“The future’s bright”: Gibson continues to push forward with new Slash, Custom Shop and Murphy Lab guitars, and raises awareness – and funds – via Gibson Gives

By now, we’re all well familiar with Gibson’s unparalleled status as a maker of guitars and gear (and if, somehow, this 127-years-and-running fact has passed you by, we suggest a visit to the brand-new Gibson Garage, stat).

Less celebrated, but perhaps equally important, is Gibson’s largely behind-the-scenes philanthropic work, which is largely enacted through its charity arm, Gibson Gives.

Currently celebrating its two-year anniversary, Gibson Gives has announced it has raised over $2.5m worldwide through its mission of creating, developing, and supporting non-profit organizations in their efforts to advance musicians, as well as youth-focused education and wellness initiatives.

And just as Gibson itself also encompasses storied brands like Epiphone, Kramer and Mesa/Boogie, the overwhelming success of Gibson Gives has now led the company to introduce Epiphone Empowered, Kramer Kares and Mesa Mission, programs that, like Gibson Gives, will raise funds and awareness to help give the gift of music.

“These are all going to be specific programs under Gibson Gives, which is really trying to drive that notion of contribution to music and the next generation of music as well,” Gibson President and CEO James “JC” Curleigh recently told Guitar World. “And if the last two years is an indicator that we can make a difference, then the future’s bright for Gibson Gives.”

Indeed it is. For starters, Gibson Gives has created two new groups, an Influencers and an Artist Advisory Council, to help drive the culture of giving back across Gibson’s brands, employees, artists, partners, events and communities worldwide.

The Gibson Gives Artist Advisory Council members include Lzzy Hale, Celisse, Alex Lifeson, Matt Heafy, Joe Bonamassa, Billy F. Gibbons, Slash, Captain Kirk Douglas and more, while the Gibson Gives Influencers group includes a community of leaders across the music and entertainment worlds, from the Country Music Hall of Fame and MusiCares to professional sports teams like the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Soccer Club.

What’s more Gibson Gives also recently launched the TEMPO initiative – a program that seeks to combat cases of opioid overdoses in the music industry and educate individuals on how to save lives in the event they discover someone in the midst of an overdose.

“It’s a very specific program designed to get artists through a tough period without having to rely on a drug dynamic that could lead to a 'dark side' situation,” Curleigh says. 

“We’re trying to put the bright side into the dark side and we’ve got amazing support from artists and other partners. We’re really proud of it because it’s a subject that a lot of people don’t want to put on the center of the table in the music world and we’re saying, ‘Let’s put it on the main stage and deal with it.’ ”

While Gibson Gives continues to give the gift of music one guitar at a time, Gibson Brands itself is in full-speed-ahead mode in terms of making those guitars.

The company recently launched the affordable, impressively spec'd Epiphone Slash Collection, comprised of a Les Paul Standard available in four colorways (Appetite Burst, November Burst, Anaconda Burst and Vermillion Burst), a “Victoria” Les Paul Standard Goldtop and a J-45 acoustic available in either Vermillion Burst or November Burst.

The new range, Gibson Brand President Cesar Gueikian tells Guitar World, “brings a new price point and accessibility to the Les Paul of your dreams into the Epiphone brand, which is a great value proposition for someone who says, ‘I have 600, 700 bucks and I want to have a Slash Les Paul.’ ” 

Now, with the Epiphone Slash Collection, they can.

There’s also been major moves at the Gibson Custom Shop, including the Collector’s Edition 1958 Korina Flying V and Explorer, reissues of some of the rarest instruments in the brand’s history.

What’s more, Gibson is making incredible strides with the Murphy Lab, headed up by guitar aging pioneer Tom Murphy, which was created to be a division of the Gibson Custom Shop focused entirely on building historical guitars with clone-like accuracy.

“Gibson is the pinnacle of guitars and the Custom Shop is the pinnacle of Gibson,” Guekian says. “With the Custom Shop, we set out to achieve historical accuracy – that’s our DNA. And the evolution of that has been the Murphy Lab. Tom has now helped us get historical accurateness back into how we’re aging instruments.”

That’s a whole lot of action at Gibson. As for what Gueikian is most pleased about with Gibson today? 

“That we have a really good band. It’s a great team,” he says. “And then it’s been about bringing the artists back, and connecting with artists across genres and generations, from young to established icons. That’s probably what I’m most proud of.”

To keep up on everything Gibson, head to Gibson.com.