Wham, Bam, Thank You Man! Gibson & Floyd Rose®

Few gadgets have divided guitarists quite like the Floyd Rose® bridge. Call it a tremolo, call it a whammy bar, call it a wiggle-stick – under whatever name you choose to use for it, that little bar and the hefty bridge it attaches to has created some brilliantly tender – and some woefully overwrought – performances. And although Gibson guitars might not be the first instruments that come to mind when you think of the Floyd Rose® (that honor probably goes to Kramer, who secured the first Floyd Rose® distribution deal back in the early ’80s), there have been several Gibson models throughout the years that have paid tribute to this most whale-sound-inviting of guitar gadgets.

Perhaps the ultimate in a Floyd-equipped Gibson is the Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard. On the surface this instrument appears to be a regular Les Paul with a Floyd in place of its traditional bridge/tailpiece combination, but it features several crucial player-friendly accoutrements: a reshaped neck joint created to provide a “heelless” feel with unimpeded access to the 22nd fret, and an improved “belly scarf” (ribcage contour), and exposed-coil super hot 496R and 498T humbuckers with dedicated series/parallel coil splitting. Actually, these “other” upgrades are revolutionary enough on their own that the model is available in a fixed bridge version as well, which is championed by players such as Joe Bonamassa and Styx’s Tommy Shaw.

The Axcess serves as the springboard for Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson's Gibson Custom model, which incorporates GraphTech™ Ghost® piezo bridge saddles to select or mix between electric and acoustic sounds.

Zakk Wylde is not averse to the occasional Floyd Rose® freakout. In addition to a succession of Epiphone Graveyard Disciple models with custom finishes, the Black Label Society frontman also regularly hoists a mighty, bullseye-adorned V beast. The guitar features Zakk’s choice of EMG-81 humbucker in the bridge position and an EMG-85 at the neck. With black speed knobs in the classic Les Paul layout, this guitar is a true hybrid.

If bullseye graphics and active pickups aren’t quite your style, check out the Gibson Flying V Tremolo, which takes a somewhat straightforward Flying V – mahogany body and neck, 496R and 500T ceramic humbuckers – and adds a Floyd Rose® tailpiece and locking nut. If the Explorer is more your speed, the Explorer Tremolo offers similar features but in the legendary Explorer shape and neck profile.

Launched at NAMM this year, the SG Diablo Tremolo adds a Floyd Rose® and two more frets to the classic SG configuration while stripping the controls down to single master volume and tone pots. Combined with the lack of a pickguard, the look is a little more sleek and aggressive than the traditional SG layout. It’s joined by a Les Paul cousin, the Gibson Shred Les Paul Studio, which includes a 22-fret fingerboard crafted from Richlite®, a fabricated material composed of cellulose fiber and phenolic resin, which offers the constructional and resonant properties of fine hardwood, but with improved durability.

There are a few collectible discontinued models with Floyd Rose® tremolos too, including the M-III. While most Floyd Rose®-equipped Gibsons have been based on established classic models like the Les Paul and Flying V, the M-III was a bold attempt at a double-cutaway, 24-fret shred-oriented instrument with humbucker-single-humbucker pickup configuration. Unfortunately its release coincided with the end of the golden era of shred, and while the model stuck around for a while before finally being discontinued, the early ’90s just wasn’t its time.

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Velvet Revolver Reunite, Cover Pink Floyd (with Video)

As we reported before, Velvet Revolver reunited Thursday night at the House of Blues in West Hollywood for a one-off, charity performance. The supergroup played together for the first time since singer Scott Weiland left the band in 2008, according to Spin.

The event was organized by VR guitarist Dave Kushner to help the widow of his friend, composer and music supervisor John O’Brien. Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum, Kushner and Weiland delivered four songs, three Velvet Revolver originals (“Sucker Train Blues,” “She Builds Quick Machines” and “Slither”) and a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.”

You can check out a fan-shot video of part of “Wish You Were Here” – including Slash’s bluesy solo – below.

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Pink Floyd to Reunite for Olympics?

More than a few legendary bands have been rumored to reunite for the opening and/or closing ceremonies at this summer’s Olympic Games in London. Recent speculation has included the reformations of Queen, Led Zeppelin and some new version of The Beatles.

Now, the London Evening Standard is positing that the surviving members of Pink Floyd will team up for the big event. Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason last got together at one of the London stops on Waters’ The Wall tour. Of course, those three musicians and the late Rick Wright also reunited at 2005’s Live 8 concert.

“Its long been made clear it would take something very special to get Pink Floyd back together again and it doesn’t get any bigger than the Olympics,” an insider said. “Like Sir Paul [McCartney, rumored to play at the opening ceremonies] they have been a major part of the nation's culture over the past 40 years and it will be very fitting that they’re involved when London is on show to the world. It’s hoped everything can be confirmed in the coming weeks.”

Update: A representative for Gilmour contacted NME to deny that a Pink Floyd reunion was taking place: “David Gilmour can confirm that there is no truth in recent media speculation about Pink Floyd reuniting to perform for the 2012 London Olympics.”

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Pink Floyd Reunion an ‘Outside Possibility’

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason recently spoke to Rolling Stone about last week’s semi-reunion involving him, Roger Waters and David Gilmour. The three surviving Floyd members joined up for a performance of “Outside the Wall” at Water’s London concert (Gilmour and Waters also teamed for “Comfortably Numb”). It was only the second time the three have performed together in the past 30 years – the first being at Live 8 in 2005.

