The Gibson J 100 Extra

The Gibson J 100 Extra

The Gibson J 100 Extra A Tremendous Value - It's The Working Man's J 200

Guitarists all around the world know about the Gibson guitar company. Gibson has been making fine guitars for a very long time, and most likely will be doing so for a great while to come. Gibson guitars are well known and renowned the world over in both acoustic guitars and with their electric guitars. It's a toss up which (acoustic or electric) are more well known, used, appreciated and/or desired.

The C.F. Martin & Company is the only other guitar manufacturer in the world that Gibson competes with directly in acoustic guitars. In fact, it's easy to say that because there are so very many individuals and small companies in the United States and Japan that make copies or even customized improvements of Martin Guitars - that Martin has the upper hand in the acoustic guitar flatpicking niche. A lot of people prefer Gibson acoustic guitars though, for playing the Blues.

There can be no doubt that the Gibson Les Paul is one of the world's most famous electric guitars - only Fender's Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars are comparable so far as fame, distribution, and desirability go. But Gibson Guitars also makes one of the world's most famous acoustic guitars; the Gibson J 200.

There are few stars in the world of country, rock, and folk that have not at one time or another been photographed playing a Gibson J 200. It's a big, very big instrument - and it's so very loud that it's one of the few guitars that when played in a small venue, often requires no amplification at all.

Johnny Cash, John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Emmylou Harris, Jimmy Page - all of those legends and many more have all played the J 200. But with a retail price of about eleven thousand dollars, how many of us commoners could ever hope to afford such an instrument with so much fine abalone inlay all over it? Even were we to seek out a used one, how many of us can afford to break out anywhere from half of the eleven grand, on up to twice the standard new price, and more - for an older copy in various conditions? Very few of us - I'll just answer the question here and now, could afford to buy such a guitar.

Well Friends, the Gibson Guitar Company has us in mind, WE, the working class man and woman were thought of when Gibson created the J 100 Extra. This guitar is the SAME guitar as the legendary J 200, it only doesn't have the very expensive abalone inlay running throughout it's curves, finger board, head stock; and other places. The J 100 Extra doesn't have the gold plated tuning devices. Did we ever even really want that stuff? For me, the answer is "NO!" What I want from a guitar is tone, playability, and the sureness of the warranty of such a fine company's product, and the timeless design it offers, the uniqueness of it's tone! That's what I want.

The J 100 Extra is THE Gibson guitar that can stand head to head, toe to toe with cannons like the Martin D 18 GE, or the Martin D 28 VR - and it's priced even more favorable than those, and has a unique tone all unto itself.

The vintage J 100 models feature a pleasant tone via the solid mahogany back and sides and the solid spruce top. I'd most certainly PREFER that guitar to the maple body of the J 200 The J 100 like the J 200 features the famous "moustache" bridge design that makes the J 200 (along with it's size and shape) so distinctive. I'm finding these guitars on the used market for around $1,300.00 US dollars - a fantastic deal.