Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, and Slash are among the rock icons who have joined forces with Gibson Brands, an American manufacturer of guitars and other musical instruments, to auction a limited edition of Ukraine-themed guitars to raise money for the country’s relief and rebuilding.
To help raise awareness and funds to aid the people of Ukraine, Gibson and its philanthropic arm, Gibson Gives, crafted five special electric guitars and tapped top musicians for the effort.
The custom Les Paul guitars all feature the azure blue and gold colors of the Ukrainian flag. They have been played by McCartney, Slash, Alex Lifeson of Rush, and Lzzy Hale of Halestorm during performances over the summer, according to Gibson.
“For many centuries, music has always played a pivotal role in uniting communities and countries, especially during times of conflict,” James “JC” Curleigh, president and CEO of Gibson Brands, said in a release. “Despite the dark circumstances, we stand by our amazing artists with our support to launch ‘Guitars for Peace,’ and to envision a better future for Ukraine and its citizens.”
“I’m happy to auction this beautiful guitar of mine to benefit the fine people of Ukraine. Hopefully it will help them through this aggressive Russian invasion,” McCartney, who played the custom Gibson Guitars For Peace Les Paul Standard in his concert in Syracuse, N.Y., in June, said in a statement.
The special-edition guitars, along with signed special autograph books, will be auctioned through Julien’s Auctions online from Oct. 11 and conclude in a three-day live auction from Nov. 11-13 at the Hard Rock hotel in New York City.
Julien’s Auctions did not disclose the estimates of the guitars. All proceeds from the sale will be donated to humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine.
Gibson is also selling a “Guitars for Peace” T-shirt online for US$41.99, with 100% proceeds benefiting the Ukrainian relief effort.