“We didn't have enough time to do a proper powder coating on the hardware...” Up-close with Jack White’s NFL halftime show Triplecaster – built just days before his surprise gig with Eminem

NAMM 2026: Third Man Hardware usually has a treat in-store for NAMM and this year it was Jack White’s NFL Lions Triplecaster, as used in his special NFL halftime show with Eminem during Thanksgiving.

The White Stripes founder was chosen to deliver a halftime show at the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers game at Ford Field on November 27, 2025 – and marked the occasion with a surprise Eminem collaboration and a debut for this one-of-a-kind take on his gadget-decked signature guitar.

Speaking to Guitar World on the floor of NAMM 2026, Third Man Hardware’s Dan Mancini was happy to talk us through this wonderfully ludicrous axe and revealed that Fender’s pickup guru Tim Shaw, and Chip Ellis, who concocted White’s madcap ‘Ugly Stick’ last year, were both involved.

“Jack came up with the concept a couple of days before this Lions' halftime show, and we came up with this,” he says, explaining the electric guitar was inspired by the away helmet of the Lions.

“We got a Triplecaster, tore it down, got it over to the great Chip Ellis and Tim Shaw, and they did the most unbelievable little pin striping to make sure that it matched the helmet just right, with silver pin striping on the black, and a satin blue finish.”

The guitar’s makeover was dramatic, but it was also a little slapdash. It bears reminders of that.

“Honestly, we didn't have enough time to do a proper powder coating on the hardware,” Mancuini adds, noting that the pickups were still curing when the show took place, resulting in a ready-relic’d look.

“It's just such a striking combination,” Mancini believes. “It pays the respect, and it gets the influence from the Lion's helmet, but it also kind of stands by itself. I hope it comes on the road with us this year. It’s too cool not to!”

White’s Triplecaster was unveiled as part of a series of Fender Jack White signature gear drops in 2024, and, at NAMM 2025, we got a close look at his sparkling blue Custom Shop build.

Since its release, White's Triplecaster has ended up in the hands of Vernon Reid, Brad Paisley, and his new favorite guitar player, while Kirk Hammett's test drive led to the release of a thinline version.