Cesar Gueikian can't resist a cheeky Instagram reveal – as early as last week (16 November) Gibson's CEO was revealing the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Kirk Hammett Les Paul Greeny guitar on his Instagram account, playing Black Album riffs Wherever I May Roam and Sad But True. Oh, and he was doing it through a prototype Mesa/Boogie Mark 7 (with what could be an Adam Jones Silverburst Flying V peaking just in shot). That was just the start of the big tease.
Kirk Hammett got in on the action too onstage with Metallica. But perhaps a bigger deal than all that is the fact this Epiphone model has the Gibson headstock outline. A one-off or a new line in the sand for Epiphone? Who knows at this stage!
As for Hammett, we did some extensive sifting through YouTube footage and can now confirm the Metallica guitarist used the Epiphone Greeny to perform instrumental Call Of Ktulu with it during their second night at Ford Field in Detroit, on 12 November. Footage below – credit to YouTuber Uncle Sam - Alive in Detroit.
Hammett has already gone on record raving about the Epiphone version of his Custom Shop version of the legendary '59 Les Paul 'Greeny' previously owned by Peter Green and Gary Moore.
"I guess I'm most excited about that Epiphone because it makes the Greeny mythology, the Greeny influence, the Greeny inspiration available to everyone around the world who was motivated to get it," Hammett revealed to Guitarist magazine earlier this year.
"The Gibson USAs are great," Hammett explained to Guitarist, "but my favourite version of Greeny is probably the Epiphone… the Epiphone Greenys, just by themselves, sound great and play great, and I was amazed at how I was playing an Epiphone and I didn't want to put it down. It's just on all levels. This was two or three weeks ago [from the time of the interview]. That Epiphone Greeny is now my couch guitar and I reach for it when I'm watching TV, like most guitar players are apt to do."
Well, it looks like it's been promoted up to arena guitar now!
