Gibson Guitars announced they’ll be paying hourly factory workers $1,000 each to help get them through the time on uncertainty caused by coronavirus pandemic. As of March 22, the iconic guitar manufacturer has been forced to halt production at its Nashville factory, Loudwire reports. Despite no government request, Gibson have also closed their factory in Bozeman, Montana.

Taylor Swift, a longtime Nashville resident, has handed over $1 million to the Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund, the Tennessean reports. She included a link to the Response Fund and encouraged fans to donate to the cause. Also in tornado-related news, Gibson Gives, the charity branch of Gibson Brands, pledged to donate guitars to those whose guitar of any brand was damaged in the natural disaster, Billboard reports. Guitar brands Heritage and Harmony, as well as gear case and accessories brand MONO, are calling for affected artists to get in touch if their gear has been destroyed, damaged or lost due to the disaster, NME reports.

Gibson might have broken quite a few hearts after a video appeared showing the guitar manufacturer destroying hundreds of Firebird X guitars by running them over with a construction vehicle, Alternative Press reports. A former employee said the company decided to do so following poor sales. Gibson says the Firebird X models were unsalvageable and damaged […]