Gibson has given three of its most popular acoustic guitar platforms a rosewood reboot as part of its new Standard Rosewood lineup.
Positioned under the brand's Modern Collection, the lineup comprises J-45, SJ-200 and Hummingbird models, all of which have been given both an ornate Rosewood Burst finish as well as a tweaked rosewood build.
In each instance, a Sitka spruce top has been paired with rosewood back and sides, replacing the mahogany of previous versions.
According to Gibson, this change has been introduced to deliver “exciting new tonal options” – namely, a “richer bass response and greater harmonic complexity”. Not to mention they look mighty smart, too.
These curations of rosewood and spruce have been fashioned into the shape of either the round-shouldered, workhorse dreadnought J-45; larger, more luxurious square-shouldered Hummingbird; and the “King of the Flat-Tops” SJ-200.
As you work your way up the line, the spec sheets become a little more elegant, but all flaunt the updated build schematic, as well as mahogany necks, 12”-radius Indian rosewood fingerboards, Tusq nuts and bridge pins, and 20 standard frets.
In each case, a compound Dovetail neck-to-body joint is used, as are LR Baggs electronics: VTC systems for the J-45 and Hummingbird, and an Anthem pickup for the SJ-200. Unplugged tones are finessed by traditional hand-scalloped X Bracing.
Differentiating features include inlays – Dots for the J-45, Split Parallelograms for the Hummingbird and Graduated Crowns for the SJ-200 – and hardware: the SJ-200 opts for Grover Imperial tuners, while the others favor Grover Rotomatics.
Rosewood Belly Up bridges are also used for those latter two models, while a more grand 2-Bar Moustache rosewood bridge can be found on the SJ-200.
What this all means is, these are your standard Gibson acoustics, though “now with the rich sonic allure of rosewood”, which hopes to deliver both a new tonal take on the time-old acoustics as well as a neat cosmetic option.
These are top-of-the-line Gibson acoustics, so they’re priced accordingly: $3,699 for the J-45, $4,599 for the Hummingbird and $5,999 for the SJ-200.
Head over to Gibson to find out more.
