A Recreation of the Guitar Used by the King of the Blues to Rumble in the Jungle

There isn’t a guitar hero alive today who hasn’t been influenced and impacted by the powerful performances of B.B. King, and arguably, none was more legendary than his appearance at a music festival promoting the legendary “Rumble in the Jungle” heavyweight boxing match in Zaire in 1974, where B.B. played the 1974 ES-355 that he favored up until developing the Gibson Lucille model in 1980. This model is a limited edition of only 100 guitars and accurately replicates B.B.’s Walnut 1974 ES-355 that he used for that concert. It features Murphy Lab Light Aging, mother-of-pearl inlays, T-Type Custombucker pickups, a mono Varitone switch, and a Maestro™ Vibrola™ tailpiece. It also comes bundled with a host of case candy that ties back to that historic festival performance, as well as the legendary Rumble in the Jungle fight itself. A B.B. King “Zaire” hardshell case is also included.

Highlighted Features:

• Limited Edition This guitar, made by the master craftspeople of the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of only 100 made, making it a fitting tribute to legendary artist, B.B. King and one of his most famous festival performances, and also an instant collector’s item.

• Murphy Lab Light Aging The Walnut finish and hardware on the B.B. King “Rumble in the Jungle” 1974 ES-355 has been expertly aged by the artisans of the Murphy Lab to match the original guitar, giving it the look and feel of B.B. King’s original instrument.

• Premium Appointments Like all ES-355 models, the B.B. King “Rumble in the Jungle” 1974 ES-355 features premium appointments befitting the top-of-the-line Gibson ES™ model, including mother-of-pearl fretboard inlays, Murphy Lab aged gold hardware, a Maestro Vibrola tailpiece, and the Custom split diamond headstock inlay. 

• High-end Electronics The B.B. King “Rumble in the Jungle” 1974 ES-355 comes equipped with acclaimed T-Type Custombucker Alnico 5 humbucker™ pickups wired to vintage taper potentiometers. It also has a sixposition mono Varitone switch for even more tonal flexibility.