
Update: Dec 2nd, 2020: Slash “Victoria” Les Paul Standard Goldtop Joins the Gibson "Slash Collection"
NASHVILLE, TN: The Gibson Slash Collection crosses three decades of partnership between Gibson and Slash, and in a history-making move for the brand, is the first evergreen artist collection made by Gibson. Slash and Gibson worked in close collaboration and the collection features multiple acoustic and electric guitars. The Slash Collection represents the influential Gibson guitars Slash has used throughout his career, inspiring multiple generations of players around the world. Today, December 1 marks the release of the new Gibson Slash “Victoria” Les Paul Standard Goldtop; available worldwide.
The Gibson Slash Collection Gibson “Victoria” Les Paul Standard in Goldtop finish features a maple top, a solid mahogany body, a dark back finish and Slash’s personal touches including a C-shaped neck profile, uncovered Gibson Custom BurstBucker Alnico 2 pickups, color coordinated hardware appointments, hand-wired electronics with Orange Drop® capacitors and a vintage style brown hardshell case. Exclusive to the Slash Collection are Slash’s “Skully” signature drawing on the back of the headstock, Slash’s signature on the truss rod cover, a blank truss rod cover in the case, Slash’s new Ernie Ball® strings, and four Slash Jim Dunlop Tortex® picks. The new Goldtop joins the previously announced four Les Paul Standard electric guitars and two J-45 Standard acoustic guitars.
Each Slash Collection Les Paul Standard features a AAA maple top, a solid mahogany body and Slash’s personal touches including a C-shaped neck profile, Gibson Custom BurstBucker™ Alnico 2 pickups, color coordinated hardware appointments, hand-wired electronics with Orange Drop® capacitors and a vintage style brown hardshell case. Exclusive to the Slash Collection are Slash’s “Skully” signature drawing on the back of the headstock, Slash’s signature on the truss rod cover, a blank truss rod cover in the case, Slash’s new Ernie Ball® strings , and four Slash Jim Dunlop Tortex® picks. The Slash Collection Les Paul Standard is available in November Burst, Appetite Burst, Vermillion Burst and Anaconda Burst.
Each Slash Collection Gibson J-45 Standard features a blend of traditional appointments and modern features including a custom Slash rounded C-shaped neck profile, a fatter and more modern 16'' fingerboard radius and a versatile LR Baggs TM VTC pickup for natural acoustic sound. Exclusive to the Slash Collection are Slash’s “Skully” signature drawing on the back of the headstock, Slash’s signature on the truss rod cover with a blank truss rod cover in the case and four Slash Jim Dunlop Tortex® picks. The Slash Collection J-45 Standard is available in November Burst and Vermillion Burst.
"Developing my new Collection with the new team at Gibson has been really exciting,” says Slash. “The quality and attention to detail is next level, and these guitars truly reflect what I play live and in the studio. I think guitarists will be inspired by what we've put together.”
“Developing Slash’s Collection with him has been an amazing experience” says Cesar Gueikian of Gibson. “The fact that Slash is intimately involved in this journey makes it special and a true representation of him and his sound. I am excited to formally announce the addition of the Victoria Goldtop to the Collection and I am looking forward to reading fan and media theories about why we chose to call it Victoria. Plus, stay tuned for more to come in the future with Slash.”
Headquartered in the heart of downtown Nashville, the iconic, American-made instrument brand, Gibson has been creating, inspiring, and contributing to the ‘share of sound’ for 126 years. Across all of Gibson’s brands and collections, the story continues to be told with iconic and emerging artists that inspire the now and nurture the next generation of Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer fans.
