PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Clyne Media, Inc.
Tel: (615) 662-1616
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GUITAR CENTER DISPLAYS ITS ICONIC “LEGENDS
GUITAR COLLECTION” AT NORTHRIDGE AND SAN BERNARDINO STORES
— Eric Clapton’s “BLACKIE” Fender Stratocaster®
and Gibson “335,” Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Lenny”
Stratocaster and The Edge’s Gibson Les Paul Custom were displayed
at the Northridge and San Bernardino Guitar Centers last month —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, July 8, 2008 — As
part of its ongoing efforts in celebrating music’s past, present
and future, Guitar Center, the world’s largest musical instrument
and professional audio retailer, displayed its iconic “Guitar
Center Legends Collection” at its Northridge and San Bernardino,
CA stores last month. Played by their legendary owners on classic recordings,
on the concert stage and in music videos, the guitars drew an excited
crowd eager to see the instruments. These events were free and open
to the public.
The “Guitar Center Legends Collection” consists
of four classic guitars made famous by music legends Eric Clapton, Stevie
Ray Vaughan and U2’s The Edge. Guitar Center purchased Clapton’s
“BLACKIE” Fender Stratocaster, his vintage Gibson “335”
and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Lenny” Stratocaster for
over $2.4 million from the Clapton Crossroads Centre charity auction
at Christie’s New York in 2004. They added The Edge’s Gibson
Les Paul after purchasing it for $240,000 at the Music Rising Charity
Auction last year. Since then, the collection has been exhibited in
one-of-a-kind, newly created “Legends Collection” display
cases, which provide high level protection and climate control as the
instruments tour prestigious musical events and key Guitar Center locations.
Clapton personally built “BLACKIE” in 1973,
and it became synonymous with him as he played it on stage and in the
studio from 1974-1985, recording hits such as “Cocaine,”
“I Shot the Sheriff,” “Wonderful Tonight,” “Further
on up the Road,” “Lay Down Sally” and various live
versions of “Layla.” It was also featured on several album
covers and videos. “BLACKIE” was subsequently purchased
by Guitar Center for $959,500. Clapton’s Cherry Red Gibson “335,”
purchased for $847,500, was used to record Cream’s versions of
“Badge” and “Crossroads,” as well as many other
historical performances, during his 40 years of ownership. Steve Ray
Vaughan’s “Lenny,” which was purchased for $623,500,
was used to record his classic love songs including “Lenny”
and “Riviera Paradise.” All of the proceeds from these three
guitars purchased by Guitar Center were for the benefit of Clapton’s
Crossroads Centre charity.
The cream colored 1975 Les Paul Custom (faded from its
original white) found fame with The Edge as a go-to guitar for stage
and studio on many of U2’s most famous recordings and performances.
In 2005, The Edge partnered with producer Bob Ezrin, Gibson and the
Guitar Center Music Foundation to establish Music Rising, a charity
founded to benefit musicians whose lives were torn apart by Hurricane
Katrina. In 2007, he donated this prized guitar to be auctioned for
the cause. The winning bid was $240,000 from Guitar Center ($288,000
including Buyers Premium).
Aside from displaying the original instruments themselves,
Guitar Center also commissioned Gibson and Fender to make exact replicas
of Clapton’s “335” and “BLACKIE,” as well
as Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Lenny” guitars. These limited
edition re-creations are among the most esteemed and valuable guitars
of their type ever offered.
“Guitar Center is delighted to make these iconic
guitars available for everyone to enjoy,” stated Michael Doyle,
Guitar Center’s Vice President of Product Marketing. “They
are legends in their own right while symbolically representing the artists
who are idolized by millions of fans and music lovers worldwide. Guitar
Center is proud to share this rich and inspiring musical legacy with
our customers.”
For more information about the Legends Collection, please
visit http://www.guitarcenter.com/legends.
About Guitar Center
Guitar Center is the leading United States retailer of guitars, amplifiers,
percussion instruments, keyboards and pro-audio and recording equipment.
Our retail store subsidiary presently operates more than 200 Guitar
Center stores across the U.S. In addition, our Music & Arts division
operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale
and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and
students. We are also the largest direct response retailer of musical
instruments in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary,
Musician's Friend, Inc., and its catalog and Web site, www.musiciansfriend.com.
More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company's
Web site at www.guitarcenter.com.
The Guitar Center logo is a registered trademark of
Guitar Center, Inc. Other brand or product names may be trademarks of
the respective companies with which they are associated.
MEDIA CONTACT: Robert Clyne, Clyne Media, Inc., at (615) 662-1616