This week on Guitar Gear Gems, we discuss how the fact that Queen has sold their catalog to Sony for a record $1.27 Billion! Then we check out Paul Reed Smith’s new “Paul’s Perfect Pour” craft beer he launched at the weekend. Finally, we look at Polyphia Guitarist Scott LePage as he teases a potemntila new signature Ibanez guitar.
Queen Catalog
Sony Music has acquired Queen’s music rights in a deal worth a whopping $1.27 billion. This shatters previous records and gives the group’s music new ownership.
The deal, reported by HITS Daily Double and Variety, surpasses the prior record of $550 million paid for Bruce Springsteen’s catalogue.
Sony outbid a competitor offering $900 million for Queen’s collection, which includes recordings, publishing rights, and even name and likeness rights, opening doors for ventures like musicals.
Revenue from live performances remains with Brian May and Roger Taylor, who tour with Adam Lambert.
The agreement involves existing deals with other music companies. Sony will receive royalties currently paid to Disney for US and Canadian recordings and assume distribution rights after Universal’s contract expires in 2026 or 2027.
Personally, I think Queen’s music is priceless, but if you had to put a price on it, then over billion dollars is about right.
Easy Brian May Tone
Below are a few items to help you mimic the unforgettable Brian May guitar tone. If you need to cover all his classic tones within your DAW, we recommend the IK Multimedia Brian May suite. As we cannot all afford or use a wall of Vox AC30s at high volume!
Paul’s Perfect Pour
Paul Reed Smith has collaborated with the Cult Classic Brewing Company to produce his own craft beer called “Paul’s Perfect Pour”.
PRS launched the new beer at a release party last Friday, June 21st, at Cult Classic Brewing on Kent Island, Maryland.
International Make Music Day
The event coincided with International Make Music Day, and there was a free concert for all attendees. We haven’t heard any reports on how the new craft beer tastes, but knowing PRS, it will be full of great flavour.
PRS has just debuted the new PRS SE NF3 and that has been making waves for the last week in the guitar world, so a few cdold beers could be just what the doctor ordered.
Scott LePage
Polyphia fans have spotted a potential new signature guitar from Ibanez. Scott LePage’s recent YouTube playthrough of the “Bloodbath” solo features what looks like a Ibanez Xiphos-style model all in white.
7-string
It is a 7-string model and I would guess that is uses his signature Fishman Fluence Custom Series humbuckers.
Elsewhere it appers to have a two-point tremolo and possibly an ebony fretbaord with some pretty wild inlays.
New Signature model?
Possibly a new signature model?
Though he was playing a similar guitar in the video for “Ego Death”, the track that features Steve Vai and therefore, it could just be a custom one off for LePage instead. Time will tell.
