Serj Tankian of System Of A Down and Gibson Unveil “Foundations” Gibson Les Paul Modern Guitar and Tour Experience

NASHVILLE, TN, Gibson, the iconic, leading global instrument brand, has shaped sound across generations and genres of music, becoming one of the most relevant, played, and loved brands around the world. With instruments that inspire Gibson’s legendary artists and nurture new players transcending generations and genres of music, Gibson has emerged as an industry leader by offering award-winning guitars and new ways for artists to connect and grow. Gibson is proud to partner with SERJ TANKIAN, the lead singer and songwriter for the GRAMMY® Award-winning hard rock band System Of A Down, to release the SERJ TANKIAN “Foundations” Les Paul Modern, a unique guitar and tour experience package inspired by TANKIAN’s release last fall of his new FOUNDATIONS EP on Gibson Records and part of Gibson Custom collaborations with legendary Gibson artists.

Only 25 guitars and music experience packages are available, exclusively launching worldwide today via Gibson.com and at the Gibson Garage flagship store in Nashville. To learn more, call the Gibson Garage Nashville at (615) 933-6000 or click HERE.

The SERJ TANKIAN “Foundations” Les Paul Modern guitar and music experience package includes:

1.   A signed “Foundations” Gibson Les Paul Modern guitar

(autographed on headstock).

2.   A signed vinyl copy of Serj Tankian’s FOUNDATIONS EP of new music.

3.   A signed copy of Serj Tankian’s memoir “Down With The System.”

4.   A signed 18 x 24” museum-quality print of Serj’s artwork “Sunburst,” which is featured on the guitar and the EP cover.

5.   A pair of VIP tickets to an upcoming System Of A Down concert this fall of the purchaser’s choice on one of six North American dates in the following cities: two in New York City, two in Chicago, and two in Toronto.

“I’m honored to working with the Gibson family on a number of projects all under the headline of ‘Foundations’,” says SERJ TANKIAN. “Foundations means where you come from and the roots that you’ve established, it means how deeply you are embedded within your own society, arc and your own world. When we decided to put out the EP FOUNDATIONS on Gibson Records, that’s one to the things I wanted to impart, that the songs go back many years as original demos that were later finished, so we released that record and now we are unveiling the companion signature guitar. The ‘Foundations’ guitar is ingrained with a piece of my artwork titled ‘Sunburst’, it’s a beautiful guitar and the collection includes the guitar, a signed vinyl of the FOUNDATIONS EP, a print of the ‘Sunburst’ artwork, my memoir ‘Down with the System’, and a pair of VIP tickets to any of our 2025 System Of A Down, North American stadium shows.”

Watch/share the brief interview with SERJ TANKIAN regarding the creation of the “Foundations” Gibson Les Paul Modern guitar HERE.

Last night, SERJ TANKIAN unveiled his new “Foundations” Gibson Les Paul Modern guitar at an intimate launch party at his Kavat Café/Eye For Sound Gallery in Los Angeles.

Above: Serj Tankian arrives at the “Foundations” Gibson Les Paul Modern launch party at Kavat Café/Eye For Sound Gallery in Los Angeles. Photo credit: Steve Rose for Gibson.

Above: Lauren Ruth Ward (Gibson artist), Raeann Vinton (Gibson Cultural Influence), Devon Thompson (Gibson artist), Guest, Beth Heidt (Gibson Chief Marketing Officer), and Serj Tankian at the “Foundations” Gibson Les Paul Modern launch party at Kavat Café/Eye For Sound Gallery in Los Angeles. Photo credit: Steve Rose for Gibson.

Above: Serj Tankian and guests enjoy the “Foundations” Gibson Les Paul Modern launch party at Kavat Café/Eye For Sound Gallery in Los Angeles. Photo credit: Steve Rose for Gibson.

Above: Adriana Rodriguez and Raeann Vinton (Gibson Cultural Influence), Beth Heidt (Gibson Chief Marketing Officer), Serj Tankian, Todd Harapiak (Gibson Media Director), and Peter Leinheiser (Gibson Sr. Director of Cultural Influence) arrive at the “Foundations” Gibson Les Paul Modern launch party at Kavat Café/Eye For Sound Gallery in Los Angeles. Photo credit: Steve Rose for Gibson.

