My Morning Jacket vocalist/guitarist/producer/songwriter partners with Epiphone

Apr. 25—NASHVILLE, Tenn. — This year marks the 150th anniversary of Epiphone, a leading innovator in instrument design. By leveraging its past and leaning into the future, Epiphone has now set the stage for the next era of sound for present and future generations.

Epiphone announced recently a partnership with Jim James, who has long impressed fans worldwide with his band My Morning Jacket and his solo projects. Epiphone has joined forces with the vocalist, producer, songwriter and guitarist to create his first Epiphone signature artist guitar. The Jim James ES-335 from Epiphone is now available worldwide at authorized Epiphone dealers, and on www.epiphone.com.

"I am beyond honored and so very grateful to have been able to collaborate with the fine folks at Epiphone on this beautiful instrument," James said in a news release. "This is definitely a 'pinch myself' moment to be part of having a signature series guitar."

This Epiphone ES-335 is based on one of James' all-time favorite guitars and follows the recently released and now sold-out Gibson Jim James ES-335 model. The Epiphone Jim James ES-335 features a '70s Walnut-finish with a 5-ply laminated maple body, a solid maple center block for increased sustain and a mahogany neck, and a Jim James Custom SlimTaper C profile and an Indian laurel fretboard with dot inlays.

Personal touches on the Epiphone Jim James ES-335 include vintage-style Kluson Waffleback tuners with metal buttons, a circle/arrow emblem on the truss rod cover, and an owl symbol on the back of the headstock; a hardshell case with an owl logo also is included.

James has spent the better part of almost two decades as the lead singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist of My Morning Jacket. Through seven studio albums, My Morning Jacket have grown into one of the most acclaimed rock and roll bands in the world. In 2013, James released his debut solo record, "Regions of Light and Sound of God," and 2016 saw the release of his politically charged second record, "Eternally Even." James released two solo albums in 2018 — "Uniform Distortion" and "Uniform Clarity" — and both were received with immediate acclaim.

James has continued expanding on his zealous lists of credits, lending his voice to albums by the likes of the Roots, David Lynch, Brandi Carlile and John Fogerty and partnering with other artists on numerous side projects such as New Multitudes, Monsters of Folk, and T-Bone Burnett's The New Basement Tapes.

Known for his live performances, James has found himself in the touring company of those like Neil Young, Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan — even appearing in the Dylan-inspired film, "I'm Not There." My Morning Jacket supported Roger Waters as his surprise-backing band during the famed Newport Folk Festival in 2015.

James has embedded himself in the world of film and television, be it through the use of his music in various projects or his long-running relationships with those in the field. He has also established himself as a producer in his own right, producing records by Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Dean Wareham, Basia Bulat, Amo Amo, and Ray Lamontagne's Ouroboros (2016), the same year in which he collaborated with NASA for the launch of its Juno Mission, and with the Sundance Film Festival and its "Freedom of Expression" event.

For the latest music and news on Jim James, visit www.jimjames.com.