CME is Giving Collectors a Once-in-a-Lifetime Chance To Choose From Over A Dozen Gibson Collector’s Choice Editions

We may have seen a number of Collector’s Choice models come through CME over the years since this series debuted—but it’s safe to say we’ve never had this many at once! 

Based on individual instruments now associated with the names of iconic players who played them (or, names of collectors who owned them), the Gibson Custom Shop Collector’s Choice series took cues from the “Inspired By” series of extremely limited Custom Shop runs, combining decades of meticulous research begun by J.T. Riboloff and Tom Murphy after the creation of the Gibson Custom, Art, and Historic Division in 1993, plus the aging techniques Murphy pioneered from then onward.

Launched in 2010, the Collector’s Choice series recreates more than 40 models produced in extremely limited runs, offering instruments that are all but indistinguishable from the vintage collectibles that inspired each model.

All of the instruments that inspired these Collector’s Choice series editions have been recognized among collectors as the crème de la crème of the vintage guitar world, and the work that went into the series’ seven-year production run set the stage for Tom Murphy’s return to Gibson in 2017 with the establishment of the Murphy Labs division.

SHOP CME COLLECTION COLLECTORS CHOICE GUITARS

A History of Innovative Traditions

Whether electrifying archtops, developing the first set-neck solidbody electrics, perfecting the first PAF humbuckers, or experimenting with a slew of non-traditional body shapes, throughout Gibson’s storied history of making instruments, the brand has kept an eye towards innovation—with at least one foot firmly planted in history and tradition.

By the late 1950s, this delicate balance between tradition and innovation was brought to new heights with the introduction of about 1,400 or so PAF-equipped Les Paul Standard guitars—now affectionately known among collectors as the first ‘Bursts—which kicked off a collectors market of buying, selling, and trading instruments. 

These individual instruments were so revered in the decades that have followed, what amounts to only a relative handful of all the Gibson guitars ever produced have come to represent many of the most sought-after instruments on the vintage guitar market, today.

After nearly four decades of experimentation and tinkering since the early ’70s, Gibson returned to its Golden-Era roots with a renewed focus on its own now-traditional electric guitar designs. Starting with the first 125 replicas of Peter Greene’s “Greenie” 1959 Les Paul Standard, then owned by former Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore (and now owned by Metallica’s Kirk Hammet), the Collector’s Choice series gave players and collectors a chance to own the most painstakingly accurate replicas that the Custom Shop ever produced in the years leading up to the creation of Murphy Labs. 

If you’re looking for a guitar that represents some of the most prized aspects of the instruments that helped launch the vintage guitar market in the first place, crafted with the innovative techniques that have given Gibson Custom Shop the world-renowned reputation it now enjoys today, come check out all the Collector’s Choice models you have to choose from in
The CME Collection!

SHOP NEW GIBSON CUSTOM SHOP

Related Posts

Roland Summer Of Savings Promotions 2023

Now thru September 30, you can get up to $250 cash back via mail-in rebate on select* Roland & BOSS products available at Chicago Music Exchange! When you purchase any of the select* items below at CME before the end of September 2023, just complete the rebate form, and submit it to Roland Corporation U.S. with 1) A copy of the dated, itemized store sales receipt, 2) a UPC code (entire sticker from the box), 3) The Product Registration Card, you’ll receive the cash-back value listed below! *Exclusions apply

Read more

Introducing | OOPEGG

Though the brand’s name may be an acronym for “out-of-place electric guitars & gear,” OOPEGG guitars and basses fit right into the wide selection of boutique instruments available at Chicago Music Exchange from builders all across the globe! Now, CME is proud to be counted among just a handful of dealers in North America to offer OOPEGG guitars and basses! 

Read more

Boss | GM-800 Synth Pedal

Unlock any sound imaginable—from acoustic instruments to classic and modern synths—with the new Boss GM-800 guitar synthesizer, now available at Chicago Music Exchange! Driven by the newly developed Serial GK interface and Boss’s advanced ZEN-Core engine, the GM-800’s high-performance DSP delivers an unprecedented amount of tracking stability and expressive scope, letting users combine and edit tones with the intuitive “Scene” workflow, color sounds with a huge selection of effects, and explore a universe of fresh content on Roland Cloud.

Read more