20 limited edition Johnny Marr Gibson Les Pauls are selling for charity
A limited run of 1984 Les Paul replicas signed by the rock legend will go on sale in London
Johnny Marr is cementing his reputation as one of rock music’s good eggs in a charity collaboration with guitar maker Gibson.
A strictly limited run of 20 recreations of Marr’s own 1984 Les Paul Standard will be on sale at the Gibson Garage in London, with the proceeds heading to the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Gibson hasn’t announced how much these guitars will cost, but we can confirm they’ll be a small fortune. These are made in the US Gibson guitars, the kind most of us can only dream of one day owning.
But, hey, if you have a few grand going spare, the money will go to a good cause this time.
The guitar itself is a classic Les Paul in most respects, but is kitted out with a Bigsby tremolo — rather than the signature Les Paul hard tail.
“These guitars are a faithful reproduction of my beloved 1984 Gibson Les Paul, bought in Manchester back in the day,” says Marr.
“It’s the guitar I’ve kept and used since that time on loads of different records, so I was beyond delighted to see it recreated in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. It’s an amazing organisation that I've had an association with for about ten years. It’s a privilege to be involved in this good cause and I’m very glad to be affiliated with it, especially when it involves making a fantastic Les Paul.”
Each of the 20 guitars will be signed by Marr, and will be available from Friday, February 21.
This timing celebrates the one year anniversary of the Gibson Garage, a showroom and shop just a short stroll away from the Oxford Circus tube station.
Perform a Google Image deep dive and you’ll find decades-old photos of Marr with his cherry red Les Paul, which he first used while recording The Smiths’ 1985 album, according to Gibson.
“It may surprise some people to learn that this is the guitar I’ve used on more records than any other,” Marr told The Guardian back in 2023.
If you fancy a trip down to the Gibson Garage to witness these beauties, or just the wider Gibson range, it opens 11-7 on week days, 10-6 on Saturdays and 12-6 on Sundays.
