Gibson unveils B.B. King “Live at the Regal” ES-335, limited-edition guitar celebrates one of the greatest blues albums 

Gibson has shaped sound across generations and genres of music, becoming one of the most relevant, played, and loved guitar brands around the world. Gibson is proud to commemorate the legendary B.B. King and his landmark album Live at the Regal with the B.B. King “Live at the Regal” ES-335 guitar.

Gibson and its Custom Shop Murphy Lab have created a perfect replica of B.B. King’s ES-335 in the original Argentine Grey Sunburst finish that was commissioned by the artist. This historically accurate B.B. King “Live at the Regal” ES-335 guitar is available at Authorized Gibson Dealers and on his website.

Gibson has truly outdone themselves in creating this iconic guitar. The guitar is stunning and pays proper tribute to both the legend and a great moment in music history. Live at the Regal was recently heralded by Rolling Stone as one of the ‘500 Greatest Albums of All Time’, and on behalf of myself and the B.B. King family, I want to thank Gibson for what is an extraordinary guitar honoring B.B. King and this work that has impacted so many artists to follow. I can only hope that the “Live at the Regal” ES-335 guitar will continue to inspire artists in the future. Thank you and we look forward to more exciting new initiatives in 2023, says B.B. King Music Company, CEO and Chairman, Vassal Benford.

Gibson is honored to present this B.B. King signature guitar and pay homage to the legendary career of one of music’s greatest pioneers, and one of the best live albums ever recorded.

This Custom Shop guitar recreates the unique 1959 ES-335 that B.B. used at the time, which was custom-ordered with an Argentine Grey Sunburst finish, a Bigsby vibrato, and a Varitone switch. It also features Grover “Milk Bottle” Rotomatic tuners, pearl dots to cover the stop bar holes, and nitrocellulose dot inlays on the rosewood fretboard.

The hardware and nitrocellulose lacquer finish has been specially aged by the Gibson Murphy Lab. Only 100 of these very special guitars have been handcrafted by the expert luthiers and craftspeople of the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, TN.

Recreating B.B. King’s ‘Live at the Regal’ ES-335 with this limited edition model is truly a dream come true for me. It’s one of the absolute coolest guitars in history played by the greatest of all time on the greatest live album of all time, and it also happens to be a totally unique custom-order from 1959, the most important year in Gibson history. We are honored to help tell this story, says Mat Koehler, Sr. Director Product Development, Gibson. 

Recorded on November 21, in 1964 at the Regal Theater in Chicago, B.B. King’s Live at the Regal album is considered one of the greatest blues albums of all time.

The B.B. King “Live at the Regal” ES-335 also comes with a Custom Shop Lifton hardshell guitar case and a certificate of authenticity.

Spending his life sharing the music of his soul, the man born Riley B. King would grow up to be one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, being crowned “The King of the Blues”. Releasing over 50 albums and 2400 master recordings along the way, The King of The Blues, gathered up other musicians in his wake and melded them into the harmony of his animating passion.

As a 15-time GRAMMY Award Winner and the recipient of “The Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award”, the King’s global audience continues to expand worldwide and reaches over 90 million average yearly streams.