
1955 NAMM Show Commemorative Edition Les Paul
Gibson returns to NAMM 2025 this week to showcase their 2025 lineup.
1955 NAMM Show Commemorative Edition Les Paul
Gibson Custom introduces the 1955 NAMM Show Commemorative Edition Les Paul, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the five custom color Gibson Les Pauls that were displayed at the 1955 NAMM Show. Gibson displayed these five distinctive Les Paul models at the 1955 NAMM Show--which was held in Chicago, IL--with each guitar finished in one of five custom metallic nitrocellulose lacquer car finishes–Samoa Beige, Copper Iridescent, Nugget Gold, Platinum, and Viceroy Brown. In addition to their custom metallic finishes, they were outfitted with no-wire ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridges and Stop Bar tailpieces. These bridges were first introduced on the Gibson Super 400 in 1953 and were used on the 1954 Les Paul Custom, but they made their first appearance on a standard Les Paul model with the five guitars that were displayed at the 1955 NAMM Show. These distinctive-looking and historically notable Les Pauls were made in extremely limited numbers, and the whereabouts of only a few are known today.
This special run is limited to only 70 guitars in each of the custom colors, with the custom metallic nitrocellulose lacquer car finishes expertly recreated by Gibson for the first time ever. Each of these guitars features historically accurate 1955 specifications, including a lightweight one-piece mahogany body and a hide glue-fitted two-piece plain maple cap. Even the color matched Speed knobs replicate the knobs on the guitars that were shown at the 1955 NAMM Show. The one-piece mahogany neck has a long neck tenon, a 1950s Chunky D-Shape neck profile, and an Indian rosewood fretboard that has 22 historic narrow/tall frets, a 12” fretboard radius, and is adorned with aged cellulose nitrate trapezoid inlays. The headstock features a period-correct “low logo” holly headstock veneer and is equipped with a nylon nut and single line, single ring Kluson® tuners, and has a historical 1955 limited run serial number on the back. The pickups are a pair of cream-covered Custom Shop P-90 Soapbars that are hand-wired to 500k CTS potentiometers and paper-in-oil capacitors. Each guitar in this limited edition also features Light Aging by the skilled artisans of the Murphy Lab. The Murphy Lab Light Aged finish treatment, paired with lightly aged hardware, simulates decades of light play wear, giving these guitars the unique character, vibe, and feel of an original example from the Gibson Golden Era. A brown/pink Lifton five-latch case is also included to complete the authentic vintage ownership. Highly collectible, only 70 of the 1955 NAMM Show Commemorative Edition Les Paul guitars from Gibson Custom will be made in each of the five colors, for a total of 350 guitars.
Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard
Warren Haynes is highly regarded for his work in rock, blues, and Americana music with the Allman Brothers Band, as a founding member of Gov’t Mule, as a session guitarist and sideman for numerous famous friends and groups, as the leader of The Warren Haynes Band, and as a solo artist. A master of multiple styles and genres, Warren has also shared his expertise with other players via multiple instructional videos. A self-described “Gibson man,” Warren has used several Gibson models throughout the years, including his cherished ’61 ES-335, among others. The Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard is another standout, with features tailored specifically to Warren’s preferences, including a mahogany body with a plain maple cap topped with a 60s Cherry finish, just like his cherished ’61 ES-335, a mahogany neck with a chunky 50s vintage neck profile, like all of Warren’s favorite Les Pauls, and much more. Bearing the traditional looks and feel of a 50’s-era Les Paul coupled with modern features like hum-free P-90 DC pickups and an on board clean boost, the Gibson Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard bridges modern and traditional and is a great choice for players who, like Warren, want both a traditional appearance and modern functionality in one outstanding guitar.
1936 Advanced Jumbo
Gibson Custom is proud to introduce the Gibson 1936 Advance Jumbo “Heavy Aged” acoustic guitar. During a time when cultural optimism was low, Gibson dreamed up a new line of advanced instruments, and included in those models was the Advanced Jumbo. Due to low production numbers from 1936-1939, this model largely flew under the radar even though it was a supreme-sounding and performing instrument. Outfitted with a thermally aged red spruce top, rosewood back and sides, and premium Waverly tuners, the 1936 Advanced Jumbo brings back all the tone and prestige that made these such sought-after instruments by artists and collectors. It features Heavy Aging by the skilled artisans of the Murphy Lab. The Murphy Lab Heavy Aged finish treatment, paired with heavily aged hardware, simulates decades of heavy play wear, giving it the unique character, vibe, and feel of an original example from the Gibson Golden Era. The Gibson 1936 Advance Jumbo arrives in a stunning Vintage Sunburst, expect a heavy weather-checked finish, heavy belt buckle wear, light arm wear, and light neck wear.
