Part of the Custom Artisan Series, both pair koa back and sides with a AAA Sitka spruce top and L.R. Baggs electronics, in right- and left-handed Honey Burst.
Gibson has given two of its most recognisable acoustics a koa makeover, releasing the SJ-200 Elegant Koa and Hummingbird Elegant Koa as part of its Custom Artisan Series. Both pair koa back and sides with a AAA Sitka spruce top, both wear a Honey Burst finish, and both come in right- and left-handed versions.
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Koa is a Hawaiian tonewood prized as much for its figured grain as its sound, and it tends to start out bright and focused before warming and filling out the more it’s played. Against the Sitka top, Gibson describes a rich, articulate voice that gains complexity over time. The two models come with abalone inlays and decorative detailing, finished to Custom Shop standard. The figured koa and abalone make them as much a display piece as a player. L.R. Baggs electronics are fitted throughout, so either guitar is ready to plug in for a stage or a session without an aftermarket pickup.
Both acoustics are among Gibson’s most famous shapes. The SJ-200, the original “King of the Flat-Tops”, is the big-bodied jumbo with the low end and presence to fill a room, while the Hummingbird is the square-shouldered dreadnought that you’ll find is behind countless records since the ’60s. Koa suits both, adding a little top-end sparkle to shapes better known for body and warmth.
Left-handers get a look-in too – both models come in a left-handed Honey Burst.
The SJ-200 Elegant Koa and Hummingbird Elegant Koa are due in late September. For local enquiries, head here.
