Crown Your Collection with Keith’s Iconic ES-355
For over 60 years, Keith Richards has set the standard for what a “rock guitarist” should be in sound, style, and attitude. His influence on the development of 20th-century music is truly immeasurable, inspiring countless musicians around the world as arguably the most prolific riff writer in rock history. And while “Keef” is undeniably a man of many guitars, few can match the iconic imagery of his blacked-out ES-355, re-created here in museum-grade glory with the Gibson Custom Keith Richards 1960 ES-355. Using advanced 3D scanning, period-accurate parts, and aging from the Murphy Lab, the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 precisely emulates the guitar so famously favored on such watershed albums as Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St., starting with a 3-ply maple/poplar/maple semi-hollow body mated to a weight-relieved maple center block. Next, two Custombucker pickups with aged Alnico V magnets capture the airy, resonant sound of this premium semi-hollow construction with all the warmth, clarity, and dynamic range of the iconic PAF humbuckers of yore. On the other end, the mahogany neck wears a custom Keith Richards profile, topped with a bound ebony fingerboard with medium-wide frets, mirroring the feel of Keith’s own axe. The hardware is equally authentic, comprising an expressive Bigsby B7 vibrato, Grover Rotomatic tuners, and an ABR-1 bridge in a well-worn golden finish. A stunning set of period-correct trim rounds it all out, including multi-ply body/headstock binding, mother-of-pearl block inlays, and Gibson’s iconic split-diamond headstock inlay. Limited to a select number of models worldwide and boasting a hand-signed label from Keith on the F-hole sticker, the Gibson Custom Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 is your chance to own an era-defining piece of rock ’n’ roll history.
Related Videos: Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Electric Guitar - Ebony, Murphy Lab Aged
As close to Keith’s original as you can get
The Gibson Custom Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 is fastidious in its replication of Keith’s original axe, utilizing advanced 3D scanning, period-correct materials, and even era-accurate construction techniques. From the body’s 3-ply maple/poplar/maple composition to the red spruce bracing and weight-relieved maple center block, it represents a museum-level reproduction of Keef’s iconic black-on-black ES-355 — both inside and out. Most important of all to Sweetwater’s vintage Gibson obsessives, this guitar’s mahogany neck features an identical neck profile to Keith’s own ES-355, complete with a block-laden ebony fingerboard fitted with medium-wide fret wire for an undeniably authentic playing experience.
Vintage magic from Custombucker pickups
You’ll absolutely adore the Custombucker pickups in this Gibson Custom Keith Richards 1960 ES-355. These pickups were meticulously designed to replicate the sonic magic of Keef’s original ES-355, from their Alnico V magnets — higher in output than the standard Custombucker’s Alnico III setup — to their 42-gauge wire and unbalanced coils. The result is a spot-on sonic replication of Keith’s prized ’355, allowing you to instantly call up the raunchy blues-rock riffs and rhythms that drove the sound of Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St., and just about every Rolling Stones tour since 1997.
Artfully aged in Gibson’s Murphy Lab
Under the leadership of Master Artisan Tom Murphy, Gibson Custom Shop’s Murphy Lab performs one specific function: to craft artfully aged instruments using the most cutting-edge tools available. For this Gibson Custom Keith Richards 1960 ES-355, the Murphy Lab set to work re-creating every nick, ding, and scratch that Keith’s original has accumulated over 50 years of gigging and countless studio sessions. Set this Gibson Custom Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 next to Keith’s own, and they’re nigh indistinguishable — apart from Keith’s hand-signed signature on the F-hole label, of course.
Gibson Custom Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Features:
- A museum-grade replica of Keith Richards’s iconic 1960 ES-355, limited to a select number of models and personally signed by Keith on the F-hole label
- Built using advanced 3D scanning, period-correct parts, and era-appropriate building methods
- 3-ply maple/poplar/maple body with a weight-relieved maple center block and red spruce bracing provides an airy and resonant tone with superb feedback resistance
- Mahogany neck shaped into a custom Keith Richards profile to mirror the original guitar
- Bound ebony fingerboard loaded with MOP block inlays and era-accurate medium-wide frets
- Hardware and nitro lacquer finish expertly aged by the Murphy Lab program to match the appearance and feel of Keith’s guitar
- Custombucker pickups with aged Alnico V magnets capture the warm, clear, and dynamic sound of Gibson’s legendary PAF pickups
- Includes period-correct CTS 500K audio taper pots and paper-in-oil caps
- Aged-in gold hardware includes a sturdy Bigsby B7 vibrato unit, a classic ABR-1 bridge, and Grover Rotomatic tuning machines
- High-class ES-355 appointments include multi-ply binding on the body/headstock, along with Gibson’s split-diamond inlay atop the headstock
- Includes a Gibson Protector case with a COA and a custom strap
