This week, I’m going to check out some interesting guitar stories and releases from the past week. Starting off with the highly limited run of Gibson DES Series models. Next, we check out the new Milestone Fuzz Handwired from Mad Professor. Finally, Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection Christie’s Auction finished and helped raise money for some good causes.
Guitar Journal
DES Series
The Gibson DES Series consists of six highly limited guitars in Ghost Burst finishes, designed by former Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian and Custom Shop Master Luthier Jim DeCola. DES stands for the very cringeworthy “Do Epic Sh#t” that Gueikian has been saying for some time.
Part of the proceeds of each guitar is donated to Gibson Gives, their registered charity.
6 Exclusive Models
These six DES models include the Les Paul, SG, Explorer, Flying V, an ES, and a Victory. These models all come in the Ghost Burst finish over a AAA figured maple top, with Split Block inlays on an ebony fretboard, and come fitted with ELEV8 humbuckers, which are high-output models.
Sold Out!
These Gibson DES Series models were each exclusively available on the Gibson site, and most have already sold out. The Flying V model had a standard Les Paul Custom-style 3-a-side Open Book headstock and looked a little odd, but it sold out quickly, so collectors have probably scooped it up.
I have already seen a few with their new owners, and their reports are positive. We don’t know the exact numbers for each guitar, but it looks like it was a very small run. Gibson is doing more and more of these exclusive runs via their site and Gibson Garage stores, so this could be the only way to get limited-run models in the near future.
Milestone Fuzz Handwired
The Mad Professor Milestone Fuzz Handwired is a brand new germanium fuzz pedal and looks like it could be perfect for classic fuzz tones. It combines modern features with a great fuzz circuit formula, so it’s perfect for modern guitar effects setups, with far less hassle than dealing with a vintage fuzz unit.
Guitar & Bass
Its versatile two-band EQ makes it easy to fine-tune your fuzz tone for any amplifier, sculpting the fuzz to taste, and Mad Professor states it also works just as beautifully on bass guitar. Just set the volume and fuzz levels to taste and off you go.
Thanks to a built-in transformer circuit, you can place the Milestone anywhere in your signal chain, making it more versatile than older vintage fuzz pedals.
Price & Release Date
This new fuzz is coming out on 5 October 2026 and will retail for €333.00, which is premium, but it is a high-quality handwired fuzz built in Finland, not a mass-produced pedal. We will let you know as soon as they are available at Thomann, as it looks like a very interesting fuzz pedal.
Marr’s Guitars
The recent Christie’s Marr’s Guitars auction of Johnny Marr’s legendary guitar collection transformed an incredible slice of musical history into a monumental triumph for charity. Driven by the enthusiasm of fans and guitar collectors, the event raised a phenomenal £3.6 million and helped benefit the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and the Autistic Society.
You can watch the live stream video below to see the whole collection go under the hammer.
Sale Highlights
For me, the highlights included Marr’s 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo, which fetched a remarkable £358,400.
This one is steeped in Britpop lore, and the iconic Marr guitar was played on The Smiths’ debut album and later lent to Noel Gallagher to record Oasis’s Definitely Maybe, even appearing on the cover of their debut single, “Supersonic.” Many people associate Marr with a Rickenbacker, so this one was pretty special.
I have a lot of respect for Marr, as many guitarists would struggle to part with such a collection of guitars, but he did it, and raised some money for charity along the way. The sale went for three times the amount they predicted, so it was a great success for everyone involved.
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
Another highlight was the £204,800 sale of his 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355. This beloved guitar, which Marr used to record “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now,” was originally purchased for him by Sire Records boss Seymour Stein as a famously successful gesture to encourage the band to sign with the label. Again, it is a model he’s been seen playing many times, so it’s another fantastic part of his history.
Johnny’s Jags
These days Marr gets all his guitar tones from his signature Fender Jaguar model and his signature Martin models, so he sold off all his guitars and helped raise some money for charity along the way- legend!
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