“Gibson Bob Dylan SJ-200 Player’s Edition is a most excellent guitar that reaches into your very being“
By Stephen Pate – Greg Koch of Wildwood Guitars can’t say enough good things about the Gibson Bob Dylan SJ-200 Player’s Edition Guitar
Update: You can get a brand-new never played copy of the Gibson Bob Dylan SJ-200 Player’s Edition from Reverb.
“Its got this deep resonance and reaches down into the very fabric of your ydbeing.”
“It’s got the Bob nob what more do you need. When you play it I think you’ll know what I’m talking about.”
Forget for a minute the guitar was designed by Bob Dylan and Gibson. The Gibson J-200 itself is unlike any guitar I have ever played.
Obviously, I am intrigued by the Bob Dylan SJ-200 Player’s Edition guitar but skeptical as well. I have a very good if modest guitar collection that includes a 1980 Martin D-35+ Sunburst, a Martin 000-28VS, an 1893 Bay State Banjo and my prize a 1969 Martin N-20, the same guitar as Willie Nelson’s Trigger.
Gibson Bob Dylan SJ-200 Player’s Edition Review Cool Times 10
This week a friend, who works for a guitar store, brought in his Gibson J-200 Standard for me to audition. It blew me away. The sound was so bright, so clear and so deep compared to any other guitar I’d played before.
Now I know why they call it the “King of Flattops.” Two other guitar players tried it and we were all wowed, impressed beyond expectation.
My review of the Bob Dylan SJ-200 Player’s Edition
This was a J-200 Standard which is a notch below the SJ-200 Dylan put his name on. The Bob Dylan SJ-200 Player’s Edition has Adirondack spruce top, a better grade of tone woods, and hot hide glue plus the extra bling and finish.
When I played the J-200 and the sound blew me away. The neck felt great in my hand. I had tons of fun strumming, Travis-style fingerpicking and more complicated syncopated finger picking. The neck had lots of room. I found his action a tad high. It was simply an awesome guitar and the best one I’d ever played.
I thought a Gibson J-200 would be fat, too big but the guitar’s waist is tiny and it sits nicely on your leg, even though the bout is about an inch wider than a regular jumbo. The guitar is no thicker than a Gibson J-45 which I played for comparison.
Where to find a Bob Dylan SJ-200 Player’s Edition
There are used copies of this guitar still available on Reverb from time to time and a brand new one (as of January 13, 2020)
If you are interested, try to find a store with a SJ-200 or the Bob Dylan SJ-200 Player’s Edition to try. If you are near Wildwood in Louisville CO, check them out. They have one guitar in stock. You can order it online from them.
“The SJ-200 Player’s Edition is a high-performance model based on Bob Dylan’s personal guitar. This model is constructed with Adirondack red spruce and hand-selected AAA flamed maple. Featuring vintage style hide glue top bracing.
The headstock features the artist’s eye logo with a Bella Voce Mother-of-pearl inlay on the fret board. Double pick guards feature an engraved design, with mother-of-pearl dot inlay.”
| Brand: | Gibson |
| Model: | SJ-200 Bob Dylan Player’s Edition |
| Finish Type: | Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Top Wood: | Adirondack Red Spruce |
| Bracing: | Traditional scalloped x-bracing |
| Back & Sides Wood: | AAA Flamed Maple |
| Neck Wood: | 2-Piece Maple |
| Neck Joint: | Compound dovetail secured with hide glue at the 14th fret |
| Neck Shape: | Rounded |
| Neck Dimensions: | .790 1st – .850 9th |
| Fingerboard: | Rosewood |
| Fingerboard Radius: | 12″ |
| Fingerboard Inlays: | Mother-of-Pearl Bella Voce |
| Scale Length: | 25 1/2” |
| Width at Nut: | 1.725” |
| Nut Material: | Bone |
| Binding: | Multi-ply Body |
| Electronics: | LR Baggs Anthem |
| Bridge: | Rosewood Moustache with 4-bar Mother-of-Pearl inlay |
| Tuners: | Gold Gotoh |
| Pickguard: | Double Tortoise |
| Case: | Black Hardshell Case |
| COA: | Yes |
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