“It was really nice to be sort of part of it and to show support for Roger, not that he really needs it,” Mason said. “I suppose it’s nice to have Roger wanting to register David and myself as part of it, in a way. It was sort of a mutual thing: it was nice to be recognized but also very nice to lend support to Roger and make it clear that we’re not sort of punching it out in these auditoriums. We’re not critical of him doing it.”

The event encouraged fans to hope for a full-blown reunion of the three remaining Floyd members (keyboardist Rick Wright died in 2008). And Mason’s not closing the door on that plan. According to him, Gilmour is the only one who’s hesitant to do it.

“I think particularly at the moment David has other issues to worry about,” Mason said. “But also people change from when they are interested in doing something to when they’re not. I think that we will just have to wait quietly to see if Dave ever does come around to it. I think there is an outside possibility even if it’s, you know, another Live 8.”

But, don’t expect to see Mason appear on stage at any more of Waters’ performances of The Wall.

“It was a very nice thing to do but it could become a bit cliche if we kept climbing to the top of the Wall and kept hugging each other onstage,” he said. “I mean, I think enough is enough. I mean, we’re English after all. We don’t do that hugging thing a lot.”

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Pink Floyd Back on Stage Together (with Video)

Pink Floyd’s surviving members reunited on stage in London last night, playing powerful renditions of “Comfortably Numb” and “Outside the Wall” during the second night of Roger Waters’ six-night stand at the O2 Arena.

This was only the second time that Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason have played together in the past three decades – the first being at their Live 8 performance in 2005. Keyboardist Richard Wright has since died, succumbing to cancer in 2008.

Together, Waters and Gilmour tackled “Comfortably Numb,” which seemed to make the crowd anything but. Towards the end of the night, as Waters played “Outside the Wall,” both Gilmour and Mason appeared on stage. Reprising the same role he played on Pink Floyd’s 1980/1981 tour, Gilmour played his solo atop the Wall.

Fans hoping that last night marks the beginning of a Pink Floyd reunion shouldn’t hold their breath.

“I should also remind you that tonight is most definitely a one-off,” said Gilmour’s blog yesterday. “David is not repeating his special guest performance at a later occasion, I’m sorry to disappoint those of you with fingers crossed and tickets for later shows.”

Waters’ The Wall tour will continue through July.

Watch footage of last night’s concert:

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Pink Floyd to Put Out New Box Sets, Unreleased Material

At long last, Pink Floyd are opening their vaults and will be releasing a deluge of unreleased material this fall. Not only will all 14 Pink Floyd studio albums get the remastered treatment, but plenty of live performances, demos and more will be released in deluxe editions of the band’s classic albums. The Pink Floyd re-releases will become available starting September 26 in the U.K. and September 27 in the U.S.

So what can fans expect? Check out details, via Spinner.com, below:

The “Discovery” collection: All 14 original studio albums remastered by The Wall co-producer James Guthrie, with new packaging created by Storm Thorgerson. Available individually or in a box set.The “Experience” editions: The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall will be featured in two-disc editions, with the remastered, original album on one disc, and extra material on the second. For example, the Wish You Were Here edition will include live 1974 performances of “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” as well as “Raving and Drooling” and “You Gotta Be Crazy” (which would turn into “Sheep” and “Dogs” on Animals).The “Immersion” editions: Dark Side, Wish and Wall will each get their own box set treatment, with unreleased recordings and live footage on DVD/Blu-ray, booklets, reproduced memorabilia and more. Dark Side will include six discs, Wish will be five and Wall will be seven.The Best Of – A Foot in the Door: A one-disc introduction to Pink Floyd will feature 16 remastered tracks picked by the band members. Selections include “See Emily Play,” “Time,” “Hey You” and “Learning to Fly.”Vinyl editions: Each studio album also will see a new vinyl re-issue with new packaging from Thorgerson.

For more on the Pink Floyd releases, visit the new, official site, www.whypinkfloyd.com.

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Stolen Pink Floyd Painting Recovered

The stolen self-portrait of Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett has been found. The painting of the legendary musician went missing last weekend from the Idea Generation Gallery in London.

After news broke of the theft and Barrett’s former girlfriend Libby Gausden appealed for its return, offering a $3,000 reward, the rare painting made its way back via the Royal Mail.

Barrett painted the portrait in the early ’60s before he came to fame with Pink Floyd and it was being exhibited as part of the Syd Barrett Arts & Letters exhibition.

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Pink Floyd Self-Portrait Stolen

A unique self-portrait by legendary Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett has been stolen from an art gallery. The painting was taken from the Idea Generation Gallery in London. Its owner was the singer/guitarist’s former girlfriend, Libby Gausden, who pleaded for the return of the 12” x 9” work.

She said: “I am very upset at the theft of the painting, it has huge personal value to me and I am appealing for its safe return,” according to U.K.’s Press Association.

A reward of ?2000 has been offered for information leading to the return of the work. It was painted in the early ’60s before Barrett helped form Pink Floyd.

Barrett, who died in 2006, quit Pink Floyd in 1968 and after two solo albums became a reclusive figure. Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” was inspired by Barrett’s behavior.

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