There's vintage-inspired beauty, and then there's a time machine. The Gibson Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood Light Aged is the latter; a stunning revival of the rarest Super Jumbo ever built. Originally introduced in 1937, the SJ-200 quickly earned its crown as the "King of the Flat-Tops" for its monumental projection and bold, expressive tone. But before it was ever clad in maple, it came dressed in rosewood; and those early examples have become the holy grail for collectors. With production numbers low during the post-Depression era, the few rosewood-bodied SJ-200s that exist today are prized for their unparalleled tonal richness and historical weight.

This Pre-War SJ-200 from Gibson Custom's Murphy Lab captures that elusive magic. A solid thermally aged red spruce top is paired with rosewood back and sides for a tone that's huge, warm, and incredibly dynamic. Traditional scalloped red spruce X-bracing supports the top, giving it that dry, wide-open response favored in Americana, folk, and vintage country. And thanks to Gibson's light aging process, the guitar arrives with just the right amount of visual patina and tactile familiarity; it feels broken-in in all the right ways, without feeling overdone.

Playability is exceptional thanks to the two-piece AAA maple neck with walnut center strip, carved to a comfortable D profile. A bound ebony fingerboard with graduated crown inlays and 20 frets gives you a smooth, stable platform whether you're fingerpicking or strumming full chords. The longer 25.5" scale enhances note clarity and sustain, while the bone nut and saddle ensure rock-solid intonation and tone transfer.

Visually, this one tells its own story. The tortoise SJ-200 pickguard is adorned with multicolored dots and a double border; elegant and unmistakably vintage. Top, back, and headstock are all bound in multi-ply for a regal look, while the stinger on the back of the peghead adds a hidden vintage detail true to the originals. Gold Grover Imperial tuners complete the period-correct aesthetic, lightly aged to match the lacquer. And it all comes housed in a red line hardshell case, just like the ones Gibson used in the pre-war era.

The Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood Light Aged is more than a throwback; it's a love letter to one of the rarest acoustics in Gibson's golden era. From tone to touch to look and feel, this Murphy Lab creation is a tribute to a legend. At Cream City Music, we're thrilled to offer a guitar that doesn't just reissue history; it revives it.

Specifications:

- Shape: SJ-200
- Top: Thermally Aged Red Spruce
- Back: Rosewood
- Bracing: Traditional Scalloped X-bracing; Red Spruce
- Binding: Multi-ply Top, Back, and Headstock, Single-ply Fretboard
- Neck: Two-Piece AAA Maple with Walnut Stringer
- Profile: D
- Nut Width: 1.725" / 43.815mm
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Scale Length: 25.5" / 647.7mm
- Number of Frets: 20
- Nut: Bone
- Inlay: Mother of Pearl Graduated Crown
- Hardware: Aged Gold
- Bridge: Ebony SJ-200 Four Bar Moustache; Mother of Pearl Bars
- Pickguard: SJ-200; Multi-Colored Dots with Double Border
- Tuners: Grover Imperial
- Plating: Aged Gold
- Case: Period-correct Pre-War Red Line Hardshell

Sku: CSJB20PWFVSLA

ConditionBrand New (New)
Brand New items are sold by an authorized dealer or original builder and include all original packaging.Learn more
Brand
Model
  • Custom Shop Murphy Lab Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood Reissue Light Aged
Finish
  • Faded Sunburst
Categories
Pickup
  • None
Fretboard Radius
  • 12"
Color Family
  • Brown
String Type
  • Steel
Right / Left Handed
  • Right Handed
Number of Strings
  • 6-String
Neck Material
  • Maple
Offset Body
  • Non-Offset Body
Wood Top Style
  • Plain
Finish Pattern
  • Sunburst
Back Material
  • Rosewood
Sides Material
  • Rosewood
Finish Style
  • Gloss
Top Material
  • Spruce
Body Shape
  • Jumbo
Series
Finish Features
  • Relic
Fretboard Material
  • Ebony
Scale Length
  • 25.5"
Model Family
Active Preamp
  • No
Nut Width
  • 1.73"
Number of Frets
  • 20

Product safety information may be available here.

Cream City Music

Brookfield, WI, United States
Joined Reverb:2013

Reverb Protection

Simple Returns, Secure Transactions, Human Support

Learn more

Secure Checkout

Promoted similar listings













Product reviews

Reverb Gives

Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music.

Oops, looks like you forgot something. Please check the fields highlighted in red.