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“Other than the fact this guitar is owned by one of the greatest guitar players of all time, it’s one of the rarest Gibson guitars you’ll ever see,” says Gibson Director of Brand Experience Mark Agnesi.
In the video below, Agnesi and Dinesh Lekhraj, Gibson Product Content Manager, detail the making of an exacting Gibson Custom Shop replica of Keith Richards’ 1960 ES-355—the guitar that helped forge the Rolling Stones’ greasy roar during the band’s later stage and studio eras. Kept in standard tuning, the 355 is considered one of his mainstay guitars for live performance.
Key Features of the Gibson Custom Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition
- Exacting Gibson Custom replica with precise Murphy Lab aging
- 3-ply maple/poplar/maple body
- Mahogany neck
- Ebony fingerboard
- Unpotted Custombuckers with aged Alnico V magnets
- Chambered center block
- Bigsby B7 Vibrato
- Limited to 100 guitars, each with Keith Richards’ signature on the f-hole label
Shop Now: Gibson Custom Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector's Edition
Rare Mono Output in Factory Black
“This ES-355 was custom ordered to be factory mono and with a factory black finish,” explains Agnesi. “I think we know of just three 355s that have been verified as factory black mono, so this is far rarer than a 1959 Les Paul, and way more rare than Korina Flying V guitars and Explorers.”
Collectors are now stopping mid-scroll, because Richards’ ES-355 isn’t extraordinarily collectible simply because of who owned it or when it was manufactured. It possesses features that almost never show up in the wild. With only three verified on the planet, the factory mono black ES-355 is more of an “endangered species” than the Javan Rhino.
The Sound of an Icon
Richards’ distinctive melding of riffs, rhythm figures and lead lines has created near-limitless hooks and classic songs throughout the Stones’ hitmaking imprint on rock and popular culture. The Gibson Custom Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition leans into his guitar playing philosophy in a huge way. It’s the kind of guitar that can elevate your performances to a stratospheric swagger of tone, toughness and time.