Friday August 15th, 2003

Gibson Custom's Chevy SSR guitar revs up TNN's TRUCKS! this weekend

The new limited edition Gibson Custom Chevy SSR guitar and the Gibson Signature Series Chevy SSR vehicle will be heating up TNN's sizzling new show TRUCKS! this weekend. The one-of-a-kind SSR guitar was inspired by #12 (VIN #000012), the 12th saleable production model of the all-new part pickup, part roadster vehicle. TRUCKS! airs on Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET/PT on cable network TNN, now known as Spike TV, the first network for men.

Kenny Olson with Gibson SSR Guitar and Truck

Kenny Olson, guitarist for Kid Rock, unveiled the SSR guitar at Gibson's Custom, Art & Historic division July 17 during the 2003 summer NAMM (International Music Products Association) trade show in Nashville. Gibson Guitar Corp. partnered with Chevrolet for the high-profile launch of one of the first 25 Chevy SSRs. Each vehicle comes complete with a unique "pedigree," a scrapbook of items collected from the vehicle's appearances at major music venues throughout the year including artist autographs, memorabilia, photographs and press clippings. The guitar, in addition to a unique "pedigree" scrapbook, will go to the lucky winner of the vehicle when it is auctioned in late 2003. The #2 SSR (VIN #000002), the first vehicle to be auctioned (and the first one available to the public) brought in $135,000.

Gibson Custom's Mickey McGuire spraying finish on guitar for TRUCKS! cameraman

Stacy David, designer, producer and host of TRUCKS! recently sent a film crew to the Custom Shop to shoot footage of two new guitars being crafted by Gibson's skilled builders. Last weekend the new limited edition guitars, named after vehicles, debuted on TRUCKS!, the Gibson Copperhead SG with color shifting paint on the "scales," and the Gibson Crazy Horse Les Paul, modeled after the Bronco's illustrious history (the Parnelli period in the 1970s) with an actual tire track across the body. The Copperhead vehicle has a 572 cubic-inch, 640 horsepower crate engine from Chevy - an engine that isn't available to the consumer yet. The guitars will be produced in a limited run of 25 collectible instruments; David's name is on the truss rod cover of his personal Crazy Horse guitar.

"For a designer/builder, it's a tremendous honor to have a guitar named after your truck. It's never been done before," David says. "There's a long-standing connection between hot rods and rock and roll - a real hot rod needs to be a little dangerous, a little rambunctious, a little unpredictable and out of control, just like rock and roll."

Matthew Klein, Gibson Custom Engineering, at the computer fine tuning guitar template