“If you were to try to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry.” – John Lennon.
Chuck Berry was a founding father of rock and roll. His stagecraft and musicianship laid the foundation for nearly every genre of rock and popular music. His playing, showmanship, and catalog of music helped launch many musicians’ careers, and countless sidemen shared the stage with him. So did his trusted Gibson guitars. This guitar was painstakingly crafted to replicate his beloved 1978 ES-355. We proudly present to you the Chuck Berry 1970s ES-355. To honor Chuck Berry’s legacy, we made sure every aspect of construction and appointments is historically correct, including aged gold hardware, a Maestro Vibrola, Grover tuners, a Varitone switch, and a classic split diamond headstock inlay. The Wine Red finish features Murphy Lab custom aging, giving it the look and feel of the original. Case candy includes a captain’s hat, conduit bracket/finger holder (with instructions), and a leather-bound certificate of authenticity. Only 100 guitars will be hand-made by the expert luthiers and craftspeople of the Gibson Custom Shop as part of this very special limited run.
Serial #: 095
Weight: 9lbs 5.8oz
Body Shape: ES-355
Material: Plain Maple Laminate
Back & Sides: Plain Maple Laminate
Binding: 7-ply Top, 3-ply Back, 5-ply Headstock, Single ply Fretboard and FHoles
Neck: 3-piece Maple
Profile: Chuck Berry ES-335 Profile, Including Volute
Nut width: 1.687″ / 42.85mm
Fingerboard: Ebony
Scale length: 24.75″ / 628.65mm
Number of frets: 22
Nut: Corian
Inlay: Custom Inlays
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic
Tailpiece: Long Maestro Vibrola
Knobs: Black Witch Hats with Gold Inserts, Chicken Head Knob (Varitone)
Tuners: Grover Keystone
Plating: Aged Gold
Neck pickup: 68 Custombucker Alnico 5
Bridge pickup: 68 Custombucker Alnico 5
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone, 500K CTS Audio Taper Potentiometers, Ceramic Capacitors, 6-Position Mono Varitone
Case: Custom 1970s-style ES-335 Case with Red Lining