Gibson J-200N Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1957)

Gibson  J-200N Flat Top Acoustic Guitar  (1957)
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Item # 8422
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Gibson J-200N Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1957), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # A-24785, natural lacquer finish, maple back and sides, spruce top; maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.

This big blonde beauty shipped out of Kalamazoo in January 1957, one of the first of 93 sent into the world that epochal year. The J-200 (formerly the SJ-2000 was already the choice of many country stars, but right at this point became a favorite of many early rockers as well. Elvis Presley received a natural J-200 much like this guitar in October 1956 (the serial number on his is less than 2000 below this one). The Everly Brothers adopted twin sunburst models for their duets, and the J-200 became forever enshrined as the #1 Rock & Roll rhythm guitar. It also remained the top C&W singer's choice, the best playing companion to a Nudie suit.

This one has typical features for the later 1950's-the "N" in the name specifies the "Natural" clear lacquer finish over the subtly flamed maple back and sides and close grained spruce top. The top is multi-bound and decorated with the unique floral-engraved tortoise celluloid pickguard and the redoubtable "moustache" bridge with multiple pearl inlays-both hallmarks of the model. The laminated maple neck has a bound rosewood fingerboard with "crown" inlay, topped with a bound pearl inlaid headstock. The "King of the Flattops" was Gibson's top-priced non-carved acoustic guitar, designed to power an entire band and look great doing it. The ultimate front person's guitar, the J-200 is still unsurpassed in that role and a fantastic live or recording guitar when a powerful rhythm sound is the job to be done.
 
Overall length is 42 1/4 in. (107.3 cm.), 17 in. (43.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 15/16 in. (12.5 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.). This J-200 has some light wear and minor repairs. The neck has been reset and refretted, the guitar is otherwise original and unaltered. The top seam had been resealed behind the bridge, and there is a small repaired spruce grain crack to the top near the front edge about 1" above the fingerboard. The treble side of the heel shows a small repaired crack just below the fingerboard. It looks as if the action had crept up long ago to the point where the rosewood bridge had small troughs cut in front of each string to rest in-this has all been filled and cleaned up so is hardly noticeable. It just shows the lengths people sometimes went to in the days before neck resets were commonly done!

The finish shows some dings, scrapes and dents overall but is mostly relatively clean. There is some typical pickwear into the wood behind the pickguard and less seriously above the strings. This is a great playing guitar with a huge ringing sound, one of the best sounding J-200's we have ever heard if not the cleanest looking. A strummer's delight, and effortlessly sharp looking…even without the Nudie suit! Overall Excellent Condition.