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Topic: My 'new' SJ-200! |
Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 2:37 pm |
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Well, it's not new, but may as well be - it's immaculate! It's a 2006, and I'm happy to say that Gibson have done away with all those nasty 'improvements' that crept in through the late-1960s and into the '70s.
Now we have a proper 'moustache' bridge and no ugly Tunomatic saddle. Back, too, is that elegant bordered pickguard. This one has a nice dark sunburst, and the rosewood on the bridge and fingerboard is dark, too.
It has an excellent under-the-saddle and separate mic for amplification, but this J-200 is no 'whispering giant', as so many are. This has warm bass with a nice responsice 'ching' in the treble. A very powerful guitar.
I know it's in my Avatar too, but I couldn't resist posting a higher-grade version of the picture.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 3:05 pm
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| Roger, That is a super accoustic. I was in Kansas City, Missouri last month and went to the Musician's Friend distribution center and outlet there. I need another guitar like a hole in the head, but I picked up a new/very slightly damaged (a small crack in the top at one edge) Epiphone Les Paul Standard (Plus top model). The outlet price was $359 minus another 30% and I couldn't refuse. It plays and sounds just like a Les Paul. |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 3:20 pm
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Well, Jack, this one was a bit more than that, but still a good deal.
It was on Ebay (and I always swore I wouldn't by an instrument on Ebay!!!  ) and I clinched it in the dying seconds for $2036. It was headed higher, I know, but that was a my one and only 'appearance' during the bidding and the auction simply ran out of time. A good result - these are $3700 at Musician's Friend.
I've posed in front of a few mirrors since I got it!!! The pics were taken at my Summer gig in Medora, ND - one is obviously on stage, the second was taken at the rear of the stage looking out across the Badlands.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 10:46 pm
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Roger, You SHOULD be prowd,She's BEAUTIFUL. YOU BETCHA, DYK?BC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 2:43 pm
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Beautiful guitar, Roger! J200 - The king of the flattops!
A while back I had a black '67 J200, and it was a sweet one. I used to put it in the corner, turn the lights down low, and just stare at the contours of the body. They are truly gorgeous instruments with a lot of vibe. Congrats on the score. Nice price!
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Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 4:27 pm
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Thanks, Chris (and Charlie)...
Chris - I freely acknowledge that my love of J-200s is almost purely aesthetic!! My choice for an acoustic guitar is usually a Grand Auditorium Martin (I have an old 0-18, a nearly-as-old 000-18, a Custom 000-28 and a Custom 0000) and, if I had more money, I'd have a Collings 12-fret '000', too!
So, I'm not short of acoustics, but the J-200 satisfies a kind of visual lust that the others can't assuage. I had a new one in 1963 (I bought a sunburst to go with my '58 Gibson Super 400 CES) which I then traded for an Everly Brothers model in black. I bought a 1951 SJ-200 in blond from George Gruhn's in 1981 but, while it was 'the business' (as we say in the Old Country) visually (I would stand in front of the bathroom mirror singing 'Teddy Bear'!!!), it wasn't a good guitar. I sold that in London a few years later for an obscene profit.
Now I have a 'keeper' - it looks right and it sounds great! Like you, I've found myself just gazing at its perfect proportions as it languishes across the room, nubile and Venus-like....
Sorry, chaps, I'm getting carried away here!!! It's just a guitar, right? 
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 5:03 pm
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Roger, you're not getting carried away at all. A J200 is a thing of beauty to behold and to play. The way that upper bout just cradles into your right arm is something special and unique. The narrow-waisted jumbo, with its strong bends and curves, as well as wispy, understated tone, is truly an instrument to treasure. I love the 'whispering giant' description. A lot of people think a J200, with its size, should peel the paint off the walls. But the maple back and sides work to mellow the tone a bit, making it the perfect singer/songwriter guitar - it doesn't drown out the voice. If you want pure, thundering volume in a Gibson, get a slope shoulder Southern Jumbo. The sound of a good J200 is classy and understated, with a quality of tone not present in other, cheaper Gibson models. Reference the Who's "Pinball Wizard", Bob Seger's "Night Moves", and Zeppelin's "Baby I'm Gonna Leave You" for classic J200 intros.
They're not all made equally, but when you get a good one you know it. Glad to hear you found a good one!
