Well, the info on their website isn’t complete yet, but Gibson is apparently releasing a 2008 50th Anniversary line, just in time for the Holidays. Say hello to the 50th Anniversary Korina Explorer, ES-335, Les Paul Figured, and Korina Flying V… more information as it becomes available.

P.S. That ES335 is gonna’ kill me… please, stop me before I spend again!

According to Gibson, both guitars will feature one-piece mahogany necks, ebony fretboards with 22 frets, a hybrid ’50s rounded contour/’60s slim-taper neck profile, topless 500T/496R humbuckers, and of course the Robot Tuning System.

The guitars will be available in a single Red Metallic finish for the time being, but provided they sell I think it’s a fair bet that more colors will be available in the future. They ship with a charger, power plug, battery pack and a hardshell case. MSRP is set at $2599.

Not officially a “reissue,” the Custom Shop ES-330 Long Neck will apparently be adorned with period-correct extras like black plastic dog-eared pickup covers and a 17° angled headstock, while also sporting a number of new enhancements.

Unique features are expected to include a period-correct 1-11/16” Corian nut (for extra strength, durability, and sustain,) a set of premium tulip button tuners, and of course the instrument’s namesake long neck profile.

Resonant Hollowbody Design & P90 Tone

Unlike its close brethren––the ever popular ES-335––the ES-330 features a full hollowbody design with no center block, making for one seriously resonant instrument (and yeah, highly prone to feedback.) It also breaks the mold with a pair of dog-eared P-90s, wired up with Gibson’s Memphis Tone Circuit, which allows for consistent tone at any volume level.

Strangely, in spite of the fact that it’s basically the exact same instrument, the ES-330 has never gained the popularity and mystique of the Epiphone Casino… an instrument probably best known for its use in the hands of 60s era George Harrison, John Lennon, and even Keith Richards.

ES330 Long Neck Specs

Other features will include a plain maple laminated top, back, and rims (in Beale St. Blue, Vintage Sunburst, or Antique Red,) an ultra-thin nitro finish, single-piece Honduran Mahogay neck (with long neck tenon,) a 30/60 neck profile, Rosewood fretboard with 22 frets, and small block pearloid inlays.

Hardware will include an ABR-1 bridge, Trapeze tailpiece, Kluson-style tulip tuners, dual volume & tone knobs with ’60s-style reflector tops, 3-way pickup switching, and 500K Ohm audio taper pots.

The Guitar is retailing for a street price of $2499. Custom Shop Hardshell case included.

While Fender’s TC-90 thinline has been kicking around for a few years now, it’s definitely not every day you see a candy apple red Telecaster decked out with dual P-90s… heck, to my eyes it’s still just a little shocking.

In fact, I have to say I’m more than a bit intrigued, having fallen pretty hard for the growl of a P-90 ever since I purchase that ‘67 SG Special—I can’t wait to hear what this thing sounds like.

Apparently built in collaboration with Jimmy Eat World frontman and guitarist Jim Adkins, Fender’s new JA-90 (yep, based on Adkins’ trusty TC-90) packs some unique features, including a pair of custom Seymour Duncan soapbars, a mahogany set neck, dual volume and tone controls, and of course that super fat anchored tailpiece.

Fender JA-90 Specs

Other features are expected to include a semi-hollow Ash body, Rosewood fretboard with 22 Medium Jumbo frets (9.5” radius,) an adjusto-matic bridge, knurled dome knobs, matching painted headstock, black plastic parts, oversized strap buttons, and a graphite nut.

The Jim Adkins JA-90 will be available in either Crimson Transparent or Ebony Transparent Poly finish, but ships sans-case… what’s with that? The guitar can be had for a street price in the mid $700s.

Stay tuned, friends…

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY!

Other features include a strings-through-body V-shaped tailpiece, Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge, black Grover tuners, LP Custom headstock, Custom-grade pearl block inlays, bound ebony fretboard with 22 Jumbo frets, and a solid mahogany body (19“ wide x 24 1/2” long x 1 5/8“ thick.)

No word on pricing for this strictly Limited Edition run, but the guitar will apparently ship with a Gibson Custom Shop hardshell case, and Certificate of Authenticity signed by Zakk Wylde.