For more information on Slash, visit:
SLASHONLINE.COM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SPOTIFY | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE
For all things Gibson, visit:
GIBSON.COM | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | GIBSON TV
About Slash:
Slash--the iconic, GRAMMY-winning , American rock guitarist , songwriter and film producer --has amassed album sales of over 100 million copies , garnered a GRAMMY Award and seven GRAMMY nominations and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . Slash landed on the top of the charts with his first solo album, Slash (2010) which featured Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie, Myles Kennedy and more. Shortly after, he formed his current band Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators--which features Myles Kennedy (lead vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass/vocals) and Frank Sidoris (rhythm guitar)--who’ve been touring worldwide and making music for over five years. The group released the critically acclaimed Apocalyptic Love (2012) which stormed the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart debuting at #4 as the top rock album and spawned Slash’s first-ever #1 solo radio hits “You’re A Lie” and “Standing In The Sun.” Slash released Nothing Left To Fear (2013) the soundtrack to the first theatrical film co-produced with SLASHfiction, his film/TV production company specializing in the horror genre. The band’s second album, World On Fire debuted to global praise and the album’s title track, “World On Fire” ascended to #1 at U.S. Rock Radio. In 2016, Guns N’ Roses re-united and Slash joined Axl Rose and Duff McKagan for the ongoing “Not In This Lifetime Tour” which Billboard now ranks as the third highest grossing tour of all time. Slash and his band’s most recent release is their critically-acclaimed third album Living The Dream (2018) which Rolling Stone declared “ a biting blues filigree at the end of a riff, weeping solos full of long notes and boogie-woogie riffs” and the Los Angeles Times added is full of “unexpected funk, boogie, blues and garage rock influences.” Fueled by the Top 5 song “Driving Rain,” and the single “Mind Your Manners” as well as, the best critical praise of their career, Living The Dream debuted with 10, Top 10 chart placements worldwide and by the end of their world tour in 2019, the group had achieved seven consecutive, Top 10 Hit singles at radio.
About Gibson:
Gibson, the world’s most iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for more than 100 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, TN, with a premiere acoustic facility in Bozeman, MT, Gibson Brands has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies. The Gibson Brands portfolio includes Gibson, the number one guitar brand, as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including Epiphone, Kramer, Steinberger, and the Gibson Pro Audio Division, KRK Music. Gibson Brands is dedicated to quality, innovation, and sound excellence so that music lovers for generations to come will continue to experience music shaped by Gibson Brands. Learn more at Gibson.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Gibson TV, and Instagram.
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Update: Jan 14th, 2021: Martin Introduces First Acoustic Guitar That Is Both FSC-Certified And Plastic-Free
On March 15, 2019, artist Robert Goetzl watched the news in awe as a million students, across 125 countries, took part in the School Strike for Climate, an international movement of students who skip Friday classes in protest to demand action from political leaders against climate change. The movement started in 2018, when Greta Thunberg, a then 16-year-old activist from Sweden, staged a lone protest outside the Swedish Parliament holding a sign that read "School strike for climate," inspiring students across the globe to stand together to fight for the future of the planet.
The movement fanned a flame in Goetzl that had been slowly burning for many years and now he wanted to use his talent to become part of the solution, so he immediately dropped what he was doing and painted a watercolor of the earth. His hope was that it would one day adorn the top of a Martin guitar that could be used to bring awareness to the urgent need for climate action.
Upon completing the painting, Goetzl wasted no time, driving to Nazareth to share his idea with Martin Chairman and CEO, Chris Martin. Like Goetzl, the sixth-generation leader of Martin has a deep passion for fighting climate change and preserving the earth for future generations. This shared passion, reignited by the energy and perseverance of this new generation of activists, put into motion the plans to develop what is now being introduced as the Martin 00L Earth guitar—the first acoustic guitar that is 100% FSC® certified AND 100% plastic-free.
said Goetzl., "When I first heard this eloquent young woman, Greta Thunberg, speak so passionately about climate change, I was immediately inspired and thought, why not design a guitar with a visual element as a tool to promote the message 'Save the Earth'. Perhaps this is a way to help raise awareness of resource sustainability and our society's failure to take action against the global crisis that this troubled planet is facing."
With Chris Martin's blessing, Goetzl set about doing what he does best—turning his initial ideas into refined art—and he later presented several variations to the Martin team. The final design featured the earth and stars with a beautiful light burst peaking over the horizon.
