Latest news with #ES-335
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Epiphone expands its high-end Inspired by Gibson Custom Collection
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Epiphone has expanded its Inspired by Gibson Custom Collection, adding all-new models, fresh finishes and choice upgrades to its lineup of premium, Gibson-inspired electric guitars, which promise to deliver 'vintage looks and performance at an accessible price'. First given its extensive overhaul almost a year ago to the day, the modern-era Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Collection was seen as one of the firm's most notable releases of recent years – and for good reason. With prices for regular Epis on the rise and the boundary between high-end Epiphones and entry level Gibsons blurring, the Inspired by Gibson Custom range sought to make the divide even smaller, bringing a bevy of Gibson-approved appointments to an impressively-spec'd lineup of SGs, Les Pauls, ES models and more, that was dubbed 'more authentic than ever'. Chief among these was the open book headstock – a key feature of the Gibson aesthetic that, after making its way onto a select number of Epiphone artist models (Kirk Hammett's Greeny leading the way), was rolled out for a standard run production line for the first time. Image 1 of 3 Image 2 of 3 Image 3 of 3 The flagship drop comprised a 1959 Les Paul Standard, 1959 ES-355 , Les Paul Custom, and 1963 Les Paul SG Custom. Now, Epiphone has added some more workhorse builds to the mix, unveiling a 1962 ES-335 reissue, 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut, 1964 SG Standard with Maestro Vibrola, and a 1963 Firebird V and Firebird I. There are also three new Les Pauls: the 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue, 1960 Les Paul Standard, and another 1959 Les Paul Standard, which now arrives with an improved rosewood (rather than laurel) fingerboard. Of the new drop, Epiphone's Product Manager Aljon Go says, 'Each iconic guitar is a tribute to Epiphone's rich history and dedication to quality. Our 'Inspired by Gibson' collection is all about bringing high-quality guitars based on classic Gibson designs, but at a price that won't break the bank. Image 1 of 3 Image 2 of 3 Image 3 of 3 'For those looking for something truly special, our newest 'Inspired by Gibson Custom' range offers premium models crafted in collaboration with the Gibson Custom Shop. These guitars are part of our ongoing mission to make the exceptional craftsmanship and elevated appointments of the Custom Shop more accessible to players and fans everywhere.' To hit that brief, Epiphone has elected to reissue some of the most influential Gibson models there are. The 1959 Les Paul – a recreation of the Holy Grail LP – needs no introduction, nor does the 1957 Goldtop, which first cemented the Les Paul blueprint. Then there is the none-more-Angus Young '64 SG (the added Maestro Vibrola is a nice touch), as well as the ES-335, which is available in Sixties Cherry and Vintage Burst. Image 1 of 2 Image 2 of 2 Owing to the 'Inspired by Gibson Custom' lineage, there are a number of specs that set these out from the rest of the Epi crowd. Across the board, there are rosewood fingerboards, Gibson USA pickups, one-piece necks, vintage gloss finishes, either 60s SlimTaper or chunkier 50s rounded neck profiles and, of course, that open book headstock, which is what really sells the line. How successful have these tweaks been? Well, Guitar World's Daryl Robertson recently got hands-on with the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Goldtop – and noted it was one of the best Les Pauls he'd ever played. Image 1 of 3 Image 2 of 3 Image 3 of 3 'I must've played hundreds of Les Pauls, and I can safely say this is up there with the best sounding of them,' he notes. 'It even gives my own Gibson Les Paul Standard a run for its money.' As was the case with the first launch last year, it goes without saying that these are arguably the best-looking and (unsurprisingly) the most Gibson-looking Epiphones you'll be able to get your hands on, but that comes at a cost: on average, prices sit at $1,299, with the LP Special weighing in at $999 and the Firebird V sitting at $1,699. Head over to Epiphone to find out more.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dean owner issues response to court loss over Gibson trademark verdict
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Dean has responded to a federal jury's decision to back Gibson in its copyright infringement battle against the Razorback luthier, branding it a 'complex verdict'. The two firms have regularly locked legal horns in recent years after Gibson filed a lawsuit against Armadillo Enterprises , the owner of Dean Guitars in 2019. It claimed that Dean's use of Flying V, Explorer, and SG guitar shapes infringed upon its copyright. Gibson won the first trial in 2022, which prevented Dean from building guitars with those silhouettes. It called the verdict 'a win for Gibson fans, [and] for all of the iconic American brands that have invested in meaningful innovation,' as it fights against counterfeit guitars. A separate lawsuit followed Dean in 2023 as mounting debts left the firm's future hanging in the balance. Yet it pushed on, launching a new wave of Explorer-style guitars in late '23 with the not-so-subtle tagline of 'zero f**ks given,' and successfully won the right to a retrial in its case with Gibson in July last year. Much of the Dean owner's defence hinged upon it successfully arguing that the body and headstock shapes Gibson claims it owns should be deemed generic. The retrial, however, has ruled in Gibson's favor once more, upholding its trademarks. As was the case three years ago, it is also set to receive a financial sum for damages., though that has once again been set at a token $1. Now the Dean owner has issued a short statement in response to the verdict, noting that the jury found in its favor on the ES-335 shape and Evolution headstock. 