Promax’s gathering of TV station marketing executives in Las Vegas is back after three years off, and with Station Summit returns sonic branding company Stephen Arnold Music (SAM) and its famous guitar giveaway.

Stephen Arnold Music has given away more than 70 historic guitars in tandem with Promax events over the years. Previous giveaways have included guitars representing the British invasion, the Beatles, and the grunge and classic rock eras, among others.

RELATED: Go for the Gold with Stephen Arnold Music’s 2021 Guitar Giveaway

This year, SAM is giving away guitars played by rockers from the North, East, West and South (NEWS). SAM Creative Director Dave Baumann suggested the theme, inspired by his time earlier in his career at KSTP Minneapolis-St. Paul, when footage including a weather vane opened the station’s daily newscast.

To enter the giveaway, visit Stephen Arnold’s booth at the Mirage in Las Vegas and leave your business card or your name and email. Stephen Arnold will draw the winners during the conference. Must be present to win.

Photos and descriptions of each guitar are below:

North: Epiphone Sheraton II Pro

Representing the North, the Epiphone Sheraton II Pro reflects the Chicago blues scene. Epiphone, you say? You probably didn’t know that Epiphone guitars pre-date Gibson guitars – they started making mandolins in 1873! This beautiful black Sheraton model is based on the semi-hollow body Gibson 335, which has been a favorite of blues players the world over. But many players prefer the more ornate styling of the Sheraton, as well as its rich tone. Bluesman John Lee Hooker played an Epiphone Sheraton for most of his career, and Noel Gallagher of Oasis popularized the guitar with a custom Union Jack version. This instrument is known to punch waaaay above its price point, with beautiful mother-of-pearl and abalone inlays on the headstock and finger board, as well as gold hardware and coil-tapping pickups. Constructed of laminated maple, walnut and rosewood with a solid chunk of maple running the length of the body, the warm tone and versatility of the Sheraton II Pro is hard to beat.

East: Gibson Les Paul Jr.

Representing the East Coast, this Gibson Les Paul Jr. typifies the stripped-down essence of the New York punk rock scene. New York Dolls guitarist Sylvain Sylvain said in 2009: “We called them ‘automatic guitars,’ like a car with an automatic transmission – easy to use.” Originally low-priced and intended for students, this guitar’s most visible punk rock player is Billie Jo Armstrong of Green Day, who thrives on its simplicity and raw tone. The original low price of this axe meant fledgling punk bands could afford to buy them – and abuse them! The Junior originally had a single cutaway, a mahogany neck with a rosewood fingerboard and a slab of sunburst (the only color available) mahogany for the body. With just a single coil P90 pickup wired through a volume and tone knobs, this Les Paul Jr. is the icon of the disco-busting East Coast rock scene of the late 70s/early 80s.

West: Fender Surf Pearl Player Edition Stratocaster

It’s hard to imagine a more emblematic guitar for the California West Coast surf scene than the Fender Stratocaster, especially in this dreamy surf green finish! The Stratocaster was Leo Fender’s response to the growing popularity of Gibson guitars, and with its three pickups, considered a major upgrade to the single pickup Fender Telecaster. This Player edition features an alder body, a maple neck, three single-coil pickups and that famous Strat whammy bar. Dick Dale literally invented instrumental surf music using this guitar, and it was featured on the 1960 Ventures hit, “Walk, Don’t Run.” Duane Eddy and Link Wray also played Strats during this era. As the ‘60s progressed, Al Jardine of the Beach Boys favored the Stratocaster, and it eventually became an iconic rock guitar in the ‘70s. Replacing the now-discontinued Standard Series Strat, this Fender Player Edition Stratocaster honors the core Fender classic values with quality construction, vintage-inspired finishes and select modern updates.

South: Early 60s Custom SRV Heavy Relic Fender Strat

Few guitar players represent the South more aptly than Texas-based blues and rock genius Stevie Ray Vaughan. And as far as guitars go, only a handful are as iconic as Stevie Ray’s go-to axe he called “Number One,” aka “the Wife.” This is a beautiful reproduction; a tribute SRV relic which reflects the ragged, brutally worn finish, upside-down tremolo bar, cigarette-burnt headstock, and truck-stop stickers that spell the local blues-rock legend’s initials. The wiring is a clone of SRV’s 1959 pickups, along with a replica ‘62 neck and ‘63 body, all of which together conjure that amazing SRV tone. Interesting fact: Stevie’s original Strat was owned by another celebrated Texas musician, Christopher Cross, who traded in the already ragged-out classic in 1974 – which eventually found its way to Stevie! This reproduction, however, is set up and ready to crank out some hot Texas blues!

Tags: guitar giveaway station summit 2022 stephen arnold music


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