A symphony in diamonds, Brazilian rosewood, gold, and abalone, and the ultimate showcase of Gibson acoustic guitar craftsmanship
The unique, one-of-one Gibson Custom SJ-200 Monarch #100 Brazilian Rosewood acoustic guitar is now available at the Gibson Garage in Nashville, Tennessee. This glorious 100th Monarch model, made with Brazilian rosewood in a Tri Burst finish, is completely one-of-a-kind and was designed to be the most exceptional Gibson acoustic ever made.
First created in the mid-1990s, the SJ-200 Monarch model went on to become the ultimate custom edition of the iconic Gibson Super Jumbo acoustic guitar. Created by the specialist team of artisans in Bozeman, Montana—whose combined experience exceeds 160 years—the SJ-200 Monarch is one of the most exclusive models produced by Gibson Custom.
“The Monarch is derived from the SJ-200,” explains Don Ruffatto, Gibson Acoustic Made to Measure Project Manager, Manufacturing. “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. It was the beginning of what became the flagship of our line.
“We’ve made many different configurations over the years, and in different woods. In 1994, we wanted to put a stamp on what we were creating in Montana, and our builders, designers, and engineers decided to take the SJ-200 to the ultimate level and do things that have never been done before. The Monarch guitar was incredibly well-received, and it became a rare but staple part of our builds from ’94 onward. As we have been inching towards our 100th build, we put in the hours and designed a new Monarch #100 to create what we consider to be the ultimate Gibson acoustic guitar to date.”
The Gibson Custom SJ-200 Monarch #100 Brazilian Rosewood is especially beautiful: its sides are crafted from Brazilian rosewood—one of the most sought-after tonewoods —while a three-piece back combines this treasured material with AAAAA-grade flamed maple, highlighted by a hand-inlaid and engraved rosewood shield at the center, adorned with mother-of-pearl and abalone crown detailing.
The top of the guitar is made from premium AAA Sitka spruce, and the neck features two-piece AAA maple construction with Indian rosewood stringers, a Round profile, and a Brazilian rosewood fretboard. Each piece of wood used to make this extraordinary guitar has been specially selected from the Gibson Custom Wood Library in Bozeman.
The back of the Monarch #100 is arguably even more beautiful than the front
Further highlights of this luxury acoustic include its four-bar Brazilian rosewood Moustache™ bridge, which features abalone inlays bordered in solid 18K gold, and incredible headstock details like nothing you’ve seen before. Here rests one of the most remarkable features of the Gibson Custom SJ-200 Monarch #100 Brazilian Rosewood: a centerpiece crown inlay. Crafted from 1.2 ounces of solid 18K gold, the hand-engraved crown is set with nine natural diamonds, each weighing 0.1 carat, and hosts a 0.25-carat diamond at its peak. Completing this regal headstock is a mother-of-pearl Gibson script logo, and a sculpted truss rod cover inlaid with both mother-of-pearl and abalone.
On the back of the headstock, a Brazilian rosewood veneer is framed with multi-ply binding and a volute, and it bears a mother-of-pearl arrow inlay engraved with the serial number and its “No. 100” title. The top of the body is also bordered with multi-ply rope binding filled with 14K gold—a detail that has never appeared on a production model before—while the rest of the body is trimmed with double-width abalone purfling, including decorative sideburns at the neck heel.
The intricate work on the headstock has to be seen to be believed
Moving on to the pickguard, this is crafted from celluloid tortoiseshell material and is machine-engraved and accented with an abalone border and dot inlays. Four natural diamonds, each weighing 0.1 carat, are also set into the pickguard within solid 18K gold bezels.
The guitar is fitted with engraved gold Waverly open-gear tuners, while the nut and saddle are made from bone. The bridge pins, plated in 18K gold over brass, also feature 0.1-carat natural diamond inlays. To keep the mighty Monarch safe, it is accompanied by an exclusive, custom-designed Gibson Custom SJ-200 Monarch #100 Brazilian Rosewood hardshell case. The guitar also ships with a beautiful wooden plaque hand-signed by the Gibson artists who created this remarkable instrument.
Find out more about this amazing instrument on Gibson.com or at the Gibson Garage in Nashville, Tennessee.
