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The Gibson Jumbo is one of the most iconic acoustic guitars of all time. From Elvis Presley to Emmylou Harris, country and rock performers gravitate toward the Jumbo not only for its big, booming sound and imposing size, but also for its flashy inlays and ornamentation.
If you're a fan—and I'm assuming you are (cause who isn't?)—Gibson has got something you're going to want to see: the Gibson Custom SJ-200 Monarch #100 Brazilian Rosewood. That's a mouthful for sure, but a fittingly maximalist name for a guitar that truly has all the bells and whistles.
And, uh, one more thing I should probably mention... that "#100" means there's only one of them. Like, ever.
So while you're not likely to be the lucky shredder who gets their hands on the Gibson Custom SJ-200 Monarch #100 Brazilian Rosewood (*huge inhale*), we can still ogle it and dream.
Ogle away:
Origins
Don Ruffatto at Gibson shared this anecdote regarding the instrument's origins: "The Monarch is derived from the SJ-200. In 1937 there was a cowboy singer named Ray Whitley who came to Gibson and said, ‘I want a big guitar, bigger than anything you are making,’ so they went in and found a body mold from one of the big archtops and built the SJ-200 acoustic guitar around it and it was the beginning of what became the flagship of our line."
He continued, "The Monarch guitar was incredibly well-received, and it became a rare, but staple part of our builds from ’94 onward, and as we have been inching towards our #100 build, we put in the hours and designed a new Monarch 100 to create what we consider is the ultimate Gibson acoustic guitar to date."
To clarify, "100" signifies that it's the one hundredth Monarch ever built.
Want to learn more about the original SJ-200? Subscribe to The Craft of Music on Substack to access an exclusive article telling the whole story.
Specs
Let's talk specs. Tonewood-wise, we're working with real Brazilian Rosewood back and sides (rare), plus a AAAAA-grade flamed maple back panel (yes, that was five A's) with a hand-inlaid and engraved rosewood shield. A premium AAA Sitka spruce top is adorned with a Brazilian Rosewood moustache bridge, and a two-piece AAA maple construction with Brazilian Rosewood stringers.
Abalone and mother-of-pearl abound throughout, as you can see, and there's just an insane level of detail on every inlay. This guitar also bears the distinction of being the first ever production model to bear a 14k gold binding (!).
Okay, let's look at a few more pictures:
If that made you thirsty for a guitar you can actually have, shop Gibson Jumbos here.
Check out the video to learn more:
Available only via the Gibson Garage Nashville. Learn more at Gibson.com.
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