Billie Joe Armstrong has unveiled two signature pieces of gear: a limited-edition Radiant Red Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior and his first artist signature amplifier with Marshall, the 1959BJA Artist Signature. Both releases reflect the stripped-down, high-impact guitar tone Armstrong has used across Green Day’s career from the 1994 album Dookie through its recent stadium-scale era.
The Epiphone model features a bright red finish with a single P-90 PRO pickup, master volume and tone controls, and a Lightning Bar wraparound bridge. The guitar includes a reproduction of Armstrong’s signature on the back of the headstock and comes with a custom black hardshell case with leopard-print interior.
The baby-blue 1959BJA Artist Signature amplifier marks Marshall’s first artist signature model in 14 years. Based on Marshall’s handwired 1959HW platform, it includes a custom “Dookie Mod” inspired by the guitar tone Armstrong developed with producer Rob Cavallo during Dookie‘s creation. The baby-blue covering is a tribute to “Blue,” the heavily stickered Fernandes guitar Armstrong used during Green Day’s early years.
“I’m so overjoyed to have my own signature Marshall amp,” Armstrong said in a statement. “These amps have been a part of my musical life, from my heroes down to little old me.”
The announcement comes as Green Day prepares the soundtrack to its upcoming comedy Nimrods, due July 31, which includes 22 tracks spanning career favourites, four previously unreleased live recordings from the Hollywood Palladium, and a new song, “I’m Never Gonna R.I.P.” Green Day released its most recent studio album, Saviors, in January 2024.
Source: Billboard
