Neil has said that pre-owned guitars carry the vibe of their former owners and can sometimes inspire a song. This is one of those times.
In 1978, this 1957 Gibson J-200 was for sale in my store (Prune Music in Mill Valley). Gibson’s flagship acoustic, with its sunburst finish and jumbo body, produces a rich, big sound. Thinking Neil might like it, I took it to the ranch during a recording session.
He played it for a few minutes and said, “I’m buying this guitar. It just gave me a song.”
To name a few of the many places you might have seen him playing it:
In 1985, at the first Farm Aid in Champaign, Illinois,
at Live Aid,
with The International Harvesters,
on Austin City Limits,
and it is always found in his circle of guitars when playing solo acoustic.
J-200 History. Developed in 1937, it was called “King of the Flat-tops” because of the extra wide body (16 7/8th inch). The early models had rosewood back and sides with a maple neck. In ’47 the back and sides were changed to maple. 1947-1957 are considered to be the best of the J-200 years. Neil’s ’57 with its deep, lush tones is a fine example.