Gibson
Gibson Custom Shop 1959 ES-355 Reissue - British Racing Green
products.product.pickup_availability.unavailable
Some guitars don't just make history — they transmit it across time. The Gibson Custom Shop 1959 ES-355 Reissue in British Racing Green arrives as one of the most distinctive and commanding pieces in the Greatest Hits II Collection — a flagship semi-hollow reborn, refined, and finished in a color that feels like it was pulled straight from a parallel universe. British Racing Green isn't just rare on a Gibson — it's otherworldly, shifting and shimmering under stage lights with a deep, elegant authority, like a precision racing craft cutting through the vacuum of space. This is the ES-355 — Gibson's most ornate and fully appointed semi-hollow, standing above the 335 and 345 with its ebony fingerboard, elaborate multi-ply binding, gold hardware throughout, and Custom Split Diamond headstock inlay in Mother of Pearl declaring its flagship status before a single note is played. The 3-ply maple/poplar/maple semi-hollow body with a solid maple centerblock delivers the perfect gravitational balance between resonance and control — warm, open lows orbiting focused mids, with highs that remain articulate and smooth across everything from jazz-infused propulsion to high-gain sonic travel. A mahogany neck with a comfortable Medium "C" profile and long tenon hide-glue joint ensures maximum tonal transfer, letting every note bloom and sustain with the full voice of 1959's finest construction.
The ebony fingerboard with white single-ply binding provides a glassy, articulate response adorned with 1950s-pattern mother-of-pearl block inlays — smooth, fast, and instantly inspiring from the first fret to the last. A matched pair of Custombucker Alnico 3 pickups — finished in authentic gold-plated nickel silver covers befitting the 355's flagship status — channels the soul of late-'50s PAFs with breathtaking accuracy: rich harmonic complexity, open dynamics, and a touch-sensitive response that reacts instantly to intention rather than just effort. Wired through CTS 500K audio taper potentiometers and period-correct Paper-in-Oil capacitors via 3-way Switchcraft toggle, these pickups don't just amplify sound — they translate feeling. From clean, shimmering chordal passages to thick, singing leads that sustain beyond the reach of any ordinary instrument, the tonal universe of this ES-355 is vast and endlessly rewarding. A gold-plated ABR-1 with brass saddles, bound tortoise shell pickguard, black Butyrate Top Hat knobs with dial pointers, amber Catalin switch tip, and Grover Kidney tuners complete a period-correct specification of extraordinary refinement. It ships in the iconic Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch case with Certificate of Authenticity — sealed as both a player's instrument and a museum-grade collectible. A flagship model for the ages, in a finish that exists nowhere else in the universe.
Model: 1959 ES-355 Reissue (Greatest Hits II)
Body Construction: Semi-Hollow
Body: 3-Ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
Centerblock: Solid Maple
Body Finish: Gloss
Body Binding: Multi-Ply
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Ebony
Fingerboard Inlay/Headstock Inlay: 1950's Pattern Mother of Pearl / Gibson Logo and Custom Split Diamond in Mother of Pearl
Nut: Nylon, 1.69""
Neck Profile: Medium "C"
Neck Joint: Long Tenon, Hide Glue Fit
Frets: Authentic Medium-Jumbo 22
Truss Rod: Authentic 1950s No-Tube
Radius: 12"
Fingerboard Binding: White, Single Ply
Scale Length: 24.75"
Bridge Pickup: Custombucker Alnico 3
Neck Pickup: Custombucker Alnico 3
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone, CTS 500K Audio Taper Potentiometers, Paper-in-Oil Capacitors
Pickup Selector: 3-Way Switchcraft
Outpuck Jack: 1/4" Switchcraft
Bridge: ABR-1 (Gold-Plated Brass Saddles)
Tailpiece: Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar
Hardware Color: Gold
Pickup Covers: Authentic Profile Gold Plated Nickel Silver
Strap Buttons: Brass Plastic
Switchwasher: Silkscreened Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
Pickguard: Bound Tortoise Shell
Truss Rod Cover: Authentic Stepped 2-Ply
Switch Tip: Amber Catalin
Tailpiece: Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar
Tuning Machines: Grover Kidney
Mounting Rings: M69 Cellulose Acetate Butyrate Medium and Tall
Control Knobs: Black Butyrate Top Hats with Dial Pointers
Case: Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch Case
String Gauge: .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
Accessories: COA
Case: Lifton Reissue 5-Latch
Free Insured Shipping
Authorized Dealer
Pro Setup Included
Actual Photos
Have a question?
210-400-3018
13111 Lookout Ridge #2
San Antonio, Texas 78223
Mission Logs
Explore the latest transmissions and discover what’s landed in the fleet.
Discover the Martin 5-28 Terz
The new Martin 5-28 Terz marks the return of one of Martin's most unique and historically significant instruments. Originally rooted in the earliest days of C.F. Martin & Co., the...
James Tyler Studio Elite HDX Stars and Stripes Shmear
We're proud to announce that Interstellar Guitars is carrying one of the most extraordinary limited edition instrument we have ever had the privilege of bringing through our doors: the James...
A Piece of American History: The Martin HD-28 Semiquincentennial
Some guitars mark an anniversary. This one marks two hundred and fifty years of a country. We're proud to announce that Interstellar Guitars now carries one of the most historically...
Gibson Introduces the New ES-335 50s and ES-335 60s Models
Few guitars occupy the same orbit as the Gibson ES-335. First introduced in 1958, the ES-335 changed the electric guitar world by giving players the warmth and air of a...
























