Fender Custom Shop Says Goodbye to Abigail Ybarra 'Queen of Pickups'

To commemorate the retirement of one of Fender's Master Technician Abigail Ybarra, who has been in the Fender Family for over 50 years, Fender has created this special plaque and hosted a retirement party for her.  Fender also arranged for multiple Grammy Award-winning band Los Lobos to play at her private event.

Ybarra came to Fender in 1956 and in 1958 began hand-winding and hand-building guitar pickups for the fledgling Southern California musical instrument company (pickups convert string vibrations into electric signals, creating the “voice” of an electric guitar). Ybarra’s hand-wound pickups have been included in Fender’s most popular instruments from the late-’50s to today, and were most likely found on instruments played by legends such as Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly, Stevie Ray Vaughan and countless others. Her pickups have become highly desirable and sought after by artists and collectors alike.

“Abby is one of the many individuals, like George Fullerton, Freddie Tavares and Forrest White, who have set our course as a company and leader in our industry,” said Mike Eldred, Fender Custom Shop Marketing Director.

                         “She has literally ‘set the tone’ for Fender, 
                  and we will continue to carry on her legacy 
                  in the Fender Custom Shop.”

 L.A. Music would like to thank Abigail Ybarra for her contribution to the music-making industry and offer our most sincere congrats on the lengendary career.

Read More

New Gibson Les Paul Custom Lite Electric Guitar!

Gibson Les Paul Custom Lite Electric Guitar Ebony The Classic Les Paul with a slimmer more comfortable design. The Gibson Les Paul Custom Lite solidbody electric guitar will go easy on your back, thanks to its thinline mahogany body with traditional weight relief. It's designed to bring you the elegance and rich tone of a Les Paul Custom, without the back strain. You'll find everything you expect from a LP like a maple top, set-in mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard, and a roaring pair of humbucking pickups. And with a coil split switch in place of a second tone control, you've got all manner of single-coil tones too in the Gibson Les Paul Custom Lite.

	Features Thinline, weight-relieved version of the classic Les Paul Custom Thinner, lighter body is incredibly comfortable to play over long gigs 490R and 498T humbucking pickups serve up classic LP tone Coil-split switch lets you access single-coil tones too Quartersawn mahogany neck is more rigid than plain-sawn necks, for more sustain and durability Bound rosewood fretboard feels and plays smooth Chunkier '50s-style neck profile satisfies Les Paul purists

Read More

Brand Overview: Gibson Guitars

L.A. Music recently added to inventory, the Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Reissue Les Paul Standard VOS 2013 (pictured above), Gibson VOS '58 Les Paul Plain Top Reissue Worn Cherry and the Gibson 1959 Reissue Les Paul Standard VOS Washed Cherry.  To celebrate this outstanding brand, here is a quick overview of the company:

L.A. Music is very proud to be one of the elite minority of companies to be selected as an Authorized Gibson Retailer. L.A. Music offers the complete line of Gibson products, which are all covered by the Limited Lifetime Warranty available only from Authorized Gibson Retailers.

For decades, Gibson has been recognized as one of the most renowned guitar builders in the world. We are truly honored to be selected by Gibson to bring their world-class instruments to you.

Buy with confidence 100% authentic Gibson products from L.A. Music - Canada's Largest Gibson Authorized Internet Retailer.

Orville Gibson, a restaurant clerk in Kalamazoo, MI, began making mandolins and guitars in his home workshop in 1894. The Gibson company (official name: The Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Co., Ltd.) was organized by a group of Kalamazoo businessmen in 1902. The company initially focused on producing only mandolins but were able to maintain a leadership role in the music industry prompting prompting a name change to Gibson, Inc., in 1923 and the guitar line release in the 1930s.

A manufacturing facility was opened in Nashville in 1974, and instruments were made in Kalamazoo and Nashville until 1984.

Gibson is the only company to establish industry-standard models in every major fretted instrument style: acoustic guitar (flat top and arch top), electric guitar (hollow body, semi-hollow body and solid body), electric bass, banjo and mandolin.

Gibson's best known signature lines are the Les Paul electric solid body (introduced in 1952), the Chet Atkins solidbody acoustic (introduced 1982), the B.B. King Lucille electric semi-hollow body (introduced 1980) and the Earl Scruggs banjo (introduced 1984).

