Photo: Triumph
For the two companies we’re here to talk about today, the year 1959 was a pivotal one. Back then, the assembly lines of bike maker Triumph witnessed the birth of the Bonneville T120, the model that would morph into a bloodline that continues to this day. Over at guitar maker Gibson, the Les Paul Standard came to be, made famous by the hands of Slash, Jimmy Page, or Pete Townshend.
Now, at first glance, the two have little in common, but in 2022, thanks to the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, a mammoth fund-raising riding event, an incredible crossover between them has been born.
The Ride, set up a little over 10 years ago in Sydney, Australia, to “raise funds and awareness of prostate cancer and men’s mental health,” has been attended until last year by over 300,000 global riders, and managed to raise over $30 million.
One way the organizers were able to do that is by offering unique products to one lucky participant. In 2021, that unique product was a custom Triumph Thruxton RS, and now we get a motorcycle-guitar combo.
Called 1959 Legends Custom Edition, the pair will be offered “as the highest fundraiser reward for the 2022 ride.” It comprises both a specially-designed bike and a guitar, with each of them borrowing elements from the other.
The Gibson Les Paul Standard Reissue, as it’s officially called, is described as “an accurate clone” of the 1959 instrument, one “that’s authentic in every detail,” from the sunburst finish to the “trademark tone.”
The Triumph touches on this one come in the form of the hand coach-lined pickguard, inspired from the Bonneville’s engine fins, etched pick-up covers, branded truss rod cover and reissue switch backplate. On the other hand, the Bonneville T120 brings to the table Gibson references, in the form of hand-painted sunburst paint scheme with Jet Black painted guitar neck and headstock shape.
This year, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride takes place on May 22. Pre-registration is already open for riders across the world, with the fundraising expected to kick off on March 28.
The Ride, set up a little over 10 years ago in Sydney, Australia, to “raise funds and awareness of prostate cancer and men’s mental health,” has been attended until last year by over 300,000 global riders, and managed to raise over $30 million.
One way the organizers were able to do that is by offering unique products to one lucky participant. In 2021, that unique product was a custom Triumph Thruxton RS, and now we get a motorcycle-guitar combo.
Called 1959 Legends Custom Edition, the pair will be offered “as the highest fundraiser reward for the 2022 ride.” It comprises both a specially-designed bike and a guitar, with each of them borrowing elements from the other.
The Gibson Les Paul Standard Reissue, as it’s officially called, is described as “an accurate clone” of the 1959 instrument, one “that’s authentic in every detail,” from the sunburst finish to the “trademark tone.”
The Triumph touches on this one come in the form of the hand coach-lined pickguard, inspired from the Bonneville’s engine fins, etched pick-up covers, branded truss rod cover and reissue switch backplate. On the other hand, the Bonneville T120 brings to the table Gibson references, in the form of hand-painted sunburst paint scheme with Jet Black painted guitar neck and headstock shape.
This year, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride takes place on May 22. Pre-registration is already open for riders across the world, with the fundraising expected to kick off on March 28.
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