Kirk Hammett: Gibson ES-335 nicknamed - “The Monolith”

 “If I’m being completely honest, it’s probably my second-best-sounding guitar”: Greeny may always be Kirk Hammett’s number one, but this ultra-rare 1959 Gibson ES-335 comes surprisingly close — and it has quite a backstory

There are rare guitars, and then there are guitars so scarce that only a couple are believed to exist. For Kirk Hammett, one of those instruments is his factory-black 1959 Gibson ES-335, which he considers the runner-up to his iconic Greeny Les Paul in terms of tone and character.

While most fans know Hammett as Metallica’s lead guitarist, within the world of vintage instruments he’s also recognized as a serious collector. His crown jewel is Greeny — the 1959 Les Paul once owned by Peter Green and later Gary Moore — but his collection spans everything from ’50s Goldtops to korina Flying Vs, along with guitars he has taken on tour for decades.

A newly released 400-page book, The Collection: Kirk Hammett, showcases these instruments with photography by Ross Halfin and personal commentary from Hammett himself.

Among the standout guitars is the 1959 ES-335 finished in factory black — something nearly unheard of at the time. Experts believe only two or three examples were ever made.

Hammett explains:

“I gravitate toward things that are extremely rare. Items with that kind of scarcity always hold interest. But it’s not about value to me — it’s about how inspiring the instrument is.”

And when it comes to vintage finishes, his favorite is obvious:

“Old-school black Gibsons just look powerful. Like black clothes — they work with everything, and they mean business.”

This guitar even has a name: “The Monolith,” after the oversized flight case it lives in. Kirk says the nickname fits because:

“The sound is huge.”

Aside from a small piece of tape added to soften a sharp corner on the pickguard, the guitar remains almost entirely original. And it has seen real stage time:

“You can tell I’ve played it live — there are sweat marks everywhere. But man, the tone… If I’m absolutely honest, it’s probably my second-best sounding guitar.”

Tracing the instrument’s history leads back to Chicago — and likely to the Gibson booth at the 1959 NAMM Show, where it appears in a well-known archival photograph.

Hammett admits he’d wanted a black ES for years, inspired by Keith Richards’ famous black ES-355:

“This guitar doesn’t feed back, even at full volume with big chords. It just holds. Huge rhythm tone, huge lead tone — it sounds like two guitars at once.”