Keith Richards has teamed up with Gibson to launch a Custom 1960 ES-355 guitar. Find all the details below.
- READ MORE: The Rolling Stones – ‘Hackney Diamonds’ review: they’ve still got it
The new collaboration between the Rolling Stones legend and the iconic guitar manufacturer features two models: the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition, Signed Guitar and Label – of which only 50 are available at €29,999 (£25,989) – and the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355, Signed Label – which is released in a limited run of 100, priced at €19,999 (£17.326).
Richards has a long history with the model, having first used one in 1969 during the recording sessions for ‘Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St.’ He’s also played his black 1960 model on every Rolling Stones tour since 1997.
The new recreations are exact replicas of Richards’ own instrument, created using “advanced 3D scanning, period-correct materials and construction techniques” and “hand ageing” to mirror the original, per a press release.
“This is my standard-tuning six-string; this is the other side of my thing,” Richards shared in an interview about the collaboration.
“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.”
Fans can head to the Gibson Garage Nashville and London locations to see the guitar in person, and view them all online at Gibson’s website.
In other news, The Rolling Stones’ latest album, the Grammy-winning 24th studio LP ‘Hackney Diamonds’ was released in 2023 and marked their first since the death of drummer Charlie Watts.
Last year, Ronnie Wood confirmed reports that a new record was in the works and told The Sun‘s Bizarre column: “Yes you will be getting a new album next year. It is done.”
No official details about a new record have been released at time of writing, but it has been confirmed that the band will not be embarking on a big UK tour in 2026.
There have been many rumours spreading about the band bringing their ‘Hackney Diamonds’ tour to the UK and Europe over the past year, including from Wood himself, pianist Chuck Leavell, and other sources close to the band.
Unfortunately, these have all been scrapped due to Richards being unable to “commit” to it. Reports first emerged from The Sun – which reported that the 82-year-old guitarist didn’t feel up to another run of shows – and a spokesperson for The Rolling Stones then confirmed to NME that the reports are true.
If they had come to fruition, the gigs would have been the first UK shows dates from the rock legends since 2022, when they played two huge BST Hyde Park gigs followed by a stadium show at Liverpool’s Anfield.
It would also be their first time on stage since they went out on their ‘Hackney Diamonds’ tour in the US in 2024. That run sold nearly a million tickets across 20 dates, and generated an estimated $235million (£185.1million) – making it to Number Six on the highest-grossing music world tours of that year.
