Gibson Goes Back to Black with J-45, Hummingbird, and SJ-200 Acoustics (2024)

Gibson Goes Back to Black with J-45, Hummingbird, and SJ-200 Acoustics (1)

Gibson have announced three of their classic flat-top models – the J-45, Hummingbird, and SJ-200 – are now available in a traditional Ebony finish. Although Ebony finishes are a more common sight on electric guitars these days, Gibson's new acoustics are reminiscent of the familiar black finishes used for the L-0, L-00, and HG-00 flat-tops of the 1930s, and the black J-45 made in 1968.

The new J-45 Standard, Hummingbird Standard, and SJ-200 Standard acoustic guitars currently sit alongside several other Ebony finish instruments that form part of Gibson’s Exclusives Collection (including the 70s Explorer, 70s Flying V, ES-335 P-90, SG Standard ’61, Les Paul Standard 50s, and Les Paul Standard 60s).

J-45 Standard

Introduced in 1942, the “workhorse” J-45 is Gibson’s best-selling flat-top. Originally featuring a plain dot neck, mahogany back and sides, and a sunburst finish, the J-45 first appeared as a round-shouldered dreadnought, changing to a square-shouldered design in 1969. This model features the original round-shouldered profile.

Gibson Goes Back to Black with J-45, Hummingbird, and SJ-200 Acoustics (2)

  • Mahogany back & sides
  • Sitka spruce top with hand-scalloped X-bracing
  • 24¾” scale mahogany neck
  • 12” radius Indian rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays
  • Grover Rotomatic tuners
  • Rosewood bridge with TUSQ saddle and bridge pins
  • LR Baggs VTC under saddle pickup and preamp
  • Gloss nitrocellulose Ebony finish

Hummingbird Standard

Developed in 1960, the Hummingbird was Gibson’s first square-shouldered dreadnought and was constructed with a mahogany back and rim as standard, aside from some rare maple examples produced in the early '60s (known colloquially as ‘Humming-Doves’). A Gibson brochure titled New ’61 Gibson Guitars & Amplifiers introduced the Hummingbird as “Gibson’s Sensational New Flat Top Guitar… For those interested in owning one of the finest guitars ever made for voice accompaniment.”

Gibson Goes Back to Black with J-45, Hummingbird, and SJ-200 Acoustics (3)

  • Mahogany back & sides
  • Sitka spruce top with hand-scalloped X-bracing
  • 24¾” scale mahogany neck
  • 12” radius Indian rosewood fingerboard with double-parallelogram inlays
  • Grover Rotomatic tuners
  • Rosewood bridge with TUSQ saddle and bridge pins
  • LR Baggs VTC under saddle pickup and preamp
  • Gloss nitrocellulose Ebony finish

SJ-200 Standard

The SJ-200 began life in 1937 as an "L-5 Spec." flat-top custom ordered by the ‘singing cowboy’ movie star Ray Whitley. In 1938, the “King of the Flat-Tops” entered production as the Super Jumbo and was renamed Super Jumbo 200 the following year (hence SJ-200) as an indication of its $200 retail value. SJ-200s came with rosewood backs and sides until 1947 when Gibson introduced the more familiar and brighter-sounding maple design.

Gibson Goes Back to Black with J-45, Hummingbird, and SJ-200 Acoustics (4)

  • Flame maple back and sides
  • 25½” scale two-piece maple neck
  • 12” radius Indian rosewood fingerboard with crown inlays
  • Gold Grover Rotomatic tuners
  • Moustache rosewood bridge with TUSQ saddle and bridge pins
  • LR Baggs Anthem under saddle pickup and preamp
  • Gloss nitrocellulose Ebony finish

Visit Gibson's website for more information.

Gibson Goes Back to Black with J-45, Hummingbird, and SJ-200 Acoustics (5)

Rod Brakes

Rod Brakes is a music journalist with an expertise in guitars. Having spent many yearsat the coalface as a guitar dealer and tech, Rod's more recent work as a writer covering artists, industry pros and gear includes contributions forleading publications and websites such asGuitarist,Total Guitar, Guitar World,Guitar PlayerandMusicRadarin addition tospecialist music books, blogs and social media. He is also a lifelong musician.

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Gibson Goes Back to Black with J-45, Hummingbird, and SJ-200 Acoustics (2024)

FAQs

What does SJ mean in Gibson guitar? ›

Gibson introduced the Southern Jumbo also known as the Southerner Jumbo or SJ guitar in 1942, as a more "deluxe" version of its popular but plain J-45 model.

What is so special about the Gibson Hummingbird? ›

The Gibson Hummingbird is known for its unique square-shouldered dreadnought body type, solid Sitka Spruce top, and solid Mahogany back and sides. It also features an engraved pickguard with a hummingbird motif and aesthetic finishes like cherry burst.