1939 SJ-100
New for 2025, the Gibson Custom 1939 SJ-100 is a replica of the rare and distinctive mahogany-backed Super Jumbo 100 that was built for only a few years (circa 1939-1942). The 1939 SJ-100 Heavy Aged fully replicates the original and exceptionally rare 1939 SJ-100 guitars that are coveted by collectors and vintage Gibson experts around the world. It features a thermally aged red spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and a two piece maple neck with a rounded profile and an ebony fretboard. Other notable features include a vintage SJ-100 style firestripe pickguard, the rare, vintage “stair step” headstock design, the Gibson script headstock logo inlaid in mother of pearl, and Waverly tuners with ivoroid knobs. Crafted by the expert luthiers and craftspeople at the Gibson Custom Shop in Bozeman, Montana, the Gibson Custom 1939 SJ-100 has been artfully aged by the artisans of the Murphy Lab to give it the look and feel of a long-cherished musical companion.
1942 Banner J-45
The allure and legend of the Gibson J-45 lives on in the new Murphy Lab 1942 Banner J-45. Inspired by the holy grail of vintage acoustic instruments, luthiers in Montana meticulously crafted a J-45 just like the most popular and celebrated version in structure and components. The new 1942 Banner J-45 includes a thermally aged red spruce top hand-sprayed with a historic-style burst, hot hide glue top bracing for better tonal response, and a bone nut and saddle. It features a Heavy Aging finish by the Murphy Lab paired with heavily aged hardware that simulates decades of heavy play wear, giving it the unique character, vibe, and feel of an original example from the Gibson Golden Era. The 1942 Banner J-45 arrives in a striking Vintage Sunburst, expect a heavy weather-checked finish, heavy belt buckle wear, light arm wear, and light neck wear.
Margo Price J-45
The music of multiple award-winning artist Margo Price transcends the boundaries of traditional country, Americana, and classic rock, and her Gibson J-45 acoustic has always been by her side during her rise as a top country artist. Gibson Custom’s Margo Price J-45 embodies the spirit, vision, and talent that has driven Margo to stardom and continues the nature-themed model tradition of Gibson. The Margo Price J-45 was inspired by her mid-60s J-45, a guitar she’s called “my main baby; my guitar I play all the time.” The Margo Price J-45 features a slightly thinner mahogany body with a red spruce top with traditional hand-scalloped advance X-bracing, a mahogany neck with a Rounded profile and rosewood fretboard, and Grover strap tuners with white buttons. The nut and saddle are bone and the bridge pins are TUSQ. The Margo Price J-45 also comes equipped with L.R. Baggs electronics, so it’s studio and stage ready right out of the included hardshell case. Margo was also inspired by red-tailed hawks, which feature prominently on the distinctive double 50s-style pickguards of her new signature guitar. As Margo says, “Red Tailed hawks have always been symbolic to me. I see them everywhere, and I always have, as they’re common all over the U.S., but to me, they’re otherworldly, and they always come to me in my time of need with messages of strength and perseverance. Red, as a color, relates to love, passion, and even anger, matters that we typically would associate with the heart, but if you look closely, the ends of their feathers are dipped in white, and the bird itself has a spiritual nature. When I’m on long trips, I look out the window and count them alongside the highway. They pass over me at the most kismet times, reminding me to find strength in my vulnerability, and to open up and connect with those around me. I hope this guitar will remind those who play it these lessons as well.”
Les Paul Custom
The Epiphone Les Paul Custom has been updated and is now better than ever. Part of the Inspired by Gibson Collection, it honors the 1950s-era classic that was designed by Mr. Les Paul himself in 1954 as the “tuxedo” version of his groundbreaking solidbody masterpiece. It features an all-mahogany body, a mahogany neck with a refined Modern Medium C neck profile, an ebony fretboard and pearloid block inlays and medium jumbo frets, gold hardware, including a gold Epiphone LockTone Tune-o-Matic bridge and LockTone Stop Bar tailpiece, a pair of Epiphone’s new Probucker Custom humbucker pickups, which are based on Gibson Custom’s Custombucker humbucking pickups, and a larger Custom split-diamond inlay on the headstock, a Graph Tech nut, era-appropriate wiring, and CTS potentiometers. An Epiphone premium gig bag is now included to help keep your guitar safe when not in use and when traveling.