The guitar will be built in a run of just 48 instruments (24 with Bigsby Vibrato, 24 hardtail,) and is apparently sporting original NOS (new old stock) Valco knobs, a vintage tone switchplate, and a Deluxe Airline hardshell case.

Prices are running $899 for the Standard model, and $999 for the Deluxe model with Bigsby. The guitar will ship beginning August 31st, 2008, and pre-ordering is suggested.

Not convinced? Check out the demo… that’s some solid chicken-pickin’ goodness.

Latest in this lineup is the just-announced G6120-CGP––a recreation of the prototype “Stereo” guitar that Gretsch built for Chet Atkins back in 1956.

So early was the prototype given to Atkins that the instrument’s f-holes were only inlays…. they hadn’t even been routed yet. Only one was ever created.

Chief among the guitar’s innovations though, was a so-called “split-dual-coil pickup” which allowed for two separate audio signals: one for the bass strings, and one for treble.

According to Gretsch––

Chet used this special, one-of-a-kind instrument on his ground breaking 1957 album, “Finger-Style Guitar”. Wired with two output jacks, the signal from the bass strings would run through the echo input on his amplifier while the treble strings were fed dry through the normal channel. Though at the time the concept of a “stereo” guitar was a brilliant idea, it was deemed impractical as the cost to produce it put it out of reach of the general buying public. The project was shelved.

The Chet Atkins Stereo Guitar will feature a body of Laminated Maple, a three-piece Maple neck (24.6“ scale length,) Rosewood fingerboard with 22 frets and vintage ”Wide-Block“ Pearloid position markers, ”G“ Brand and Simulated ”F-Hole“ inlays on body, and full headstock and fretboard binding.

Inlays on the Body,

Electronics will include a pair of Special Designed TV Jones Dual-Coil pickups (neck pickup features both Stereo and Mono capabilities,) 3-way pickup switching, Stere/Mono switch, individual volume controls, plus Master Volume knob.

The guitar will be built in a limited run of just 75 units worldwide for 2008, and will ship with a G6241 Deluxe Hardshell Case included. No word yet on pricing.

Self-tuning robotics aside, guitar freaks have been jonesing for some new Silverburst options for quite some time, and I have no doubt these things will fly off the shelves––even with an MSRP well into the mid $3000s.

Gotta’ admit, that Naturalburst SG has caught my eye, too…. damn you Gibson! ;)

According to several financial media sources, Anchorage Capital, a London investment firm, is expected to launch the Guitar Fund. Set up as a hedge fund, the Guitar Fund will seek investment returns by buying rare and vintage electric and acoustic guitars (steel-string and classical), plus mandolins, banjos and amps.

And get this, investors in the fund will also have the opportunity to actually play the guitars they invest in and take them home if they wish….

IG’s got the full scoop. Check it out. (photo: vintageguitarz.)

Anyway, I logged in this morning to be pleasantly surprised by the latest Signature Series instrument coming from Fender––the Billy Corgan Signature Stratocaster.

Apparently now one of Corgan’s go-to guitars for live performance and recording, the Smashing Pumpkins frontman worked with Fender engineers to create a versatile guitar that would both maintain that classic Strat feel and sound, and still perform well in modern high-gain situations.

I think what’s difficult for people in this modern culture, with such high-gain rock application, is understanding how to play a style that expresses their individual personality and yet still keeps them sort of within the sound that’s current, which is very, very high-gain. And what I’ve worked with Fender to try to do is to create an instrument that will both allow the individualistic expression at a very high level… and at the same time allow your personality to shine through and play high-gain rock, which I think Fender’s been a little behind the curve in addressing.

The guitar will feature a heavy Alder body, Maple neck (modern “C” shape,) Maple fretboard (9.5“ radius,) 22 Jumbo Frets, ’70s style large headstock and logo, a hardtail bridge, and a set of DiMarzio Billy Corgan Signature Pickups.

No word yet on pricing or availability.

There’s still a bit of confusion as to what we’re seeing here, though.

At least a few of the major online guitar retailers have the instruments listed as “Classic Player’s” guitars, which in keeping with other Classic Player models would suggest they were designed by the Fender Custom Shop and produced in Mexico.

However, Fender’s new product pages have all three guitars listed only as “Special,” with no mention of a Custom Shop heritage whatsoever… I guess we’ll have to wait and see how this one plays out.

