Today (February 22), Gibson opened the Gibson Garage London, the first of its impressive Gibson Garage flagship stores outside of the United States; and to say that the company opened the store with a bang would be the greatest of understatements.
For opening day, the brand recruited not one, not two, but three of the greatest electric guitar players of all time: Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, and Brian May.
Just getting those three in the same room together would be news in and of itself, but Gibson also took the star-studded event as an opportunity to launch one of its most significant signature models in years – the Jimmy Page signature Gibson Custom Shop 1971 EDS1275 double-neck guitar.
The new model is said to be the start of a broader partnership with the Led Zeppelin maestro, one that will see – Guitar World reports – the brand work together with Page on a series of models.
“When I met with Cesar and he explained what the future of Gibson looked like, I knew I needed to be involved,” Page said of the new partnership in a statement. “There is a spirit in the place; after seeing the people working at the factories and getting a connection with them, I knew that picking up that Les Paul Custom and the double-neck all those years ago was certainly the right decision.”
“Jimmy Page deserves a very important chapter in the history of Gibson,” added Gibson President and CEO Cesar Gueikian. “We think of Jimmy as an ambassador emeritus of guitars and a music trailblazer in the birth and evolution of rock.
“In many ways, Jimmy is responsible for the success, continued innovation, and evolution of post-Golden-Era Gibson. We are grateful for Jimmy’s trust in the Gibson team, and we look forward to paying tribute to him by bringing this epic collaboration to life.”
So, what about that new signature model then? Well, we don't have the full details of the guitar – which is said to be set for a full release this March – but we do know that it's a Custom Shop recreation, one that is said to have involved measurement of the original’s profile with 3D scanning technology and a process described as “almost taking [an] MRI of the guitar” in order to fully capture its every nuance.
We know from its exacting, high-profile recreation of the late Peter Green's near-mythical Gibson Les Paul, “Greeny,” that the Custom Shop's certainly up to the task, and we can also infer from that same build that this first Gibson Page model certainly won't come cheap.
Though Page was arguably the Gibson Garage London event's main focus, Gibson also had a surprising announcement to make in regards to Brian May.
“We are so proud to have him in our Gibson family,” Cesar Gueikian said at the opening, “From a little band called Queen… Brian May!”
The brand was reportedly tight-lipped about what exactly being part of “the Gibson family” meant, with the rumor mill about what Gibson has in store with the Queen legend – who is synonymous with his own Red Special guitar – indeed currently in overdrive.
For his part, May said of the store in a statement, “The new Gibson Garage London will be just what we all used to dream a guitar shop should be – a place where a young player can feel welcome and mix with the finest instruments, amps, and ancillary gear – and not be told to keep their hands to themselves.”
“It’s really great that Gibson has chosen London to create a new Gibson Garage,” added May's friend and fellow guitar hero, Tony Iommi. “It’s not your average guitar shop – it’s a place where musicians can go to get inspired. Whatever style of player you may be there’s such a wide variety of guitars to choose from.”
The Gibson Garage London is open now – and those interested in visiting can learn more about the store, its displays, and its stock at Gibson's website.
Be sure to also keep an eye on gibson.com for updates on the forthcoming Page '71 EDS1275 model.
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