A museum-worthy work of art, the Gibson Custom SJ-200™ Monarch #100 Brazilian Rosewood in Tri Burst is truly one-of-a-kind. First created in the mid-1990s, the SJ-200 Monarch has become the ultimate custom edition of Gibson’s world-famous Super Jumbo acoustic guitar. Crafted with an extraordinary level of handwork and attention to detail by Gibson’s elite team of artisans in Bozeman, Montana—whose combined experience exceeds 160 years—the SJ-200 Monarch is one of the most exclusive models produced by the Gibson Custom Shop. Each guitar is individually numbered in sequence, with its unique identifier located on the back of the headstock near the serial number. While every Monarch is a masterpiece, this one-of-one Monarch #100 guitar was created as a true standout—an exceptional instrument that sets a new benchmark in craftsmanship and artistry.
This Gibson Custom SJ-200 Monarch #100 is available only via the Gibson Garage Nashville, call (615) 933-6000, and learn more about this one-of-one guitar on Gibson.com HERE.
The SJ-200 Monarch #100 showcases an extraordinary selection of tonewoods and craftsmanship. Its sides are crafted from Brazilian rosewood, while the three-piece back combines Brazilian rosewood and AAAAA-grade flamed maple, highlighted by a hand-inlaid and engraved rosewood shield at the center, adorned with mother of pearl and abalone crown detailing. The top is made from premium AAA Sitka spruce, and the neck features a two-piece AAA maple construction with Indian rosewood stringers, a rounded profile, and a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. Even the headstock veneer is fashioned from Brazilian rosewood. Revered for its rich low end and sparkling highs, Brazilian rosewood is one of the most sought-after tonewoods in the world. Every piece of wood used in the Monarch #100 was carefully selected from the Gibson Custom Wood Library in Bozeman, Montana.
“The Monarch is derived from the SJ-200. In 1937 there was a cowboy singer named Ray Whitley who came to Gibson and said, ‘I want a big guitar, bigger than anything you are making,’ so they went in and found a body mold from one of the big archtops and built the SJ-200 acoustic guitar around it and it was the beginning of what became the flagship of our line. We’ve made many different configurations over the years, and in different woods. In 1994, we wanted to put a stamp on what we were creating in Montana, and our builders, designers, and engineers decided to take the SJ-200 to the ultimate level and do things that have never been done before. The Monarch guitar was incredibly well-received, and it became a rare, but staple part of our builds from ’94 onward, and as we have been inching towards our #100 build, we put in the hours and designed a new Monarch 100 to create what we consider, is the ultimate Gibson acoustic guitar to date.”
– Don Ruffatto, Gibson Acoustic Made to Measure Project Manager, Manufacturing
The SJ-200 Monarch 100 is lavishly adorned with intricate mother of pearl and abalone inlays, including the meticulously hand-engraved Monarch crown designs on the fretboard. Its four-bar Brazilian rosewood Moustache™ bridge features abalone inlays bordered in solid 18K gold, while the headstock showcases a mother of pearl Gibson script logo and a sculpted truss rod cover inlaid with both mother of pearl and abalone. On the back of the headstock, a Brazilian rosewood veneer is framed with multi-ply binding and a volute, and it bears a mother of pearl arrow inlay engraved with the serial number and “No. 100” to mark its place as the 100th Monarch ever made. The top of the body is bordered with multi-ply rope binding filled with 14K gold—the first time this detail has appeared on a production model—while the rest of the body is trimmed with double-width abalone purfling, including decorative “sideburns” at the neck heel.
One of the most striking features of the SJ-200 Monarch 100 is its headstock centerpiece inlay. Crafted from 1.2 ounces of solid 18K gold, the hand-engraved crown is set with nine natural diamonds, each weighing 0.1 carat, and crowned with a 0.25-carat diamond at its peak. Shell inlays add further elegance to the center of the crown. The interior of the guitar is equally ornate, featuring laminated Brazilian rosewood and spruce stays along the ribs, a gold-embossed Brazilian rosewood label inside the soundhole, and a Brazilian rosewood veneer on the headblock, embellished with a mother of pearl and abalone crown inlay.
The iconic SJ-200 pickguard is crafted from celluloid tortoise material, machine-engraved and accented with an abalone border and dot inlays. Four natural diamonds, each weighing 0.1 carat, are set into the pickguard within solid 18K gold bezels, adding a touch of brilliance. The guitar is fitted with engraved gold Waverly open-gear tuners, while the nut and saddle are made from bone. The bridge pins, plated in 18K gold over brass, also feature 0.1-carat natural diamond inlays. To protect this regal instrument, a custom-designed Gibson Custom Monarch 100 hardshell case is included—thoughtfully crafted by the master luthiers and artisans in Bozeman, Montana, to reflect the guitar’s one-of-a-kind status and ensure it remains safe and secure.
