Gibson Marcus King ES-345 60s Cherry w/Case

Marcus King's 1962 ES-345 — nicknamed "Big Red" — is one of those guitars with a real story behind it. Passed down from his grandfather to his father to Marcus himself, it became the instrument that carried three generations of the King family's music forward. Gibson first honoured it with a limited Custom Shop recreation in 2021, and this new USA-made Marcus King ES-345 takes that collaboration further, distilling the character of the original into a more streamlined, stage-practical instrument at a significantly more accessible price.

Where the Custom Shop version aimed for period-accurate replication — Sideways Vibrola, Varitone switch, VOS finish, the works — this one reflects how Marcus actually plays. The wiring is simplified to mono with a standard 3-way toggle and per-pickup volume and tone controls, hand-wired with Orange Drop capacitors. The Sideways Vibrola has been replaced with a fixed Vibrola tailpiece that keeps the vintage visual but eliminates the tuning instability (and the finish-grazing issue that came with using a flat-top tremolo on an arched top). A custom engraved "Marcus King" stud anchor cover sits where the traditional "Custom Made" plate would go — and Gibson includes the "Custom Made" cover in the case if you want to swap it.

The core construction is classic ES-345: a 3-ply maple/poplar/maple body with quarter-sawn Adirondack spruce bracing and a solid maple center block for sustain and feedback resistance. The mahogany neck carries a Rounded profile measuring .875" at the first fret and .975" at the twelfth — comfortable and familiar for anyone who's spent time with a '60s-era Gibson. The Indian rosewood fingerboard has acrylic split parallelogram inlays, 22 medium jumbo frets, and a Graph Tech nut.

Pickups are a pair of Gibson Custombuckers — Gibson's PAF replications built with Alnico III magnets and unbalanced coils to capture the dynamics and warmth of the originals. All hardware is gold, including the ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge and Grover Rotomatic tuners with kidney buttons. The finish is Sixties Cherry in gloss nitrocellulose lacquer. Hardshell case included.

Specifications

Body Shape: ES-335
Body Material: 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
Top: 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
Back: 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
Sides: 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
Centerblock: Maple
Bracing: Quarter-Sawn Adirondack Spruce
Binding: 3-ply Cream Top and Back, Single-ply Cream Fretboard
Body Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Neck Material: Mahogany
Neck Profile: Rounded
Neck Joint: Glued In, Set Neck
Scale Length: 628.65mm / 24.75"
Nut Width: 43.05mm / 1.695"
Nut Material: Graph Tech
Fingerboard Material: Indian Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius: 304.8mm / 12.0"
End of Board Width: 57.4mm / 2.26"
Frets: 22, Medium Jumbo
Inlays: Acrylic Split Parallelogram
Neck Pickup: Custombucker
Bridge Pickup: Custombucker
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone, Hand-wired with Orange Drop Capacitors
Pickup Selector: 3-way Toggle
Output Jack: 1/4"
Bridge: ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic
Tailpiece: Fixed Vibrola
Tuning Machines: Grover Rotomatic with Kidney Button
Tuner Plating: Gold
Hardware Finish: Gold
Control Knobs: Black Top Hat with Gold Reflector
Mounting Rings: Black
Pickguard: 5-ply Black
Pickup Covers: Gold
Switch Tip: Cream
Truss Rod: Adjustable
Truss Rod Cover: Black, Blank
Plastic Parts: Stud Anchor Cover, Engraved "Marcus King" (Extra "Custom Made" cover included in case)
Strap Buttons: 2
Headstock Inlay: Gibson Logo and Crown in Mother of Pearl
Strings: .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
Accessories: Gibson Accessory Kit
Case: Hardshell Included