Musikmesse Tees up Vintage Guitar Exhibition

Together with No. 1 Guitar Centre Hamburg and with the support of Gibson USA, Musikmesse is hosting a special exhibition called The World of Vintage Guitars at this year’s show.

At the ‘Les Paul Night’ on Friday evening (5 April), the Thomas Blug All Star Band with, among others, Scorpions’ guitarist Matthias Jabs will perform rock classics from three decades.

At last year’s show, the premiere of  the format proved to be a magnet for the international guitar community. Accordingly, it has been expanded this year and is set to reach its climax at Musikmesse Plaza on Saturday.

The heart of the special area is the ‘Gibson Les Paul – The Classic Years’ exhibition where visitors can relive the history of the electric guitar landmark over the years from 1952 to 1962.

Gibson is supporting the presentation with specially made reproductions from the Gibson Custom Shop, which bring the spirit of the company’s world-famous models into the present time. There will also be a Guitars of the Stars exhibition with original instruments and amps of international stars. In a sound cabin, visitors can immerse themselves in the world of vintage guitars and play Fender, Gretsch and Gibson models with expert supervision.

Under the motto ‘Rate your guitar, visitors who bring their guitars with them have the opportunity to have their instruments assessed and valued by experts. Additionally, guitarists can learn what they should consider when carrying musical instruments with parts made of protected woods. During Musikmesse, No. 1 Guitar Centre Hamburg will also hold a professional-development event on the subjects of ‘Vintage guitars as investments’, ‘CITES Wood ID: trade with protected woods’ and ‘Vintage amps with valve technology and their characteristics’.

On Saturday, 6 April, Messe Frankfurt presents Musikmesse Plaza, a completely new event aimed specifically at music lovers where visitors can buy instruments, equipment, recordings and merchandising products directly from manufacturers and retailers. Moreover, The World of Vintage Guitars will be continued during Musikmesse Plaza and supplemented by a variety of event highlights.

Under the heading ‘Fender by Leo Fender: The evolution of Fender’s electric guitars 1950-1964’, visitors can see a documentary exhibition on the history of the US company and the development of its models. At 11am, renowned German guitarist Thomas Blug will bring guitars from this epoch back to musical life during a workshop. The programme will be chaired by Marc Wilkes of No. 1 Guitar Centre Hamburg.

Gibson fans can also look forward to a workshop with celebrities when, at 2pm, musician, producer and composer Peter Weihe and vintage expert Drew Berlin will take visitors on a journey through the history of Les Paul.

The World of Vintage Guitars is supported by Reverb.com online market place and Reverb experts will be on hand to provide advice about high-grade vintage instruments and equipment during Musikmesse Plaza.

The weekend starts at 7pm on Friday evening with a unique concert experience for classic rock fans. The Les Paul Night presents legendary songs from the late fifties, as well as the sixties and seventies, which were decisively influenced by the characteristic Les Paul sound. The set list covers the spectrum from the Rolling Stones, via Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton, to Wishbone Ash.

Although the focus is on the instrument, the line-up is also in a class of its own. Among those rocking through three decades of music history will be Scorpions guitarist Matthias Jabs, as well as Thomas Blug, Peter Weihe and Drew Berlin. The Les Paul Night will be held in Forum.0 and is part of the Musikmesse Festival with evening concerts at the Exhibition Centre and in the city’s clubs.

Visitors of Musikmesse and Musikmesse Plaza have free admission to all parts of the The World of Vintage Guitars. The exhibition can be found in the foyer of Hall 4.1 during Musikmesse and in Hall 1.1 during Musikmesse Plaza.