Still, if they share the same quality as the other guitars in the Classic line, all three new models will undoubtedly be popular with those looking for a vintage-styled Jazzmaster or Jaguar at about half the price of an American Vintage instrument.

A Few Standout Features  All three guitars have been update with a newly designed Adjusto-Matic bridge with floating Tremolo tailpiece, flatter 9.5“ radius fretboard, and an improved neck pocket with increased back-angle for better sustain and stability.

The Jazzmaster Special and Jaguar Special both feature hotter ”Special Design Hot“ pickups, and the Jaguar Special sports a pair of Enforcer Humbuckers wired with a unique Humbucker/Single Coil Blend switch.

Prices are starting at around $799.00, which includes a Deluxe gig bag.

While this isn’t all that new of an idea (Ampeg’s Dan Armstrong Plexi model began offering something similar nearly 40 years ago,) it’s certainly the first time you’ve been able to quickly swap the pickups in an LP… the Push-tone ships with both a pair of BurstBucker Pros, and a pair of single-coil P-94s (basically humbucker-sized P-90s.)

You can use the pickups in matched sets, or literally mix n’ match for your favorites combination of tones.

Other unique features include a AAA maple top with matching maple trapezoid fretboard inlays (really nice touch, here,) a Tone Pro bridge and tailpiece, locking Grover tuners, 24k Gold potentiometers (designed by Gibson, and produced by Bourns,) and a newly designed Neutrik output jack.

The Push Tone will also sport a mahogany body, mahogany neck w/’50s rounded profile (24-3/4“ scale length,)  ebony fretboard with 22 frets, amber top hat knobs, nickel hardware, dual volume and tone knobs, and traditional 3-way pickup switching.

The guitar is listing for a whopping $4,449.00… ouch!

According to Fender, while Costello’s original Jazzmaster has seen numerous modifications over its 30-plus years in existence, this new Signature Model was built to replicate the guitar as it was during the recording of Costello’s seminal 1977 debut LP (and still my favorite of all his records,) My Aim Is True.

Unique features are expected to include a Walnut stained finish in Nitrocellulose Lacquer, early ’70s neck design, and a “loose-set” tremolo tension with the trem arm bent away from the body to allow for more dramatic travel.

The Elvis Costello Jazmmaster will also sport an Alder body, Maple C-shaped neck (25.5“ scale length,) Rosewood fretboard with vintage 7.25” radius and 21 frets, vintage style “floating” tremolo w/tremolo lock button, Fender/Gotoh vintage style machine heads, 4-ply tortoise shell pickguard, chrome hardware, and aged white plastic parts.

Electronics will include a pair of special design American Vintage Jazzmaster single-coils, “lead circuit” Volume & Tone controls, “rhythm circuit” Volume & Tone controls, 3-way pickup switching, and a 2-position slide for selecting Lead & Rhythm tone settings.

The Fender Signature Series Elvis Costello Jazzmaster will ship with a Deluxe brown hardshell case, guitar strap, and cable. In keeping with other recent low-cost Signature models, the guitar is selling for a street price of just over $1500.

Eastwood’s Electric Indigo Airline Map is selling for a street price of $999 in the US ($649 EURO,) and shipping is free to Europe or North America.

If you’re interested, you’ll want to act on this one fast. With just 24 units available these Limited Edition Maps will undoubtedly be gone in a flash.

While I haven’t a clue what actual sales figures have been like for this line, I can tell you that my posts covering earlier Electromatic releases continue to get more hits per day than just about anything else I’ve written––except, perhaps, for Gibson’s 2007 Guitar of the Week program.

With the G5122DC, Gretsch brings a double cutaway design to their budget Electromatic series for the first time, and I have little doubt they’ll be a hit… heck, I’m already fantasizing about picking one up as a cheap (albeit twangier) alternative to my long lost ES-335. :(

The guitar features a laminated maple body finished in gloss urethane, laminated maple neck (24.56“ scale length,) rosewood fingerboard with 22 frets and neo-classic inlays, chrome-plated vintage style tuners, Adjusto-Matic bridge with rosewood base, a pair of chrome-covered dual-coil humbuckers, 3-way pickup switching, and Neck Volume, Bridge Volume, Master Volume, and Master Tone controls.

The Electromatic Double Cutaway also sports an authentic Bigsby Licensed B60 vibrato tailpiece, and is currently being produced in both Black & Walnut finishes. List price is just $900.

