Gibson Custom Shop 1942 Banner Southern Jumbo

The Southern Jumbo with Banner and Adirondack Spruce: Rosewood Back Gives This Wartime Icon an Extra Dimension

The Gibson Custom Shop Historic 1942 Banner Southern Jumbo is one of the most meticulously recreated vintage reissues Gibson makes. While the Murphy Lab version adds aged hardware and finish, this Custom Shop iteration focuses on the core: the thermally aged Adirondack red spruce top, rosewood back and sides, hide glue bracing, and the wide 1.769 inch nut that characterized the 1942 originals. The Banner on the headstock, "Only a Gibson is Good Enough," is not just decorative; it's a hallmark that encapsulates the quality of this era.

The combination of Adirondack spruce on rosewood delivers a tone that is more versatile than the mahogany version: the rosewood back adds brilliance and complexity to the low-frequency warmth of the Adirondack top, making the Southern Jumbo equally suitable for first-position chords as for bluesy lead lines. The thermally aged top resonates with an openness that feels instantly mature, supported by the hide glue X-brace of red spruce that maximizes resonance.

The mahogany neck has a C-profile with a rosewood fretboard, Mother-of-Pearl parallelogram inlays, and 19 frets with Legend Wire over a 24.75-inch scale length. The rectangular open-slot bridge, bone saddle and bridge pins, and open back tuners with cream buttons are historically accurate and meticulously recreated. The VOS nitrocellulose finish gives the instrument the worn-in look of an original. Delivered with a hardshell case.