Gibson Explorer Government Series

[Muzikman7]

http://www.thomann.de/ro/gibson_explorer_government_serie.htm

[Dave W]

Is this an April Fools joke? Does the purchaser get raided at gunpoint?

[OldManC]

Is this an April Fools joke? Does the purchaser get raided at gunpoint?

Ha! Those were my first thoughts as well. 

[the mojo hobo]

Sweetwater has these that are listed as new and no longer available.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SGGVGVBC

They say:

the limited-edition Gibson Government Series SG solidbody electric guitar. In August of 2011 the US Government raided the Gibson factory in Nashville and seized a large amount of wood. The seized wood, mostly rosewood, was eventually returned. This limited-edition guitar sports a rosewood fretboard that was seized in that raid.

From a gibson.com forum:

The Government Series is a limited edition, 300 LP's, 300 SG's (?), 100 Explorers, 100 Flying V's (I'm pretty sure of the quantities, but not 100% sure) made using some wood returned from the government. They are government gunmetal grey, and solid confiscated/returned rosewood fretboard(here's the joke) made with, "Wood confiscated by the government with dirty fingers" pickups. They come with a COA and a green HS case. I wrote to Gibson asking why they weren't on the website. They told me that they aren't on the website because they were made in such limited numbers.

Apparently they were all sold out before April 1. No basses.

[uwe]

If they had really done it they would have shown some real humor. Each one with its own impoundment certificate of course. 

[TBird1958]

Henry J's autograph..............

I'm speechless. 

[uwe]

Yup, search warrants need to be countersigned.

[Dave W]

I'm not convinced this is real.

[the mojo hobo]

Dave why the doubt, they are on Mucicians Friend, Sweetwater and others.

A LP on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gibson-Les-Paul-Government-Series-Brand-New-2013-Includes-Hand-Signed-COA-/130875856700?pt=Guitar&hash=item1e78cf173c

Google Gibson Government Series

[Dave W]

Dave why the doubt, they are on Mucicians Friend, Sweetwater and others.

A LP on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gibson-Les-Paul-Government-Series-Brand-New-2013-Includes-Hand-Signed-COA-/130875856700?pt=Guitar&hash=item1e78cf173c

Google Gibson Government Series

Okay, I'm convinced now. The couple of sites I looked at said they were already out, and since I never saw any announcement of the series and it's April, well... it was suspicious. It was hard to believe that Gibson would do an in-your-face series like this considering what danger the executives were in, facing possible criminal charges. Then again, no one ever accused Henry of being meek.

[ilan]

I like the designation and the chutzpah, but that grey on an unbound LP, that is ugly.

[uwe]

Love it, hilarious, Henry J. has humor.

[drbassman]

They are real.  Saw one at the House of Guitars last week.  Pretty funny and gutsy!