The Gibson Les Paul represents the most successful endorsement agreement in the history of musical instruments. Gibson has made over 100 different variations of Les Paul models. The body shape is a registered trademark and is recognized around the world as an icon for rock and roll music.

Gibson has always had a close relationship with musicians at the top of their game. Besides Les Paul, famous Gibson players include B. B. King, Chet Atkins, and jazz artists such as Howard Roberts and Herb Ellis. Not to mention famous Les Paul guitar players like Jimmy Page and Joe Perry as well as Angus Young, famous for his Gibson SG guitar.

Read More

Gretsch Celebrates 130th Anniversary With New Models

Can't believe that Gretsch has been in business for 130 Years!  It looks like the world-renowned brand is still going strong after all these years with the debut of their new anniversary, Center-Block and Professional Collection Models at NAMM 2013.


U.S. Custom Shop 130th Anniversary Hollow Body

To commemorate Gretsch's 130th anniversary, the Gretsch Custom Shop introduces the beautiful new U.S. Custom Shop 130th Anniversary Hollow Body guitar. The guitar comes in a deluxe black faux-alligator skin TKL hard-shell case with a Gretsch 130th Anniversary leather strap, embroidered utility bag and certificate of authenticity signed by Gretsch Custom Shop Senior Master Builder Stephen Stern.

G6118T-LTV 130th Anniversary Jr.

Gretsch is proud to introduce a beautiful new Professional Collection guitar—the G6118T-LTV 130th Anniversary Jr. model-as part of its anniversary celebration. Available in right- and left- handed models, and deluxe hard-shell case included.

G6137TCB Panther Center-Block

The brand-new Professional Collection Center-Block model, the G6137TCB Panther Center-Block, features a beautiful 1 3/4"- deep double-cutaway three-ply maple body with a 16" lower bout, arched top and back and elegant f holes. Available in Black and White.

G6139CB Falcon Center-Block Single Cutaway

 The Gretsch Professional Collection introduces an innovative new version of the venerable Falcon design with the arrival of the G6139CB Falcon Center-Block Single Cutaway guitar. Available in White with Gold Sparkle appointments and Black with Silver Sparkle appointments.

G6139T-CBDC Falcon Center-Block Double Cutaway

 The Gretsch Professional Collection introduces another new Falcon, the G6139T-CBDC Falcon Center-Block Double Cutaway guitar. Available in White with Gold Sparkle appointments and Black with Silver Sparkle appointments.

G6128T-DCM Duo Jet™

The Gretsch Professional Collection now also includes the striking new G6128T-DCM Duo Jet™, which features a double-cutaway chambered mahogany body finished in black and a three-ply arched maple top finished in Dark Cherry Metallic with single-ply binding.

Read More

Fender Custom Shop Diamond Legend Cabronita Built by Yuriy Shishkov

Try to exhale. The Custom Shop presents a truly breathtaking Custom Shop creation by Master Builder Yuriy Shishkov in the beautifully handcrafted form of a Cabronita-style Telecaster featuring exquisite body, fingerboard and headstock inlay work in fine silver wire and 377 diamonds. That's right—8.5 carats in real diamonds.

Read More

Yamaha Unveils New Oak Live Custom Kits!

 

Designed to deliver a massive sound that projects onstage, no matter how loud guitarists turn up their stacks, the Live Custom kit is the only drum set that features 100 percent Oak shells
Live Custom is the first high-end drum set to come out of a brand new, state-of-the-art Yamaha owned and operated factory. As with all of its drum sets, Yamaha undertook extensive internal research and development, consulting with artists, dealers and consumers to develop this new offering to the Yamaha drum set line-up.
"We are so excited about Live Custom " explained Gavin Thomas, UK Product Manager for Yamaha Drums.
"Yamaha was the first Drum Company to develop 100% Oak shells, and it has established itself as a firm favourite for many of our artists over the years. It is beautiful to now see the next generation of Oak with many improved design elements including a thicker Oak shell, the drums deliver even more depth, projection and clarity than ever before"
In addition to sounding great, the new Live Custom kit looks sharp, with black nickel-plated hardware and gorgeous lacquer finishes. The snare drum includes a redesigned throw-off and butt plate with stronger, smoother action.
Yamaha considers every detail of every new kit and on the Live Custom, for example, the floor tom leg bracket features a stronger vertical bolt and the bridge design has no adverse effect on the tone. Moreover, the sturdy, lightweight bass drum pipe-clamp mount takes up a lower profile than the previous model.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO!

Read More