“We want to tell the handcrafted element of this; blood, sweat, and tears have gone into these guitars”: Gibson gives us a sneak preview of its 2026 guitars – including long-awaited signature models for two guitar legends

NAMM 2026: Gibson is celebrating 50-plus years of building electric guitars out of its Nashville, Tennessee headquarters with its 2026 roster, while simultaneously honoring “the blood, sweat, and tears” that have gone into their creation.

Founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1894, the firm relocated to Music City in 1975, and it says it's arrived at NAMM 2026 with “a powerful statement of innovation, craftsmanship, and artist-driven purpose.”

That translates into brand-new acoustic and electric models, a glut of signature guitars of all shapes and sizes, and cut-price access to one of its most celebrated pickup designs.

’50s- and ’60s-inspired Gibson Custom

It’s a three-pronged launch for Gibson Custom, as ES-330 reissues, ’50s- and ’60s-inspired ES-330s, and Les Paul Studio Double Trouble models rear their headstocks.

The ES-330, a thinline hollow-body electric guitar with twin f-holes, makes its Gibson Custom return after eight years in the dark. Saddled with P-90 pickups, which are having a bit of a glow-up right now, there are 1959 and 1962 ES-330 reissues, both of which are handcrafted by Gibson’s Nashville-based artisans, with “two distinct flavors in vintage-inspired colorways.”

Its center-block-loaded brother, the ES-335, also gets a look in, with these versatile guitars built using the same ES laminate press as the '50s and '60s originals they're inspired by. Again, vintage-inspired colorways feature, alongside a host of period-correct details, including their plastics, neck shapes, and pickups.

After Gibson brought the Les Paul Standard ‘50 and ‘60s Double Trouble models to market last year, to much excitement, they’re now getting a Gibson Custom reimagining.

They’re based on the streamlined Les Paul Studio platform, and again feature Double Classic White Burstbucker Pro pickups with coil taps pre-loaded for snappier sounds. That’s a move that brings the celebrated pups to a record-low price point of $1,599, which is pretty big news.

Both the ES models will be released in summer 2026, with the Double Troubles coming in spring.

New signatures for vintage virtuosos and next-gen magicians

Gibson’s signature guitar range across 2026 is as much about honoring established legends as it is about celebrating those taking the electric guitar into the future.

That one-two is perfectly exemplified by a meticulously recreated Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom, for David Bowie’s late great foil, and a “soulful” new Gibson Custom ES‑355 for the Eric Clapton-approved Gary Clark Jr. It will be a limited edition run of the guitar he had custom-made for him six years ago, and a cheaper Epiphone model will follow.

As was teased by the former UFO and Scorpions man last year, there’s a reissue of the Michael Schenker 1971 Flying V, and yes, it’s got his trademark Black and White, Beetlejuice-esque Medalion colorway.

And at long last, a signature LP for Lamb of God’s Mark Morton is on the way. The Les Paul Modern Quilt has been thoroughly road-tested by the riff monster for several years now.

Legacy acoustics

For its new acoustic guitars, we’re headed 100 years into the past. The Gibson Century Collection serves up “a sound you can feel in your bones,” in light of the 100th anniversary of its flat-tops.

The guitars harken right back to then, with the no-frills 12-fret instruments “channeling the minimalist elegance of early 20th century design,” and an intimate playing experience. They’re expected in spring.

There’s also the return of the Gibson L-1, which was first introduced in 1902 and reinvented as a flat-top in 1926. An instrument that “has an indelible link to the blues,” it is limited to a 100-strong run and arrives with a Cremona Burst lacquer finish.

Its thermally aged red spruce top is partnered with mahogany back and sides – another historic 12-fret construction – and a 25” scaling, a bound ebony fingerboard, and a mother-of-pearl script headstock logo.

Honoring the craft

In 2026, Gibson says it wants to celebrate the people behind its guitars as much as the instruments themselves.

“We want to tell the handcrafted element of this, which is all of the work, the blood, sweat, and tears that go into these guitars,” Gibson's Mat Koehler tells Guitar World at NAMM 2026. “These are not guitars that go into machines that spit out guitars; they start as trees, and are finely crafted instruments.

“There are so many great stories within our crafteries, and that's going to be a huge focus for us this year – to finally start telling not only the stories of how the guitars are made, but the people behind them.”

There’s a lot of information to take in, then, but there’s also a lot to celebrate. With Gibson making inroads in Reverb’s best-selling guitars list of 2025, could this new collection improve its footing further still?