Gibson is celebrating its 130th anniversary with the release of the Johnny Cash SJ-200 and Rosanne Cash J-185.
These two acoustic guitars offer a rare insight into the Cash family's musical heritage, with the SJ-200 serving as a handmade version of Johnny's signature late 1950s SJ-200, and the Rosanne Cash J-185 made in collaboration with the genre-crossing artist.
The Johnny Cash SJ-200 recreates the two SJ-200s Gibson made for Cash in the late '50s. Crafted by hand – hence the $14,999 price tag – this 25.5" scale length, 20-fret guitar features a Super Jumbo body with AAA flamed maple back and sides, a solid AAA Sitka Spruce top, a 2-piece flamed maple neck with a Walnut Stringer, an Indian rosewood fretboard, a Four Bar SJ-200 Moustache bridge, and a Vintage Cherry Sunburst finish.
To top it off, the acoustic comes fully equipped with Johnny Cash’s name inlaid in mother of pearl on the fretboard, along with his personally designed pickguard.
Speaking about the collaboration, Rosanne says, “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. 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.”
While comparatively more affordable than the Johnny Cash SJ-200 at $5,299, the Rosanne Cash J-185 is still a premium acoustic with similar specs, such as the flamed maple on the back and sides and the thermally aged Sitka spruce top.
Further details include the SlimTaper 24.75" mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard, 20 standard frets with mother-of-pearl parallelogram inlays, and a belly-up style rosewood bridge inlaid with MOP Maltese crosses.
The J-185's Heritage Cherry Sunburst finish is more muted compared to the SJ-200, which Rosanne explains was her way to differentiate herself from the Man in Black while still respecting his legacy. “Red and orange is my dad. [He] loved his guitar, that was his thing. And I just thought this more honeyed, warmer, you know, burnt orange, that just seemed more like me.”
Finding a unique pickguard shape was also a challenge. “We went through 10 variations of the shape of the pickguards,” she reveals. “We started with my dad's pickguard, looking at that, and it's very sharp-edged. And I said, ‘I can play out that, but I'd love my pickguard to be a lot more feminine and have rounded wave-like curves.’”
The ‘Cash’ logo is also a nod to his story. “After my dad died, I went through his desk. There was a little patch with ‘Cash’ on it that had been on his uniform when he was in the Air Force. I took the patch and I had it sewn into my guitar strap, and we took this Cash [on the pickguard] and modeled it on the patch that's on my strap.”
There are only 100 of each model available, with the Johnny Cash SJ-200 priced at $14,999 and the Rosanne Cash J-185 available at $5,299. For more information, visit Gibson.
