The Guitar Player's Resource
What happens when you take country picking, add urban rhythm and blues, then amplify it through teenage rebellion? You get Chuck Berry's blueprint - an instrument built for the kind of playing that literally invented rock and roll.
Chuck Berry didn't just play guitar - he invented the language every rock guitarist still speaks today. Those duck walks, double-stops, and driving rhythm patterns literally created rock and roll from scratch, launching countless careers and inspiring everyone from Elvis to the Beatles. This Gibson Custom Shop ES-355 represents the ultimate tribute to that revolutionary legacy.
What makes this recreation so compelling isn't just historical accuracy - it's the obsessive attention to details that made Berry's original so special. That Wine Red Murphy Lab aged finish captures decades of stage wear and studio sessions, while every appointment matches his beloved 1978 ES-355 down to the Split Diamond headstock inlay and aged gold hardware.
But here's where Gibson's craftsmanship really shines: they didn't just copy the aesthetics. That semi-hollow laminated maple body with lightweight centerblock delivers the resonant warmth Berry's rhythm work demanded, while those '68 Custombucker Alnico 5 pickups provide the bite and clarity his lead lines needed to cut through any mix.
The Varitone switch adds that distinctive filtering Berry occasionally used, while the long Maestro Vibrola tailpiece enables those subtle pitch bends that made his solos so expressive. The bound ebony fingerboard with custom block inlays provides both visual elegance and playing comfort that serious musicians demand.
At 9.8 pounds, this ES-355 won't wear you down during marathon sessions, while the .81-inch first fret to 1.00-inch twelfth fret neck progression offers comfortable grip strength without baseball-bat syndrome. Those Grover Keystone tuners ensure rock-solid tuning stability.
With only 100 instruments hand-built by Gibson's expert Custom Shop team, this isn't just a guitar - it's archaeological evidence of how one player's vision changed everything. Each one represents a direct connection to rock's founding father and the revolutionary music that started it all.