While Goetzl was finalizing the artwork, Martin Lead Instrument Designer Tim Teel and former Martin Green Team Leader Chris Thomas began working on building out the model that would ultimately become the master canvas for Goetzl's artwork. Teel and Thomas decided to use the framework from the Martin 17 Series and then went on to collaborate with many colleagues throughout the company to select and source only materials that are 100% FSC certified and free of all man-made plastics. Even the gig bag was specially sourced and made with hemp, a fast-growing and highly sustainable material, another first for the company.
said Teel., "I respect working for a company that takes environmental issues seriously. This project illustrates the importance of our planet and is depicted in this amazing graphic by Robert Goetzl. By using responsibly harvested materials, we will ensure the next generation of musicians and luthiers will have great tonewoods to choose from when designing, building, and playing stringed instruments of the future."
Martin chose to go plastic-free with this model because single-use plastic is destroying entire ecosystems and greatly contributes to global warming. The world urgently needs to reduce single-use plastic, and Martin hopes this guitar will be another vehicle for spreading the message.
said Chris Martin., "There's so much that we can do as individuals to fight climate change in our daily lives. Yet we are continually looking for ways that our company can inspire musicians and their fans to take action. Not just on Earth Day, but every day. Music has always been a powerful tool for bringing people together for change."
In honor of the 00L Earth guitar, Martin will make a charitable donation to the Rainforest Alliance.
The guitar is priced at $2,249.
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Update: Jan 12, 2021: Taylor Guitars Transitions Ownership To Its Employees
EL CAJON, Calif. that Taylor Guitars, a leading global builder of premium acoustic guitars, has just announced its transition to 100% employee ownership through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
said Bob Taylor, co-founder and President of Taylor Guitars."We have delighted in giving people the joy of music and hope to do so for generations to come. Becoming 100% ESOP allows us to ensure our independence for the long-term future and continue to realize our vision for the company as an innovative guitar manufacturer."
Kurt Listug, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, added, "While Bob and I are not retiring, we have been preparing for our eventual exit. Master guitar designer Andy Powers is not only the wellspring of our guitar designs for the future, but he also joined our leadership team several years ago, and strengthening our leadership team has been essential to our succession planning."
Listug views the transition in ownership as the next step to ensure a sustainable future for the company, while also providing a valuable financial benefit to people who have contributed to its success. "We believe we've created a special company, where passionate people can engage in problem-solving innovation, collaboration and respect," he said. "Securing our independence through an ESOP allows us to strengthen this culture."
Taylor's new ownership structure supports continuity. Taylor Guitars will serve its customers, suppliers, and broader community with the same passion and innovation it has before. Bob Taylor, Kurt Listug, Andy Powers and other members of Taylor's leadership team remain committed to the company. There will be no changes to management structure, operations policies, or practices.
Taylor Guitars was founded in 1974 by Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug and has grown into the leading global builder of premium acoustic guitars. Taylor now employs over 1,200 people and currently produces hundreds of guitars per day in its state-of-the-art factory complexes in both El Cajon and in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. The company maintains an active dealer network, with Taylor guitars sold through hundreds of retail locations in North America and with international distribution to 60 countries, including a distribution warehouse and factory service center in the Netherlands.
The ESOP is a type of tax-qualified defined contribution plan through which employees receive a retirement benefit linked to Taylor Guitars' future equity value. Employees at Taylor's production facility in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico, will participate in its US-based ESOP plan, and European Union employees will be participants in a similar incentive plan available under EU regulations.
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Update: Jan 6th, 2021: Epiphone unveils new Coronet, Crestwood Custom, and Wilshire P-90
News out of NASHVILLE, TN that Epiphone has unveiled the new Coronet, Crestwood Custom, and Wilshire P-90 from the Designer Collection; available worldwide now at www.epiphone.com.
Epiphone first introduced the Coronet, Crestwood, and Wilshire in the late 1950’s. And the guitars mark some of Epiphone’s most successful original solid-body electric guitar designs in its history. The Wilshire is also considered the father of the famous SG guitar, preceding Gibson’s lighter, double-cutaway model by three years, and offering better upper-fret access. Notable players of these three, essential, no nonsense rockers are Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Winter, Paul Revere and The Raiders and Frank Lero of My Chemical Romance,. Each instrument includes features inspired by those early versions with symmetrical double-cutaway mahogany bodies with glued-in medium C profile mahogany necks, Indian laurel fretboards, 22 medium jumbo frets, and Kalamazoo headstocks with Epiphone Bikini badges.
