Gibson guitars remain well loved by musicians around the world, while the brand name itself has long been a household name. This collection is a dream come true—a series of T-shirts that pay tribute to Gibsonand the numerous innovations it created over the years that have changed the course of music history.
It all started with a mandolin-guitar that Orville Gibson crafted in 1894. His legacy lives on in the company named after him, which continues to make guitars by hand in the US—Nashville, TN and Bozeman, MT—from top-quality tonewoods.
“We’re also a company that continues to evolve and innovate,” says Cesar Gueikian, Brand President of Gibson Brands. Gueikian has an interesting background—he was in private equity before joining Gibson but also played guitar as a part-time musician. Music has always been a passion of his—he began Spanish guitar lessons at the age of nine while growing up in Argentina. At the age of thirteen, he visited the musical instrument store in Miami to buy his first Les Paul, only to realize he couldn’t afford one and ended up buying a different guitar. The experience didn’t put him off—he returned to Argentina, sold his Gibson for double what he paid, and used the money to get his hands on a prized Les Paul.
Cesar Gueikian
Cesar Gueikian | As Brand President of Gibson Brands, Gueikian supervises everything from the labs that produce new guitar designs to brand management and marketing. He owns 110 Gibson guitars and likes to play Black Sabbath.
“Orville Gibson was all about borrowing techniques, primarily from violin makers, who were crafting really beautiful instruments using the highest-quality woods,” Gueikian says. “He applied that approach to mandolins and then later to guitars. That was his mission: to apply craftsmanship and quality towards making the highest-quality, best-sounding guitars.” Gibson, the company, continued this pursuit of excellence. Their first major innovation, in 1921, was the truss rod—a metal bar inside the fretboard. Originally, guitars had wide necks that made them difficult to play. The truss rod allowed the neck width to be adjusted to make it easier to play across the entire fretboard. Then, in 1936, Gibson created the first electric guitar—the ES-150 “Charlie Christian.” The nickname was derived from a jazz guitarist of the same name who wanted to amplify his sound during his solos without approaching the microphone, and found his answer in the ES-150.
Gibson went on to develop the humbucker, which reduces “hum,” or interference; the stop bar tailpiece, which provides stability for a consistent intonation; and the Tune-O-Matic bridge, which keeps a guitar perfectly intonated.
However, Gibson did not immediately profit from these innovations; in fact, after debuting the Les Paul in 1952, the company ended production just eight years later. The Flying V met a similar fate, discontinued just two years after debuting in 1958. The turning point for the company arrived in the mid-1960s, when Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jimmy Page, and other rock stars began singing the praises of Gibson guitars. In 1968, the company relaunched its original Les Paul.
127 years for shaping the sound of music.
“The evolution of Gibson is full of examples of guitars that were a little ahead of their time,” says Gueikian. “We’ve always been in this process of innovation, especially during the golden era—the 50s and 60s. I think that’s how the Les Paul became the most iconic guitar in history.”
This year, Gibson opened The Murphy Lab, a workshop where Tom Murphy—a craftsman in guitar aging and replication whose reproductions of vintage Les Paul guitars are legendary—will teach his skills to Gibson staff. The company recently launched faithful reissues of the original 1961 Les Paul SG Standard in Cherry Red and Les Paul SG Custom in Polaris White as their 60th Anniversary offering from Gibson Custom Shop.
“Artists across all genres and generations have used Gibson guitars for 127 years,” says Gueikian. “In other words, we have been shaping the sound of music for 127 years. That’s very important to us, and we have to carry on that tradition to be good custodians of our iconic past and good stewards of our future.” This history has been reflected in the UT shirts produced with Gibson for this collection. The designs are simple but authentic, perfect for guitar lovers and music fans alike.
GUITARS OWNED BY VARIOUS MUSICIANS
LES PAUL
Perhaps the most famous of Gibson’s guitars, the Les Paul was developed in 1952 with the eponymous guitarist. It was an innovative success when they began making it and kept improving it through 1960 and discontinued in 1961 and replaced by the SG. It was later re-released in 1968.It’s no exaggeration to say that the Les Paul was the sound of Rock. Still used by guitarists worldwide, from Joe Perry to Slash, the renowned guitar has now made its way onto a historic T-shirt.
Joe Perry (Aero Smith)
Slash (Guns N' Roses)
SG
The SG (Solid Guitar) was originally called a Les Paul in 1961 as a replacement for the discontinued Les Paul.—in fact, one can see how the evolution of the Les Paul led to this guitar, which shares its shape with the 1961 Les Paul. It is lighter than the Les Paul, making it easier to hold and play. The best-known model comes in cherry red—an eye-catching color that gives guitarists like former Black Sabbath member Tony Iommi a real stage presence. The color also provides a striking contrast to the black body of this UT shirt.
Tony Iommi (Black Sabbatth)
FLYING V
The Flying V sports a futuristic design that was perhaps a little too ahead of its time—it was decommissioned just two years after being launched in 1958. However, it was revived in the 1960s and went on to become the most coveted guitar for hard rock and heavy metal musicians in the 70s and 80s—Jimi Hendrix perhaps being the most famous. It’s still popular today, even among teen bands. Wear this T-shirt till you wear it out for the true rock experience.
Celisse Henderson
Phil X
ES-335
Released in 1958, the ES-335 was the world’s first semi-acoustic guitar. Famed devotees include Larry Carlton known as Mr.335 and Eric Clapton during his Cream days. Despite its slim body, the ES-335 can produce a range of light and heavy sounds, making it suitable for any genre. It’s an all-purpose guitar that has attracted a lot of young musicians over the years.
Toby Lee
“There are a lot of people who don’t play the guitar but love Gibson, and I think these two shirts will appeal to them,” says Gueikian. Left: Seven Gibson guitars are presented in silhouette in a design featuring Gibson’s key colors: cherry red, black, and wood tones. Right: The Gibson logo and crown are printed in gold on a black background.
PROFILE
Gibson | Established in 1894, the musical instrument maker has developed numerous products that have changed the course of music history, from the world’s first commercial electric guitar, the ES-150, to the legendary Les Paul.
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