Gibson Super
Jumbo 200®
This first Gibson Super
Jumbo was made in 1937 for singing cowboy Ray
Whitley following his ideas for a fancy country
guitar with a booming bass sound to accompany
western singing.
The Super Jumbo was
introduced in the 1938 Gibson catalogue as their
top-of-the-line flattop, retailing for $200. They
declared it as the finest flattop they had ever
made, calling it the "King of the Flat-Tops".
The Super Jumbo features
an Eastern spruce top, figured rosewood back and
rim, curly maple neck, ebony fingerboard, rich
Cremona brown finish with golden sunburst, gold-plated
machine heads, and new design ebony bridge with
individual adjustable bearing for every string.
Like the Martin D
series it competed against, the Super Jumbo 200's
neck had 14 frets clear of the body.
The guitar's big,
full sound, outstanding physical strength and
fancy Western appearance made it an immediate
favourite with performers.
It became highly
associated with figures like Gene Autry, Tex Ritter,
Roy Rogers, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly and Bob Dylan.
