Dubbed the Slash Collection, the range includes four electric guitar models and two acoustics in a variety of finishes.
Guitar World had the opportunity to sit down with Slash and Gibson CMO Cesar Gueikian at NAMM to dive into the history behind the Collection, and now, to celebrate what Gibson has dubbed Slash week, the company has unveiled a new video in which Slash discusses the instruments at length.
“The first real Les Paul that I ever had was a black Standard,” Slash says. “And I think it was a re-fin. It was black and it had bumblebee yellow binding. And it was really cool. But it was exciting to have a guitar that actually said Gibson on the headstock.”
Slash, of course, has had many signature Les Pauls over the years, but what’s different about the new models, he says, is this is the first batch that is part of the USA collection – "and it’s really nice to have finally arrived at that place."
(Image credit: Gibson)
He continues, “The Custom Shop models are very exclusive – they’re pretty expensive and they’re very specific. So it’s nice to be able to do something with USA which is still top-of-the-line guitars, but they’re USA and they’re a little more accessible and affordable.”
The Les Pauls feature AAA flame maple tops and mahogany bodies, with a custom C-shape neck profile (“I think it’s what I’ve become most comfortable with over the years”), SlashBucker pickups and Slash's "Scully" drawing on the back of the headstock. Finishes are November Burst and Appetite Burst, as well as limited-edition Anaconda Burst and Vermillion Burst.
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On the acoustic side, the Slash Collection boasts a J-45 in two different finishes, Vermillion Burst and November Burst, and feature a custom Slash-approved C-neck profile and a "fatter and more modern" 16-inch fretboard radius. “It’s just my favorite basic dreadnought Gibson acoustic,” Slash says of the J-45.
He finishes, “The one thing you would hope anybody picks up when they pick up one of these guitars is that same sort of excitement of, here’s a guitar that is set up nicely and plays well and sounds good. Just sort of ticks all the boxes.”
For more information on the Slash Collection, head to Gibson.
Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.