The SERJ TANKIAN “Foundations” Les Paul™ Modern features an Ultra-Modern weight-relieved mahogany body with a AAA figured maple top with sublimation-printed custom artwork based on SERJ TANKIAN’s “Sunburst” painting and single-ply top binding. The mahogany neck has a SlimTaper™ profile and Modern Contoured Heel for easy upper fret access and is topped with a bound ebony fretboard with a compound radius for lower and cleaner action; it is also equipped with 22 medium jumbo frets and mother-of-pearl trapezoid inlays. The SERJ TANKIAN “Foundations” Les Paul Modern is powered by Burstbucker™ Pro and Burstbucker Pro + pickups with black nickel covers and comes with push/pull controls for coil tap, phase, and Pure Bypass switching for loads of sonic versatility. The Graph Tech® nut, Grover® Locking Rotomatic® tuners with Keystone buttons, and the aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic™ bridge and aluminum Stop Bar tailpiece all work together to deliver excellent sustain and rock-solid tuning stability. The SERJ TANKIAN “Foundations” Gibson Les Paul Modern guitar is signed and numbered (1-25) on the back of each headstock by SERJ TANKIAN. A hardshell guitar case is also included.

SERJ TANKIAN “Foundations” Gibson Les Paul Modern guitar.

Above: Serj Tankian performs with the new SERJ TANKIAN “Foundations” Les Paul Modern guitar.

Serj Tankian

Photo Credit: Travis Shinn.

As the lead singer and songwriter for System Of A Down, SERJ TANKIAN has released five studio albums, winning a GRAMMY® Award in 2006 for “B.Y.O.B.” he’s performed for millions of fans and sold more than 42 million albums worldwide. Serj is also a solo artist, composer, activist, painter, poet, and filmmaker. TANKIAN was introduced to the melding of cultures, ideas, and ideals from a very young age. An Armenian born in Lebanon and raised in Los Angeles, the principles learned from this integration have led to his understanding of the oneness of all things and have since maneuvered and transfigured into the music and art that he lives to create.

Last fall, SERJ TANKIAN released FOUNDATIONS, his EP of new music, worldwide on Gibson Records HERE to some of the strongest critical acclaim of his career. FOUNDATIONS, TANKIAN says, is “A retrospective of songs from different eras of my life, meant to complement the memoir,” and capped an incredibly prolific year for TANKIAN, from the release of his memoir, the New York Times bestseller Down with the System, to the massive, sold-out System of a Down headlining show at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco with over 50,000 fans. But even as he is now revealing his “foundations,” TANKIAN is already looking ahead. “The next record will likely be a record of covers, collaborations, and collages,” he envisions. Credit his restless, ever-curious creative spirit. “I’m always moving in different directions,” TANKIAN says. “Repetition is boring, and the death of art.”

TANKIAN will perform with System Of A Down for a sold-out South American tour launching April 24 in Bogota, Columbia, and will kick off a series of North American shows in August 2025 with special guests Korn, Deftones, Avenged Sevenfold, and Polyphia. For all System Of A Down tour dates, visit https://www.systemofadown.com/#tour.

Check out more photos of the new SERJ TANKIAN “Foundations” Les Paul Modern guitar:

SERJ TANKIAN “Foundations” Les Paul Modern

SERJ TANKIAN “Foundations” Les Paul Modern

SERJ TANKIAN “Foundations” Les Paul Modern

SERJ TANKIAN “Foundations” Les Paul Modern headstock

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About Gibson:

Gibson, the leading iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for 130 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, Gibson has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies. The Gibson portfolio includes Gibson, the leading guitar brand, as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including Epiphone, which has been on every stage since 1873, Kramer, the original MADE TO ROCK HARD guitar brand, MESA/Boogie, the home of tone, KRK, behind great music for over 30 years, and Maestro, the founder of effect pedals. Gibson is dedicated to quality, innovation, and sound excellence so that music lovers for generations to come will continue to experience music shaped by all Gibson brands. Explore more at Gibson.com, Gibson App, and on Gibson TV, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and visit us at the Gibson Garage Nashville and the Gibson Garage London.

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