GARAGE ROCK

Gibson Guitars opens new Garage superstore/venue in London

RC attended the launch of the Gibson Garage London outlet at Eastcastle Street, on 22 February. Gibson’s first flagship store outside the US marks the brand’s 130th anniversary, with an offering of 300-plus guitars suspended in wall- and ceilingmounted, rotating conveyor-belt displays. The ultra-plush emporium was opened by Jimmy Page, who unveiled his own signature double-beck 12/six-string guitar, out in March, and revealed that his trusted 70s model has been reproduced perfectly, down to its road-inflicted dings and distressing. It took 18 months for the axe to come to fruition, after Gibson technicians visited his home to make a 3D-printed copy of it. While Jimmy and Gibson’s CEO, Cesar Gueikian, were coy about planned future signature instruments, it’s unlikely to be their only collaboration this year.

The Garage features the Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab, which makes one-off guitars, and framed prototypes in wall-mounted cases from BB King, Johnny Winter, Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, and Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, who was in attendance, alongside Queen’s Brian May. James Bay performed in the newly-revamped basement venue in front of the trio, and RC was reliably informed that more prototypes and vintage ephemera from the Nashville Gibson Garage are set to appear in London on a regular, rotating basis. The stairs leading to the venue house a gallery for exhibitions, the first of which is a selection of Gered Mankowitz prints on sale at £2,200-£3,000 each, including The Rolling Stones, Marianne Faithfull, PP Arnold, Jeff

Beck, Joan Jett, Paul Mccartney, Gary Moore, The Jam, Kate Bush, Cat Stevens, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Suzi Quatro, Cream and

Noel Gallagher. His 20-copy signed Gibson ’78 Les Paul Custom guitar was available exclusively at the Garage’s public opening on 24 February. Mankowitz’s display is at the Garage for three months, before moving to Redhouse Originals Gallery, Cheltenham Mount, Harrogate, while his photobook on the Stones is out in March.

See Gibson.com, redhouseoriginals.com. Gered Mankowitz The Rolling Stones Rare & Unseen book is on Hachette, 28 March.

“Prototype guitars from Nashville will appear on a regular basis”

Left to right: Gibson CEO, Cesar Guiekian, Jimmy Page, Brian May, Tony Iommi

Brian May plays his special red thing at the Gibson Garage, a couple of days before the premises went public Left: May talks about joining the Gibson family Left: prototype guitars in wall frames Right: James Bay with Messrs Iommi, Page and May Right: Page applauds the boss for his new signature double-neck

Left: Noel Gallagher signs his custom axe for charity Right: hitting the high notes in guitar heaven