Gibson

Gibson Guitars dominate the rock'n roll alphabet of performers from Duane Allman to Frank Zappa. Since visionary luthier Orville Gibson began building mandolin-guitars in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1902, the guitar models have been at the heart of modern music.

The 'King of the Delta Blues' Robert Johnson said he was taught to play his L-1 acoustic by the Devil who visited him one night, took the guitar and showed him some songs at the Dockery Plantation in Mississippi. Johnson's catalogue of only 29 songs inspired an entire generation of musicians that fills the pantheon of 20th Century popular music.

Bob Dylan plays a signature Gibson SJ-200; the Edge from U2 works with a series of models from the 1976 Explorer to a Les Paul Custom 1983. The British Pop revolution of the 1960s is largely played on Gibson guitars – from Johnson's inspiration.

The Beatles, The Stones and the enigmatic Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac wove the themes of modern pop and rock on Gibsons. Woody Guthrie even wrote on his Southern Jumbo L-O 'this machine kills fascists'.

The Gibson legacy certainly maintains it’s air of guitar majesty and mysticism to this day maintaining its leading spot in the market for their unequivocal standard in tone, craft and that special ‘vibe’ that has carried through the history of the instruments, and the profound music that owes much of it’s spirit to these guitars.

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Gibson FZ-1 Fuzz Tone

Satisfied Gibson's legendary Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone is the one. Without this there may well be no effects pedals at all, they should have called it the big bang! Released in 1962 it was the first widely marketed fuzz distortion guitar and bass effect. But then a small band named The Rolling Stones ended up with one and Keith Richards decided to use it to simulate the brass section guide track on a new song they were creating.Never intending to release the song with the fuzz on the record the band took the brave move of putting the track out.It's even reported that Keith didn't want the fuzz on the track âAt first I was mortified,â Richards says, âWe didnât even know Andrew [Loog Oldham, the Stonesâ manager] had put the ******* thing out! [But it was] the record of the summer of â65, so Iâm not arguing.âBUT we're all massively thankful it was released since now we have millions of these wonderful toys which have made playing guitar and music in general so much fun for all.