Inspired by Gibson Custom and the Rush legend’s famous ES-355

Alex Lifeson needs no introduction. His playing helped define the sound of progressive rock, and now his iconic 1976 Gibson ES-355 lives on in a stunning new reissue from Epiphone. Part of the Inspired by Gibson Custom Collection, it is more than just another signature model; it’s a tribute to Alex’s tone, feel, and fearless creativity that helped power Rush through decades of innovation. The Alex Lifeson 1976 ES-355 Reissue features a five-ply semi-hollow body made of maple and poplar. Multi-ply binding around the top and back gives it an elegant look befitting the top-of-the-line ES-355. A solid maple centerblock adds sustain and greatly increases feedback resistance, delivering the versatile tone that ES™ models are famous for.

The neck is crafted from three pieces of maple, and like the 70s-era model, features a volute for added strength at the neck/headstock joint. Its Slim C profile is fast and easy to play, while the ebony fretboard adds a touch of brightness to the tone and enhances the exceptionally smooth playing feel. The fretboard features mother-of-pearl large block inlays and 22 medium jumbo frets. The Gibson-style “open book” headstock features high-quality die-cast tuners with keystone buttons and a Graph Tech® nut, ensuring stable tuning. The multi-ply bound headstock is adorned with the Epiphone logo and Custom split diamond, both inlaid in mother of pearl to complete the vintage-inspired aesthetic. For a personalized touch, the truss rod cover is engraved with Alex Lifeson’s name. Gold hardware, including a harmonica-style Tune-O-Matic™ bridge and pickup covers, further adds to its refined, elegant appearance, while a gold Maestro™ Vibrola™ delivers enhanced expressiveness with the push or pull of the bar.

Lifeson’s tone is faithfully recreated courtesy of two USA-made Gibson T-Type humbucker™ pickups, each paired with individual volume and tone controls with CTS® potentiometers and Mallory™ tone capacitors and selected with a Switchcraft® three-way toggle switch. A mono Varitone switch provides additional tonal options, while a mini toggle switch allows it to be preset and bypassed/engaged at will. A Switchcraft 1/4” output jack completes the electronics.

SPECIFICATIONS

BODY

Binding : Multi-ply top and back
Body Finish : Gloss
Body Material : 5-ply maple/poplar
Body Shape : ES-335
Body Styles : Semi-hollow body

NECK

Fingerboard Material : Ebony
Fingerboard Radius : 12 in. | 304.8 mm
Inlays : Block
Joint : Glued in, set neck
Neck Material : Mahogany
Nut Material : Graph Tech
Profile : Slim C
Scale Length : 647.7mm / 25.5in

ELECTRONICS

Bridge Pickup : Gibson T-Type
Controls : 2 volume, 2 tone
Neck Pickup : Gibson T-Type
Pickup Selector : 3-way toggle

HARDWARE

Bridge  : Harmonica Tune-O-Matic
Control Knobs : Black Witch Hats
Finish : Gold
Pickup Covers : Gold
Plastic Parts : Black
Tailpiece : Maestro Vibrola
Tuning Machines : Die cast

MISCELLANEOUS

Model : ECAL355AWGM
Strings Gauge : 010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046