Jimmy Page, Brian May and Tony Iommi came together to launch the new Gibson Garage in London.
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The moment took place in Soho yesterday morning (February 22) as the guitar manufacturer held a special preview of the shop, which is set to open on Saturday (February 24).
It is inspired by the Nashville flagship branch and has over 300 guitars for sale, as well as a live music space downstairs and a made-to-measure counter for ordering bespoke, custom guitars.
At the first preview of the store, Led Zeppelin icon Jimmy Page was in attendance to reveal a new collaboration with the brand – launching a replica of his iconic 1971 Doubleneck.
As well as Page, Brian May of Queen and Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath were in also attendance, and joined the Led Zeppelin guitarist in cutting the opening ribbon. Check out images of the moment below.
Cesar Gueikian, Jimmy Page, Brian May and Tony Iommi at the launch of London’s Gibson Garage. CREDIT: Dave Hogan
Cesar Gueikian, Jimmy Page, Brian May and Tony Iommi at the launch of London’s Gibson Garage. CREDIT: Dave Hogan
“When I met with [president and chief executive] Cesar [Gueikian] and he explained what the future of Gibson looked like, I knew I needed to be involved,” Page said during an on-site conversation with Matt Everitt.
“There is a spirit in the place; after seeing the people working at the factories and getting a connection with them, I knew that picking up that Les Paul Custom and the Doubleneck all those years ago was certainly the right decision… I really wanted to have something that was exactly the same as my one.”
“It’s not your average guitar shop, it’s a place where musicians can go to get inspired,” said Iommi of the new shop, while Brian May added: “[It is] a place where a young player can feel welcome and mix with the finest instruments, amps, and ancillary gear – and not be told to keep their hands to themselves!”
At the preview, singer, songwriter and guitarist James Bay also played two songs as the first artist to perform on the downstairs stage. “As a musician, even just holding a guitar for the first time was transformative,” he said. “Then there was the first picked melody, the first blisters on my fingers, and still I went back for more. It’s something I’ll just never tire of.”
James Bay performs at the launch of London’s Gibson Garage. CREDIT: Dave Hogan
Elsewhere in the in-conversation, Page also recalled how he first got his hands on the signature Doubleneck back in 1971 – despite it being a model which wasn’t in circulation at the time.
“[Before that], people would have an acoustic guitar on a microphone stand, then they’d start playing the electric guitar… I thought ‘Well, I’m not going to do that, it looks absolutely ridiculous’,” he explained.
“I’d seen the concept of the Doubleneck guitars in country music, but those were like a six-string then a mandolin… You couldn’t just go down to the shops, so I got in touch with Gibson and asked them to make one for me,” he added. He also recalled that he used the model live for the first time with Led Zeppelin in 1971, when the band performed ‘Stairway To Heaven’ during a gig in Belfast: “It was always there, from Belfast onwards I was always playing that.”
In other Jimmy Page news, back in November the rock veteran made a surprise appearance at the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, honouring late roots guitarist Link Wray by performing his track ‘Rumble’.
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