Warren Haynes & Gibson Announce Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard

Visionary GRAMMY^® Award-winning artist Warren Haynes, a cornerstone of the American music landscape lauded as one of the most formidable and prolific guitarists, vocalists, songwriters, and producers of the modern era, and Gibson, the iconic leading global instrument brand, have announced their partnership for the release of Haynes’ first signature guitar, the Gibson Warren Haynes Les Paul™ Standard, available worldwide now at the Gibson Garage Nashville and London, at authorized Gibson dealers, and on Gibson.com. Gibson has shaped sound across generations and genres of music, becoming one of the most relevant, played, and loved brands around the world. With instruments that inspire Gibson’s legendary artists and nurture new players transcending generations and genres of music, Gibson has emerged as an industry leader by offering award-winning guitars and new ways for artists to connect and grow.

“I’ve always been a Gibson guy—I got hooked on that sound as a teenager and have been playing them ever since,” says Haynes. “Needless to say, I’m honored to be partnering with Gibson to release my Signature Les Paul Standard. Being traditionally a humbucker guy, I’m really loving the hum-free P-90s. It’s a really cool tonal change, and the boost offers even more tonal options. I’m really enjoying playing this guitar on stage and looking forward to using it in the studio. I’m equally psyched that other guitar players will now have the opportunity to own and play one as well.”

The Gibson Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard in 60s Cherry

Warren Haynes effortlessly cross-pollinates genres and unfurls solos that broil with passion in his distinctive, signature playing style. Renowned and highly regarded for his work in rock, blues, and Americana music through his work with the Allman Brothers Band, as a founding member of Gov’t Mule, the leader of The Warren Haynes Band, a solo artist, and as a session guitarist and sideman for numerous famous friends and groups. As one of music’s most treasured storytellers, Haynes and his artistry have led to thousands of memorable performances and millions of album and track sales. A master of multiple styles and genres, Warren has also shared his expertise with other players via multiple instructional videos. A self-described “Gibson man,” Warren has used several Gibson models throughout the years, including his cherished ’61 ES-335™, among others.

The new Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard is another standout, with features tailored specifically to Warren’s preferences, including a mahogany body with a plain maple cap, a 60s Cherry finish, a mahogany neck with a chunky 50s vintage profile like all of Warren’s favorite Les Pauls, a rosewood fretboard with acrylic trapezoid inlays and 22 medium jumbo frets, a pair of P-90 DC pickups that deliver hum-free performance with all the sonic nuances of traditional P-90 DC pickups, and a 15 dB boost that can be activated via a mini toggle switch. The quick-access battery compartment is mounted into the control cover on the rear, and the guitar will still function, even if the battery dies, by simply flipping the mini toggle switch to the off position.

Bearing the traditional looks and feel of a 50s-era Les Paul coupled with modern features like hum-free P-90 DC pickups and an onboard boost, the Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard bridges modern and traditional and is a great choice for players who, like Warren, want both a traditional appearance and modern functionality in one outstanding guitar.

Explore the Gibson Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard HERE.

Gibson Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard

Haynes has another busy touring year ahead, where his new Gibson Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard will be front and center. Following their recent February run, The Warren Haynes Band – Haynes (vocals, guitar), Terrence Higgins (drums), Kevin Scott (bass), Matt Slocum (keys), Greg Osby (sax) – returns to the road in April and May for the Million Voices Whisper Spring Tour in addition to various headlining and festival appearances this spring and summer including European tour dates. Also in April, Haynes teams back up with The Brothers for their long-awaited return to Madison Square Garden in New York City for two special shows on Tuesday, April 15th and Wednesday, April 16th. The Brothers – Jaimoe (drums, founding member), Warren Haynes (guitars, vocals), Derek Trucks (guitars), Oteil Burbridge (bass), and Marc Quiñones (percussion) with Joe Russo (drums), Reese Wynans (keys), Isaac Eady (drums) and special guest Chuck Leavell (piano) – will continue to celebrate the legacy and influence of The Allman Brothers Band five years after their original debut at the world famous arena. Additionally, Haynes and his Gov’t Mule bandmates (Matt Abts [drums], Danny Louis [keyboards, guitar, and backing vocals], Kevin Scott [bass]) will embark on a run of co-headlining shows with Tedeschi Trucks Band in early September. See below for all upcoming Warren Haynes tour dates and visit www.warrenhaynes.net for ticketing and VIP information and to purchase.

Last fall, Haynes released his fourth solo album, Million Voices Whisper, via Fantasy Records. Haynes sounds as energetic and focused as ever on the self-produced album, powering through an 11-song set of soulful blues-rock, his first solo collection in nearly a decade. Accompanying Warren on the collection are members of his current all-star band, including John Medeski on keyboards, longtime drummer Terence Higgins (of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band), and Gov’t Mule bassist Kevin Scott. Million Voices Whisper also features guest appearances from his Allman Brothers Band compatriot Derek Trucks, whose unmistakable guitar sound toughs up three tracks on the album that were co-produced with Haynes, and his Last Waltz tour co-stars Lukas Nelson and Jamey Johnson, who are featured on the forceful “Day Of Reckoning.” Joining Haynes in the studio for the first time since the final sunset of the ABB, one of the featured tracks with Trucks on guitar is “Real Real Love,” a song initially co-written with Gregg Allman that Warren finished in Allman’s style and methods as if Gregg were singing it to honor his friend.

Buzzing through the chart-topping album is the question of how to make things better—in love, in life, in the world—led by Haynes’s soaring vocals and the poignancy of his six-string mastery. Million Voices Whisper opens with “These Changes,” a co-write with Trucks, leading into “Go Down Swinging,” co-written with Johnson, which features a horn section and a Van Morrison vibe. Then, there’s the soulful power ballad “Till The Sun Comes Shining Through,” driven by Warren’s impassioned vocals and slide guitar skills. The expressive pipes of touring backup singer Saundra Williams are also heard on multiple tracks, including the lead single “This Life As We Know It,” which reached Top 15 on the Americana singles chart and Top 40 at Triple A radio. Among the four bonus tracks on the deluxe CD version is a new version of the Trucks-Haynes composition “Back Where I Started” featuring Warren on lead vocals and slide guitar and the power trio of Haynes, Nelson, and Johnson covering the CSNY classic “Find The Cost Of Freedom” into an extended version of “Day Of Reckoning.” Million Voices Whisper combines the eloquent musicianship of a triple-threat blues-rocker with the glowing spirit of a vital creative artist at the peak of his powers. PRESS HERE to listen and to order on CD, 2-LP vinyl set, and a deluxe CD version with four bonus songs.

Warren Haynes & Gibson Announce Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard

By Neal Nachman

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