Gear For 2019
Straight from the biggest gear show of the year we’ve selected the highlights players can look forward to
Gibson’s back!
Last year Gibson was a no-show at NAMM – and that was just a chapter in one of its darkest times. But now the tide is turning. TG was there to see the opening of its stand at the show, which made it clear that Gibson’s back and ready to win over doubting hearts and minds. There wasn’t a bevvy of ‘new’ models, though Epiphone had its share of signature launches, but there was the sense Gibson was focussing on what matters under Cesar Gueikian, its new chief merchant officer. A Chuck Berry 350T tribute was unveiled, with the late legend’s son and grandson performing before a rousing speech from new CEO, former Levi’s President JC Curleigh.
Highlights for us were the Les Paul Special Tribute
DC, which comes in at £699, and the 50s and
60s-spec Les Paul Standards released in direct response to player demand.
Epiphone had plenty of new artist signatures to show off alongside the return of the 1970s Del Ray Double Cut model under its new name, the DC Pro (£TBC). It’s modernised with coil-tappable Probucker humbuckers, a treble-bleed circuit and
Grover 18:1 ratio tuners. The Wild Ivy model on the stand was an eye-catcher too.
On the signature side, blues rocker Jared
James Nichols (who seemed to be performing everywhere during the show) now has Old
Glory, a satin black Les Paul Custom packing one Seymour Duncan P-90.
Other new signature models included Peter Frampton three-pickup LP Custom Pro and a
‘1964’ Texan acoustic, Slash
Firebird, Joe Bonamassa ES-355,
George Thorogood White Fang
ES-125TDC, Dave Rude’s Flying
V and Lzzy Hale and Jason Hook
Explorers plus Viv Campbell’s
Holy Diver Les Paul.