Gibson, the maker of the guitars of choice for the likes of Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, Bob Dylan and Jimmy Page, is to open its first store outside America in the West End on Saturday.
The 4,500 sq ft Gibson Garage London flagship on Eastcastle Street in Fitzrovia will display more than 300 electric and acoustic guitars across the Gibson, Gibson Custom, Gibson Acoustic, Epiphone, and Kramer that customers can plug in and play.
There will be a performance stage on the lower level and a gallery on the stairs between the floors. The inaugural exhibition will be a collection by rock ‘n’ roll photographer Gered Mankowitz. Cesar Gueikian, president, and CEO of Gibson Brand, said: “London was an obvious choice for our second location, given it’s one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world with a highly influential and vibrant musical ecosystem.
“The Gibson Garage is how we want our fans to experience Gibson; an immersive dream space where fans walk in and say, ‘Wow, this is the place that Gibson should have always had!’ The Garage is designed to be a part of the London music community with a live stage featuring performances, and events from icons and emerging artists on any given day.”
Gibson has also teamed up with with Noel Gallagher to release 20 signed Gibson ’78 Les Paul Custom guitars. They will only be available to people arriving at the store on Saturday with profits going to the Teenage Cancer Trust charity.
Gibson dates traces its roots to 1894 when Orville Gibson first started making instruments before founding the company in 1902 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, It opened its first Gibson Garage store in Nashville in 2021.
