Introduced in 1937, the Gibson SJ-200™ quickly earned the nickname "the King of the Flat-Tops" thanks to its imposing size, high-quality sound, superb projection, and undeniable stage presence. While early models utilized rosewood, the design shifted to maple back and sides in 1947. The SJ-200 has been played by everyone from matinee cowboys to folk singers and country crooners to rock legends, and vintage SJ-200 models are highly sought after by collectors.
Now, Epiphone—in collaboration with Gibson Custom—proudly presents the 1957 SJ-200 Reissue; an "Inspired by Gibson Custom" rendition of the majestic 1957 Super Jumbo model, making it more accessible to today's guitarists. Packed with vintage-inspired details, the Epiphone 1957 SJ-200 Reissue features all-solid wood construction, including a solid, thermally treated Sitka spruce top reinforced with scalloped X-bracing, solid figured maple back and sides, multi-ply top and back binding, and a two-piece flamed maple neck with a walnut center strip and a comfortable C-profile. It also boasts a bound Indian rosewood fretboard with graduated "Crown" mother-of-pearl inlays and 20 standard frets. The neck is attached to the body via a glued-in dovetail joint. The SJ-200-style pickguard features vintage-style graphics, and the open "Moustache™" rosewood bridge includes mother-of-pearl inlays. The nut, compensated saddle, and bridge pins are all made of bone. The Gibson-style headstock ("open book" shape) features the Epiphone logo and the Gibson "Crown" symbol inlaid in mother-of-pearl.
The back of the headstock on the Antique Natural model features a "stinger" (there is no stinger on the Vintage Sunburst version), and the 1957 SJ-200 Reissue also bears an "Inspired by Gibson Custom" logo (Double Diamond) engraved on the back of the headstock. To better suit the needs of modern musicians, it is equipped with an L.R. Baggs™ Element Bronze VTC piezo pickup (undersaddle) and an active preamp with volume and tone controls mounted in the soundhole; it is thus ready for both stage and studio right out of the included "Red Line" style hardshell case, which features Gibson Custom-inspired graphics.
