We're very exited to offer this limited edition Keith Richards Gibson ES-355. This iconic guitar was famously used on two of the Rolling Stones most beloved records, Exile on Main Street and Sticky Fingers. Gibson has gone to great lengths in replicating "Keefs" original 1960 ES-355 right down to each scratch and ding. Signed by Keith himself and including a wide array of case candy, this instrument in limited to 150 guitars worldwide!
Is there a more iconic guitar player on Earth than Keith Richards? For more than six decades, the “Human Riff” has been the heartbeat of The Rolling Stones, inspiring millions of fans and musicians the world over to get out of their seats and rock ’n’ roll. It’s impossible to imagine the popular music landscape without the monolithic presence of Keith Richards looming over it with impossible cool, godlike nonchalance, and, of course, impeccable taste in guitars. Ask any guitarist which instrument of Keith’s they desire the most, and we’re willing to bet his black 1960 Gibson ES-355 is top of the list. Keith first used an ES-355 back in 1969, taking it out on the road and into the studio during the legendary recording sessions for Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. His black 1960 model has also been a staple of each and every planet-straddling Rolling Stones tour since 1997.
Gibson Custom now proudly introduces the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition—a painstaking recreation of the ES-355™ that Keith made famous. Built by hand in the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee, this isn’t a tribute; it’s an exacting replica, crafted using advanced 3D scanning, period-correct materials and construction techniques, and Murphy Lab aging to mirror every detail of the original, including its distinctive tone.
This remarkable guitar features a multi-ply bound body made from three-ply maple/poplar/maple with red spruce bracing and a weight-relieved maple centerblock for enhanced sustain and reduced feedback. Its mahogany neck sports a Custom Keith Richards profile derived from 3D scans of the original, measuring approximately .801" at the first fret, .905" at the 12th, and 1.625" at the nut. The bound ebony fingerboard includes mother-of-pearl block inlays and Medium Wide fretwire, just like Keith’s guitar. Hardware consists of a Bigsby B7 vibrato tailpiece and Grover® Rotomatic® tuners with Milk Bottle buttons, while every metal part, plastic component, and the Ebony nitrocellulose finish has been aged by Murphy Lab artisans to replicate decades of wear. A pair of unpotted Custombucker pickups with Alnico 5 magnets, wired to CTS® 500k audio taper pots and paper-in-oil capacitors, delivers the unmistakable sound of the original.
Each guitar ships in a Gibson Protector series case with a certificate of authenticity and a strap. Only 150 of these instruments exist, each bearing Keith Richards’s signature on the f-hole label as part of this exclusive Collector’s Edition. This is your chance to own a piece of music history.
Specs:
Body Shape: ES-335
Material: 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
Bracing: Red Spruce
Binding: Seven-ply Top, Three-ply Back, Five-ply Headstock (White), Single-ply Fretboard (White)
Neck: Mahogany
Profile: Custom Keith Richards profile
Nut Width: 1.625" / 41.275
Fingerboard: Ebony
Scale Length: 24.75" / 628.65mm
Number of Frets: 22
Nut: Bone
Inlay: Mother of Pearl Block
Bridge: ABR-1 (Wire)
Tailpiece: Bigsby B7 Vibrato
Tuners: Grover Rotomatic with Milk Bottle Button
Control Knobs: True Historic Black Top Hat with Dial Pointer
Plating: Murphy Lab Aged Gold
Neck Pickup: Custombucker with Aged Alnico 5 Magnet (Unpotted)
Bridge Pickup: Custombucker with Aged Alnico 5 Magnet (Unpotted)
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone; CTS 500k Audio Taper Potentiometers and Paper-in-Oil Capacitors
Case: Custom Shop Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition Hardshell