Gibson J-185 Original – Vintage Sunburst
A Jumbo with unparalleled tonal balance
The J-185 is believed by many to be one of Gibson’s best acoustic instruments, yet it seems to be fairly obscure, much to the delight of devoted Gibson lovers. Originally released in the early 1950s and designed to be slight smaller than its larger companion, the SJ-200, the J-185 still offers superior performance and tone. The J-185 Original maintains unsurpassed balance of lows, mids, and highs, with equal response to every note on the fretboard. Acclaimed by many as the perfect body size and shape for any player.
Tech Specs
General
| Number of Strings | 6 |
| Left-/Right-handed | Right-handed |
Body
| Body Type | J-185 |
| Bracing | Traditional hand scalloped X-bracing |
| Top Material | Sitka spruce |
| Back & Sides | Flame Maple |
| Body Finish | Nitrocellulose |
Neck
| Neck Material | Mahogany |
| Neck Joint | Compound Dovetail Neck-to-body |
| Radius | 304.8 mm / 12″ |
| Fingerboard Material | Rosewood |
| Fingerboard Inlay | Mother-of-pearl Parallelograms |
| Frets | Standard |
| Number of Frets | 20 |
| Scale Length | 628.65 mm / 24.75″ |
| Nut Width | 43.81 mm / 1.724″ |
| Nut Material | Bone |
| Neck Profile | Slim Taper |
Hardware
| Bridge Pins | Bone |
| Saddle Material | Bone |
| Tuning Machines | Gotoh Keystone |
Electronics
| Pickup | L.R. Baggs Element VTC |
| Controls | Volume & Tone |
Miscellaneous
| Binding | Multi-ply top, Multi-ply back |
| Bridge | Traditional belly up |
| Truss Rod Cover | Black and White |
| Pickguard | J-185 |
| Strings Gauge | 0.053, 0.042, 0.032, 0.024, 0.016, 0.012 |
| Case | Hardshell Cass |
| Accessories | Includes Gibson Accessory Kit |