'Today's decision in our trial with Gibson is a complex jury verdict,' it says. 'We are reviewing all of our options. We are pleased that the jury found that our Evolution headstock does not infringe on the Gibson Dovewing headstock and that the ES-335 body shape is generic. 'With the award of just one dollar in damages it is clear that lawsuits like this in the guitar industry are just not worth the time and expense – we hope that in moving forward parties will be able to work out their differences in a more efficient manner.' Gibson's own statement notes 'the jury's decision reinforces the validity and strength of Gibson's intellectual property rights, confirming that its guitar shapes, including the Flying V, Explorer, and SG, remain protected trademarks,' and underlined that it was turning its focus to the future. Historically, Gibson has guarded its intellectual property fiercely, with PRS and Trump Guitars both on the receiving end of moves from Gibson's legal team. Last year a staggering $18 million of fake Gibson guitars were seized by US Border Protection officers: the biggest bust of its kind on record. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Greeny will always be Kirk Hammett's pride and joy. But this uber-rare 1959 Gibson ES-335 is a close second – and it has a surprising history
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Although he's best known as lead guitarist for the world's biggest metal band, in guitar circles Kirk Hammett has become as synonymous with collecting as he is with Metallica. His prize piece is Greeny, the famed 1959 Gibson Les Paul named after Peter Green and formerly owned by Gary Moore. But his collection runs the gamut of vintage collectables, from '50s Goldtops to Korina Flying Vs and, of course, his own stage-used guitars. Now a new book, The Collection: Kirk Hammett catalogs Hammett's rarest and most iconic pieces over 400 pages, including new and archive photography from Ross Halfin, and the history behind the guitars from Hammett himself and author, Gibson Editor-in-Chief Chris Vinnicombe. One of many notable examples in the tome is a 1959 ES-335 in a then-almost unheard-of factory black finish. This is its unlikely story. The following is an extract from The Collection: Kirk Hammett, now available from Gibson Publishing and reproduced with permission. Now here's something you don't see every day. Although black guitars are plentiful today, back in the vintage era, unless your Gibson guitar was a Les Paul Custom, a black finish would either have to be purchased through a dealer by special order or the result of an employee request. And when it comes to models such as the ES-335, original factory black examples are vanishingly rare, with perhaps as few as two or three known to exist. For a collector like Kirk, these are the guitars to get really excited about. 'The super-rare Gibsons, maybe one of two or three known to exist, that's the type of stuff I tend to gravitate to,' he says. 'Low supply, high demand. As a collector since I was five or six years old of like, comic books, toys… I just know that things like that will always hold their value. There will always be a demand, and as time goes on the demand gets bigger and bigger, which means more value or more worth. 'But I don't really think about the value or worth; I just like to think about how cool the instrument is.' And what is Kirk's favorite custom color from the 1950s and '60s? None more black, of course. 'If we're talking old-school? I love black Gibsons. They're just epic… there's nothing like a black guitar. A black guitar is like black clothing; every time you put it on, it goes with whatever you are wearing and it just means business.' Even the case for this guitar means business. Housed in a huge custom-fitted flightcase known as 'The Monolith,' Kirk has begun referring to his black '59 ES-335 by the same nickname, 'Because it's so big-sounding.' You can tell I've played it onstage because it has sweat stains all over it! Other than the addition of some gaffer tape to protect Kirk's picking hand from the sharp bottom corner of the pickguard, which has become characteristically warped with age, the guitar is in remarkable original condition. 'When I first got it, there wasn't as much yellowing as there is now,' he says of the guitar's body and fingerboard binding. 'It's only gotten more yellowing because it's seen more time out of the case. You can tell I've played it onstage because it has sweat stains all over it! But it's a killer. When I really think about it, and I'm really, really honest with myself, it's probably my second-best-sounding guitar.' Image 1 of 3 Image 2 of 3 Image 3 of 3 Kirk bought the guitar from a friend in London, but its previous home in Chicago provided a breadcrumb trail leading back to the Gibson stand at the NAMM Show (the annual convention held by the National Association of Music Merchants) in 1959. 'There's a famous picture of the 1959 NAMM Show in Chicago,' Kirk explains. 'There's a Flying V, a Les Paul, and right behind them is this guitar, sitting in the background. I'm 99 percent sure it's the same one, because the one I have came out of Chicago.' Thanks to a famous Luis Vuitton advertising campaign in 2008 featuring an iconic Annie Leibovitz portrait of Keith Richards in a hotel room with his original factory black ES-355, it's impossible to talk about rare black Gibsons without Keith coming up in the conversation. 'I wanted a black ES-335 ever since I saw Keith Richards' black ES-355,' Kirk admits. 'I suspect this is the guitar Keith has been looking for all of his life! It's one of my favorite guitars and it doesn't feed back. I've played it onstage, full fucking volume, hitting tremendous powerchords – super-full, no feedback. It holds up, man. 'Great rhythm sound, great lead sound, great clean sound. You can't go wrong with a 335. It sounds so big and full. It sounds like two guitars, really!' The Collection: Kirk Hammett is available now from Gibson Publishing in Standard hardcover, Deluxe slipcase and Custom boxset editions. See for more info.
