Gibson Les Paul vs Fender Stratocaster: Which is right for you? By Matt McCracken published 27 March 24 We put these two titans of tone head to head, deep-diving into their similarities and differences so you can be sure you’re purchasing the right guitar
“These guitars influenced generations of musicians and world-renowned artists”: Gibson has revived the Everly Brothers’ J-180 – an iconic acoustic used to inspire The Beach Boys, Beatles and beyond By Matt Owen published 26 March 24 The revered flattop, as used by the influential rock 'n' roll duo, returns more than 6 decades after the signature model was introduced
“I think there were actually two paths. One was the wild pointy-shape things. The other was what I believe led to the 335”: The 1955 ‘missing link’ guitar designs that offer intriguing clues to Gibson’s Golden Era developments By Matt Parker published 26 March 24 The images inspired the recent production of the Theodore solidbody, but could also fill some crucial gaps when it comes to our knowledge of Gibson’s 1950s R&D process
Used Gibsons hold their value better than Fenders on the second-hand market – but there’s good news for Player Tele and Strat owners By Matt Parker published 26 March 24 A new study compares new asking prices to Reverb used sales figures for the top 40 best-selling guitars in the US
“Museum-grade works of art”: Gibson has unveiled its most ambitious set of Master Artisan instruments yet – trust us, you’ve never seen Custom Shop guitars quite like this before By Phil Weller published 25 March 24 Drawing inspiration from the Mediterranean, Middle East, Wild West, and beyond, these one-of-a-kind builds champion the unique craftsmanship of Gibson's master artisan builder, Rickie Hinrichsen
A beginner’s guide to the Gibson Byrdland – the cult classic archtop that took flight after a request from two Nashville guitar aces By Phil Gajewski published 21 March 24 Billy Byrd and Hank Garland were integral to the development of one of Gibson’s coolest ‘Thinline’ models – an “L-5, but with a thinner body and a bunch of other stuff” – and the rest is history
“The figured tops of the future”: Epiphone has expanded its Modern Figured range with two brilliant burst finishes – giving the futuristic family perhaps its best makeover yet By Matt Owen published 20 March 24 “The SG of the future” and a contemporary take on the classic Les Paul template get a long overdue cosmetic pick-me-up thanks to a pair of eye-popping colorways
“A just-right balance between pure, unadulterated vintage tube tone and modern conveniences”: Gibson Falcon 20 review By Chris Gill published 19 March 24 This sweet-sounding tube combo puts Gibson's amp range back on its perch
“Inspired by original drawings from 1957”: Gibson announces the Theodore Standard – bringing the unearthed archive design to the firm’s core USA line for the first time ever By Matt Owen published 19 March 24 First released exclusively as a Custom Shop model based on a sketch from the ’50s, the Theodore is back – and it’s come with some choice tweaks
“Gibson Supremes with Floyds!”: Neal Schon has rekindled his relationship with Gibson, bringing the Floyd Rose to the luxed-out Les Paul Supreme for a trio of potential signature models By Phil Weller published 18 March 24 The Journey guitarist is back working with Gibson – and details of the pair's new models will reportedly be announced later this week
“If the mini-humbucker had remained exclusive to Epiphone, it may have been a mere footnote. It developed a following because they ended up in Gibson guitars”: The mini-humbucker’s surprising history – and why it deserves more love By Huw Price published 15 March 24 Often passed over in conversations about the greatest electric guitar pickups, the mini-humbucker has a unique tone of its own, its story inextricably linked to Epiphone and Gibson
“We’ve arrived at something that’s really special”: Gibson launches Jimmy Page’s ultra-exclusive Collector’s Edition 1969 EDS-1275 double-neck signature guitar – a meticulous, $50,000 recreation of an enduring rock ’n’ roll symbol By Matt Owen published 14 March 24 Only 50 units exclusive to the Gibson Garage will be made, and each come played and hand-signed by the Led Zeppelin legend himself
Best Gibson Les Paul 2024: The greatest Gibson singlecuts for every budget and style By Daryl Robertson last updated 13 March 24 We break down the latest offerings from Gibson to help you pick the right Les Paul for you
“I must admit, it looked and sounded phenomenal, but the poor girl was crushed to smithereens… I was totally heartbroken”: How Ted Nugent accidentally destroyed his first Gibson Byrdland By Phil Gajewski published 13 March 24 An archtop jazz box was a strange choice for a young rocker like Nugent, but as he explains here, it was the making of him, and it was all about the tone
“Striking limited-edition reissues of the very first ES-335”: Gibson revives the flagship ES-335 design for a line of ‘58 Murphy Lab models – complete with a rare spec you won't find on any other 335 By Matt Owen published 12 March 24 Three models have been introduced with various degrees of meticulous Murphy Lab relic'ing – but all three faithfully subscribe to the 1958-inspired design
Best electric guitar strings 2024: the finest electric guitar strings for every budget and playing style By Chris Corfield last updated 11 March 24 Keep your axe feeling and sounding fresh with the best electric guitar strings on offer right now
“So many people lost their guitars. I lost 44”: Peter Frampton recalls how he lost and recovered guitars through floods and plane crashes as he shows off his eye-watering gear collection on Gibson TV By Matt Owen published 8 March 24 The legendary “Phenix” Les Paul, and an Epiphone salvaged from the 2010 Nashville floods and used to pen Show Me The Way headline the latest episode of Gibson’s The Collection
“It’s the higher-profile artist associations that tend to attract the big money – things like your Pearly Gates and your Jimmy Pages”: Why Gibson’s replicas of famous Les Pauls are commanding almost as much as vintage guitars By Jamie Dickson published 6 March 24 Gibson’s highest-tier replicas are seriously sought after on the collector's market. We find out what all the fuss is about and examine a rare recreation of Jimmy Page’s fiendishly complex #2 Les Paul Standard
“The wait is over – now you can have it all”: Dave Grohl’s Epiphone DG-335, the most demanded signature model in its 151-year history, is finally here – and it costs less than you might expect By Matt Parker published 5 March 24 We got an exclusive look at the Foo Fighters’ man’s new signature back in January – and now it’s available to order
“Vintage Firebird specifications at an accessible price”: Epiphone’s $1,799 Inspired by Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V has landed – offering a high-spec take on Gibson’s first neck-through body build By Matt Parker published 28 February 24 The Chinese-made model also comes in a hardtail Firebird I variant and features Gibson’s USA Firebird mini-humbuckers and a faithful nine-ply mahogany/walnut neck-through construction