The guitar will be available only at the Gibson Garage London from February 21, 2025, during the venue’s Garage Fest anniversary celebrations
In celebration of Gibson Garage Fest, a series of events commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Gibson Garage London, Gibson has partnered with the world-renowned musician Johnny Marr to release 20 hand-signed Gibson Les Paul™ guitars for charity, based on the iconic Les Paul Standard he played in The Smiths.
The Gibson ’84 Les Paul Standard with Bigsby® signed by Johnny Marr will be available exclusively at the Gibson Garage London starting at 11 am on Friday, February 21, until they are sold out. All profits from the sale of the instruments will be donated by Johnny Marr and Gibson to support the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Image: Johnny Marr hand-signs the Gibson ’84 Les Paul Standard with Bigsby guitars at the Gibson Garage London
These Made to Measure guitars are inspired by Johnny Marr’s Les Paul Standard from 1984, first played by Marr during the recording of The Smiths’ iconic second album, Meat is Murder. The model became Johnny’s go-to guitar and was used extensively in both live performances and recording sessions with The Smiths, as well as during his time as a member of The The, The Pretenders, The Cribs, as well as his work with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
Marr says: “These guitars are a faithful reproduction of my beloved 1984 Gibson Les Paul, bought in Manchester back in the day. It’s the guitar I’ve kept and used since that time on loads of different records, so I was beyond delighted to see it recreated in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. It’s an amazing organization that I’ve had an association with for about ten years. It’s a privilege to be involved in this good cause and I’m very glad to be affiliated with it, especially when it involves making a fantastic Les Paul.”
Alongside the hand-signed Johnny Marr guitars, an exclusive collaborative range of Teenage Cancer Trust and Gibson merchandise will also be available. Limited edition t-shirts, hoodies, and caps featuring a newly created design by Jamie Hewlett to celebrate the 25th year of Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall will be available at the Gibson Garage London, Gibson.com, and shop.teenagecancertrust.org—with proceeds from each item sold donated directly to Teenage Cancer Trust.
Image: The Gibson ’84 Les Paul Standard with Bigsby guitar photographed at the Gibson Garage London
“The influence of Johnny Marr can be seen and heard across generations of musicians,” says Jamie Johnson, Head of Music and Entertainment at Teenage Cancer Trust. “Not only is he an incredible writer and player, but he has a huge depth of knowledge in his craft. Combined with Gibson’s generosity and mastery, we are thrilled to benefit from this unique opportunity.
“The support we receive from Johnny and Gibson can be seen across the UK, where we are able to make very real and meaningful differences for young people with cancer. Thank you to Johnny and the team at Gibson for their kindness and generosity.”
Image: These remarkable guitars are destined to be collectibles for a great cause
Lee Bartram, Gibson Head of Commercial, Marketing, and Cultural Influence – EMEA, adds, “To correspond with the Gibson Garage London’s one-year anniversary, it’s a great honor to continue our partnership with the Teenage Cancer Trust for another year and, for 2025, we have the legend that is Johnny Marr adding his support.
“These guitars Johnny has signed take inspiration from his 1984 Gibson Les Paul Standard with Bigsby, which has been featured on many classic British records over the years and are a fitting tribute to the amazing work the TCT continues to do. Gibson is also thrilled to bring a range of apparel with the TCT to the Gibson Garage London, expanding its longtime partnership with the distinguished charity.”
Image: The Gibson X Teenage Cancer Trust apparel collection is now available at the Gibson Garage London
The Gibson Garage London is located at 61-62 Eastcastle St, London, UK (one block from Oxford Street) and is open daily Monday-Friday from 11:00-7:00pm, Saturday from 10:00-7:00pm, and from 12:00-6:00pm on Sundays.
For the latest news and updates on the Gibson Garage London, follow @GibsonGuitarUK on Instagram.
