NAMM 2025: One of the biggest stories in the lead-up to this year’s NAMM show was the fact a handful of big brands would be returning to the Anaheim Convention Centre to rejoin the gear festivities – and Gibson’s much-anticipated return was particularly notable.
However, like most of its returning peers – such as PRS and Fender – Gibson didn’t have a booth in the conventional sense this time out. Instead, it set up a cosy, behind-closed-doors showcase, which put on display all its new releases (electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass guitars and guitar amps among them) for those lucky enough to get past the security guards.
Fortunately for our on-the-ground reporters, we were able to get an exclusive, hands-on look at everything Gibson, Epiphone and Mesa/Boogie have got planned in this particular drop window, from Warren Haynes’ newly-announced signature Les Paul, those special edition NAMM 2025 LPs, and even some fresh-off-the-press releases.
The highlights, of course, were the new Les Pauls. To celebrate their 70th Anniversary, Gibson has paid homage to the five Custom Color models that were put on display way back in 1955, reviving them with the very best aging that the Murphy Lab has to offer.
Copper Iridescent, Nugget Gold, Samoa Beige, Platinum and Viceroy Brown (we only saw those first two) car-style finishes are available, recreated in a metallic nitrocellulose lacquer for the first time ever.
Up close they really were a sight to behold, and our tour guide – Gibson’s Mat Koehler – highlighted the fact the Murphy Lab has upped its game for its new releases, now artificially aging all aspects of its guitars, and not just its finishes, for the first time. Because of that, they certainly look and feel more, err... vintage-y.
Warren Haynes has developed a bit of a thing for P-90s in recent years and the fruits of that passion can be seen in his new Cherry Red signature model. It might look like a simple refin at first, but it’s well worth a closer inspection.
For a start, those aren't standard pickups, but a pair of P-90 DC units – offering hum-free-performance. It’s also augmented by a custom boost circuit, which can engage 15dB of clean boost via the mini toggle secreted near the tone/volume controls.
Pair all of that with the traditional Gibson Les Paul specs, an unassuming top and chunky ’50s Vintage profile neck and this looks like one hell of a stage guitar – and a lot of fun.
We were also privy to the all-new Les Paul Standard 50s and 60s Double Trouble models – two cheekily named six-strings that not-so-subtly nod to a well-publicized legal disagreement with a pair of uncovered Classic White humbuckers.
There were a few unexpected previews, too, most notably the return of the Tobias bass. Classic IV, Classic V, Growler IV, Growler V, Killer B IV and Killer B V models have been launched, all of which work to revive the retro-yet-boutique bass brand in striking fashion.
Last but not least, let’s not overlook the new Gibson Custom Margo Price J-45 signature model, a stunning double-scratchplate acoustic for the award-winning country artist, which she based on her mid-’60s J-45 – her “main baby,” as she terms it.
It reportedly uses a thinner mahogany for the body than the standard build and combines it with a solid red spruce top, Grover strap tuners and an L.R. Baggs Element VTC under-saddle pickup. The artwork on the scratchplates is unique to the build – inlaid with red-tailed hawks, which hold special meaning for Price.
“They are common all over the United States,” she explains in the press release for the signature. “But to me, they are otherworldly, and they always come to me in my time of need with messages of strength and perseverance.”
Keep an eye on our NAMM live blog, for more show floor updates across the weekend, and for more information on the new models, head to Gibson.
