Article by Hilary Givner
Musical instruments are often revered, but of all guitar brands, perhaps none holds as much status as the vintage Gibson Guitar..
Why is this so? Some say it's due to our love of real "guitar heroes" and legendary icons like Chuck Berry. While their playing style revolutionized music, the guitars they chose to play also went on to hold icon status.
Chuck Berry's #1 guitar was the Gibson ES-335. This was the first semi-hollow guitar commercially available and because Berry influenced so many, one could say it is the most popular semi-hollow guitar ever made.
The Gibson Guitar Company is also maker of the famous Les Paul guitar. Originated by Les Paul himself, the Gibson brand initially turned down him down, but changed their mind a few years later to compete with Fender, and created one of the first and most enduring electric guitars ever made.
Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page is also a Gibson fan. While he is often associated with the Double-Neck Gibson EDS-1275 on which he plays Stairway to Heaven, his number one guitar was his 1958 Gibson Les Paul, while his number two was the 1959 Gibson Les Paul.
Other guitar heroes who play the Les Paul Guitar are Ace Frehley (KISS), Pete Townsend (The Who 1973-78), Slash (Guns N' Roses), and Neil Young.
The Gibson SD, Introduced in 1961, also has its fans and is a particular favorite among heavy metal guitarists due to its mean look. Fans include Pete Townsend, Robby Krieger (The Doors), Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder and Angus Young (AC/DC.) Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath used to tune his guitar down to C# from E giving it an even meaner sound.
The Gibson Guitar legend continues to grow and shows no sign of waning. The popular video game Guitar Hero was actually modeled after Gibson guitars and the Version 3 of the game has made over 1 billion dollars in sales.
In addition to electrics, Gibson produces some of the finest acoustic guitars available.
About the Author
Hilary Givner is a writer and graphic artist with a love of vintage Gibson Guitars. You can find great deals on rare and vintage guitars here.