The partnership between guitar maker Gibson and Triumph Motorcycles was revealed at start of March, but details were limited. Now, Triumph’s given us some more information on this project, which is intended to benefit the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR).
The partnership is built on a mutual respect between these companies, building on the reputation of the iconic 1959 Les Paul Standard and the 1959 Bonneville T120. That’s how we get the 1959 Legends Custom Edition of Triumph’s modern-day Bonneville T120, with Gibson-designed detailing and matching guitar. Here’s a list of what Gibson did to customize this six-string:
Gibson Les Paul Standard Reissue – 1959 Legends custom design detailing:
• Unique Jet Black scratch plate with hand-painted coach lining to celebrate the signature machined engine cooling fins of the classic Bonneville T120
• Elegant Triumph logo laser etched into the lower pickup cover
• Unique hand-painted Jet Black pickup cover surrounds
• Low-profile electroformed metallic gold Triumph badge applied to the headstock
• Beautifully cast, painted and hand-finished reissue switch backplate on the back of the guitar, featuring the “Triumph Gibson 1959 Legends” partnership logo, designed to echo the Bonneville T120 alternator cover badge design
And here’s Triumph’s list of matchy-matchy changes to its bike:
Triumph Bonneville T120 – 1959 Legends custom design detailing:
• Beautiful and unique custom paint scheme to match the Iced Tea Burst finish of the guitar, featuring Jet Black painted guitar neck and headstock design on the top of the tank, edged with hand-painted coach lining, showcasing the expert skills of Triumph’s custom paint team
• Low-profile electroformed metallic gold “Triumph Gibson 1959 Legends” badges applied to the tank, side panels and front mudguard
• Laser etched fuel filler cap featuring Gibson logo
• Custom brown real leather seat, designed to match the leather guitar case, with additional detailing including diamond stitching, embroidered Triumph logo and custom pick holders
• Bespoke alternator badge featuring intricate detailing and the “Triumph Gibson 1959 Legends” logo
• Bespoke 1959 Legends Editions certificate, signed by Triumph CEO Nick Bloor, and Cesar Gueikian, Brand President of Gibson Brands.
As you can see, the results are visually stunning. So, what’s the plan—how do Triumph and Gibson plan to benefit the DGR with this project?
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride runs as a single-day event in more than 900 cities worldwide, with over 100,000 riders taking place to raise awareness for men’s health issues. The “Dress snappy and ride a vintage-styled bike, if possible, and have fun” aspect of the DGR is important, but so is its fundraising. So far, it’s brought in more than $31M USD, with riders fundraising every year in the weeks leading up to the event. This year’s DGR runs on May 22 (pre-registration is already open), and fundraising officially kicks off on March 28.
To help motivate participants, Triumph and Gibson say they’ll donate their custom project to the top fundraiser for 2022. It’s a major prize, and any guitar player or motorcyclist would be proud to have these creations in their garage.
