Bob Dylan Autographed SJ-200 Guitar on Display in NYC

Visions of Sugar Plums –  Bob Dylan Autographed SJ-200 Collector’s Edition only $9,999

By Stephen Pate – The ultimate Christmas present got an upgrade with the final announcement of the Gibson Bob Dylan Autographed SJ-200 Collector’s Edition Acoustic Guitar.

Gibson is shipping the Bob Dylan Autographed SJ-200 Collector’s Edition on December 11, 2014

Roberta Epstein Spalter and Kathy Fortier with the Gibson Bob Dylan Autographed SJ-200 Collector’s Edition Acoustic Guitar on sale at the Beacon Theatre NYC December 1, 2014 (Photo courtesy of Kathy Fortier)

Bob Dylan has played hundreds of guitars, some borrowed, some loaned and some he owned. You will be able to buy one of them, the Bob Dylan SJ-200 in two editions: the Bob Dylan Autographed SJ-200 Collector’s Edition Acoustic or the Gibson Bob Dylan SJ-200 Player’s Edition.

Only 175 of the autographed guitars are being sold.  Select dealers are taking pre-orders for the autographed model which is being sold at Music 123 for $4,999 US boutique guitar stores and Musicians Friend. Try Gibson for a dealer near you.

Bob Dylan has played hundreds of guitars – some borrowed, some loaned and some he owned.  The Fender Stratocaster Dylan played in 1965 was recently auctioned for almost $1 million.

Bob Dylan’s real guitars have a very high value to collectors.

Gibson’s new Bob Dylan SJ-200

Gibson SJ-200 Bob Dylan artist model (Photo Music Radar)

You will be able to buy a Bob Dylan endorsed artist model of a guitar he played over 3 decades ago, the Gibson SJ-200, for slightly less than $10,000.

The beautifully ornate SJ-200 is the result of a collaboration between Gibson and Dylan, which will result in 175 examples, all signed by Dylan himself.

In addition, there will be non-signed, less ornate versions at a $5,000 with an engraved (not inlayed) pickguard.

The Bob Dylan SJ-200 Autographed model with Rosewood back and sides will cost at least $10,000.  They will get snapped up in no time.

The Gibson Bob Dylan SJ-200 Player’s Edition, a slightly different guitar with maple back and sides will retail for less than $5,000.  That price is only a small premium over the $3,800 United States (link).

The special Gibson 75TH Anniversary Rosewood J200 75 Vintage Sunburst, similar to the autographed model with slightly fewer appointments and only a single Pickguard, retailed for about $6,500. Of course, the Bob Dylan autographed model will be a collector’s dream.

There are people who study what guitar Dylan played at any given moment as though it holds the secret to his talent for songwriting and performance. I don’t think so. Dylan is almost ambivalent about guitars, having played some great guitars and some stinkers.

Bob Dylan and the Gibson J-200

Dylan has played various Gibson SJ and J-200’s throughout his career. SJ-200’s are big guitars with a big robust sound. The ring like a bell with all the volume, mids and low-end people expect in a Gibson flat top guitar. You can hear them on plenty of recordings from country and folk artists. I put a video review of the standard J-200 at the end of the story.

In Murray Lehner’s documentary The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan Live at Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965, Bob Dylan seems to switch guitars between sets. He plays guitars that range from primitive, to Joan Baez’s 00-size Martin, to the Stat and a Gibson SJ-200.

Bob Dylan with a J-200 on the cover of Nashville Skyline

Dylan played a Gibson SJ-200 on the Nashville Skyline recording session.

He is pictured with it on the album cover. Rumours have that guitar was a loaner from George Harrison. (Featured image from Bob Dylan’s Gear)

Dylan played the same guitar at the Isle of Wight concert with The Band. The one that MusicRadar saw at NAMM 2014 was a dressed-up SJ-200 with double pickguards and as much bling as the guitar would take.

That’s not a phony artist model. Dylan played the double pickguard SJ guitar on the stage at the Newport Folk Festival 1965. Thanks again to Dylan Gear we have a composite of the new Bob Dylan SJ-200 and Dylan on stage at Newport in 1965.

You can see the performance, along with every guitar Dylan played in Newport in The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan Live at Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965. I was watching the movie last week and went – hey that’s the new Dylan guitar!

Bob Dylan Newport 1965 “On the afternoon of July 24 Dylan went on stage for the writers workshop with a sunburst Gibson J-200 with double pickguard…the day before the ghost of electricity appeared…” (Photo Bob Dylan’s Gear)

Gibson guitars are available from dealers like Amazon.com in the United States.