1952 Gibson Southern Jumbo SJ

In 1942, war-time production shortages prompted Gibson to totally revamp their acoustic catalog. For slope-shoulder dreadnoughts, the prewar J-35 and J-55 were replaced by the J-45 and Southerner Jumbo. According to Gibson lore, the sales rep who handled the Southeast region requested the company build a flat-top targeted for the Southern states. He felt that Gibson flat-tops were especially appreciated there, and apparently he was able to convince Gibson execs that a model dedicated to the South was just what they needed to boost sales. The result was a 14-fret, slope-shoulder dreadnought originally called the "Southerner Jumbo," but quickly shortened to just "Southern Jumbo" then later just "SJ." With a Spruce top, Mahogany back and sides, and a sunbsurt finish, the SJ shared the same size and basic construction as the J-45, but it featured fancier details: multi-ply body binding, split parallelogram inlays, and fingerboard binding. The Southern Jumbo was Gibson's most expensive flat