J-180
The Gibson J-180 has been the choice of rock, country, and pop royalty, including legendary artists like the Everly Brothers, Cat Stevens, Dwight Yoakam, and Billie Joe Armstrong, up to some of today’s most famous artists. In partnership with Gibson Acoustic in Bozeman, Montana, Epiphone is proud to release a new version of this player-favorite guitar. The Epiphone J-180 LS is packed with premium features, including a thermally aged solid spruce top with scalloped X bracing, solid mahogany back and sides, a one-piece mahogany neck with a 25.5” scale length, C-profile, laurel fretboard, and the iconic “star” mother of pearl inlays that the model is so well known for. The compensated saddle, bridge pins, and nut are bone, and the headstock features the world-famous Gibson-style “open book” headstock shape, with the Epiphone logo and headstock star proudly displayed in mother of pearl. An Inspired by Gibson Custom Double Diamond emblem is etched on the rear of the headstock. Available in a variety of eye-catching colors and equipped with an L.R. Baggs™ VTC under-saddle pickup and preamp system, this exceptional guitar is stage and studio-ready from the moment you take it out of the included hardshell case. The Epiphone J-180 LS is available worldwide in Ebony, Pink, and Frost Blue. Exclusive colors, available only on www.epiphone.com, include Kerry Green and Lavender.
An overdrive and mangled fuzz that’s a wolf in a maniacal, rabid wolf’s clothing.
Invites new compositional approaches to riffs and solos. Gray Channel distortion is versatile and satisfying. Unpredictable.
Unpredictable. Footswitches for distortion and fuzz are quite close.
$199
Fuzz can be savored in so many ways. It can be smooth. It can be an agent of chaos. But it can also be a trap. In service of mayhem, it can be a mere noise crutch. Smooth, classy, “tasty” fuzz, meanwhile, can lead to dull solos crafted as Olympian demonstrations of sustain. To touch the soulful, rowdy essence of fuzz, it’s good to find one that never lets you get quite comfortable. The EarthQuaker Devices Gary, a two-headed distortion/overdrive and rabid, envelope-controlled square-wave fuzz designed with IDLES’ Lee Kiernan, is a gain device in this vein.
Gary is not exclusively a destruction machine. Its distortion/overdrive section is a very streamlined take on EarthQuaker’s Gray Channel, a versatile DOD 250-derived double distortion. Like any good circuit of the 250 ilk, Gary’s hard clipping OD/distortion section bites viciously in the high- and high-mid frequencies, supported by a tight, punchy low-mid output. You can play anything from balanced M.O.R. studio crunch to unhinged feedback leads with this side of Gary. But it’s the envelope-triggered pulse-width fuzz—which most of us will hear as a gated fuzz, in many instances—that gives the Gary its werewolf duality. Though practice yields performance patterns that change depending on the instrument and effects you use around the Gary, its fuzz ultimately sputters and collapses into nothingness—especially when you throw a few pitch bends its way. The cut to silence can be jarring, but also compels a player to explore more rhythmic leads and choppy riffs that would sound like sludge with a Big Muff. The Gary’s unpredictable side means it won’t be for everybody, but its ability to span delicioso distortion and riotous splatter fuzz in a single unit is impressive.
EarthQuaker Devices Gary Automatic Pulse Width Modulation Fuzz/Overdrive Pedal
Automatic Pulse Width Modulation Fuzz PedalGuest columnist Dave Pomeroy, who is also president of Nashville’s musicians union, with some of his friends.
Dave Pomeroy, who’s played on over 500 albums with artists including Emmylou Harris, Elton John, Trisha Yearwood, Earl Scruggs, and Alison Krauss, shares his thoughts on bass playing—and a vision of the future.
From a very young age, I was captivated by music. Our military family was stationed in England from 1961 to 1964, so I got a two-year head start on the Beatles starting at age 6. When Cream came along, for the first time I was able to separate what the different players were doing, and my focus immediately landed on Jack Bruce. He wrote most of the songs, sang wonderfully, and drove the band with his bass. Playing along with Cream’s live recordings was a huge part of my initial self-training, and I never looked back.
