Gibson has announced a new partnership with Keith Richards, bringing two exceptional instruments: the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition, Signed Guitar and Label, and the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355, Signed Label. Both are handcrafted by Gibson Custom in Nashville, Tennessee, and offered in strictly limited numbers.
Created in close collaboration with Keith, these guitars are exact replicas of one of his most iconic instruments, built using period-correct materials, advanced 3D scanning, and hand-aging by Murphy Lab artisans to capture both the look and the signature blues-infused tone that made Keith’s sound instantly recognizable.
Only 50 of the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition, Signed Guitar and Label have been produced and will be available exclusively worldwide on Gibson.com and at the Gibson Garage in Nashville and London. These guitars have been signed both on the f-hole label by Keith Richards and on the back of the headstock. Additionally, 100 of the 1960 ES-355, Signed Label—signed by Keith Richards on the f-hole label only—will be available at Gibson Garage locations, authorized Gibson Custom dealers, and globally here.
Watch/share the new interview with Keith and award-winning producer Andrew Watt for Gibson TV.
For more than six decades, the “Human Riff” himself has powered the sound of The Rolling Stones. Ask any guitarist which of his instruments they’d most want, and the black 1960 Gibson ES-355 almost always tops the list. He first took it on the road in 1969, recording in the studio for Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St., and it has been a staple on every Stones tour since 1997.
The recreations feature a weight-relieved body, a mahogany neck modeled on Keith’s original, a bound ebony fingerboard with mother-of-pearl block inlays, a Bigsby® B7 vibrato, Grover® Rotomatic® tuners, and unpotted Custombucker pickups. Each ships in a Gibson Protector case with a certificate of authenticity and a replica of Keith’s strap.
“This is my standard-tuning six-string; this is the other side of my thing,” he explains. “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.”
