After it was teased at NAMM 2026, Gary Clark Jr.’s new signature guitar is here – and the Grammy-winning artist’s Gibson ES-355 pays homage to the late, great, B.B. King.
The run is limited to just 100 Gibson Custom guitars, each handcrafted at the company's Nashville, Tennessee workshop. It is a recreation of the Custom Shop model the bluesman had crafted for him six years ago, which has since become his go-to electric.
The Eric Clapton-approved guitarist and Guitar Center RockWalk honoree is one of modern blues and rock's most influential players, with his new ES-355 following a signature Epiphone Casino and a triple P-90-loaded SG.
The specs of the OG are replicated here. There is a three‑ply maple/poplar/maple body topped with figured maple, a mahogany neck with a ‘50s rounded C-shape, and a bound ebony fretboard with 22 Historic medium jumbo frets. And, of course, there are mother-of-pearl block inlays.
Grover Rotomatic tuners with kidney buttons and the split diamond headstock inlay ensure the model has vintage Custom Shop charm. At the other end, there's an ABR-1 Historic No-Wire bridge and Bigsby B7 tailpiece, so Clark Jr. can “go crazy if I want to.”
At its heart are two unpotted Custombuckers featuring Alnico 3 magnets, promising the warm and articulate tones Clark Jr. is known for – but, unfortunately, they won’t make you play like him.
They’re accompanied by CTS audio taper pots, paper‑in‑oil capacitors, a Switchcraft three‑way toggle, and a mono Varitone circuit topped with a black chicken‑head knob.
And how about that VOS Cobra Burst finish? It’s nuanced to the nines, and it’s absolutely jaw-dropping.
“When I was a child, I had a poster on my wall of B.B. King playing Lucille,” the guitarist recalls. “I always wanted one of those guitars. I just wanted to be a part of that world. Here we are years later and I'm holding this ES-355, it's a dream come true.
“I can explore all the sounds that inspired me as a kid, and today, it's one of the most versatile instruments. And it's gorgeous!”
The Gibson Custom Gary Clark Jr. ES‑355 is available now for $7,999. It ships with a premium hardcase emblazoned with the guitarist’s distinctive logo.
See Gibson for more.
If you aren’t quick enough to grab one, don’t fear. An Epiphone edition is set to follow in due course.
