GEAR 2021: Gibson has announced an artist partnership with Australian guitarist Orianthi, and shared full details of her quite magnificent new signature SJ-200 Custom.
Last week, Gibson gave us our first look at the Orianthi SJ-200; now we have the full spec, and it is predictably luxurious. Finished in nitro-coated Cherry, Orianthi's version of the classic jumbo acoustic guitar has a AAA Sitka spruce top and solid maple back, a slimline ES-345 mahogany neck, and Grover Keystone tuners.
The SJ-200 has been long in the making. Orianthi first visited Gibson's Boseman, Montana facility in late 2019, and was instrumental in the guitar's design. Orianthi says having an electric guitar neck makes her SJ-200 a shredder's acoustic.
“Creating a signature acoustic with the amazing Gibson team was truly an honour! I couldn’t be happier!” said Orianthi in a statement. “It’s the same full SJ-200 sound, but it plays much faster with a 345 neck on it.“
The former Alice Cooper and Michael Jackson guitarist also worked with L.R. Baggs in developing a custom pickup and preamp system which tucks a piezo under the saddles and mounts preamp and controls out of the way in the soundhole.
Elsewhere, Orianthi has a custom pickguard with lotus flower design, mother-of-pearl lotus flower inlays on a rosewood fingerboard, and her signature logo on the headstock.
Price is TBC, but the Orianthi SJ-200 will be released in May 2021. See Gibson for more details.
“I have to try and talk about the neck without sounding offensive or angry”: Johnny Marr says satin finishes have no business being on a guitar neck
“You would get suspended for even having a guitar”: Brian May says it was “illegal” to have a guitar at his school – but he and his friends played during lunch hour anyway
