For 127 years, Gibson, the iconic American instrument brand has shaped sound across generations and genres, and has emerged the most relevant, played, and loved guitar brand around the world. On June 9, top music artists, Nashville city leaders, and the Gibson team, gathered to celebrate the official grand opening of the new Gibson Garage - which offers the ultimate guitar experience - in the heart of downtown Nashville, Music City USA. Music fans lined up around the block to attend the opening of the Gibson Garage - which fell on Les Paul’s 106th birthday - and enjoyed live music all day long leading up to the global concert event “Gibson Live: A Celebration of Artists to Benefit Gibson Gives.”

The new Gibson Garage is the place to explore our past, present, and future. Inside the Gibson Garage, you can play, and shop all things Gibson, Epiphone, Kramer, MESA/Boogie and KRK, try out the full line of electric and acoustic guitars, and shop for your favorite guitar, apparel, gear, and accessories. Whether you are a seasoned professional musician, a casual guitar player, a beginner, or simply a music fan, the Gibson Garage is open to all and the new must-see destination in Nashville.

“Beth (my wife) and I attended the grand opening of the Gibson Garage this week and WOW!” says Mike Voltz, Director of Research & Development (recently retired), a 36-year veteran employee of Gibson Brands. “In addition to being one of the finest retail experiences I have ever had, the Gibson Garage provides an amazing performance venue for artists and a great hang for the rest of us. The display of exceptional historical instruments brings true significance to all of the new guitars, amps, monitors and apparel for sale. As a builder, I especially appreciate the thought and care that went into creating the perfect environmental protection for the guitars from the acoustic salon to the Custom Shop Murphy Lab. The Garage reflects where Gibson is headed and it’s great!”

“For as long as Gibson has been in Nashville, guitar lovers have been asking where they can go for a Gibson experience,” says Walter Carter, Owner of Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville. “Now, we can tell them the Gibson Garage is the place to go to see Gibsons, to hear Gibsons, and to absorb Gibson's history. There's nothing else like it in the guitar world.”

“With all of the growth in Nashville, there are sadly, very few places where artists can go anymore and feel a sense of community,” says Meghan Linsey of the duo Meg + Tyler. “The energy in the Gibson Garage feels so good. It’s like a home base for creatives; a place where you want to be and play music.”

“When we walked into the Gibson Garage, we immediately felt the same passion, creativity, and attention to detail that Gibson puts into every one of their instruments,” adds Tyler Cain of Meg + Tyler. “With this new space, Gibson has continued to create a community in Nashville that will keep the nickname ‘Music City’ strong for generations to come.”

Step inside the Gibson Garage to explore and shop the full collections, experience exclusive, live music performances, catch a taping of the award-winning Gibson TV network, and explore Gibson’s rich music history and the stories behind the music with captivating, interactive technology installations and live programming. The Gibson Garage combines a state-of-the-art stage for live and virtual livestreaming concert performances in a modern guitar environment with interactive brand storytelling, a Custom Shop - to build your own guitar - historical, and celebrity memorabilia displays, a Repair and Restoration Center, and a public retail shopping experience across Gibson, Gibson Acoustic, Gibson Custom Shop, Epiphone, Kramer, MESA/Boogie, and KRK. At the Gibson Garage, fans can try the full range of guitars and gear across brands and collections, as well as take a piece of history home with one-of-a-kind, in-store offers on limited-edition guitars, instruments, gear, accessories, and exclusive Gibson apparel.

Fans across the globe that are unable to visit Nashville can experience the Gibson Garage in the brand-new episode of Gibson TV series titled “The Scene,” below. Watch as host Mark Agnesi and country artist Niko Moon take viewers on a tour of the Gibson Garage and show off the stunning, backstage artist lounge, which includes a secret vault containing historic guitars including a 1959 Les Paul, a 1958 Korina Flying V, a 1957 Les Paul TV Special, a 1961 SG Standard, and more.

In celebration of the opening of the Gibson Garage, Gibson Gives - the 501c3 philanthropic arm of Gibson - which supports musicians, youth-focused education and wellness initiatives worldwide, and is committed to making the world a better place by helping other non-profit organizations, launched the global concert “Gibson Live: A Celebration of Artists to Benefit Gibson Gives,” which is available for streaming below.

The “Gibson Live…” concert features performances from the Gibson Garage--and all over the world--from Warren Haynes, Margo Price, Kip Moore, James Bay, Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of Halestorm, Marcus King, Orianthi, Samantha Fish, Morgan Wade, Fer Casillas, Sadler Vaden, Tak Matsumoto, Celisse, Emily Wolfe, Jared James Nichols with Joe Bonamassa, Laura Cox and Wax, and more. Gibson Gives will donate 100% of the “Gibson Live…,” concert proceeds to two powerful organizations making positive changes MusiCares--a safety net of critical health and welfare services to the music community--and Save The Music--helping kids, schools, and communities discover their full potential through the power of making music.

The Gibson Garage is located at 209 10th Avenue South Nashville, TN (Cummins Station-street level) and is open daily Monday–Saturday from 11:00-6:00p and from 12:00-6:00p on Sunday. For the latest news and updates on the Gibson Garage, be sure to follow @officialgibsongarage on Instagram or visit the official website at here.

(Photo - Jason Davis, Getty Images)