New York, New York….October 2, 2009  -- Gibson Guitar, Epiphone and Monster Cable have partnered to celebrate the launch of two new signature model guitars and pro headphones with a special event in New York on Halloween, October 31, 2009.  Zakk Wylde, legendary guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society is set to perform at a free concert event at the Hard Rock Café New York in Times Square beginning at 8pm.  The event will feature a major nationwide promotional radio campaign, special online contesting and viral marketing and a first-hand look at the special line of the signature Zakk Wylde Gibson BFG USA guitar and Epiphone Graveyard Disciple. The event is also co-sponsored by Dunlop Pedals. 

Gibson’s month long promotional “Rocktober” campaign will culminate with two major Zakk Wylde appearances and events in New York City. In addition to the concert performance, Zakk will host a special “meet and greet” at New York’s  renowned 48th Street Sam Ash Music Store from 4PM to 7PM the night before, October 30, 2009. “Zakk Wylde’s Hellfire Halloween Bash” concert with Black Label Society follows the next day at New York’s Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square. The concert will include V.I.P. guests who won their exclusive “all access” tickets and the opportunity to meet Zakk through a major nationwide radio contest that will be promoted heavily throughout the month of October.

In addition, fans of Zakk Wylde will be offered the opportunity to register for tickets to the event. Interested fans will be given the opportunity to show the world their best “Zakk Wylde” audition through a major YouTube contest launched on www.gibson.com  in mid-October. Monster will also be doing major online promotions for their new headphones and giving musicians and fans alike the chance to win a pair of Turbine Pro in-ear speakers and a new Gibson Zakk Wylde Gibson BFG guitar from Gibson USA personally signed by the guitar maestro. Look for Zakk’s special video message at www.monstercable.com or www.gibson.com. For information on how to register for free tickets fans can go to www.monstercable.com or www.gibson.com  beginning on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 12pm ET/9am PT. Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis and will be limited to two per person per household.

Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz and Monster Cable’s Head Monster, Noel Lee will be on hand to award special surprises to some of the guests and partake in media interviews.

Winners of the radio promotions will receive a new Epiphone Zakk Wylde Graveyard Disciple guitar, a set of Monster’s new Turbine Pro in-ear speakers, a set of Dunlop pedals, tickets to the Zakk Wylde’s Hellfire Halloween Bash, a special meet and greet with Wylde and entry into the Hard Rock Times Square.


Hi-res image above available upon request via contacts listed below

A diehard Gibson/Epiphone guitarist and famous Monster, Zakk exclaimed: “There is nothing better than the sound of one of my Gibson or Epiphone guitars plugged into my rig using Monster Cable…From Ozzy to Black Label Society, it’s kind of like the soul of my sound.” As for this new line of Gibson guitars, Zakk said: “It’s an honor. I grew up watching guys like Jimmy Page play a Gibson Les Paul and since day one, nothing has ever sounded better. And my new line of Gibsons are ridiculous! They are beyond amazing.” As for Zakk’s take on Monster’s new Turbine Pros Zakk smiled and said: “I get why Monster calls them in-ear speakers instead of headphones. They make my guitar sound like it’s supposed to sound: loud and with clarity, I’m starting to use these Turbine Pros for everything.”

“Zakk Wylde is the man, His designs combined with his remarkable talent makes these new guitars some of the best we have every produced,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. “I am excited to be working with Monster Cable on this first annual Zakk Wylde Bash and effort. The world will never be the same on Halloween!”

Head Monster Noel Lee noted: “Monster Cable and Gibson are both companies that value great sound, and Monster is very proud that Zakk and so many pros all over the world use products from both our companies in their pursuit of the very best sound and music making experience. That’s why we’re especially excited to be joining Gibson to celebrate the career of one of these great musicians, Zakk Wylde, and to help inspire more and more up-and-coming professionals and devoted amateur guitarists to keep on rockin!”

The new Zakk Wylde Epiphone Graveyard Disciple* is dying to be played!  Interested fans can already catch a glimpse on  www.youtube.com of Zakk performing on the 2009 "Peddle to the Metal" tour and caught a glimpse of this monster on stage. Designed by Zakk in cooperation with Epiphone, the new Graveyard Disciple combines killer sound with equally killer looks. Shaped like a coffin, the edges of the body are tapered and "pin-striped" in silver giving it a striking visual appearance and depth while providing for a comfortable feel.

As with most all Zakk's guitars, the neck is made of Hard Maple for bright attack and glued into a solid Mahogany body adding a touch of warm and of course, sustain. The neck features a "D" profile, SlimTaper neck with a smooth, satin finish for fast and effortless lead work. It is topped  off with a bound, Ebony fingerboard and medium-jumbo frets with easy access to all 22 frets.

The Graveyard Disciple combines an original Floyd Rose(tm) tremolo with EMG HZ pickups. The tremolo cavity allows for serious dive bombing as well as pull-ups. The EMG HZ-4A is positioned in the bridge position for optimized lead performance while the EMG HZ-4 is voiced for and positioned in the neck position. Designed to emulate the sound of their active counterparts (the EMG 81 and 85), these HZ's are probably the quietest passive pickups available.

