November 2024 saw some seriously desirable exclusive Gibson, Kramer, and Epiphone guitars land on Gibson.com and at the Gibson Garage
Welcome to a new monthly series in which we’ll be rounding up the latest and greatest instruments that you can buy only at the Gibson Garage and online via Gibson.com. Kicking things off are some gorgeous new Gibson Custom Select Les Paul Customs.
First off, what is Gibson Custom Select? Gibson Custom Select is a curated selection of guitars with unique features such as custom hardware and hand-mixed finishes. These instruments are made in small batches by skilled artisans at the Gibson Custom Shop with the best materials available and often feature hand-selected tonewoods.
All the features on these guitars are handpicked by Gibson aficionados who live and breathe guitar gear. Some of these features, or even models, are only available through Gibson Custom Select or the Made to Measure program, making each guitar a rare bird indeed. Check back monthly to see what’s new from Gibson Custom Select.
Image: This Les Paul™ Custom with nickel hardware in Heavy Aged Oxblood ticks all the boxes
The November launch from Gibson Custom Select comes in the form of a trio of heavy-aged Les Paul Customs in three classic finishes—Ebony, Oxblood, and Classic White. These Gibson Custom Select models feature two distinct features that cannot be found on normal Gibson Les Paul Customs from the Modern Collection, which is a Murphy Lab Heavy Aged treatment and nickel hardware in place of the usual gold.
Rarely found on guitars from the Modern Collection, the Murphy Lab Heavy Aged treatment offers the look and feel of a vintage instrument with simulated wear and tear from decades on the road. Here, this vintage feel and aesthetic on a Modern Collection guitar makes for an exciting combination not usually found in Gibson’s portfolio. Since all three guitars are based on the Les Paul Custom from the Modern Collection, they feature higher-output pickups, a Modern Medium C neck profile, and nine-hole weight relief.
The nickel hardware is aged to match the Heavy Aged finishes, which includes the Grover® Kidney Rotomatic® tuning machines, pickup covers, and every screw that secures the back plates, pickguard, output jack, and pickups. These guitars are for the player who wants a Les Paul Custom that feels broken in with less visual bling, but has all the quality-of-life benefits that the Modern Collection offers.
Image: For a stripped down rock experience, choose the Les Paul Junior Double Cut in one of two exclusive finishes
At last, TV Yellow and Vintage Cherry
Until recently, the Double Cut Junior was only available from Gibson Custom, but now, by popular demand, the model has returned to the USA craftory. Released earlier this year as a Gibson exclusive model in the Dark Walnut Collection, the Les Paul Junior Double Cut is now available in two iconic Gibson Les Paul Junior finishes from the late 1950s: TV Yellow and Vintage Cherry.
The double-cutaway Les Paul Junior is one of the rarest configurations of vintage Les Paul Junior because of the limited time during which it was produced. Based on the Les Paul Juniors made from 1958 to 1960, our new Les Paul Junior Double Cuts feature the ever-so-popular SlimTaper™ neck profile for a modern playing feel.
Featuring a single Dogear P-90 pickup and a tortoiseshell pickguard, these no-frills rockers get straight to the point. Double Cut Juniors have been loved by many over the years, but especially by punk rockers such as Mick Jones from The Clash, Johnny Thunders from New York Dolls, and Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day. The attitude these guitars exude automatically makes them the perfect punk rock guitar—all that is required is a cable and a wide-open amplifier. If you know, you know.
Image: The Kramer 84 HH comes in this cool Smoked Almond Metallic finish, complete with killswitch
New from Kramer
Along with the global release of the Kramer 84 HH, five exclusive finishes have come down the pipeline. The Kramer 84 HH comes in several different flavors—Killswitch, Quilt, and the standard HH configuration in Satin and Gloss.
Kramer guitars are the perfect canvas with which to display your personality. With its roots in the 1980s, Kramer is known for flashy finishes, locking vibratos, “banana” headstocks, and much more. All of these models feature USA Eruption humbuckers™ with coil splitting that were designed by Gibson Master Luthier Jim DeCola.
A Floyd Rose® 1000 Series vibrato system makes dive bombs easy while keeping the guitar in tune throughout the set. For a smooth playing experience, each of these instruments features a Kramer SlimTaper C profile thermally aged maple neck with a compound radius and a 25.5” scale length.
Finished in an exclusive Smoked Almond Metallic, the Kramer 84 Killswitch features an onboard killswitch, enabling players to add Tom Morello-style stutter effects while ripping solos or playing rhythm parts.
As for the Kramer 84 HH Quilts, these guitars feature a touch of luxury, with AAAA quilt maple veneer tops over an alder body. Two exclusive finishes are available: Purple Burst and Orange Burst. And if a figured top is too pretty for you, check out these exclusive Purple Sparkle and Intruder Black Satin finishes on the regular 84 HH.
Image: The Ebony Gibson Hummingbird Standard EC is exclusive to Gibson.com
Gibson Hummingbird Standard EC in exclusive Ebony finish
The newly released Gibson Hummingbird™ Standard EC can be found in Ebony only at Gibson. The black finish fits in on stage with tuxedos as well as denim, making for a versatile guitar that a wide range of guitarists can enjoy. The Hummingbird EC range brings the best of both worlds with the combination of an iconic Gibson shape and the modern appeal of a cutaway and stage-ready electronics. Gibson acoustics with a cutaway are rare, and the enhanced upper-fret access will appeal to lead guitarists who need an expanded range.
This Hummingbird Standard EC dressed in black has all the features of the standard model, including the onboard L.R. Baggs™ VTC pickup system, soundhole-mounted volume and tone controls, and a Rounded SlimTaper neck profile.
A solid Sitka spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides are the classic tonewood recipe for a Gibson Hummingbird, known for its balanced tone, perfect for any singer-songwriter. The Hummingbird EC is made for those players who prefer the accessibility and styling of a cutaway electro-acoustic guitar with the timeless Gibson Hummingbird design.
Image: The Epiphone SG™ and Les Paul Tribute models in Aqua
Affordable Epiphones in exclusive finishes
With the recent introduction of the Epiphone Les Paul Tribute, SG Tribute, and J-45™ Express, it’s only fitting that some exclusive finishes are available. The Les Paul Tribute and SG Tribute both feature an Aqua finish, perfect for the beginner who wants to stand out in a crowd. In addition, the J-45 Express shows off a Pelham Blue top, a classic Gibson custom color that has been sought after for decades.
Shop Gibson Exclusives and Gibson Custom Select today.
