The Gibson J-200 is one of the most immediately recognizable acoustic guitars ever made. It began in 1937 when western movie star Ray Whitley approached Gibson wanting something that would outdo Gene Autry's ornate Martin — the result was the Super Jumbo, a guitar designed from the outset to be the largest, loudest, most visually spectacular flat-top in production. It has been the guitar of choice for George Harrison, who used it on Beatles sessions for The White Album and Abbey Road including "Here Comes the Sun." Jimmy Page recorded it on Led Zeppelin's debut. Pete Townshend played one through much of the 1970s and 1980s. Bob Dylan posed with a J-200 on the cover of Nashville Skyline. Elvis Presley owned one. The J-200 is called the King of the Flat-Tops for specific reasons that are confirmed every time someone plugs one in at volume in a room.

This is a 1992 example, Nashville-built, from the period Gibson was refining its production processes in Tennessee before acoustic production fully consolidated in Bozeman. The solid Sitka spruce top over solid flame maple back and sides is the correct J-200 specification: maple has been the standard back and side material since 1947, chosen for the bright, articulate, projection-heavy character it lends to the super-jumbo body. At 17-1/8" across the lower bout and 4-3/4" deep, this body produces a sound that engineers have described as the "no EQ needed acoustic" — deep lows, warm mids, and crisp highs in a natural balance that sits immediately and correctly in a mix. The flame maple on this example is visually distinctive under the sunburst finish.

The mustache bridge with block inlay is the signature J-200 appointment, immediately distinguishing the instrument from any other flat-top on a stage or in a photograph. The mother-of-pearl crown fingerboard inlays, gold Gibson Deluxe tuners, and the large engraved pickguard are all correct J-200 appointments. The Fishman Prefix Plus-T electronics are original to the instrument, offering natural-sounding amplified tone with onboard EQ and tuner. Action is set at 3/32" on both strings at the twelfth fret. The original case is included with a broken lock latch — fully functional for storage and transport, noted honestly for the next owner.

The guitar is in beautiful cosmetic condition with light fretwear and a straight neck that set up perfectly.  The saddle is high and the action is low, and there is room in the truss rod for future neck relief adjustments.  

Someone did some clear coat work on the headstock.  Under a blacklight, the change is only noticeable on the front of the headstock.  There is no apparent break anywhere - I can't see why someone would have done this.  I started at it under black light, sunlight, and all lights available and cannot see any sign of damage anywhere, even under the truss rod cover or tuning machines.  Most people would never notice this, but to the trained eye it is apparent that some overspray work was done so I have to mention it here.

Mahar's Vintage Guitars is a brick-and-mortar and web-based retailer. We are happy to talk with you before you make a purchase.   Please reach out if you feel so inclined! We cross market our items here and on our own site, so items are subject to sale elsewhere at any time (however we will never cancel a sale if it happens here first). See our profile here, our Google reviews as well as our 100% positive Reverb feedback. Also, Reverb limits us to only 25 pictures of our items. There is a good chance we have more. Contact us if you’d like to see them.

No sales tax for direct sale customers outside California. Reverb sales are always taxed.

Be sure to check out the other cool guitar related stuff on our site
Martin Acoustic Guitars
Gibson Guitars Collection
All of Our Vintage Acoustic Guitars
We Buy Guitars

Excerpts from Real Online User Reviews:

• "The J-200 has that 'stone dropped in a deep pond' sound — big, deep, and with a clarity that carries across a room without effort." — jakewildwood.blogspot.com
• "Engineers call the J-200 the 'no EQ needed acoustic' — the body produces balanced tone that sits naturally in a mix without correction." — Musicians Institute Nashville
• "The J-200's mustache bridge, crown inlays, and engraved pickguard make it instantly recognizable on any stage — it's a showpiece as much as a musical tool." — Fat Bottom Guitars
• "George Harrison, Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley — the J-200's list of advocates reads like a history of recorded music." — Thalia Capos

SPECS:

• Color: Sunburst
• Weight: 5lbs 7oz
• Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
• Body: Solid Flame Maple
• Neck: Maple
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Inlays: Mother of Pearl Crown
• Frets: Original
• Fret Count: 20
• Nut: Original
• Nut width: 1-11/16"
• Radius: 12"
• Scale: 25.5"
• Neck thickness at 1st Fret: .87"
• Neck thickness at 10th Fret: .95"
• Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 3/32"
• Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 3/32"
• Overall length: 42"
• Body length: 21"
• Lower bout: 17-1/8"
• Waist: 10-1/2"
• Upper bout: 12-5/8"
• Body depth/thickness: 4-3/4"
• String gauge: 12-53
• Electronics?: Fishman Prefix Plus-T
• Electronics Original? Yes
• Pickguard: Original
• Bridge: "Mustache" style w/block inlay
• Tuners: Original, Gold Gibson Deluxe
• Case: Original, broken lock latch
• Notes: 

Shipping policy:

There are multiple shipping cost options for purchases made on our site.  Select Ground, 3 Day, 2 Day, or Next Day Air Saver.  For Reverb purchases, there is one cost option for Eastern states - customers from any state that is more than a 3 day UPS ground shipment from our shop will get their shipment via UPS 3 day air.  Otherwise, ground shipping will be used.  Shipments will require signature on delivery, no exceptions.  If there is damage, the buyer must retain all packing materials intact and picture them immediately and send them to .  Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely, but we are taking these additional measures to make sure you are happy with your purchase.