🎸 Gibson honors Keith Richards’ ES-355 with two Collector’s Edition masterpieces

“A love letter to one of the coolest guitars on the planet”:

This guitar helped define Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. and has remained a central figure in Rolling Stones live performances for decades.

At NAMM 2026, Gibson officially announced a landmark collaboration with Keith Richards, unveiling a Collector’s Edition recreation of his iconic 1960 ES-355.

This release continues Gibson’s tradition of partnering with rock royalty to recreate historically significant electric guitar instruments. Previous Collector’s Editions have paid tribute to guitars associated with Kirk Hammett, Jimmy Page, and the legendary ES-345 made famous in Back to the Future.

While Richards’ ES-355 may not be the most obvious candidate at first glance, its place in rock history makes it an undeniable choice for the series. Appropriately described as a “limited-edition love letter to one of the coolest guitars on the planet,” this stunning semi-hollow instrument faithfully recreates the black ES-355 used during the recording of Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St.

Since 1997, the ES-355 has also been a constant presence in Richards’ live rig, featuring prominently in virtually every Rolling Stones world tour over the last several decades.

Two versions of the guitar are being offered, each representing a meticulous recreation of the original. Built using advanced 3D scanning, period-correct materials, historically accurate construction techniques, and Murphy Lab aging, both models authentically reflect the wear and character of the source instrument.

One version bears Keith Richards’ signature on both the label and the guitar itself, while the second features his autograph on the internal label only.

Though Richards is famous for his five-string approach on songs like Brown Sugar and Start Me Up, he is equally adept on six strings. While his Fender Telecaster is typically set up as a five-string, he consistently turns to Gibson when a six-string is required.

“This is my standard-tuning six-string,” Richards explains in a launch video alongside Rolling Stones producer Andrew Watt.
“This represents the other side of what I do. My six-string work has always been about a great Gibson—that’s where I feel most at home.
And the sound is incredible. Plug it into almost any amp and it delivers exactly what you want. There’s so much room for expression in this guitar.”

Specifications include a three-ply maple/poplar/maple body with multi-ply binding, red spruce bracing, and a weight-relieved maple center block requested by Richards for enhanced comfort. The mahogany neck mirrors the profile of the original guitar and is topped with a bound ebony fingerboard.

Additional features include a Bigsby B7 tailpiece, Grover Rotomatic tuners, and unpotted Custombuckers with Alnico 5 magnets developed specifically for this release. Each guitar also ships with a replica of Richards’ own strap.

Production is strictly limited. Only 50 units of the guitar-signed version will be made, priced at $29,999 each. The label-signed version will be limited to 100 units and priced at $19,999.