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Acoustic fans have been waiting for Gibson’s Murphy Lab to turn its hand to the handsome flat-tops of the golden era, and finally they are here. Our SJ-200 tops the range, but also available are the small-bodied 1933 L-00 (£5,799), ‘banner’ ‐style 1942 J-45 (£6,899) and Southern Jumbo (£7,349), and 1960 Hummingbird (£7,099) – all lightly aged.
Originally commissioned by country star Ray Whitley, the SJ-200 first appeared an astonishing 85 years ago. And yet today’s ‘Super Jumbo’, as it was initially dubbed, looks as sharp and impressive as it would have done back in those pre-war days. Although the guitar began life with a rosewood body, by 1947 it had switched to maple. While this may not be everyone’s first choice for an acoustic, on the SJ-200’s huge 429mm (16.9-inch) body it seems to work better. Most players prefer the later model’s tone, too.
Undoubtedly a striking looking beast, the SJ ‐200 (technically, it should be J-200 as the ‘S’ was dropped after the war, though models continued to be labelled ‘SJ-200’ well into the 1950s) features high-end cosmetics such as graduated pearl crown inlays on a bound rosewood ’board, moustache bridge with four pearl-inlaid blocks, bound headstock, and multiplebound body. Lastly, there’s the famous mock-tortoise pickguard with painted flowers. For some reason, Gibson has dulled this down and it’s the one thing that looks a bit iffy. We know a local 1959 J-200 well, and while some of the painted flowers are worn away from strumming, the plastic remains gleaming. Looking at multiple vintage J-200s online, too, we can’t find a single example where the ’guard has gone like this.
Otherwise, this is a cracking example of its breed. The round-profile, 648mm (25.5-inch) scale neck plays great, the guitar projects a tone that’s rich and powerful, and in all other respects the Murphy Lab has aged it superbly (in fact, it’s very close to that ’59 we know). The maple body and two-piece neck are pretty lightly flamed, which is indeed period correct, even though some might prefer a bit more bling.
Yes, wit
