The Melbourne Guitar Show 2025 brought some of the biggest brands and latest releases to Australian musicians. From high-end custom guitars and cutting-edge amp modeling tech to innovative pedals and local builders, there was no shortage of exciting new gear.
We hit the show floor to check out the latest from Gibson, Fender, ESP, Ibanez, Blackstar, Vox, Digitech, Neural DSP, and more—here’s everything you need to know!
Gibson Custom Shop – Iconic Designs & Lightweight Les Pauls
Gibson had a stacked lineup of Custom Shop models, showcasing vintage recreations and modern innovations.
Gibson Custom Shop Explorer “Big Ed”
💰 Price: ~$20,000
🎸 Body: Korina
🎛️ Pickups: Custom-wound Gibson humbuckers
📏 Scale Length: 24.75″
🔩 Hardware: Gold-plated tuners & bridge
🎨 Finish: Aged Natural
This Explorer is based on the legendary Big Ed, an ultra-rare 1950s Gibson prototype from the Gibson vault in Nashville.
Gibson Custom Shop ES-335 “Watermelon”
🎸 Body: Laminated Maple
🎛️ Pickups: Gibson Custom Buckers
📏 Scale Length: 24.75″
🔩 Hardware: Gold-plated bridge & tuners
🎨 Finish: Aged Cherry (faded to “Watermelon” over time)
This model replicates the natural fading of 1960s cherry-finished guitars that sat in shop windows for decades, creating a unique, vintage aesthetic.
Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Standard “Alpine Mahogany”
🎸 Body: High-Altitude Mahogany (extremely lightweight)
🎛️ Pickups: Gibson Burstbucker 1 & 2
📏 Scale Length: 24.75″
🔩 Hardware: Nickel-plated Tune-O-Matic bridge & stop tailpiece
🎨 Finish: Washed Cherry Burst
This Les Paul weighs around 7.2 lbs, thanks to the unique high-altitude mahogany, which naturally loses density due to extreme weather conditions.
“Most people assume this is weight-relieved, but it’s not—it’s naturally lightweight wood.”
ESP – New Mick Thomson & James Hetfield Signature Guitars
ESP showcased two flagship signature models that drew serious attention.
ESP Mick Thomson MT-1 Signature
🎸 Body: Mahogany with White Ash Top
🎛️ Pickup: Fishman Fluence Mick Thomson Signature
📏 Scale Length: 25.5″
🔩 Hardware: Hipshot High Mass Bridge, Hipshot Locking Tuners
🎨 Finish: Satin Black
This is Mick Thomson’s first signature model with ESP, designed for high-gain precision with a single pickup configuration and ultra-stable hardware.
ESP Custom Shop James Hetfield Snakebyte
🎸 Body: Mahogany
🎛️ Pickups: EMG JH Set
📏 Scale Length: 24.75″
🔩 Hardware: Gotoh locking tuners, TonePros bridge
🎨 Finish: Hand-Painted Custom Graphic
“This is a full custom shop ESP Snakebyte—each one is hand-painted, with meticulous attention to detail.”
The Snakebyte features a unique angular body shape and heavy metal-ready electronics, making it one of the most aggressive ESP designs to date.
Ibanez 2025 Collection – Aussie-Exclusive Models & Pastel Finishes
Ibanez showcased their latest AZ and RG models, including limited-edition spot finishes and a J Custom Blackwood model exclusive to Australia.
Ibanez J Custom Aussie Blackwood Edition
🎸 Body: Blackwood (exclusive to Australia)
🎛️ Pickups: Dimarzio Fusion Edge Humbuckers
📏 Scale Length: 25.5″
🔩 Hardware: Gotoh Locking Tuners, Edge Tremolo
🎨 Finish: Natural Satin
Ibanez AZ Pastel Pink Spot Model
🎸 Body: Basswood
🎛️ Pickups: Seymour Duncan Hyperion Humbuckers
📏 Scale Length: 25.5″
🔩 Hardware: Gotoh 510 Tremolo, Stainless Steel Frets
🎨 Finish: Pastel Pink
“Ibanez is really embracing bold new finishes, and this pastel pink AZ is one of the best-looking guitars of the show.”
Digitech – Mononeon Signature Whammy & Hammeron Pedal
Digitech introduced two brand-new pedals at the show:
🎛️ Mononeon Signature Whammy – Adds a Hypersonic mode for extreme pitch bends.
🎚️ Hammeron Pedal – A hybrid of the Whammy & Drop pedals, capable of both up & down pitch shifts.
“This thing is wild—you can run the Hammeron with a Whammy for the most extreme pitch effects possible.”
Neural DSP – The Future of Amp Capturing
Neural DSP showcased:
⚡ Quad Cortex – A full amp & pedal capture unit.
⚡ Nano Cortex – A portable capture player for gigging musicians.
“We captured a Klon, and the difference was almost imperceptible—Neural DSP is leading the way for amp modeling.”
Blackstar, Vox & Fender – New Amps & Digital Expansions
🔊 Blackstar St. James 100 – Now with EL34 & 6L6 tube switching.
🔊 Vox Handwired AC30 Series – Classic British tone with modern features.
🔊 Fender Tone Master Digital Amps – The best-sounding digital amps Fender has ever made.
“Fender’s Tone Master series is taking off—players are finally embracing digital amps for gigging.”
Final Thoughts – A Massive Year for Guitar Gear
From stunning Custom Shop guitars to cutting-edge amp modeling, the Melbourne Guitar Show 2025 showcased some of the best gear in the world. Whether you’re into classic tube amps, high-end custom guitars, or futuristic modeling tech, there was something for every guitarist.
What was your favorite piece of gear from the show? Let us know in the comments, and check out our full video coverage on the Noisegate YouTube channel!
