Gibson’s first-ever father-daughter project sees it working with Rosanne Cash to honor her family’s endearing musical legacy with two limited-edition guitars.
The Johnny Cash SJ-200 is a handmade reproduction of Johnny’s distinctive signature acoustic guitar – an SJ-200 from the late ‘50s.
Rosanne Cash’s signature – the Rosanne Cash J-185 – was made in close collaboration with Gibson’s expert luthiers based out of its Bozeman, Montana acoustic factory, making for the firm’s first multi-generational signature guitar drop.
Both guitars feature signature pickguards among their premium specs, and are limited to just 100 units each.
The SJ-200 naturally grabs the headlines. It's built to look like a museum relic, but play like a freshly-crafted, high-end acoustic.
It's a delicate recreation of the two SJ-200 models that were made for Cash Sr. in the late ‘50s, which stood out with its Cherry Sunburst finish, Johnny Cash inlay, and its unique, superhero mask-like black pickguard.
This new recreation, then, mirrors the original duo; a Super Jumbo body style is crafted with AAA flamed maple back and sides and iced with an AAA Sitka Spruce top and traditional hand-scalloped X-bracing.
It has a two-piece flamed maple neck with walnut reinforcement and 20 standard small crown frets. Indian rosewood is the wood of choice for its fretboard, which is built to a 12" compound radius with a 1.725" nut width, 25.5" scale length and bone nut.
Its hardware includes gold Gotoh tuners, a rosewood four-bar SJ-200 Moustache bridge, and a bone saddle. It ships with a custom Johnny Cash hardshell case and a certificate of authenticity. This is particularly handy when considering its weighty $14,999 price tag.
Rosanne says “one of the strongest visual imprints” of her father in her mind is him stood on stage with a guitar slung over his back. “That image spoke to me not of Johnny Cash,” she says, “but of my dad.”
And so, she says her dad's signature is a “very confident looking” instrument, echoing that bold mental image she has of him. Hers, meanwhile, “is a more subtle, gentle-looking guitar”.
With four Grammy wins and 12 nominations, Rosanne has continued the Cash family legacy in style, and her J-185 is a celebration of her achievements.
Its flame maple body offers a thinner take on the Jumbo body style for improved comfort, while a thermally aged Sitka spruce top and SlimTaper 24.75”-scale neck, crowned here with a rosewood fretboard, are other key features.
It too offers 20 frets, this time of a standard size, while mother-of-pearl parallelogram inlays bring something very different to the table.
The Gibson logo and Crown are also mother-of-pearl, as is the Cash logo on Rosanne’s signature pickguard.
In terms of hardware, the guitar draws further away from her father’s shadow; an L.R. Baggs VTC under saddle pickup and preamp readies it for the stage and studio, while its Vintage Cherry Sunburst finish brings it back home.
It too comes with a personalized Rosanne Cash hardshell guitar case and is priced at $5,299.
“Guitars were always around in the house and my Dad would always have a guitar in his lap, even if he wasn’t playing it,” Rosanne Cash relays. “It speaks to personal, professional legacy. It is so essential to my family. I have known that guitar, my Dad’s Gibson, for so many years. That guitar is part of Dad.
“The instrument is not just a vehicle, instruments have different songs in them. I think great art lasts forever and I do hope these get passed down to children, grandchildren, and on and on and on.”
Both guitars are available to order today.
Head to Gibson to explore the collection.
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