Gibson is honouring the legacy of one of America’s most influential rock and roll bands – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – with a limited edition guitar collection, plus Heartbreakers-inspired apparel, gear and collectables.
The limited edition 50th anniversary Tom Petty Flying V guitar has been inspired by the iconic Heartbreakers logo, featured on the band’s self-titled 1976 debut album.
Known collectively as the ‘Flying Five’, the collection comprises five distinctive gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, with only 50 guitars produced in each colour worldwide.
Offered in Gainesville Gold, Graphite Metallic, Heartbreaker Red, Pearl White Metallic and Pelham Blue, the Tom Petty Flying V is limited to 250 guitars worldwide.
A new assortment of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers-inspired apparel, accessories and collectables launches alongside the guitars, giving musicians and fans new ways to celebrate the band’s music, style and enduring independent spirit.
The Gibson launch joins a landmark season of albums, special events and anniversary celebrations from the band and the Tom Petty estate.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, Tom Petty’s legacy as a songwriter, performer and storyteller remains as powerful as ever. Across five decades, the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers has embodied freedom, resilience, independence and uncompromising American rock and roll.
The anniversary celebration also includes the 6 November release of Origins 1971–1978, a box set from the Tom Petty Estate tracing his early recording career through the formation and early years of the Heartbreakers. The collection pairs rare, live and previously unreleased recordings with the band’s first two albums.
“Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have meant so much to so many, with timeless songs that continue to inspire us today,” commented Beth Heidt, chief marketing officer at Gibson. “It is a profound honour to celebrate 50 years of that music through these instruments and this collection. Every Flying V and every piece of the apparel collection carries that incredible spirit forward, connecting with the fans who have loved them all along and the next generation ready to make these songs their own.”
Alongside the guitars is a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 50th anniversary lifestyle collection which spans American-made graphic tees, statement jackets, accessories and collectables.
Gibson sent a team to the Tom Petty Clubhouse in Van Nuys, California, where they unearthed countless artefacts spanning the rich history of the Heartbreakers.
At the request of the Tom Petty Estate, Gibson partnered with longtime collaborators imogene+willie (i+w), the renowned Nashville-based premium heritage lifestyle and apparel brand. The collection features four 7 oz. ‘vintage midweight’ tees – the ‘Tom Petty’, ‘Dogs with Wings’, ‘DIY Band’ and ‘Heartbreaker’ designs.
Outerwear ranges include a patch-covered green ‘Tom Petty Patch’ Military Shirt Jacket and black ‘Backstage’ work jacket, plus an exclusive black leather jacket developed with imogene+willie x Gibson and Schott NYC, based on the jacket Tom wore on the cover of the band’s 1976 debut album.
The assortment also includes the ‘Last All Night’ Zippo, ‘The Band’ Bandana, AXE HEAVEN Tom Petty Flying V Mini Guitar, Tom Petty Cat Unstructured Snapback, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Guitar Strap, Pick Tin and Sticker Set.
The Tom Petty Flying V 50th Anniversary guitars and apparel are available worldwide at Gibson Garage locations and at www.gibson.com.
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