At the beginning of March, 2022, Triumph Motorcycles and legendary guitar maker Gibson announced a special, one-of-a-kind custom collaboration. Created in honor of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, this mysterious pairing would center around 1959, which was a pivotal year in the history of both companies. For riders, 1959 saw the birth of the Triumph Bonneville T120. For rockers, of course, it was the first time that the Gibson 1959 Les Paul Standard was unleashed upon a world that would never be the same.
On March 22, 2022, these two one-of-a-kind icons finally dropped the covers on the fruits of this collaboration. Behold the Gibson 1959 Legends custom edition Les Paul Standard Reissue and Triumph Bonneville T120, both instantly drawing your eye with that instantly recognizable sunburst finish. This pair of specially-crafted items won’t be available for purchase. Instead, they’ll be offered as the award for the highest fundraiser at the 2022 Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, currently scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 22, 2022.
As you’d expect, both customs feature a number of special details. The Bonneville T120 showcases a jet-black painted guitar neck design on the tank, which Triumph describes as being “edged with hand-painted coach lining,” no doubt from the hands of Triumph’s master pinstripers. Other accents to admire include metallic gold detailing, a custom brown leather seat with diamond stitching and custom pick holders, and a laser-etched fuel filler cap.
Gallery: Triumph and Gibson 1959 Legends Editions
Meanwhile, on the Gibson 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue side of the equation, it makes use of that iconic jet-black on its scratch plate, with careful hand-painted silver coach lining that’s a direct visual callback to the cooling fins from the original Bonneville T120. Custom badging for both GIbson and Triumph adorn the headstock, and there’s a special reissue switch backplate on the back of the body, crafted with inspiration from the original Bonneville T120’s alternator cover badge.
The winner of this unique prize will also receive a 1959 Legends Edition certificate of authenticity, which will be signed by both Triumph CEO Nick Bloor and Gibson brand president Cesar Gueikian. If you’re interested in doing the 2022 DGR, pre-registration on the official website is already open as of March 23, 2022. Official registration and fundraising begins on March 28, 2022, so as always, the best time to sign up is now.
