — they’ll get there eventually, but it takes time! However, if you’d prefer to skip the half-century-long break-in time, Sweetwater guitarists find you’d be well served picking up a Gibson with a thermally aged spruce top like this 1957 SJ-200. Also known as torrefication, this process removes moisture and other impurities from the top, mimicking decades of aging and play. The result is an undeniably “vintage” voice that’s simply replete with a wonderfully dry, crisp, and extraordinarily resonant tone.
Classic Gibson craftsmanship
From humble beginnings in Kalamazoo, Michigan, back in the late 1800s to present-day Bozeman, Montana, Gibson Acoustic has been making some of the finest acoustic instruments on the planet for generations. When you pick up this 1957 SJ-200 Murphy Lab Light Aged, you know you're getting the finest tonewoods, quality hardware, and incredible attention to detail. Scores of guitarists here at Sweetwater are Gibson devotees, and like all of the quality instruments Gibson builds, this 1957 SJ-200 was made to sound great and stand the test of time.
Gibson 1957 SJ-200 Murphy Lab Light Aged Acoustic Guitar Features:
- A spot-on sonic and aesthetic replica of a 1957 Gibson SJ-200
- Masterfully aged in Bozeman, Montana, to the immaculate standards of the Murphy Lab program
- Massive Super Jumbo body with maple back and sides provides canon-like projection and a tone that’s well-balanced across the spectrum
- Thermally aged Sitka spruce top delivers a remarkably dynamic response, with all the sonic character of a proper vintage instrument
- Robust maple neck carved into a vintage-style "Historic" profile
- Decadent rosewood fingerboard, complete with graduated crown mother-of-pearl inlays
- All the period-correct SJ-200 appointments you could ever ask for, including beautiful multi-ply binding on the body, neck, and headstock; headstock stinger; a classic “mustache” bridge flush with inlays; and a large 1950s-style floral-themed pickguard