What does the J stand for in Gibson J-45? ›

The Gibson J-45 is a guitar manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Generally regarded as Gibson's most famous and widely used acoustic guitar model, it is considered the workhorse of guitars. The Jumbo guitar is signified by the "J" and not to be confused with C.F. Martin & Company's Dreadnought body style.

What year was the Gibson Hummingbird made? ›

Hummingbird's first year on the market. In 1960, the Hummingbird was the first model of Gibson's square shoulder shape.

What does SJ 200 stand for? ›

The Gibson J-200 (formerly the Gibson SJ-200 or Super Jumbo 200), is an acoustic guitar model produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation.

What year is Gibson J-45? ›

Gibson named the model "J-45" with the J to represent Gibson's 16" wide Jumbo sized body and "45" to represent its introductory price in 1942: a staggering $45. The J-45 has remained in production almost seamlessly since 1942 but has changed in appearance and construction.

What musicians play a Gibson Hummingbird? ›

Eric Church, Thom Yorke, Steve Wariner, Frank Turner, John McLaughlin, Dominic Miller, William Orbit, Tom Petty, Everlast, Shuggie Otis, Art Saiz, Gillian Welch, Tom Wolk, Grace Potter, Brian May, Paolo Nutini, Twin Shadow, BØRNS, Darius Rucker, Justin Bieber, Yungblud, Michelle Branch and even Taylor Swift are among ...

What is Gibson's most popular guitar? ›

Gibson Les Paul

“The Les Paul debuted in 1952, and it went through a lot of changes throughout the 50s. Everybody considers the 1959 the pinnacle for the Les Paul. That was the year that every famous guitar player — so almost all of the top 25 guitarists of all time — played a Gibson Les Paul.

Why do Gibsons sound so good? ›

Gibson guitars are renowned for their warm, full-bodied tones. This is achieved through the combination of their mahogany bodies and humbucker pickups. The mahogany body contributes to the guitar's rich and resonant sound, while the humbucker pickups provide a higher output and a thicker, smoother tone.

What musicians play a Gibson J-45? ›

Some artists known for their use of a J-45 or a variant thereof include Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Woody Guthrie, Donovan, Bruce Springsteen, Woody Guthrie, James Taylor, John Hiatt, Lightnin' Hopkins, Gillian Welch, and the list goes on.

Did John Lennon play a Gibson J-45? ›

7. The J-45 remains Gibson's best-selling acoustic guitar ever. 8. John Lennon had an epiphany playing a Gibson J-45.

Which acoustic guitar is best? ›

Best Acoustic Guitars in India: Bring Home A Guitar That Is Worth Your Investment
Acoustic GuitarsRatingApproximate Price
Yamaha FS80C Natural4.8/5Rs 8,490
Fender CD-60 SCE NAT Dreadnought4.2/5Rs 24,900
Kadence Slowhand Series Premium4/5Rs 9,999
Ibanez PF15-BK4.2/5Rs 13,348
4 more rows
Apr 22, 2024

How can I tell how old my Gibson is? ›

The 1st digit indicates the year of manufacture for the 4 & 5 digit serial numbers, these were used from 1989-1999. The 1st and 2nd indicate the year of manufacture for the 6 digit serial numbers which we've been using since 2000.

Is a Gibson Hummingbird a dreadnought? ›

Gibson Hummingbird: Body Shape: Square Shoulder Dreadnought.

What's the difference between Gibson Dove vs Hummingbird? ›

The main differences between the Gibson Dove and Hummingbird are: The Gibson Hummingbird's back and side are made of mahogany, whereas the back and side of the Gibson Dove are made of flame maple. The Gibson Dove's scale length is 25.5 inches, whereas the scale length on the Hummingbird is 24.75 inches.

What is an SJ guitar? ›

Overview. The SJ is our version of what is commonly called a small Jumbo. Although the 16 inch lower bout is slightly wider than a dreadnought, and the sides almost as deep, the tight curve at the waist creates in a very different sound chamber.

What does SG stand for Gibson guitar? ›

It remains in production today in many variations of the initial design. The SG Standard is Gibson's best-selling model of all time. SG stands for "solid guitar". Gibson SG. 1984 Gibson SG Standard.

What does HP stand for in Gibson? ›

The Gibson Les Paul HP – which stands for "High Performance" – was introduced in 2016, intending to be a Les Paul version featuring the most modern features, like the G-Force automatic tuner, a compound radius fretboard, a titanium adjustable zero-fret nut, and a carved fast access neck heel, similar to the Axcess ...

What does PAF mean in Gibson? ›

A P.A.F., or simply PAF ("Patent Applied For"), is an early model of the humbucker guitar pickup invented by Seth Lover in 1955, so named for the "Patent Applied For" decal placed on the baseplate of each pickup. Gibson used the PAF on guitars from late 1956 until late 1962, long after the patent was granted.

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