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FORGOTTEN HISTORY: 3 - The Untold Story

“Some of the most ambitious custom shop guitars I’ve ever seen”: These are the gear releases that have caught my eye this week – and the essential launches you might have missed

New drops from JHS Pedals, Fender, Victory, and more that need to be on your radar this week

Guitar World

“This isn’t just an Artist Signature model – it’s a glimpse into what could have been, had this concept made it to production”: Fender and Brad Paisley introduce the 1967 ‘Lost Paisley’ Telecaster

This limited edition Tele resurrects a unicorn finish and applies it to a top-tier vintage build featuring Seymour Duncan pickups and Glaser G Bender

MusicRadar

“Dime is in there. I have a big Eddie Van Halen influence. The same goes for Eric Clapton. It all channels back to the blues”: Mark Morton explains why he’s jamming with Grace Bowers and Jason Isbell on his solo album – and those Gibson signature rumors

His second solo album, Without The Pain, features Troy Sanders, Jason Isbell, Jared James Nichols, Grace Bowers and a stack of guitars from his frighteningly valuable collection

Guitar World

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“It is ingrained with my artwork, an art piece that I had done years ago called Sunburst”: Serj Tankian and the Gibson Custom Shop team up for limited edition signature Foundations Les Paul Modern

They're only making 25 of these, each of them signed, and they come with a signed LP, signed art print, a copy of Tankian's memoir, plus VIP tickets to an upcoming System Of A Down show

MusicRadar

“While the odd corner has clearly been cut, these are true Gibsons with all the individuality that this brand exhibits”: Gibson J-45 Special and Hummingbird Special review

USA-made Gibson acoustics for under two grand, with solid timbers, nitro finish and an LR Baggs pickup. Too good to be true?

Guitar World

“Once the custom shops came out, everyone was talking about them:” Jackson and Revocation’s David Davidson just dropped the hottest metal guitar of 2025 – the Warrior WR7

We've got G.A.S. for those Ferrari-inspired paint jobs on this radical, weaponised seven-string electric

MusicRadar

“If you’re in the market for a single-cut on steroids with vintage charm, this is the one to wield”: Heritage Guitars Custom Shop Core Collection H-137 review

There is something very Special about this retro electric from a Kalamazoo factory with some serious history

Guitar World

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“When I saw it, I couldn’t believe how cool it was”: Joe Satriani is selling one of his rarest guitars – an ultra-ambitious Ibanez Y2K Crystal Planet prototype

The elite shredder is selling off a bunch of pre-loved gear, including a stunning see-through version of his Ibanez signature guitar

Guitar World

“If fashion brands and computer brands can do it, why can’t we?” I journeyed to the only dedicated Fender store in the world – and found out how it could change the future of guitar retail as we know it

From all-star guest appearances to the world’s biggest collection of Custom Shop and made-in-Japan guitars, Fender Flagship Tokyo is the guitar store I’d always dreamed of

Guitar World

“One of my favourite forgotten Gibson designs of all time”: The cult-classic RD Custom is officially back (in black)

Gibson president and CEO Cesar Gueikian loves them, so too the Nameless Ghouls of Ghost, and this oft-slept on model becomes the first core Gibson Custom electric with a 25.5" scale length

MusicRadar

“There’s so much equity in the Squier brand name – there are people that proudly play Squier over Fender”: Fender outlines the future of Squier after the launch of its new Standard Series – which is built in the same factory

The Standard Series further closed the gap between Fender and Squier – but would Fender ever put its name on the entire production line, from entry level to Custom Shop?

Guitar World

“I took everything out of the freezer and sat the guitar in overnight”: When John Mayer was unhappy with his famed Black One Strat, he had a bizarre method for trying to fix it

Mayer worked closely with the Fender Custom Shop to design and build his “main guitar”, but it took a bit of tweaking before it reached its playing potential

Guitar World

“Your opportunity to own a piece of music history that is directly tied to two of the world’s foremost guitarists”: Gibson unveils Murphy Lab replica of Eric Clapton’s “Disraeli Gears” 1958 Les Paul Custom that he later gifted to Albert Lee

The Cream of the crop for collectors, this forensic reproduction ships with a second pickguard signed by Slowhand and Lee, a custom Duck Brothers case and a lot of mojo

