Guitarist, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Orianthi Panagaris—more famously known, of course, as simply “Orianthi”—held an intimate workshop at the Guitar Center Hollywood Vintage Room on June 22, 2024, to discuss the making of her signature Gibson Orianthi SJ-200, as well as share insights on her creative process. In addition, she performed five songs with her multi-instrumentalist tour manager Justin Andres: “First Time Blues,” “Rescue Me,” “You Don’t Wanna Know,” “Where Did Your Heart Go” and “How Do You Sleep.” The event was also livestreamed on the Guitar Center YouTube channel. Get a “front row seat” for her interview and five acoustic performances here: Orianthi and Gibson Acoustic Live From Guitar Center Hollywood. 

An abundantly prolific serial collaborator, Orianthi has worked with Carrie Underwood, Alice Cooper, Michael Jackson, Carlos Santana, Dave Stewart and Richie Sambora to name just a few. Similarly, she leapt into the design process for the Orianthi SJ-200 with focus and enthusiasm, teaming up with Director of Sales and Marketing for Gibson Acoustics Robi Johns to craft a guitar that is uniquely hers, but also a platform for others to forge their own inspiration. For the Guitar Center Hollywood performance, she played the original, first-model-ever-made Orianthi SJ-200.

The Orianthi SJ-200 is an opulent guitar, from its gorgeous, almost translucent red finish and black binding to its AAA Sitka spruce top, AAA flame maple back, ebony fingerboard, gold Grover Keystone machine heads, lotus inlays and mother-of-pearl “O” on the headstock. It’s also an easy player, bearing the rounded C profile of a Gibson ES-345 neck. The LR Baggs under-saddle pickup system—custom designed for Orianthi—showcases the stout resonance and sparkle of the super jumbo body.

The Guitar Center Hollywood Vintage Room event was a special moment for Orianthi—beyond the obvious coolness of performing to a room full of her fans in a space filled with walls of vintage instruments. She had first visited the Hollywood store with her dad and was shown all of the vintage beauties by former Guitar Center artist relations manager Dave Weiderman. “Best time ever,” she said.

Here are a few of the remarks Orianthi shared about her SJ-200, her approach to songwriting and more.

Partnering With Gibson

“I was playing a charity show and [Gibson president and CEO] Cesar Gueikian came up to me wanting to talk about Gibson. I just said, ‘I’m with PRS.’ But he wanted to have dinner and discuss creating a Gibson guitar. ‘What do you think?’ he said. So, I met him and his wife and told him, ‘I would really love a cool acoustic that when you make the transition from playing electric to acoustic it’s not that big of a jump, because sometimes the neck is bulky and the sound is different, and it’s hard to play leads on and everything.’ I was also thinking of something really different and eccentric to reflect my personality.”

Pictured: Gibson Orianthi Signature SJ-200 acoustic-electric Guitar

Creating the Orianthi SJ-200

“Strangely enough, they allowed me to run loose in Gibson’s Bozeman, Montana, acoustic factory. Thank you to Gibson for doing that, because I was like a child running around the factory saying, ‘I want this and I want that,’ and they were totally cool with it. Everyone who works at that factory has a passion for guitars. Originally, the guitar was white, but then I saw a one-off model being made, and said, ‘Wow—that red finish is insane. Can you make it a little more vibrant? Can you add a black binding?’ I wanted to change the entire aesthetic, so it took some time as we went back and forth. I definitely wanted it to have an ES-345 neck for a hybrid acoustic-electric vibe. Then, there were the inlaid crystals. Thank goodness Robi is a spiritual man, and his wife is into crystals, so he didn’t think I was too crazy for including them in the design.”

The Custom Electronics

“The modified LR Baggs pickup system is really unique, as far as the EQ and compression, and everything. You know, when you plug in an acoustic-electric to play live, if the soundperson is not on it, the guitar can sound like crap. I wanted to make a guitar that’s kind of foolproof—that will always sound great even if the soundperson is drunk or passes out [laughs]. I also didn’t want the guitar to sound thin, and the LR Baggs system illuminates the entire body of this SJ-200 and really fills the room.”

Pictured: Gibson Orianthi Signature SJ-200 Acoustic-Electric Guitar LR Baggs undersaddle pickup

Surprises

“Nick Jonas used the guitar on The Voice. That was cool. Robby Krieger says he’s always jamming on it in the studio. Then, some country players have tagged me with posts showing them playing it. I’m really happy that people are inspired to write and play songs with it. It’s my dream guitar, of course, and I’m so grateful that Gibson made it.”

Career Advice

“When you find your calling—when you find something that excites you—go with it. Put everything into it. I feel if you have that child-like enthusiasm for something, there’s an energy field that attracts things to you. When you love what you do, thank the universe.”

Pictured: Orianthi on stage at Guitar Center Hollywood

Songwriting

“I’ve found that you can’t pinpoint it. Every song is different in how it comes about. Usually, an idea just comes to you. It’s like therapy—you create something from your life experience and go with the feeling. It’s very fulfilling to have a vision in your mind, and it comes across the way you want it. Songs are like diary entries. Have no shame. Put everything into it and put yourself out there. Be authentic, because that resonates with people going through similar things. You must have the strength to be vulnerable.”

Working With Deadlines

“I work better under pressure. If I have half of a song completed, and the studio is booked, I’ll finish it the night before I go into record. It’s really weird. If I have all the time in the world, I won’t complete anything. But if I know the pressure is on, I’ll bring it to the table. Otherwise, I feel like I’ve let myself and everybody else down.”

Pictured: Orianthi signing Signature Gibson SJ-200 acoustic-electric at GC Hollywood

The Pursuit of Perfection

“I think because I grew up listening to a lot of Jimi Hendrix, jam bands and Santana, I’m not about perfection. It’s more about searching and going on a feeling. Sometimes, the best recordings you’ll ever hear are not completely perfect. Of course, kids using Pro Tools and working in their bedrooms are creating amazing sounds that reach the masses. There’s something to that level of perfection. But there’s also something to the analog music from the ’60s that I listened to when I was a kid. There’s a balance that I’m trying to figure out.”

Manifesting Circumstances

“I owe it all to my dad—who gave me this addiction to guitars and guitar playing. When I was six years old, I said, ‘I’m going to America. I’m going to play guitar for a living and tour the world.’ I put it out there, and I truly believed it. From there, it was determination, hard work and never giving up on the dream.”