Gibson Guitars announce new collaboration with Keith Richards
Gibson Guitars has announced a new collaboration with Keith Richards, giving fans an exclusive opportunity to get their hands on one of the Rolling Stones icon’s replica guitars.
The company has launched a limited collection of Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition, which has a signed guitar and label, and the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355, which has a signed label.
Both of the guitars have been handcrafted in Nashville, Tennessee, under the expert guidance of Richards himself, as precise replicas of the beloved instruments he famously used during the height of his career.
The Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition is the most coveted guitar of the two, with Richards having signed it on the F-hole label and on the headstock. Only 50 of these prized guitars will be available throughout the world.
Additionally, 100 of the 1960 ES-355 guitars will be available to buy, with Richards having signed these guitars on the F-hole only.
The ES-355 Gibson guitar is Richards’s most famous instrument, with the 1960 model being used by him ever since 1969, meaning it was responsible for carrying his work in The Rolling Stones through their iconic albums Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. He continued using the guitar all the way until 1997.
“This is my standard-tuning six-string; this is the other side of my thing,” Richards said, adding, “My six-string stuff has always been, you know, a great Gibson — that’s where I feel the most comfortable. And also with the sound. Put it through just about any amp, and it will sound the way you want it, because this has so much more room for expression.”
The modelling of the guitars has undergone a fine-tuned process in order to make them exact replicas of the original. This has involved advanced 3D scanning, period-correct materials, and construction techniques, with a lab being enlisted to provide hand-aging to craft a sound that is completely authentic to its distinctive sound.
Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition, with signed guitar and label, will be available through Gibson’s website for worldwide shipping, as well as the Gibson’s Garage locations in Nashville and London.
The Keith Richards 1960 ES-355, with the signed label only, will again be available via Gibson’s website worldwide, as well as Gibson Garage locations and authorised Gibson Custom dealers.
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