The electric bass has a much shorter history than most instruments. I believe that this is a big reason why the evolution of bass playing continues in ways that were literally unimaginable when it began to replace the acoustic bass on pop and R&B recordings. Players like James Jamerson, Joe Osborn, Carol Kaye, Chuck Rainey, and David Hood made great songs even better with their bass lines, pocket, and tone. Playing in bands throughout my teenage years, I took every opportunity I could to learn from musicians who were more experienced than I was. Slowly, I began to understand the power of the bass to make everyone else sound better—or lead the way to a train wreck! That sense of responsibility was not lost on me. As I continued to play, listen, and learn, a gradual awareness of other elements came to the surface, including the three Ts: tone, timing, and taste.
I was ready to rock the world with busy lines and bass solos when I moved to Nashville in the late ’70s, and I was suddenly transported into the land of singer-songwriters. It was a huge awakening when I heard the lyrics of artists like Guy Clark, whose spare yet powerful stories and simple guitar changes opened up a whole new universe in reverse for me. It was a reset for sure, but gradually I found ways to combine my earlier energetic approach in different ways. Playing what’s right for a song is a very subjective thing.
“If the song calls for you to ramp up the energy and lead the way like Chris Squire, Bootsy Collins, Geddy Lee, Sting, Flea, Justin Chancellor, or so many others, trust yourself and go for it.”
Don Williams, whom I worked with for many years, was known as a man of few words, but he gave me some of the best musical advice I ever received. I had been with him for just a few months when he pulled me aside one night after a show, and quietly said, “Dave, you don’t have to play what’s on the records, just don’t throw me off when I’m singing.” In other words: It’s okay to be creative, but listen to what’s going on around you. I never forgot that lesson.
As I gradually got into recording work, in an environment where creativity is combined with efficiency and experimentation is sometimes, but not always, welcome, I focused on tone as a form of expression, trying to make every note count. As drum sounds got much bigger during the ’80s, string bass was pretty much off the table as an option in most situations. Inspired by German bassist Eberhard Weber, I bought an electric upright 5-string built by Harry Fleishman a few years earlier. That theoretically self-indulgent purchase gave me an opportunity to carve out a tone that would work with both big drums and acoustic instruments. It gave me an identifiable sound and led to me playing that bass on records with artists like Keith Whitley, Trisha Yearwood, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, and the Chieftains.
In a world of constantly evolving and merging musical styles, the options can be almost overwhelming, so it’s important to trust yourself. Ultimately, you are making a series of choices every time you pick up the instrument. Whether it’s pick versus fingers versus thumb, or clean versus overdrive versus distortion, and so on … you are the boss of your role in the song you are playing. When the sonic surroundings you find yourself in change, so can you. It’s all about listening to what is going on around you and finding that sweet spot where you can bring the whole thing together while not attracting too much attention.
On the other hand, if the song calls for you to ramp up the energy and lead the way like Chris Squire, Bootsy Collins, Geddy Lee, Sting, Flea, Justin Chancellor, or so many others, trust yourself and go for it. Newer role models like Tal Wilkenfeld, Thundercat, and MonoNeon have raised the bar yet again. The beauty of it all is that the bass and its role keep evolving.
Right now, I guarantee there are young bassists of all descriptions we have not yet heard who are reinventing the bass and its role in new ways. That’s what bass players do—we are the glue that ties music together. Find your power and use it!
A satin finish with serious style. Join PG contributor Tom Butwin as he dives into the PRS Standard 24 Satin—a guitar that blends classic PRS craftsmanship with modern versatility. From its D-MO pickups to its fast-playing neck, this one’s a must-see.
PRS Standard 24 Satin Electric Guitar - Satin Red Apple Metallic
Standard 24 Satin, Red App MetA reverb-based pedal for exploring the far reaches of sound.
Easy to use control set. Wide range of sounds. Crush control is fun to explore. Filter is versatile.
Works best as a stereo effect, which may limit some players.
$299
Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Star Stereo
oldbloodnoise.com
The Old Blood Dark Star Stereo (DSS) is one of those pedals that lives beyond simple effect categorization. Yes, it’s a digital reverb. But like other Old Blood designs, it’s such a feature-rich, creative take on that effect that to think of it as a reverb feels not only imprecise but unfair.
