Gibson has announced the debut of the Gibson Band, billed as a “revolving collective” of the guitar brand’s big-name endorsees and, it seems, its in-house team.
The first single is called Deconstruction, and is co-written by Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian and System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian, and features a guest spot by none other than Tony Iommi.
It’s a wild concept, and an interesting reversal of recent trends. Indeed, we’ve seen plenty of artists launching their own gear companies, but far fewer gear companies launching their own employees as artists.
Of course, Gueikian has his own background in music, which long predates his career in finance and, now, Gibson Brands. He frequently posts playing clips on social media and has even performed with Kirk Hammett's Wedding Band.
Those clips are often teasing new releases, but they're usually in the gear sphere – however, it seems he made an exception recently, sharing some original riffs as a precursor to Deconstruction.
The move is all in aid of a good cause, designed to raise money for the Armenia Fund’s Artsakh Refugee Initiative via the firm's Gibson Gives initiative, and any donations are set to be matched by The Eurnekian family (headed by Argentine billionaire Eduardo Eurnekian).
Alongside the single, there will be a charity auction, featuring the original artwork Our Mountains, which was created by Tankian for the project, plus a one-off Gibson Les Paul Standard (serial number 232030094), with a unique top finish that replicates the single's artwork.
According to the auction page, the Armenia Fund “provides humanitarian assistance to the people of Armenia and global Armenian communities through the development of vital infrastructure projects, educational, cultural, healthcare, and disaster relief programs, as well as direct assistance to families and individuals.“
Tankian, Gueikian and Eurnekian are all of Armenian descent, so the cause is close to the hearts of all those involved.
The global auction for both the artwork and the guitar is live from today (December 8) and will run until Monday December 18.
To take part in the bidding and view more images of the unique Les Paul, head to Julien’s Auctions.
