School of Rock Unveils Limited Edition Gibson Les Paul Special

Vintage-inspired instrument designed to be a students' first forever guitar

100% of all profits from the sale of these guitars will go to Save The Music

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Sep 08, 2021, 15:00 ET

CANTON, Mass., Sept. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The specific guitar a musician plays is part of their lifelong musical journey. From John Lennon to Bob Marley, an artist's guitar not only contributes to their sound, but it also plays a part in the way their unique voice is expressed and heard.

In partnership with iconic American instrument brand Gibson, School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, introduces the School of Rock Limited Edition Gibson Les Paul Special. It's an American-made signature guitar students will cherish their entire lives. It's not intended to be a student's first guitar, but instead designed to be his or her first forever guitar.

"At School of Rock we aim to instill in our students a musical passion that will last a lifetime. We designed this guitar to be part of that journey--something they will cherish the rest of their lives," said Elliot Baldini, chief marketing officer of School of Rock and head of the School of Rock GearSelect program. "This vintage-inspired guitar pays homage to the history of rock and other music styles such as blues, reggae and pop. These timeless genres are the foundation of School of Rock's patented curriculum."

Only 100 School of Rock Limited Edition Gibson Les Paul Specials will be produced, and they will be available exclusively to School of Rock students, parents, and staff. To commemorate this special series, each guitar comes with a backplate recognizing it as being one of one hundred units. Additionally, School of Rock is donating 100% of all profits from the sale of these guitars to Save The Music, one of Gibson Gives' key partners. Save The Music is the leading music education foundation in the United States. Their mission is to help students, schools, and communities reach their full potential through the power of making music.

"We want this guitar to not only inspire our students, but to also help make gear and music education more accessible to new musicians," added Baldini.

"Save The Music shares the belief that when young people have the opportunity to make music, they start a journey that benefits them for a lifetime - in terms of both the creative outlet and the life skills that come with learning an instrument," said Henry Donahue, executive director of Save The Music Foundation. "We can't wait to hear the music that comes out of this project from the School of Rock and Save The Music communities."

"It's exciting to evolve our collaboration with School of Rock with the introduction of the Limited Edition Gibson Les Paul Forever Special guitar," says Cesar Gueikian, Brand President, Gibson Brands. "We have been working on this project for over a year, during which our Gibson Lab team led by Mat Koehler, with Elliot Baldini, Rob Price and the group from School of Rock designed a versatile Les Paul Special that combines vintage features with modern concepts and looks badass! We look forward to seeing these guitars in the hands of the future generation of musicians that School of Rock is creating."

The signature model features a classic aesthetic and boasts an array of unique features. Its glossy black, nitrocellulose finish is unique for a Les Paul Special model, as is the gold hardware. A compensated, wraparound bridge was chosen for the best intonation possible. All of the detailed specs and features are outlined here.

The School of Rock Limited Edition Les Paul Special is part of GearSelect, an exclusive program where students can buy music instruments and music gear directly at School of Rock. School of Rock now sells drums, keyboards, microphones, recording equipment, amplifiers, effects pedals, accessories, guitars, bass guitars and more. School of Rock has partnered with some of the music industry's biggest brands to compile an incredible selection of musical gear.

Preorders for the School of Rock Les Paul Special can be placed here on a first come, first served basis.

School of Rock provides students of all ages an exciting and engaging learning environment for takingguitar lessons,drum lessons,bass lessons,keyboard lessons, andsinging lessons. Drawing from all styles of rock and roll, School of Rock students learn theory and techniques via songs from legendary artists such as Led Zeppelin, Lenny Kravitz, Aretha Franklin and Green Day. Thanks to the school's patented performance-based learning approach, students around the world have gained superior instrumental skills and confidence on the big stage, with some moving on to record deals and larger platforms such as American Idol, The Voice and Broadway.

