Celebrating its 150th anniversary, Gibson Brands subsidiary Epiphone has joined forces with country troubadour Chris Stapleton to explore a new frontier of acoustic guitars.
Limited to 300 copies, the Epiphone Chris Stapleton Frontier is a rare acoustic from the instrument manufacturer, handcrafted in Bozeman, MT, by Gibson's expert luthiers. It features a thermally aged Sitka spruce top, figured maple back and sides and double-engraved pickguards. The guitar comes with its own custom hardshell case with a pink interior.
The acoustic was adapted from Epiphone's FT-110 model, which debuted in 1939 but was renamed the Frontier after Gibson acquired Epiphone and became the first square-shouldered dreadnought produced in Gibson's Kalamazoo, MI, factory. The model was embellished with its iconic Rope & Cactus pickguard in 1961 and was made until 1970. It returned for a few limited runs in the 1990s and 2000s before returning to Epiphone's core lineup in 2019.
"Epiphone has done an incredible job of getting every detail as it should be on this instrument, and I can tell you firsthand it's stage worthy and will get the job done at any venue you want to play in," Stapleton said in a statement. "It's a work of art that does the work."
Beth Heidt, VP of Cultural Influence at Gibson Brands-Global, added, "It's an honour to have Chris join our family as a signature artist to represent and celebrate the 150th anniversary of Epiphone. He continues to inspire and push boundaries through his incredible artistry."
And Stapleton is in pretty good company: the Frontier was famously used on Tom Petty's Damn the Torpedoes and Oasis's (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, and has also been played by the likes of Sheryl Crow, Graham Parsons, Mick Taylor, Bones Owens and Greene Wall.
The Chris Stapleton Frontier is now available at authorized Epiphone dealers or via the company's website.
Watch Stapleton's interview promoting the collaboration below.
Stapleton will be coming to select Canadian cities this summer as part of his All-American Road Show tour.
Limited to 300 copies, the Epiphone Chris Stapleton Frontier is a rare acoustic from the instrument manufacturer, handcrafted in Bozeman, MT, by Gibson's expert luthiers. It features a thermally aged Sitka spruce top, figured maple back and sides and double-engraved pickguards. The guitar comes with its own custom hardshell case with a pink interior.
The acoustic was adapted from Epiphone's FT-110 model, which debuted in 1939 but was renamed the Frontier after Gibson acquired Epiphone and became the first square-shouldered dreadnought produced in Gibson's Kalamazoo, MI, factory. The model was embellished with its iconic Rope & Cactus pickguard in 1961 and was made until 1970. It returned for a few limited runs in the 1990s and 2000s before returning to Epiphone's core lineup in 2019.
"Epiphone has done an incredible job of getting every detail as it should be on this instrument, and I can tell you firsthand it's stage worthy and will get the job done at any venue you want to play in," Stapleton said in a statement. "It's a work of art that does the work."
Beth Heidt, VP of Cultural Influence at Gibson Brands-Global, added, "It's an honour to have Chris join our family as a signature artist to represent and celebrate the 150th anniversary of Epiphone. He continues to inspire and push boundaries through his incredible artistry."
And Stapleton is in pretty good company: the Frontier was famously used on Tom Petty's Damn the Torpedoes and Oasis's (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, and has also been played by the likes of Sheryl Crow, Graham Parsons, Mick Taylor, Bones Owens and Greene Wall.
The Chris Stapleton Frontier is now available at authorized Epiphone dealers or via the company's website.
Watch Stapleton's interview promoting the collaboration below.
Stapleton will be coming to select Canadian cities this summer as part of his All-American Road Show tour.