By Stephen Pate – (Update) When Gibson announced the release of the Bob Dylan SJ-200 Signature Series some people were skeptical. Why this guitar?
Is the SJ-200 an authentic Bob Dylan guitar? Didn’t Dylan play more Martin guitars than Gibson guitars?
The short answer is yes and no. Yes, it’s authentic to the 1947 model Bob Dylan played in 1962. “It was 1947 when the tonewoods changed, “says Gibson, ” – the back and sides were now being made of maple. Soundwise, many guitar aficionados prefer maple as it allows for a clearer separation of the notes.”
And a qualified no since only the “Dylan signed model has rosewood back and sides like the original 1937 J-200. “But early models made from rosewood are highly prized by acoustic guitar collectors, purely for their rarity.”
The Everly Brothers ordered SJ-200’s in 1962 with double pickguards. Bob Dylan appears at the Newport Folk Festival with the same double pickguard custom feature.
The Gibson SJ-200 is an authentic Bob Dylan guitar because Bob Dylan says so. “The SJ-200 Player’s Edition is a high-performance model based on Bob Dylan’s personal guitar.” Gibson Guitar.
1947 SJ-200 tonewoods, construction and trim
A 1947 version, which went unchanged during the 1950s had an Adirondack Red Spruce top, maple back and sides, rosewood mustache bridge and fingerboard. It was glued with hot hide glue which many say gives a guitar special tone. The Bob Dylan SJ-200 ticks all the boxes here – maple, Adirondack spruce, rosewood and hot hide glue.
Customers could order their name inlaid along the fretboard for $50 in 1937, about $200 in 1960 dollars when Dylan first saw an SJ-200 or about $900 in today’s dollars. The Bob Dylan SJ-200 ticks a partial box here with gorgeous Bella Voce mother or pearl, fingerboard inlays and the Dylan eye logo in the headstock. Bella Voce is Italian for “beautiful voice” and this guitar certainly has a beautiful voice. Gibson used the same Bella Voce pattern on a 1930’s Mastertone banjo. Here’s pure Dylan taking the past and making it current. (See PBS video). PBS Antiques Roadshow valued the Bella Voce banjo at $15,000.
Guitarist and guitar reviewer for Wildwood Guitars said the sound of Dylan’s SJ-200 reaches into your very being. I guess that’s Bella Voce. “It’s got this deep resonance that reaches down into the very fabric of your being.”
Historical evidence of the Gibson SJ-200 and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan has always been a guitar eclectic. He has owned so many guitars over his 5 decades-long career but the Gibson J-200 has had a special place in his heart. Let’s look at the historical evidence of 5 times Bob Dylan appeared with a Gibson SJ-200.
Bob Dylan at Lori and Gil Turner’s Wedding 1962
The earliest photographic evidence of Bob Dylan playing a Gibson J-200 is long before he became famous. In 1962 he played at a wedding of a couple in the folk scene with a J-200 in his hand (photo above copyright ). Thirteen pictures of Gil Turner’s 1962 wedding surfaced in 2016.
This wedding was a collection of New York City folk royalty. “When Gil Turner got married to Lori (Lorrie / Lorry) Singer in 1962, there were many musicians present, and some photographs by Joe Alper captured the event.”
After that wedding, Dylan played a series of Martin guitars until he bought the Gibson Nick Lucas.
Dylan goes electric Newport Folk Festival 1965
Bob Dylan performed on a Gibson J-200 at Newport Folk Festival 1965 (copyright Murray Lerner The Other Side of the Mirror – Bob Dylan Live at the Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965)
During the afternoon workshop at the famous 1965 Newport Folk Festival where Dylan would go electric, Bob Dylan performed with a double pick-guard Gibson SJ-200. (Dailymotion). This is the guitar Gibson has re-produced as the Bob Dylan SJ-200 Signature Edition, matching the tonewoods, construction, and trim.
Playing a real country guitar was for Dylan a statement of his roots in American country music. The Gibson SJ-200 had 3 decades of exposure as the flashiest, King of the Flattops. “Ray Whitley had the first, and before long, Gibson catalogs featured photos of Whitley, Gene Autry, Ray “Crash” Corrigan, and Tex Ritter with their own personalized “Super Jumbos”, as they then were called.” (Gibson)
There are stills of Dylan’s performance floating around the internet. The best place to see Dylan perform is the DVD/BluRay The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan Live at Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965.
Murray Lerner filmed and produced the movie on his own dime. Even Dylan liked it but it took Jeff Rosen to break down the copyright barriers to get it released in 2007. You can watch most of it on YouTube but spring for the cost of a pack of cigarettes and get your own copy. The DVD or BluRay sound and video are hugely better than YouTube.
It’s interesting to watch Bob Dylan progress over the short span of 3 years. Since he normally played rhythm in performance the Gibson guitars were well suited.
1969 Nashville Skyline recording
Bob Dylan holds his Gibson J-200 in one hand, tipping his hand with the other in Elliot Landy’s impromptu shot that made the cover of Nashville Skyline (Columbia Records)
In 1969, Dylan used a Gibson SJ-200 to record Nashville Skyline. The Gibson SJ-200 represents a milestone in Bob Dylan’s career as he explored Country Music. The Nashville connection with Dylan actually started with Blonde on Blonde, but Nashville Skyline was unabashedly country.
Dylan was one of the most influential artists in the nascent Roots category. To signal his creative move, Dylan appears on the cover of Nashville Skyline grinning and holding a Gibson SJ-200. The photo was taken in Woodstock, NY.
1969 Bob Dylan Isle of Wight Concert
Bob Dylan performing with Gibson SJ-200 at the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival with The Band (1992: Bob Dylan plays a Gibson J200 acoustic guitar as he performs on stage in 1992. (Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
The same year he performed with the Gibson SJ-200 guitar at the Isle of Wight concert. True to his nature, he also used a Martin D-28 at the Isle of Wight.
Some people believe this guitar belonged to George Harrison. There’s no real evidence of this. Harrison may have had his own J-200 but he did use Dylan’s when recording in the US in 1969. Gibson says “Some Fab experts reckon Harrison’s first was Dylan’s SJ-200, borrowed, then returned.”
1992 Bob Dylan on The Never-Ending Tour
1992: Bob Dylan plays a Gibson J200 acoustic guitar as he performs on stage in 1992. (Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
In 1992, there’s another photo of Dylan playing an SJ-200 on stage during another leg of the Never Ending Tour.
What does all this mean? Bob Dylan has used a Gibson SJ-200 for more than 3 decades. He is partial to Gibson guitars, as we learned. Look What A Surprised Visitor to Gibson Guitars in Bozeman Discovered
For more research on Bob Dylan’s guitars, see Bob Dylan’s Guitars: Dylan Chords.
Updated February 9, 2020, to include a comparison of tonewoods, construction and the Bella Voce trim. Includes the 1965 Newport Folk Festival acoustic performance video.
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