Other features on the new Graveyard Disciple include a multi-bound headstock with mother-of-pearl "cross" inlay, black hardware with premium 16:1 ratio Grover(tm) machine heads, Mother-of-Pearl topped metal knobs, Epiphone's non-rotating output jack and Zakk's signature silhouette on the back of the headstock. For added comfort and convenience while playing in the seated position, the guitar features the brilliantly designed and patented Steinberger LegRest. Fold it down and rest it on your leg. Fold it up and it practically disappears. It comes with a custom-made Coffin(tm) case featuring the "Graveyard Disciple" artwork on it. And for this limited edition model, you also get a Certificate of Authenticity. For more information and photos go to  HYPERLINK "http://www.epiphone.com" www.epiphone.com.

The new Zakk Wylde Gibson USA BFG Guitar embodies the mammoth tone and over-the-top rock attitude of its name sake and offers all the equipment necessary to undertake your own scorched-earth attack on your local music scene. It features a rough-hewn book matched maple top, a rounded 50’s spec neck with ebony fingerboard, sizzling EMG 81 and 85 humbucking pickups all approved by Zakk Wylde himself.  The guitar comes in two Zakk certified finishes to choose from, a Bullseye graphic or Buzzsaw graphic over a satin natural nitro finish all produced by the world’s most famous guitar manufacturer, Gibson USA.

Monster Turbine Pro headphones utilize the company’s patented design, with advanced engineering and technologies to offer a new level of portable audio performance geared toward serious audiophiles and audio professionals. The ultra-wide range 8mm drivers are housed in a high-density metal casing that absorbs unwanted vibration, providing an inert, non-resonant acoustic chamber. The result is flawless bass and absolute audio precision. The cable itself further enhances audio performance, featuring MicroStrand conductors and Monster’s patented Magnetic FluxTube™ to cleanly transfer every sonic detail.

In addition, the company's patent-pending "SuperTip" sound-isolating eartips were exclusively created for use with Turbine Pro. They literally block out extraneous sound like no other eartip available, allowing users to immerse themselves in the music and hear many audio details they may have previously missed.

As part of Gibson’s Rocktober celebrations, Gibson will also launch and promote Signature Series guitars from stars including Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Dethklok, Buckethead, Epiphone Triumph Bass & more.

About Monster
Monster is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2009. The company was founded by Head Monster Noel Lee with a commitment to creating products under the Monster Cable® brand to literally “make music sound better.” Today, Monster has grown and diversified to become the world's leading manufacturer of connectivity solutions for high-performance audio, video, car audio, computer, console and computer gaming, as well as a leading innovator in the field of iPod® and iPhone™ accessories and professional audio and sound reinforcement. Additionally, under its Monster Power® brand, the company is the leading manufacturer of high-performance AC power line conditioning and protection products for audio/video systems. Explore the world of Monster at www.monstercable.com.    

About Gibson Guitar
Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, and banjos. The Gibson Les Paul guitar is the best selling guitar of all time and bears the name of the late, great Les Paul. Gibson’s HD.6X-PRO Digital Guitar, the Gibson Robot Guitar and Gibson's Dark Fire represent the biggest advances in electric guitar design in over 70 years. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo , Michigan , and headquartered in Nashville since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corp.’s family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Echoplex, Electar, Flatiron, Slingerland, Valley Arts, Maestro, Oberheim, Baldwin, Sunshine Piano, Take Anywhere Technology, J&C Fischer, Chickering, Hamilton, and Wurlitzer. Visit Gibson’s website at  www.gibson.com

About Hard Rock International

With a total of 157 venues in 52 countries, including 127 cafes and 12 Hotels/Casinos, Hard Rock International is one of the world's most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Tulsa, Pattaya, Bali, Macau and Penang.  Additional hotel and casino projects have been announced in Singapore scheduled to open in 2010; Palm Springs, Atlanta and Panama, scheduled to open in 2011; Hungary, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2012.  Hard Rock International is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit www.hardrockhotels.com. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com. 

About Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society

In the two decades since Ozzy Osbourne hired him away from his job at a New Jersey gas station to become his new guitarist, Zakk Wylde has established
himself as a guitar icon known and revered the world over.  Writing and recording with Osbourne led to multi-platinum success, inspiring him to create the now legendary Black Label Society in 1998.  In the decade since, BLS has turned the notion of what a rock band should be upside down by inspiring  legions of fans (known as Berserkers) all over the world to follow the mantra: Strength, Determination, Merciless, Forever.  SDMF for short, the Berserkers, along with Wylde have created a heavy metal institution true to his vision of uncompromising, unfiltered and unrestrained rock and roll. Wylde’s inspiration comes from not only the fans, but from such notable guitarists including Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen, Frank Marino, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Albert Lee , as well as the vocal stylings of Elton John, Gregg Allman and late Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie VanZant. Wylde has won nearly every guitar award imaginable, and is a major influence to a new battalion of rock guitarists currently popular today.  One thing is for certain, wherever Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society travels: brewtality is sure to follow.  For more information please visit www.blsnation.com and/or www.blacklabelsociety.com

*The Graveyard Disciple is under license from Coffin Case Company.

CONTACTS:

Caroline Galloway GIBSON 615-423-4904 caroline.galloway@gibson.com
Maureen O’Connor       Rogers & Cowan 310-854-8116  moconnor@rogersandcowan.com
Allison Giella  DBA Public Relations (212) 388-1400  agiella@dba-pr.com Monster Cable
Jim Baltutis/Global Brand Media (Zakk Wylde & Black Label Society inquiries) (310) 601-7663; jim@globalbrandmedia.com
Penny Palmer/Global Brand Media (Zakk Wylde & Black Label Society inquiries) (310) 293-8968; penny@globalbrandmedia.com