Gibson Brands Unveil Gibson Custom's Tribute To Southern Rock 1959 Les Paul

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Gibson Custom, a division of Gibson Brands, is excited to announce the industry's first tribute to a genre of music with the launch of the Southern Rock Tribute Program and the corresponding guitar, the Southern Rock Tribute 1959 Les Paul. The Southern Rock Tribute Program celebrates the cultural importance of the musical genre and the Les Paul's significance in Southern Rock's lineage. The program, which features the support of legends who helped revolutionize Southern Rock including, Dickey Betts of The Allman Brothers, Charlie Daniels of The Charlie Daniels Band, Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Jimmy Hall of Wet Willie, will commence with a private media event in Nashville on May 19^th and unveil the new model to the public on May 20^th. A portion of each Southern Rock Tribute 1959 Les Paul sold will be donated to the Music Health Alliance.

Gibson Custom's Southern Rock Tribute 1959 Les Paul is an exclusive limited-edition guitar that pays respect to bands and guitarists who forged the defining sounds of the genre. From the signature riffs and heavy rhythms, Gibson's Les Paul became an integral tool many southern rock musicians used in the 60's and 70's to embody the attitude and spirit of their music. Based on the brand's flagship 1959 Les Paul Reissue, a remake of the original 1959, the new Southern Rock Tribute 1959 Les Paul features a special "Reverseburst" finish design to act as a nod to the tremendous spirit that pushed Southern Rock from fringe to mainstream consciousness. Vintage guitar experts, including Ronny Proler, consulted on the program lending input into the design of the Unique Southern Rock Tribute guitar.

Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman and CEO of Gibson Brands said, "We are thrilled to introduce the industry's first program to pay homage to a music genre that played an integral role in the brand's foundation. Through the celebration of the Les Paul, we are humbled by the wide-spread support we have received from some of the Southern Rock legends and are honored to be giving back to a music genre and its community that has given so much to our brand."  

Beginning on May 20^th, the 2014 limited-edition Gibson Custom Southern Rock Tribute 1959 Les Paul will be available through Gibson custom authorized dealers globally for $9,059 and feature special packaging to commemorate the program. Guitar aficionados will also have the opportunity to purchase one of the fifty guitars signed by the Southern Rock Tribute Ambassadors for $18,824. The Gibson Foundation will donate a portion of sales generated from this soon to be iconic Les Paul to benefit members of the music community through Music Health Alliance. For more information, please visit www.gibson.com/SouthernRock.

About Gibson Brands (Gibson.com)
Gibson Brands, one the fastest-growing companies in the music and sound industries, was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in Nashville, TN. Gibson Brands is a global leader in musical instruments, and consumer and professional audio, and is dedicated to bringing the finest experiences by offering exceptional products with world-recognized brands. Gibson has a portfolio of over 100 well-recognized brand names starting with the number one guitar brand, Gibson. Other brands include: Epiphone, Dobro, Valley Arts, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Slingerland, Maestro, Baldwin, Hamilton, Chickering and Wurlitzer. Audio brands include: KRK Systems, TASCAM, Cakewalk, Cerwin-Vega!, Stanton, Onkyo, Integra, TEAC, TASCAM Professional Software, and Esoteric. All Gibson Brands are dedicated to innovation, prestige and improving the quality of life of our customers.                        

About Music Health Alliance
Music Health Alliance is Music's Resource for Healthcare, providing confidential, safe, and non-profit services to protect, direct, and connect music professionals with healthcare across America to remove barriers and find solutions. Music Health Alliance (MHA) protects with health insurance, directs with confidential healthcare guidance and connects with healthcare resources. With a staff that has over 100 years of music industry experience, each member is certified, licensed, trained, and experienced in healthcare and health insurance. MHA has developed a new model of healthcare support that completely removes the profit motive, this concept allows the focus of the healthcare solution to be based solely on the music professional and their specific needs.

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SOURCE Gibson Brands