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Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 5:15 pm
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Chris
Are you familiar with Cliff Richard and the Shadows - or any of their work?
The Shadows had an enormous hit record in 1960 named 'Apache'. A good tune with haunting changes, it was number one for a few weeks. The Shadows used Fender's through Vox amps and that was usually their signature sound. Not a great group, by any means, but distinctly British and very individual...
Well, Bruce Welch (the Shadows' rhythm guitarist) told me a long time ago that, while they were recording 'Apache' in Abbey Road Studios, they were fumbling to get what they thought the track needed. Then, Bruce picked up Cliff Richard's J-200 and played the chords on that - he says it was like an epiphany, and they had it nailed at the very next take. I can still hear that sound now, just like I can hear Don Everly pounding the rhythm parts on the Brothers' tremendous recordings.
No doubt - the Whispering Giant is an important guitar! Thanks for your comments.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 5:47 pm
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Roger, my pleasure to talk J200's. I am familiar with the Shadows, and Hank Marvin's influence. I will have to listen to Apache again. And yes, the Everly Brothers are pure Gibson. I heard somewhere that the earliest Everly recordings were done with a Southern Jumbo, and the narrow-waisted jumbos came later; but I could be wrong. Whatever the model, that intro to "Wake Up, Little Susie" is insane. 
Roger, don't you know Albert Lee personally? Have you ever had the chance to see the J200 that Don Everly gave him? It's black with two huge white pickguards. That must be a gem to behold. There's a picture with Albert and the guitar in my Gibson Flat Top book, along with the story of how Don just gave it to him one day out of the blue.
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Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 6:16 pm
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Yep! Albert and I have discussed that guitar, as well as our mutual love of Everly music, on numerous occasions.
Yes - the very earliest sides were done on the SJ. Phil never really figured in the recordings, as he's a far more basic player than Don. I did a session with Phil (only weeks before the Brothers' sort-of 'reunited' for that Albert Hall gig) at Eden Studios in Chiswick, west London, and I have a photo here of him and me, with him cradling my 1951 blond J-200; that's when I became aware that he was very much a supporting player when it came to those guitar-lines.
I'd purposely taken the J-200 to the session - they were irevocably tied in with the Everlys in my mind, so it was only fitting. I should scan the pic and show it on this thread.
They soon had a pair of 'standard' sunburst '200s (see the cover of their first album, '"They're Off And Rollin'", says Archie Bleyer'), and these were followed by a black pair with black laminated double-guards. Then came the light grey pair with black 'guards, followed by the final J-200s, black with cream 'guards - it's one of these that Albert still has (lucky so-and-so!!!)
By then it was 1962 and Gibson gave them the first pair of 'Everly Brothers' Gibsons (really J-185s, of course). These first two guitars remained unique - they were sunburst!!! Then follwed several pairs of black 'Everlys', but no-one seems to know where any of the Brothers' guitars have gone.
Robert Steineggar did resurrect the Everly with his hand-built replicas in the '80s. Very few have been made, and Don and Phil's approval was alleged to have been required if Robert wanted to sell one elsewhere. When I was last backstage at an Everly gig (Biloxi, 2000) there were four of these guitars ready in the wings. I wasn't paying too much attention, though, because there was a certain steel-guitarist catching my eyse and ears! I'm indebted to Albert for the times he got me 'in with the band'.
"I know you haven't come to listen to ME!!", he'd say....
PS: The Steineggar guitars were dubbed the 'Ike Everly Model' - a tribute to the boys' father who was, of course, a remarkable fingerstyle player himself. Had it not been for Ike, then Don and Phil might never have got close to Chet Atkins who, ultimately, mentored them in Nashville in the mid-'50s.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Last edited by Roger Rettig on 21 Sep 2009 12:33 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 6:26 pm
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The top picture is 1957 - note that Don and Phil have their first pair of sunburst J-200s. Godd shot of Buddy, too!
Below we see the black J-200s (NOT 'Everly Brothers' guitars) with the black laminated 'guards.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 7:01 pm
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| BTW I think that Bruce Welch's right hand strumming is hard to copy (at least for me). He is vey good at it. Not to mention Pete Townsend. |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 21 Sep 2009 8:10 am
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| Roger, what an amazing history you have. That SJ-200 is an absolute necessity for you. Great guitar. Instruments like that are very personal. |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 21 Sep 2009 8:49 am
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Kevin, how nice of you to say that about the guitar being a necessity - I can now show your post to my wife when she gets home  !!!