MusicRadar

“The 12-string I was accustomed to wasn’t performing. Gibson kindly said, ‘We’ll make you something special’”: Brian May’s first Gibson signature is here – and it’s got nothing to do with the Red Special

When the Queen legend announced he’d be working with Gibson, many expected a Custom Shop Red Special – but first, we have a 12-string SJ-200 that’s like no other

Guitar World

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Guitar World

“It's not a Marvel movie or a Vegas residency – it's rock and roll and it’s a living breathing organism”: Jack White responds to short sets criticism – and explains why you’ll never see him play for three hours

Recent shows have barely surpassed the hour mark, but White is refusing to bend to the wants of his naysayers

Guitar World

“Intricate finishes, exotic tonewoods, and immaculate details”: 12-string Telecasters, baritone offsets, and diamond-laced Strats headline the Fender Custom Shop's awe-inspiring 2025 Prestige Collection

Featuring half-a-dozen Strats, a pair of Teles, a Meteora, and a rare Performer model, all handcrafted, the Prestige Collection aims to represent the best of the best from the vaunted Fender Custom Shop

Guitar World

“It’s not for sale… yet”: Jack White announces a Custom Shop version of his wild, ever-evolving Triplecaster – and it colors way outside the Fender lines

The tricked-out guitar was available to play at NAMM 2025, and marks the latest refinement of White’s bonkers Telecaster

Guitar World

“Everyone in the Custom Shop pushes one another to test the boundaries of their creativity and technical skills”: Fender Custom Shop ditches dry January with a cocktail-inspired guitar collection – and it’s a uniquely potent mix

With keenly spec'd Sub-Sonic Teles, Strats, Esquires and Strat Thinlines, the Cocktail Collection blends the artistry of fine guitar-making with the vibrant aesthetics and spirit of classic cocktails

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MusicRadar

NAMM 2025: “The NAMM Show has always been an excuse for guitar-makers to pull out all the stops”: Gibson turns the clock back to 1955 for a commemorative Murphy Lab Les Paul in five holy grail custom colours

Thanks to Joe Bonamassa, you'll all be familiar with Copper Iridescent, but how about a P-90 loaded Custom Shop LP in Samoa Beige, Nugget Gold, Viceroy Brown and Platinum?

MusicRadar

"While the aesthetic flourishes grab the headlines, this guitar’s mismatched specs are its secret weapon": Gibson Mary Ford Les Paul Standard Goldtop review

A Les Paul dressed up like an ES-295, Gibson's latest signature certainly has plenty of visual appeal, but can it deliver on playability and tone?

Guitar World

“Reveal coming soon”: At long lost, is Gibson finally working on James Hetfield signature guitars?

The Metallica frontman is poised to receive a Gibson Custom Shop creation that pays homage to his famed ‘So What’ 1984 Explorer. Could signature guitars be next?

Guitar World

“I got a chance to play the guitar that David Gilmour owned with serial number 0001 – and I was actually disappointed”: Why one of David Gilmour’s most iconic Strats underwhelmed Fender’s CEO – who tried to buy it at auction

Andy Mooney had already attempted to convince the Pink Floyd legend to let Fender reissue his legendary 0001 Strat, not long after he joined the company

Guitar World

“Jimmy was the player who defined the EDS-1275 from the day it was delivered to him”: Gibson launches new Custom Shop VOS Jimmy Page 1969 EDS-1275 model – a meticulous recreation of the Led Zeppelin man's iconic double-neck that doesn't cost $50,000

While still exacting – with 3D scan rendering and molecularly accurate electronics – this replica of one of Page's most famous weapons diverges from its ultra-high-end predecessor in a few ways

MusicRadar

“It’s kind of scary to go through these…like, ‘Oh I’m going to take that back!’”: Albert Hammond Jr of the Strokes is (reluctantly) selling a heap of his stage-played gear on Reverb, including a Guild acoustic from the Yours To Keep tour

Too bad his Bigsby-equipped SG has already been sold but that Mastery-equipped Jazzmaster looks pretty sweet, as does his Custom Shop Strat – and his father's Jupiter-6 synth is up for grabs too

Guitar World

“Of all the rare custom Fenders introduced over the decades, few have inspired the kind of cult following that this has”: The original Mary Kaye Stratocaster – one of Fender’s most iconic builds – has sold at auction for over $220,000

Said to be the first-ever Fender Custom Shop build, the guitar helped Kaye’s name become synonymous with its now-iconic aesthetic

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