I am offering a Gibson 1939 SJ-100 Heavy Aged VS from 2025, a handcrafted at the Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab in Bozeman, Montana (USA), all solid timber reissue version of the rare sister of the “King of the Flat-Tops” SJ-200 with a voluminous Super Jumbo body design, torrefied Adirondack red spruce top over a hand-scalloped X-bracing, back and sides made of beautiful mahogany, walnut-reinforced flame maple neck including standing annual rings and round neck profile, bound ebony fingerboard with mother-of-pearl dot inlays and 43.8mm bone nut, high-quality aged Waverly open gear tuners with ivoroid buttons and characteristic moustache ebony bridge in extremely elaborately aged faded vintage sunburst heavy aged nitrocellulose finish with legendary Stair Step headstock and Firestrip pickguard in absolutely mint condition, including black Gibson Custom Historic luxury hardshell case, all manufacturer's papers, and professional setup with 12-gauge Elixir strings.

Manufactured in small quantities (actually less than 300 instruments in total) for less than three years during World War II, the Gibson SJ-100 is the highly prized but incredibly rare mahogany sister of the famous SJ-200 Super Jumbo. This extremely detailed 2025 reissue version from the Bozeman Custom Shop combines all the specs of the model as the SJ-100 was first introduced in 1939 and truly brings an authentic piece of Gibson history back to life, thanks in part to the fabulous Heavy Aged finish from Murphy Lab.

Just like the 1939 original, this Murphy Lab version comes in the all solid Super Jumbo design with back and sides made of selected mahogany and a fine-grained Adirondack spruce top, which, thanks to a special thermal treatment, exhibits extremely pronounced resonance, resulting in a powerful sound rich in overtones. In fact, this SJ-100 actually sounds like a long-cherished, lovingly played heirloom. The medium-width flamed maple neck with its round neck profile immediately feels very comfortable in the hand, and the 20 frets on the cream-bound ebony fingerboard with historically accurate mother-of-pearl dot inlays are amazingly easy to play.

The large sound body gives the SJ-100 fantastic volume, but unlike the SJ-200, it also delivers a very warm midrange response and a direct punch that is more commonly associated with a Hummingbird or J-45. Thanks to the Adirondack red spruce top, the guitar does not compress even at high volumes and powerful strumming, and the handcrafted scalloped X-bracing ensures an exceptionally dynamic response and powerful, lively bass.

A sound sample of the model can be found above at the end of the photo gallery.

The numerous aging marks incorporated in the Murphy Lab give the guitar a deceptively authentic vintage patina, which harmoniously complements the Faded Vintage Sunburst Nitro finish. Historically accurate details such as the stepped stair step headstock with scripted mother-of-pearl logo inlay and hanging device on the back, or the iconic ebony moustache bridge, give the guitar a unique appearance.

Technical specifications:

• Origin: Bozeman, Montana, USA
• Year of manufacture: 2025
• Body style: Super Jumbo
• Top: Hand-selected torrefied Adirondack red spruce (solid)
• Bracing: Traditional hand-scalloped X-bracing
• Back/sides: Mahogany (solid)
• Neck: Walnut-reinforced flamed maple, set-in
• Neck-body joint: Compound dovetail with hot hide glue
• Neck profile: Round
• Fingerboard: Ebony with mother-of-pearl dot inlays, bound
• Fingerboard radius: 12"
• Frets: 20
• Nut: 43.8mm, bone
• Headstock: Stair Step Black Face with Gibson Script logo inlay in mother-of-pearl
• Tuners: Waverly open gear tuners with ivoroid buttons
• Bridge: Moustache ebony bridge with bone saddle
• Body bindings: Cream multi-ply (top), 1-ply (back)
• Pickguard: Firestripe
• Finish: Faded Vintage Sunburst Murphy Lab Heavy Aged, Nitrocellulose
• Scale length: 648mm
• Serial no.: 20685034
• Includes black Gibson Custom Historic luxury hardshell case, manufacturer's papers, case candy

The Gibson 1939 SJ-100 Heavy Aged is difficult to get new anywhere.

The guitar is in absolutely mint collector's condition and technically flawless. Visually, apart from the factory aging, there is no wear whatsoever (see pictures). The frets are new.

The instrument has been professionally set up with 12-53 Elixir 80/20 strings, and I (a long-time guitar teacher) will ship it fully insured with DHL for €49.99 within Germany or €149.99 within the EU. Worldwide shipping is possible—individual shipping costs available upon request.

All pictures shown are of the actual instrument for sale.