Austin-born guitarist, singer, and songwriter Gary Clark Jr. has carved out a unique space in modern music, blending blues, rock, soul, and hip hop into a sound that’s unmistakably his own. A four-time GRAMMY® Award winner celebrated for his electrifying live shows, Clark is widely regarded as one of the most influential players of his era. His previous Gibson and Epiphone signature models—an SG™ and a Casino™—each reflected elements of his style. Now, Gibson Custom, working closely with Gary Clark Jr., proudly introduces the Gary Clark Jr. Custom ES-355. Inspired by the first time he saw B.B. King perform with one, this ES-355 has become Clark’s go-to guitar.
The Gary Clark Jr. Custom ES-355 features a three-ply maple/poplar/maple body with a figured maple outer layer, a mahogany neck carved to a 50s Rounded Medium C profile, and a bound ebony fretboard with 22 Historic medium jumbo frets and mother-of-pearl block inlays. Multi-ply binding graces the body and headstock, which also sports the Custom split diamond inlay and Grover® Rotomatic® tuners with Kidney buttons. Under the hood, a pair of unpotted Custombuckers with Alnico 3 magnets deliver rich tone, wired to CTS® audio taper pots and paper-in-oil capacitors, along with a Switchcraft® three-way toggle and 1/4” output jack. True Historic black Top Hat knobs with silver inserts and dial pointers complete the controls, while a mono Varitone circuit with a black chicken head knob adds extra tonal flexibility. The hardware is VOS nickel, including the ABR-1 Historic no-wire bridge, and the guitar wears a stunning VOS Cobra Burst finish. Each instrument ships in a Gibson Custom hardshell case with Gary Clark Jr. graphics, featuring a brown exterior and black plush interior.
This special run is limited to just 100 guitars, handcrafted by Gibson Custom Shop artisans in Nashville, Tennessee. With demand sure to be high, now is the time to secure this extraordinary instrument—Gary Clark Jr.’s new number one.
