New Guitar Roundup

Just in case you haven’t been keeping track, here is a roundup of some new guitars announced recently:

• Gibson Custom Shop Alex Lifeson ES-355 Signature Guitar: Canadian-born guitarist’s career is being honored with Gibson Custom Shop’s recent introduction of the Alex Lifeson ES-355 Electric Guitar.  This is a semi-hollowbody electric guitar painstaking re-creation of Lifeson’s favored instrument, a 1976 Gibson ES-355.  The Alex Lifeson ES-355 guitar has a maple body and three-piece maple neck. It features a special Maestro Long Vibrola tremolo tailpiece and individual volume and tone controls for each of the ’57 Classic pickups, faithful Alnico II replicas of the 1950s “PAF” humbuckers, as well as a six-position Vari-Tone switch.

• PRS Guitars Mira Maple Top: Paul Reed Smith Guitars announces the addition of the Maple Top model to the Mira lineup, with a mahogany and maple top body, mahogany neck and East Indian rosewood fingerboard neck that come with either moon or optional bird inlays.  New colors and optional gold hardware, as well as Tri-Color Sunburst, Dark Cherry Sunburst, Whale Blue/Black Burst, Violin Amber Burst and Vintage Natural finishes are available.

• Martin D-28M Merle Travis Commemorative Edition: As part of their 175th Anniversary celebrations, Martin Guitars is introducing the D-28M Merle Travis Commemorative Edition guitar.  This 100 set limited edition dreadnought is modelled after the gifted guitarist’s 1941 Martin D-28, including a distinctively shaped headstock, “Bigsby” headstock inlay, “six-on-a-side” tuners and unique fingerboard position markers.