On Thursday, October 16, a group of curious collectors and Music City artists converged at One Garage social club in Nashville. The invitation-only event was an exhibit of musical treasures: Guitar Center unveiled a curated selection of coveted vintage guitars, while Gibson showcased some of its finest Custom Shop creations. The evening’s headliner—blues rock legend and renowned vintage collector Billy Gibbons—joined attendees to share stories, perform and charm the room with his special brand of Southern swagger.
Unsurprisingly, the energy in the air was electric.
Pictured: Attendees at the 2025 Nashville Vintage Event
Billy Gibbons Extends a Warm Texas Welcome
After guests arrived and settled into their places, Gibbons addressed the group: “We’re here to honor Guitar Center and Gibson guitars for this unusual gathering in this very unusual environment—this is a great spot. I say we do this often.
“And as if you didn’t know, around the room are all kinds of eye candy. Really cool stuff has come out of the closet, from under the bed, from who knows what rafters—the good stuff is here in this room.”
The good stuff most certainly was there—and he brought some of it with him.
A Guitar of Noteworthy Provenance
Gibbons shared the fascinating backstory of an extremely special guitar that was presented to him only a day before the event. As an old photo of B.B. King from the early 1950s circulated the room, Gibbons explained, “In that picture, you’ll see B.B. playing one of the very, very first Gibson Les Pauls.”
The guitar King held was, in fact, a 1952 Goldtop with a trapeze-style tailpiece and two P-90 pickups.
“As the story goes, he played it for a couple of shows. And it was so new and so astounding, he played it—and then he got scared. He put it under the bed. And there it stayed, until yesterday—when it was given to me.
“If you want to see what a Gibson Les Paul looked like coming off the factory showroom, this is a museum piece. There isn’t a scratch or dent on it. I may have to play it.”
Pictured: Attendees Exploring a Vintage 1964 Gibson SG Standard
Gibbons and his band for the night—on bass and drums, respectively, brothers Diego and Emilio Navaira of The Last Bandoleros from San Antonio, Texas—then launched into a rendition of Elmore James’ “Dust My Broom,” recorded by ZZ Top in 1980, as well as an extended jam on the boogie rock classic and fan favorite “La Grange.”
The room filled with applause as the trio plunged into the final chord, and Gibbons graciously directed the adulation toward his bandmates. “Give it up for these fine men here,” he exclaimed. Pausing for a few moments while the audience cheered, he finally quipped, “Get out the pocketbook, and start buying these guitars.”
Highlights From Guitar Center’s Vintage Treasure Shop
The historical and artistic value of a well-cared-for vintage instrument makes for an enthralling je ne sais quoi.
Take, for instance, the other all-original 1952 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop from the iconic model’s introductory year, with its trapeze-style tailpiece, punchy P-90s and a distinct lack of “poker chip” toggle switch cover (those were introduced in 1953). Yes, serendipitously, there were two in the room together that evening. The ultraclean example acquired by Guitar Center’s expert vintage team had quite an aura.
Two more ’50s-era Gibsons turned heads: a 1957 Les Paul Junior and 1959 double-cut Junior, each sporting the classic TV Yellow finish and timeless, no-nonsense aesthetic. Like many of the pieces curated for the event, these were remarkably well preserved.
Another crowd favorite was a gorgeous 1964 Gibson SG Standard with a Maestro Vibrola bridge. Its Cherry finish was virtually free from chips, checking and typical signs of wear—uncommon for a 61-year-old guitar. This model also had an incredibly slim, way-ahead-of-its-time neck profile, complete with a still-factory-fresh glossy coat.
Pictured: Taking a look at the 1967 Gibson Johnny Smith Double Cream Hollowbody
Fender fans, too, witnessed a 1957 hardtail Stratocaster and a 1965, transitional-period Strat—both bore hard-earned, naturally relic’d sunburst finishes emblematic of a rock ’n’ roll life well lived. A 1957 Blonde Telecaster in “player’s condition” told a similar story, voiced by its original single-coils, which have defined the model’s enduring sonic characteristics.
Also on the Fender side, the pièce de résistance: a 1954 Stratocaster from the flagship model’s origin year. Heavily played over the decades, the once-vibrant maple neck has darkened. The artifact has survived a refret and been equipped with a later set of tuning machines, but its soul remains firmly intact. For serious collectors, this is a holy grail.
Other notable pieces were a 1960 Gretsch 6137 White Falcon, 1961 Gibson ES-335, 1963 Gibson Thunderbird bass and 1967 Gibson Johnny Smith archtop. No matter their taste, there was something special for everyone Inside the Vintage Collector’s Circle.
One Fabulous Night in Nashville
Jack Hetherington, director of Used and Vintage at Guitar Center, was thrilled by the group who turned up to see “23 absolutely astounding vintage guitars, as well as eight Custom Shop guitars we worked on with Gibson.” Of course, having “the one and only, the incredible Billy Gibbons as our main event” didn’t hurt either.
Pictured: Billy Gibbons Performing at One Garage Nashville
Inside the Vintage Collector’s Circle ultimately brought awareness to Guitar Center’s higher-end offerings and demonstrated what our team of experts can procure. While everyone knows our brick-and-mortar stores to be a place they can stop by for a fresh set of strings or a pack of picks, Hetherington wants serious players to understand “just how cool our vintage business is. High end, Platinum, used—we have all the good stuff.”
On that note, when was the last time you dropped into your local Guitar Center? You never know what you might find …
Most importantly, though, the evening’s festivities fostered community. It didn’t matter whether someone left the show with an heirloom—there were memories and connections to be made, and those truly are priceless.