In celebration of John Lennon's birthday, Gibson Guitar has launched several major global programs honoring the late musician's enormous contribution to music and the world. From Nashville, Tennessee, to Vianen, The Netherlands, and on to Tokyo, Japan, Gibson's special programs and exhibits began on Saturday, October 9, 2004, which would have been Lennon's 64th birthday.

Epiphone launched an exclusive auction on eBay, the world's largest auction site, for one of the earliest pairs of the Epiphone John Lennon Casino reissues - the "1965" and "Revolution" models. The pair is #25 and is one of only a few pairs held back from the original limited run of these highly collectible guitars in 1999. The highly collectible Casino reissues are based on Lennon's original 1965 Epiphone Casino, and the "1965" features its original sunburst finish while the "Revolution" model replicates the natural wood of Lennon's guitar after he stripped the finish off. The auction will be open for 10 days on eBay. A percentage of the proceeds from the auction will to benefit directly The John Lennon Scholarship Fund which is operated by BMI Foundation Inc. (www.bmifoundation.org). Those interested in bidding on the guitars can go to www.ebay.com and click on the charity auctions or search by seller User ID "myepiphoneguitar." The auction will end at 10am ET (7am PT) on Tuesday, October 19, 2004.

In a separate celebration across the globe, Epiphone and Gibson Guitar has delivered a collection of Lennon models to be on display for one year at a special exhibit in the John Lennon Museum in Tokyo. The collection is highlighted by a limited-edition trio of Gibson J-160E guitars that replicate the acoustic/electric model that Lennon used throughout his career. The Fab Four model features the original sunburst finish, the Magical Tour model has the pink and purple psychedelic finish that Lennon commissioned an artist to paint on the guitar around 1967, and the Bed-In model has the natural look of Lennon's guitar after he stripped the finish.

In Amsterdam, Gibson brings back the "Bed-in for Peace" that John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono created for their honeymoon in 1969. A Gibson John Lennon J-160E Peace model, the current production version, will be on semi-permanent display at the Hilton Amsterdam Hotel and available for viewing beginning Saturday, October 9th, 2004 in the hotel's lobby/bar area. A special unveiling by the hotel accompanied by photos of the famous "Bed-in" will be on display for three months and is free to the general public. To find out more about the display you may go to www.gibsoneurope.com.