About School of Rock:
School of Rock helps aspiring musicians master skills, unleash creativity, and develop tools they need to thrive in life. Founded as a single school in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1998, School of Rock has become a rapidly growing international franchise with over 500 schools open and in development across 15 global markets. Since 2009, School of Rock has grown its student count from 4,000 to over 40,000. School of Rock offers a wide variety of music lessons, including guitar lessons, singing lessons and piano lessons. The company also sells musical instruments and music gear through its GearSelect program. School of Rock was awarded US Patent 10,891,872 in 2021 for its innovative music education method. School of Rock also has garnered the following industry awards: 2021 Franchise Innovation Award for Most Innovative Use of Customer-Facing Digital Tools; 2021 Global Franchise Awards Best Children's Service and Education Franchise; 2021 Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 Top Children's Music Enrichment Brand; Franchise Business Review's 2021 Top 200 Franchises and Culture 100 list; 2020 Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 200 Franchise and the #1 Child Enrichment Franchise; and 2018 Forbes # 2 Best Franchise Medium-Level Investment Award and the #1 Music Franchise in America.

Follow School of Rock on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SchoolofRockUSA and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SchoolofRockUSA.

For more information on School of Rock visit www.SchoolofRock.com or call 866-695-5515. To learn more about School of Rock franchise opportunities head to http://franchising.schoolofrock.com/

About Gibson Gives:
Gibson Gives through their brand programs— Epiphone Empowered, KRK Kares, Kramer Kares, and Mesa Mission work extensively with other charities in a 360-degree way, raising the funds they need the most right now including Save The Music, Notes For Notes, Little Kids Rock, Give a Note, Music Makes Us, and other non-profits in the music education space. They also support music wellness by supporting MusiCares, The Recording Academy (GRAMMY's), Guitars For Vets (helping U.S. military veterans with PTSD), Let's Stay (In) Together Apollo Theater Benefit, Women Who Rock (raised over $45,000 for breast cancer research at Magee Women's Research Institute) Ryan Seacrest Foundation (placed Gibson instruments and KRK studio gear in all of their U.S. hospitals for pediatric patients and offering them music-making lessons to cope with illness), JoyRxMusic^® Children's Cancer Association (arranged music lessons for hospitalized kids and teens facing cancer and serious illness) and the Do it for the Love' Foundation (a wish-granting non-profit organization for people living with life-threatening illnesses). Gibson Gives became the exclusive stringed instrument provider for the Nashville based non-profit Musicians On Call (who arrange in-room and virtual performances by superstar artists with hospital patients) and donated high-value guitars for auction to support the Teenage Cancer Trust (London, U.K.). Gibson Gives partnered with the NAMM Foundation for their Believe In Music 2021program--NAMM attendees both donated and selected the non-profit they wanted to receive their donation—raising $20,000 in three days. Since re-launching in 2019, Gibson Gives has raised over $3 million dollars worldwide through its mission to create, develop and support non-profit organizations in their efforts to advance musicians, youth-focused education, and wellness initiatives. 100% of all donations to and from Gibson Gives--a 501(c)(3) organization--go towards giving the gift of music. Gibson Gives is changing lives…one guitar at a time. For more information, visit: www.gibsongives.org.

About Gibson:
Gibson, the leading iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for 127 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, Gibson Brands has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies. The Gibson Brands portfolio includes Gibson, the leading guitar brand, as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including Epiphone, which has been on every stage since 1873, Kramer, the original MADE TO ROCK HARD guitar brand, MESA/Boogie, the home of tone, and KRK, behind great music for over 30 years. Gibson Brands is dedicated to quality, innovation, and sound excellence so that music lovers for generations to come will continue to experience music shaped by Gibson Brands. Learn more at Gibson.com and follow us on Twitter,Facebook,Gibson TV, and Instagram.

About Save The Music:
The Save The Music Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps students, schools, and communities reach their full potential through the power of making music. Founded in 1997, Save The Music partners with school districts and raises funds to restore music programs in public schools. Since inception, the organization has donated over $60 million worth of new musical instruments, equipment, and technology to 2,201 schools in 277 school districts around the country–impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of students. Learn more about Save The Music and its efforts at www.savethemusic.org.

SOURCE School of Rock