Gibson Custom is proud to honor two of America's greatest musicians and songwriters—Johnny Cash and Rosanne Cash—with the release of limited-edition signature models that reflect the personal style of each legendary artist
Back in the late 1950s, Johhny Cash ordered two custom SJ-200 models from Gibson, featuring his name inlaid on the fretboard in mother-of-pearl, and a unique pickguard designed by the man himself. In response to many requests to replicate this model, the artisans of the Gibson Custom Shop in Bozeman, Montana, have created just 100 painstaking replicas of one of the coolest guitars the world has ever seen.
Handcrafted in Bozeman, Montana, the Gibson Custom Rosanne Cash J-185 is a beautiful limited-edition instrument that resonates with the legacy of one of the most storied and influential families in music history. With a unique pickguard designed by multiple GRAMMY® Award winner Rosanne Cash and her husband, musician and producer John Leventhal, the Rosanne Cash J-185 takes aesthetic inspiration from a pair of custom SJ-200 models made by Gibson for Johnny Cash in the late 1950s.
A limited edition honoring the American musical legend
In the late 50s, Gibson made two SJ-200s for Cash that featured his name inlaid in mother-of-pearl on the fretboard and a distinctive pickguard designed by Johnny Cash himself. Gibson Custom is proud to release recreations of these guitars to honor his legacy. Only 100 of these beautiful and highly requested instruments were handmade by the expert luthiers of the Gibson Custom Shop in Bozeman, Montana, as part of this remarkable limited run.
Just as with the two original SJ-200 acoustic guitars that Gibson built in the late 1950s to his specifications, the Johnny Cash SJ-200 features a distinctive pickguard shape designed by Johnny Cash himself.
Like the two original guitars that Johnny ordered in the late 1950s, the Johnny Cash SJ-200 features Johnny’s name inlaid on the fretboard in mother-of-pearl.
The Johnny Cash SJ-200 features a beautiful AAA flamed maple body with Gibson’s traditional hand scalloped X-bracing. Not only is the flamed maple beautiful, but it also adds a bit of brightness and attack to balance out the deep lows of the SJ-200 Super Jumbo body.
A limited edition made in collaboration with Rosanne Cash
The Gibson Custom Shop Rosanne Cash J-185 was built in collaboration with this legendary artist and delivers exceptional versatility. It features a flame maple body that is slightly thinner for superior playing comfort, a thermally aged Sitka spruce top, and a SlimTaper™ 24.75” mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard that’s outfitted with 20 standard frets and mother-of-pearl parallelogram inlays.
The Rosanne Cash J-185’s thermally aged Sitka spruce top gives this guitar the character and sound of a well-aged and seasoned instrument.
The flame maple used for the Rosanne Cash J-185 body is not only beautiful but also contributes to the balanced tone, adding a bit of brightness and snappy attack to balance the deep lows of the Jumbo-sized body. The body of the Rosanne Cash J-185 is also slightly thinner from front to back than a standard J-185, making it easier to hold.
The Rosanne Cash J-185 features a unique pickguard shape that was designed by Rosanne Cash and her husband, producer/musician John Leventhal, with inspiration from the pickguard on her father’s iconic pickguard. The pickguard also features Cash’s name inlaid in mother-of-pearl.
