This example comes with its original tags and certificate. Although amazing clean this is not quite in “brand new” condition by any means but it's quite clean. We can see at least one very small, easy to miss, scratch on the face on the bass side of the bridge pickup, but that's quite minor, and there may be other infinitely small indications that it was held and played. But not many.
The Alex Lifeson ES-355 features an all-maple laminated body, finished in a rare and also not often seen Arctic White finish. It has a 3-piece maple neck, though you’d never know it because the neck is painted white and twin '57 Classic pickups with a total of four volume and tone controls, and a Maestro Long Vibrola tremolo-tailpiece. It would be a fine and favorable rock machine even if it weren't the axe most closely associated with the famous Rush guitarist. This particular Vibrola is one of the least invasive units of its kind, keeping the face of this semi-hollowbody instrument free of copious holes and enhancing its superlative resonance. This model’s individual volume and tone controls give the player considerable versatility over the cornucopia-like spectrum of tones of which the Alnico II replicas of Gibson’s original humbuckers.
For 33 years, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson has been considered a righteous rock innovator--a resplendent traveler who is just as “at home” with atomic level power chords as stultifying arpeggios, ultimately recreating them into nearly classical quality convoluted melodies and original arrangements. Throughout most of Lifeson's ride to fame (and well, yes, fortune), a 1976 Gibson ES-355 has been by his leg, both in the studio and on stage. With it, he has created many of Rush's arrangements. This model, the ES-355 remains a part of his primary selection of instruments that he regularly uses on stage. This instrument is homage to the instrument upon which he has fashioned his illustrious career. As Gibson Company says, “It's Gibson's heartfelt tribute to a true modern master, and to the guitar he used to expand the definition of popular music.”
Features include: Laminated plain maple top, back and rims, multi-ply binding on top & back, adjustable wide-travel tune-O-matic bridge, maestro long vibrola tailpiece, Alpine White finish, gold hardware. The neck & headstock are 3-piece maple neck with a volute; the fingerboard is 22 fret ebony; fingerboard inlays are pearl block; it has single-ply white binding, a 1960s slim taper neck profile, 24-3/4" scale length, 1-11/16" nut width, Grover keystone tuners. The electronics are twin '57 Classic pickups, individual volume and tone controls, a 6 position vari-tone switch with a bypass switch. It came from the factory with Vintage .010 strings, and inside the pocket of Alex Lifeson Custom Shop case, which either bears his signature or (God forbid) a facsimile, the original Gibson Gold Warranty that has not been written on by humankind, and the Diploma-like Certificate of Authenticity that has a picture of Mr. Lifeson playing this very model guitar, while wearing a silky black shirt and a wide leather strap, and a statement that says that the guitar is part of the “Inspired By” series and displays the serial number and a brief but laudatory statement about Gibson Custom Shop artisans. This statement, printed in white on black, bears the facsimile signature of the artist and also by Rick Gembar, General Manager and Senior VP of Gibson Custom Shop.