$4999
Includes Free Shipping*
35 Years. One Massive Thank You.
Mannys Means Music - and it has for 35 years. To celebrate, we're giving one lucky customer a $3,500 store voucher
Between October 1st and December 31st 2026, spend $350 or more in-store or online and enter to win a $3,500 Mannys store voucher, on us! Enter with your order number via the entry form. T&Cs apply. ACT excluded. Purchase must be made between October 1st and December 31st 2026, 11:59pm AEDT. Entries close January 11 2027, 11:59pm AEDT.
Product Information
Gibson's J-185 has long occupied a quiet corner of the maker's catalogue, regarded by experienced players as one of the finest acoustic voices the brand has produced. Originally launched in 1951, the J-185 borrowed its body silhouette from Gibson's celebrated 1920s L-5 archtops, creating a slightly more compact jumbo than the SJ-200. The new Century 12-Fret variant shifts the neck-to-body joint from the standard 14-fret position to the 12-fret mark, repositioning the bridge plate closer to the body's widest point and shortening the overall neck length for improved ergonomics and enhanced top resonance.
Constructed with a mahogany back and sides paired to a solid Sitka spruce top, the J-185 Century features single-ply cream binding and a mahogany neck with Gibson's SlimTaper profile. The compound dovetail neck joint is secured with hot hide glue at the 12th fret, following traditional flat-top build methods. A 628.7 mm scale length, 19-fret rosewood fingerboard with mother-of-pearl dot inlays, bone nut and saddle, and TUSQ® bridge pins complete the specification. Tuning is handled by open-back Golden Age strap tuners with cream buttons; finish options include Vintage Amber, Vintage Sunburst, or Ebony in hand-applied satin nitrocellulose lacquer.
The 12-fret configuration particularly suits fingerstyle players and lighter, more nuanced playing approaches, where the shorter reach and enhanced top responsiveness deliver a warm, expressive tone. Shipping in a premium tweed hardshell case, the instrument is available in both right and left-handed configurations, making this uncommon design accessible to a broader audience.
Features
- Mahogany back and sides with solid Sitka spruce top
- Single-ply cream binding on top and back edges
- Mahogany SlimTaper neck with 12-fret joint placement
- Scale length 628.7 mm with 19 rosewood frets
- Bone nut and saddle, TUSQ® bridge pins throughout
- Golden Age open-back strap tuners with cream buttons
- Hand-applied satin nitrocellulose lacquer finish options
- Premium tweed hardshell case included; right and left-handed available