Still, there’s something strangely, sadly ironic about producing a frighteningly expensive guitar replica for a guy whose musical persona* eschewed all things commercial, and I have to wonder who exactly the Steve Jones Les Paul Custom is going to be marketed towards––aging punks? Seems like an unlikely match.

Anyway, enough gawking––built as a painstaking re-creation of Jones’ white mid-’70s LP Custom, the guitar features a carved maple top decked out in appropriately aged yellow finish, aged gold hardware, and a pair of pin-up girl decals to boot.

Specs include a single-piece mahogany back, single-piece mahogany neck (24 3⁄4“ scale length,) ebony fretboard with 22 frets, pearl block inlays, Shaller M-6 tuning machines, and a set of Gibson’s 496R & 498T humbuckers.

Oh yeah, and the pickguard has been removed to match the original… comes with a certificate of authenticity, and of course a hardshell Custom Shop case. No official word yet on pricing.

*See Sex Pistol Confesses: ”I’ve Always Hated Punk!“ ;)

Make that two robotic guitars for the masses––the Robot Les Paul Studio LTD and the Robot SG Special LTD. As I understand it, both instruments will be in regular production, making the “LTD” moniker a bit misleading.

For the time being, Gibson’s new Robot Guitars will be available in Metallic Purple and Metallic Green finishes only, and both models are tricked out with Neutrik jacks, mahogany bodies and necks, ebony fretboards (24 3/4“ scale length,) and a pair of 490R (neck,) and 498T (bridge) humbuckers.

Chrome ”Robotic“ hardware includes the Powertune ”Data Transmitting“ Tailpiece, Powertune ”Tune-Control“ Bridge, Powertune Master Control Knob, and Powertune Satin Nickel Tuners.

The Gibson Les Paul Studio LTD is selling for a bank-breaking list price of $3,999, while the Robot SG Special LTD lists at $3,599.

It should be interesting to see how well these things sell in a standard production run… give me a few extra color choices (where are the bursts?!) and I just might be tempted.

The instruments made their debut at Europe’s Musikmesse 2008 Conference, and included five new low-cost LTD models: the flashy EC-Redburn and EC-Cobweb (left,) the “aged” EC-256 AHB and EC-256AVB (right,) and the aptly-titled “Urban Camouflage” M-200UC.

The Cobweb & Redburn guitars both sport graphics designed by UK artist Sam Shearon (a.k.a. Mister-Sam,) and are being produced in a limited run of 100 instruments each. The guitars are basically LTD EC-500s––featuring a mahogany body, mahogany neck (24.75“ scale,) rosewood fretboard, set-neck single-cutaway design, and a pair of EMG 81/60 active pickups.

ESP is also now offering their ”aged“ relic-style models in cheaper LTD versions––the EC-256 is available in both Aged Honey Burst and Aged Vintage Black finishes, and sports a singlecutaway design with dual ESP LH-150 humbuckers.

Other new models include the M Series LTD M-200UC––decked out in Urban Camouflage finish and featuring a locking nut and double-locking bridge––and two new Signature Models: the Roope Latvala LTD RL-600, and Henkka T. Blacksmith LTD HTB-600 bass (Children of Bodom.)

Marking a full half-century since the first batch of Flying V’s left Gibson’s Kalamazoo, Michigan facilities in 1958 (and immediately tanked in the marketplace,) this 50th Anniversary Flying V is fully decked out in a custom ‘Brimstone Burst’ finish, gold hardware, and mother-of-pearl split block inlays.

The guitar eschews its early predecessor’s Korina wood body for solid mahogany, and is topped-off with a beveled-edge AA maple top. A new art deco-styled Gibson logo graces the headstock (apparently culled from the drawings of Ted McCarty,) and the 22-fret ebony fretboard is dressed with gold fretwire.

Other standout features include a set of Steinberger Gearless Tuners––with a 40:1 tuning ratio––a ‘57 Classic humbucker at the neck, ‘57 Classic Plus humbucker at the bridge, single Volume & Tone controls, and a “50-Year Commemorative neck profile”––basically a hybrid of Gibson’s ’60s Slim-Taper and ’50s Rounded Contour profiles.

The guitar will ship with a custom Guitar of the Month case, and will be produced in a limited run of just 1,000 instruments.