Gibson:
B.B. King “Live at the Regal” ES-335
Limited-edition Guitar Available Worldwide
Gibson Custom Shop Celebrates
“The King of the Blues”
With Historically Accurate Signature Guitar and Custom Curated Items To Commemorate One of the Greatest Blues Albums Ever Recorded
B.B. King’s ‘Live at the Regal’
Gibson Custom Shop is the pinnacle of craftsmanship, quality, and sound excellence. Each instrument celebrates Gibson’s legacy through accuracy, authenticity, and attention to detail.
NASHVILLE, TN (February 21, 2023) Gibson, the iconic American instrument brand, 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 www.gibson.com.
”Gibson has truly outdone themselves in creating this iconic guitar,” says B.B. King Music Company, CEO and Chairman, Vassal Benford. “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 on https://thebbkingexperience.
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, B.B. King’s Live at the Regal. 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,” says Mat Koehler, Sr. Director Product Development, Gibson. “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.”
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. To honor the historic album, Gibson crafted an era-specific ticket stub, and a custom deck of playing cards in a nod to all of those who made this event come to life–as the live audience watched movies between the several sets of recording the B.B. King Live at the Regal album, the band members, concert staff, and managers all played cards offstage. 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.
Check out the B.B. King “Live at the Regal” ES-335:
Above: the B.B. King “Live at the Regal” ES-335 pictured with its custom Lifton leather case.
Above: B.B. King “Live at the Regal” ES-335 includes era specific gear curated by Gibson
including custom playing cards, a period-correct leather guitar strap, Oxford pennant, and more.
About Gibson:
Gibson, the leading iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for 130 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, Gibson Brands has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies. The Gibson Brands portfolio includes Gibson, the leading guitar brand, as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including Epiphone, which has been on every stage since 1873, Kramer, the original MADE TO ROCK HARD guitar brand, MESA/Boogie, the home of tone, KRK, behind great music for over 30 years, and Maestro, the founder of effect pedals. Gibson Brands is dedicated to quality, innovation, and sound excellence so that music lovers for generations to come will continue to experience music shaped by Gibson Brands. Explore more at Gibson.com, Gibson App, and on Gibson TV.
About The B.B. King Music Company:
The B.B. King Music Company owns all rights and likeness to B.B. King and related trademarks and copyrights representing the interest of The King Family Estate. The B.B. King Music Company, led by CEO and Chairman Vassal Benford, is dedicated to extending the legacy of this iconic American singer-songwriter known for his sophisticated style and grace that has influenced and impacted so many other artists and genres of music. The B.B. King Music Company is currently expanding the B.B. King brand with a planned biopic movie, new music releases with contemporary artists, a B.B. King Experience Tour and residency show, and much more. The B.B. King Music Company is committed to bringing the best of B.B. King’s life and legacy to the world. https://thebbkingexperience.
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Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.