First introduced in 1958, the Epiphone Coronet is one of Epiphone's first and most successful original solid body electric guitar designs. The latest version brings back many of the features of the earliest Coronet models including the symmetrical double-cutaway mahogany body with single Epiphone PRO™ P-90 Dogear pickup, three on a side reduced-size Kalamazoo headstock with Epiphone Bikini badge and ivory button tuning machines, and a white buttery pickguard with foil E logo. The Epiphone Coronet comes equipped with a glued-in mahogany neck with a medium C profile, Indian laurel fretboard with 12" radius and 22 medium jumbo frets, 1 volume and 1 tone control with CTS® potentiometers, and an Epiphone Lightning Bar compensated wraparound bridge.
The Crestwood first appeared in 1958 and was renamed Crestwood Custom in 1959; it is Epiphone's first original solid-body electric guitar design.It returns to its roots with features that harken back to the early models including a symmetrical double cutaway mahogany body with two Epiphone PRO Mini Humbucker pickups, three on a side reduced sized Kalamazoo headstock with Epiphone Bikini badge and ivory button Epiphone Deluxe tuning machines, and a clear buttery pickguard with white center stripe and foil E logo. Add to that, a glued-in mahogany neck with a medium C profile, Indian laurel fretboard with 12" radius, 22 medium jumbo frets and Epiphone oval inlays, 2 volume and 2 tone controls with CTS® potentiometers and an Epiphone LockTone™ Tune-O-Matic™ bridge with Graph Tech® TUSQ® saddles and Tremtone vibrato tailpiece.
From its first appearance in 1959 the Wilshire has been one of Epiphone's most successful original solid-body electric guitar designs. The Wilshire P-90 brings back many of the features of the earliest Wilshire models including the symmetrical double-cutaway mahogany body with dual PRO P-90 Soapbar pickups, three on a side reduced -size Kalamazoo headstock with Epiphone Bikini badge and ivory button Epiphone Deluxe tuning machines, and a buttery tortoise shell pickguard with foil E logo. The Wilshire P-90 comes equipped with a glued-in mahogany neck with a medium C prole, Indian laurel fretboard with 12" radius and 22 medium jumbo frets, 2 volume and 2 tone controls and an Epiphone LockTone™ Tune-O-Matic bridge and Stop Bar tailpiece. The Wilshire is available in the classic Cherry and Ebony finishes.
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Update: Jan 4th, 2021: Are You The Next Youtube Guitar Sensation?
With the advent of the Internet and YouTube in particular, the days of requiring private instruction to learn to play the guitar is a thing of the past, but now it seems some of these popular channels are pulling down their Youtube channel in favor of setting up their own proprietary subscriber based platform. Case in point, Fingerpicking for Beginners - a popular free YouTube series with over 8,000,000 views is about to end for the general Youtube viewing public.
says Bob Harris, founder/instructor of Acoustic Guitar Videos & Lessons, a Youtube channel with 140k subscribers, "We're still averaging more than 100,000 views a month, and that's just with lesson 1,".
Although the series currently tops YouTube's international search engine for many beginner fingerpicking guitar players, 100000 views a month doesn't generate a lot of income, so they're moving to a private paid platform.
As we all know there are many guitar teachers, players, historians and aficiondos who do make a good living purely from Youtube revenue and others who use their Youtube presence as a PR and marketing tool to guide consumers to their own proprietary properties housed on their own websites.
These modern digital income streams were becoming popular among guitar players before Covid, but in 2020 they just exploded as live gigs, touring and other traditional income streams dried up virtually overnight. Today, many of the best known and highly subscribed to Youtube channels actually feature guitar players that were either virtually or completely unknown prior to their Youtube careers.
So, as Bob Harris and "Fingerpicking for Beginners" leaves Youtube, the big question is, "is it too late to start up your channel and see if you can become a six string Youtube sensation..?"
Well, you'll never know if ya don't give it a go....!
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