Guitars
Gibson Wins Jury Verdict Against Dean Over Guitar Shapes
A federal jury mostly sided with Gibson Brands on Friday (May 27) in a lawsuit that accused rival Dean Guitars of copying the shape of the company’s guitars like the Flying V, though the jurors awarded Gibson just $4,000 in damages. The verdict came after more than three years of litigation and two weeks of trial over whether Dean parent company Armadillo Enterprises infringed trademark-protected design elements of several Gibson guitars, including the Flying V, Explorer, ES, SG and the Dove Wing. In a key win for Gibson, the jurors rejected arguments by Dean that those designs had become so commonplace that they’re now “generic” and free for all to use. And with that finding, the jurors also said Dean had infringed those designs by selling look-alike guitars. But the jury also found that ...
The Guitar Used By Nile Rodgers to Record Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” Is Up for Auction
Finally—an auction not happening in the metaverse or being sold as an NFT. Iconic guitarist, songwriter, and record producer Nile Rodgers is donating nearly 160 electric guitars, amps, synthesizers, and more to be put up for auction, which will be hosted by Christie’s. All net proceeds will benefit the We Are Family Foundation and the auction will begin on Thursday, December 16th at 10AM ET. All of the musical instruments up for auction are ones that Rodgers has used throughout his seminal career, including the 1981 Tokai guitar he used to record Daft Punk‘s single “Get Lucky” (with Pharrell Williams). Rodgers’ 1987 Porsche 930 Targa Turbo will also be up for auction, estimated to be worth $150,000 to $200,000. Recommended Articles ...
Fender’s New Guitar Brings Electronic Music Production and Performance Into the Future
The future of guitars is here and it’s called the American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster. Fender’s latest in their Acoustasonic series may look like their classic 1960s Stratocaster on the outside, but it’s far from just any electric guitar. Offering a wide variety of both electric and acoustic sounds, the hybrid unit is the ultimate guitar for electronic music artists like San Holo, Dabin or Sullivan King, who creatively utilize guitars both in the studio and during their performances. Color options of Fender’s American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster Guitar. Fender What makes this guitar so special is that it’s the result of feedback from over 25,000 musicians who’ve used Acoustasonic guitars. With that in mind, it has a liberating form factor that ...
Gibson Acquires Iconic Amp Manufacturer Mesa/Boogie
Under the terms of the acquisition, Smith will join Gibson as master designer and “pioneer of Mesa/Boogie.” “At Gibson we are all about leveraging our iconic past and leaning into the innovative future, a quest that started over 100 years ago with our founder Orville Gibson,” said Gibson Brands president and CEO James “JC” Curleigh. “Today this quest continues with the addition of Mesa Boogie into the Gibson Brands family, along with the visionary leadership of Randy Smith and his Team who, for the past 50 years, have created an iconic and innovative brand that has stood the test of time. This is a perfect partnership based on our collective professional experiences and passion for sound.” “I’m 75 years-old and still at work every day,&...
LEGO Is Making a Fender Stratocaster Set Thanks to a Fan Submission
Music was always a category missing from LEGO’s immense library of toy bricks, but that’s about to change. The company has announced a new Fender Stratocaster construction set based on a fan-submitted piece that won the 2020 LEGO Ideas contest. TOMOELL is the LEGO Ideas user behind the winning submission, which will be adapted by a LEGO designer into an official product. The guitar set will also be the first in a new music-centric series of LEGO releases, as the company looks to concentrate on its adult consumers. “Everyone has seen the Fender Stratocaster guitar, it’s super famous and we think it’s going to be exciting to bring this to life using LEGO bricks,” LEGO Ideas Design Manager Sam Johnson said (via Brick Fanatics). “Music is a relatively new place for LEGO to play in so we’re rea...
Jeff Bridges on How His New Line of Eco-Friendly Guitars Abide by the Environment
When you’re buying a coffee table for your home or building a shed in the backyard, do you ever stop to think about where that wood came from? What about when you buy a guitar? Well, at Breedlove Guitars in Bend, Oregon, they are doing more than just creating environmentally friendly instruments; they are facilitating a new way of thinking. According to Breedlove, “owner Tom Bedell has traveled to each forest in Suriname, the Republic of Congo, and the Swiss Alps to verify individual harvest, chain of custody, and sound ecological practices.” Though what this company does is outside the norm, all it takes are the actions of one to create a chain reaction and potentially spark a huge wave of change. No one understands this concept more than Jeff Bridges. We all know the prolific actor for h...
Flying V Guitar Documentary Features Members of Metallica, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Slayer, and More
The Flying V guitar is one of the most iconic instruments in heavy metal history. It’s silhouette alone is enough to warm the blood of headbangers. The guitar will be the subject of a new documentary, Flying V, out on DVD on September 11th. The 67-minute film was directed by Peter Hansen and features interviews with most of the major metal acts that popularized the Flying V over the years, including members of Metallica, Judas Priest, Slayer, Megadeth, and many more. As the cast of the documentary indicates, the guitar, introduced by Gibson in 1958, became a staple of ’80s thrash metal. Slayer’s Kerry King was never without one; it remains the choice axe of Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine; and Metallica’s James Hetfield is appropriately front-and-center on the movie poster, having wielded th...
Jeff Bridges and Breedlove Unveil New Signature Model Acoustic Guitars
Actor and musician Jeff Bridges has teamed with Breedlove for a line of new signature model acoustic guitars. The instruments are sustainably sourced and feature Bridges’ “All in This Together” motto inlayed on the fretboard. As Bridges states in the press release, the elegant acoustic guitars prove “we can build beautiful instruments to make beautiful music that will resonate for all time, and preserve the trees, the lungs of our planet, which temper our climate, replenish our fresh water and provide shelter for our wildlife. We can make our instruments with salvaged or selectively harvested wood from sustainable forests, while still protecting habitat and sustaining the local community. We can make a difference.” The Breedlove Jeff Bridges “All in This Together” premium signature model i...