The Old Blood Dark Star Stereo (DSS) is one of those pedals that lives beyond simple effect categorization. Yes, it’s a digital reverb. But like other Old Blood designs, it’s such a feature-rich, creative take on that effect that to think of it as a reverb feels not only imprecise but unfair.
In this case, reverb describes how the DSS works more than how it sounds. I’ve come to think of this pedal as a reverb-based synthesizer, where reverb is the jumping-off point for sonic creation. As such, the sounds coming out of the Dark Star can be used as subtle sweetener or sound design textures, opening up worlds that might otherwise be unreachable.
Reverb and Beyond
Functionally speaking, the DSS starts with reverb and applies a high-/low-pass filter, two pitch shifters, each with a two-octave range in each direction, plus bit-crushing and distortion. Controls for lag (pre-delay), multiply (feedback), and decay follow, with mini knobs for volume, mix, and spread. Additional control features include presets, MIDI functionality, plus expression and aux control.
The DSS can be routed in mono, stereo, or mono-in/stereo-out. Both jacks are single TRS, and it’s easy to switch between settings by holding down the bypass switch and selecting via the preset button.
Although it sounds great in mono, stereo is where this iteration of the Dark Star—which follows the mono Dark Star and Dark Star V2—really comes alive. Starting with the filter, both pitch shifters, and crush knobs at noon—all have center detents—affords the most neutral settings. The result is a pad reverb, as synthetic as but less sparkly than a shimmer. The filter control is a fine way to distinguish clean and effect signals. In low-pass mode, the effect signal can easily get dark and spooky while maintaining fidelity and without getting murky. On the other end, high-pass settings are handy for refining those reverb pads and keeping them from washing out the clarity of the clean signal.
Lower fidelity is close at hand when you want it. The crush control, when turned counterclockwise, reduces the bit rate of the effect signal, evoking all kinds of digitally compromised sounds, from early samplers to cell phones, depending on how you flavor it. Counterclockwise applies distortion to the reverb signal. There’s a lot to explore within the wide ranges of the two pitch controls, too. With a four-octave range, quantized in half steps, the combinations can be extreme, and Dark Star takes on a life of its own.
Formless Reflections of Matter
The DSS is easy to get acquainted with, especially for a pedal with so many features, 10 knobs, and two footswitches. I quickly got a feel for the reverb itself at the most neutral filter and pitch settings, where I enjoyed the weight a responsive, textural pad lent to everything I played.
With just the filter and crush controls, there’s plenty to explore. Sitting in the sweet spot between a pair of vintage Fenders, I conjured a Twin Peaks-inspired hazy fog to accompany honeyed diatonic arpeggios, slowly filtering and crushing that sound into a dark, evil low-end whir as chords leaned toward dissonance. Eventually, I cranked the high-pass filter, producing an early MP3-in-a-good-way “shhh” that was fine accompaniment to sparser voicings along my fretboard. It was a true sonic journeyThe pitch controls increase possibilities for both ambience and dissonance. Simple tweaks push the boundaries of possibility in exponentially deeper directions. For more subtle thickening and accompaniment sounds, adding octaves, which are easy to tune by ear, offers precise tone sculpting, dimension, and a wider frequency range. Hearing simple harmonic ideas plucked against celeste- and organ-like reverberations kept me in the Harold Budd and Brian Eno space for long enough to consider new recording projects.
There is as much fun to be had at the highest feedback settings on the DSS. Be forewarned: Spend too much time there and you might need a name for your new ambient band. Cranking the multiply and decay knobs, I’d drop in a few notes, or maybe just a chord, and get to work scanning the pitch knobs and sculpting with the filter. Soon, I conjured bold Ligeti-inspired orchestral sounds fit for a guitar remix of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The Verdict
The Dark Star Stereo strikes a nice balance between deep control, a wide range of sonic rewards, playability, and an always-sounds-great vibe. The controls are easy to use, so it doesn’t take long to get in the zone, and once you do, there’s plenty to explore. Throughout my time with the DSS, I was impressed with its high-fidelity clarity. I attribute that to the filter, which allows clean and reverb signals to perform dry/wet balance and EQ functions. That alone encouraged more adventurous and creative exploration. Though not every player needs this kind of tone tool, the DSS is a must-check-out effect for anyone serious about wild reverb adventures, and it’s simple and intuitive enough to be a good fit for anyone just starting exploration of those zones. However you come to the Dark Star, it’s a unique-sounding pedal that deserves attention. PG