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heads on fire « Sounds BIG. »
Published on 03/03/12 at 22:22The SJ 200 is an acoustic guitar from Gibson. It has a Fishman Aura Ellipse Pickup system. The body is a bound jumbo size made from curly maple, and the top is a solid Sitka spruce piece. The neck is made of mahogany, and the fretboard is rosewood. The inlays are a nice crown design, and the bridge appears to be ebony with a neat "mustache" shape. The pickguard has some nice flower designs on it, and the Gibson tuners are gold.
UTILIZATION
Aside from being a wonderful instrument, I this is one of Elvis's favorite acoustics! Gibson has updated the SJ with a very modern Fishman pickup system, and it works well here. The guitar plays very well, and has incredible workmanship. The only reason why I'm marking this a 9 instead of a 10 is because the giant body can make it a tad uncomfortable to get the picking arm around it. It is not the most ergonomic acoustic guitar out there...
SOUNDS
...however, that lack of ergonomics is due to the giant size. And that giant size makes the guitar sound INCREDIBLE. I have never heard an acoustic guitar with more power and impact than this one. The dynamic range is excellent, and this guitar will get as loud as the loudest singers can strum, and then some. The low end is gorgeous and rich, and the mids are bright and focused. This is mainly a strummer's guitar, but sounds great fingerpicked in low tunings. The Fishman system is flawlessly integrated into this and sounds very luscious and detailed.
OVERALL OPINION
I know, I know - the sound is amazing, but the size is a bit off-putting. And the reason for both is the same reason - it is big simply because that design sounds great on this. This is a wonderful instrument, but that comes at a steep price - street on it is under $4000. Try one out if you have the cash.
UTILIZATION
Aside from being a wonderful instrument, I this is one of Elvis's favorite acoustics! Gibson has updated the SJ with a very modern Fishman pickup system, and it works well here. The guitar plays very well, and has incredible workmanship. The only reason why I'm marking this a 9 instead of a 10 is because the giant body can make it a tad uncomfortable to get the picking arm around it. It is not the most ergonomic acoustic guitar out there...
SOUNDS
...however, that lack of ergonomics is due to the giant size. And that giant size makes the guitar sound INCREDIBLE. I have never heard an acoustic guitar with more power and impact than this one. The dynamic range is excellent, and this guitar will get as loud as the loudest singers can strum, and then some. The low end is gorgeous and rich, and the mids are bright and focused. This is mainly a strummer's guitar, but sounds great fingerpicked in low tunings. The Fishman system is flawlessly integrated into this and sounds very luscious and detailed.
OVERALL OPINION
I know, I know - the sound is amazing, but the size is a bit off-putting. And the reason for both is the same reason - it is big simply because that design sounds great on this. This is a wonderful instrument, but that comes at a steep price - street on it is under $4000. Try one out if you have the cash.