Here's the only picture I can find of my '63 J-200. Please note that I was so pleased to have it that I'm carefully positioning my hand so as not to obscure the guitar in any way. I've also abandoned my Super 400 for this snapshot, while Ben Steed still displays his ES-5 Switchmaster. This was 1963, by the way, which may help explain why I look a little 'different'.....
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 21 Sep 2009 10:57 am
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Fabulous stuff, Roger.....excellent thread!
_________________
Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 21 Sep 2009 11:37 am
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I have heard that there were about 180 Everly Bros. guitars made by Gibson. When I was a boy I had the chance to meet Cat Stevens ( Yusuf ) and I asked him
about his guitar, and he said that it was one of those, I didn't even know who the Everly Brothers were. I still have some pictures.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjfI3uSN8DQ |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 21 Sep 2009 12:13 pm
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Hello, Joachim
The actual total is said to be 488, but whether that includes the Brothers' two red-sunburst prototypes, I'm not sure.
Aside from the first two, the vast majority were all-over black with full-sized double mock-tortoiseshell pick-guards (the same general shape as the ones on Don's black J-200 in the picture above), with rosewood fingerboards decorated with star-shaped fret-markers. They have a star inlaid in the headsock, too, with 'Everly' engraved in the headstock 'bell'.
Later they had plain spruce tops with very-much reduced pickguards; there was justifiable complaint that the big 'guards muted the sound somewhat (Duh!!!). These later ones (and I don't know how many of the 488 had this change) are, in most peoples' opinion, far less appealing, and are certainly not as sought-after as the early examples.
All this has been somewhat confused in recent years by the reissue of the Everly model - sometimes as a J-185 and sometimes as an actual 'Everly'. Dwight Yoakam has one, I believe, and I saw Albert Lee playing one at the 'Concert For George' (Harrison) event when I watched the DVD recently.
(Note to Chris: I thought at first glance that Albert was playing Don's old J-200, but then I saw the 'stars' on the fretboard - it's one of the very latest ones.)
All those old 'Everly' guitars have the strings running through just the bridge (and not the top of the guitar) rather like a classical instrument; another odd idea that I think contributed to the guitars' lacklustre performance.
They certainly look good, although not as good as a real SJ-200!!! I didn't keep mine for long in 1965, and soon swapped it for a Martin.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 23 Sep 2009 9:23 am
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Here's a picture of me with my '51 J-200 with Hogan's Heroes in the '90s; I was singing 'Mystery Train' and Albert was playing electric!
He did pretty well, too....
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 23 Sep 2009 11:52 am
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Roger did you play this in the key of E?
I am asking because, if you did, you must be a pretty good singer |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 23 Sep 2009 12:07 pm
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Ha! Yes, but that was fifteen, maybe eighteen years ago now; I wouldn't have a prayer in that key today!
I rather doubt I could still get into that jacket, either...
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Scott Hay
From:
Portland, OR / Yucca Valley, CA USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2009 1:45 pm
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| lucky dog! I LOVE J200's, and I'm a softie for a good Gibson tobacco burst. What a score! |
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 25 Sep 2009 2:27 pm
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Look at that '51!! Wow....
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Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 25 Sep 2009 2:44 pm
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Yes, Chris, but - as I said earlier in the thread - it wasn't that great a guitar; certainly not even close to my newere one.
It sure looks nice, though! Somewhere in this room is the picture of Phil Everly playing it while I look on - when I can find it I'll post it here.
I was always a bit embarrassed by the pic, because he signed it to me, but misspelled my name as 'Rodger'... 
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
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Posted 25 Sep 2009 4:21 pm
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[quote]just gazing at its perfect proportions as it languishes across the room, nubile and Venus-like.... [/quote
I am getting a chubby here....
Ok I admit it, I am a guitar lover too..
Roger that is a beauty |
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Olli Haavisto
From:
Jarvenpaa,Finland
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Posted 25 Sep 2009 11:47 pm
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Great guitar, can`t help noticing that the seats are empty, though
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Olli Haavisto
Finland |
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