Chuck Berry ES guitars

jimmyace2006 · Feb 24, 2018

Chuck Berry played a lot of different ES guitars. Exactly which one is he most known for ?

In today's world, what model would that be?

What is the exact year / model of the original vintage one?

Post pics! I want to see the exact color, parts, etc.

I have seen the photo of him in the coffin where the ES guitar is hanging inside the lid. Is that the one he is most known for? Or is it a different one?

Cliff Gress · Feb 25, 2018

I associate the 335/345 with Berry. Not that model guitar in the pic, but a handsome man none the less.

chasenblues · Feb 25, 2018

To me it seems like in the later part of his career it was a ES-355's.

d48ab5ff9d81ce354057072616cf0af3--music-photo-berries.jpg

P.A.F · Feb 26, 2018

I'd say: early years the blond ES275, from late 60s going on his classic ES335/355

JimR56 · Feb 26, 2018

P.A.F said:
I'd say: early years the blond ES275

275? There was no such Gibson model in the 1950's.

In the early years, he used an ES350T (thinline hollowbody, short scale length- not the same as the full-depth, full scale ES350). His irst 350T was the earlier version with P90's. Later, he got one with hb's (the blond hollowbody pictured above). He started using an ES335 some time after they were introduced, and gradually switched to the 345 and 355.

For most of his later career, it always seemed to be 355's. He had several of them, based on images I've seen over the years.

mdubya · Feb 26, 2018

Agree on ES 350T, 335/345/355. I have even seen him with an ES 330.

Arch D. Bunker · Feb 26, 2018

Good question... I guess that the brown ES-355 would have been his personal favorite of all guitars he played over the years, since he used that live since the early 70s until his last performances, longer than any other guitar.

Somewhere along the way he screwed a pipe clamp into the top under the bridge area - I don't know why, but on many live shots he seems to anchor his right hand there.

The Shifter · Feb 27, 2018

He had to slum it on an LP Custom until he got his first hollow body. Side note, it's probably the flash from the camera, but that guitar looks so white bindingly brand new in this pic!

keef · Feb 27, 2018

Talking about those pipe clamps - there are TWO on this Samick copy (picture taken around 2000)

P.Walker · Feb 28, 2018

Damn. What a legend.

tarlton · Sep 19, 2019

Does anybody know if he used the 355 for the Varitone? Sounds like just a strait up bridge pickup to me.

Blackjack30 · Sep 22, 2019

Chuck sat in @ a gig i was at in 1982 & i got to meet him. He lived in Wentzville MO & so did i at one point. Geezer Butler lived here too at one point & used to go to wild parties at the Berry complex.

The Gibson ES-355 was the axe i saw him with the most. That particular guitar was stolen a few years ago but Chuck got it back.

The guitar you saw on the inside lid of his coffin was not Chucks #1 axe. His son has all Chucks gear.

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local...cle_ad446082-feb2-11e1-8224-001a4bcf6878.html

Chuck Berry ES guitars

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