The Gibson Garage London will officially open to the public on 24 February. The 4,500 square foot flagship store is the first to open after the landmark Nashville Gibson Garage that has proved a huge hit with players and visiting artists from around the world. From what we're seeing, the London store will be a must-visit guitar location for the UK's capital.
For starters, there will be over 300 guitars for you to plug in and play from the Gibson, Epiphone, Kramer collections – including Gibson Custom and Gibson Acoustic. For the curious or anyone looking to make an informed buying decision about buying an electric, bass or acoustic guitar from those brands, it's a really valuable opportunity for hands-on experience.
“We are thrilled to announce the opening of the Gibson Garage London! 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," says Gibson Brands CEO and President Cesar Gueikian.
"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!’" adds Cesar. "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.
"It’s also an exciting place to experience music and lifestyle through Gibson instruments, sound, media, and apparel. We hope the Gibson Garage will have a dramatic impact on the London music scene in addition to becoming a must-see destination.”
The Gibson Garage London is located at 61-62 Eastcastle St, London, and will be open Monday-Saturday from 10am-7pm, and Sunday 12-6pm. Along with a feats of guitars, there will also be Maestro pedals to demo and buy alongside a host of apparel and lifestyle items from Gibson Brands. It won't just be a store and demo space, but a hub for Gibson activities.
The store will host regular live performances and panel discussions from musicians and artists thanks to its stage on the lower level. The Gibson Gallery is a bi-annual revolving gallery wall that will celebrate the photography and art of different British artists, and musicians.
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The inaugural exhibition at the gallery will showcase an exclusive collection by legendary rock 'n' roll photographer Gered Mankowitz from his 50-year career featuring The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Kate Bush, Elton John, The Jam and Oasis.
Gibson also recently confirmed its appointments for the staff who will head up the Gibson Garage London team, with Etaoin Fagan taking on the role of General Manager), Andy Wratten as Assistant Manager - Operations, and Sam Gammon Assistant Manager -Sales.
“I have had the pleasure of working in the retail world for my whole career both with premium and luxury brands across the UK, and Ireland across retail experience stores, fashion, and homeware,” said General Manager Etaoin Fagan.
“Retail has been part of my family for decades and being part of bringing the Gibson Garage to life in London is an incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We look forward to seeing you in the Gibson Garage London soon, and the team and I, can’t wait to welcome you inside.”
Find out more at Gibson.
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Rob is the Reviews Editor for GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars, so spends most of his waking hours (and beyond) thinking about and trying the latest gear while making sure our reviews team is giving you thorough and honest tests of it. He's worked for guitar mags and sites as a writer and editor for nearly 20 years but still winces at the thought of restringing anything with a Floyd Rose.
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