Epiphone "Inspired by Gibson Custom" Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood 2025 - Vintage Sunburst With LR Baggs pickup

Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Pre-War SJ-200 – Vintage Sunburst

Here’s a very special example of Epiphone’s Inspired by Gibson Custom Pre-War SJ-200, finished in Vintage Sunburst and looking absolutely stunning. It even has the Gibson style "open book" headstock.

This is Epiphone taking one of the most iconic acoustic guitar designs ever made and approaching it with considerably more attention to detail than you would normally expect at this level. The result is an impressive instrument, with an exceptional standard of construction, beautiful materials and a specification that is clearly designed for the serious acoustic player.

The 2025 factory specification is particularly impressive. The SJ-200 features a thermally aged solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides and traditional scalloped X-bracing made from quarter-sawn spruce. The two-piece maple neck incorporates a rosewood stringer and has a comfortable Rounded D profile, with a 25.5" scale and 20-fret bound ebony fingerboard. The ebony two-bar Moustache bridge carries the familiar SJ-200 styling, with mother-of-pearl detailing, while the bone nut, compensated bone saddle and bone bridge pins complete the specification.

The finish on this guitar is particularly lovely. The Vintage Sunburst allows the natural grain and character of the timber to show through beautifully, and the overall fit and finish is considerably more refined than the price point might suggest. Reviews of the Inspired by Gibson Custom acoustic range have been particularly positive about the workmanship, playability and tone, with Guitar World describing the construction as first class and the SJ-200 as having a big, bold yet refined sound.

Tonally, the combination of thermally aged spruce and solid rosewood gives this SJ-200 plenty of authority. It has the big, open projection you expect from a Super Jumbo, but with a surprisingly refined and controlled voice. There is plenty of low-end depth, a rich and singing midrange and enough clarity across the top to retain definition when you dig in. It has the volume and headroom to work beautifully for serious strumming, while the response remains sufficiently articulate for more detailed playing.

For stage and studio use, Epiphone has fitted the guitar with an L.R. Baggs VTC under-saddle pickup and active preamp, with volume and tone controls mounted discreetly inside the soundhole. It is a very useful system for a guitar of this type, retaining the character of the acoustic voice while giving the player straightforward control when amplified.

Our example is just a few months old and is virtually as new. It is faultless, a joy to play and has that lovely combination of easy playability, big acoustic presence and beautifully balanced tone that makes the SJ-200 such an enduring design.

The guitar is supplied with its original deluxe Epiphone hardshell case, and everything functions exactly as it should.

A superb modern interpretation of a legendary Gibson design, beautifully finished and built to a specification that makes this much more than simply an affordable alternative.

If you want the look, feel and authority of an SJ-200 but are looking for something virtually new and ready to play, this is a particularly fine example.