Marcus King’s Gibson ES-345 Memphis Custom Shop

Following in the footsteps of the great blues masters, Marcus King made the Gibson ES his guitar of choice. But before his now-famous “Big Red” – later replicated by Gibson – and the vintage guitars he would go on to acquire, his main instrument was a Gibson ES-345 from the Memphis Custom Shop. This very guitar joined the Matt’s Guitar Shop collection a few years ago.

Few instruments have been played as long, as intensely, and as passionately by a young artist who knew it inside out. That’s exactly the case with this ES-345, which faithfully accompanied Marcus King in his early years. It was his main guitar from 2014 to 2020, the one he carried from venue to venue. It was also his go-to studio guitar, notably featured on the album Carolina Confessions (2018), especially on the track Homesick.

This Gibson ES-345 is no longer just a Memphis Custom Shop model. The countless hours of playing have opened it up in a rare way, giving it remarkable projection and an undeniably expressive character. Various marks and scratches here and there tell the story of years spent traveling from one stage to the next, slowly building Marcus King’s reputation.