Marcus King and Gibson Partner to Release the Gibson ES-345 Guitar

NASHVILLE, TN. Gibson has shaped sound across generations and genres and has emerged as the most relevant, played, and loved guitar brand around the world. Gibson is proud to release Marcus King’s second signature guitar, the Gibson Marcus King ES-345 electric guitar in Sixties Cherry. The Marcus King ES 345 guitar is based upon an original family heirloom of King’s and handmade by the expert luthiers and artisans of Gibson in Nashville, TN, and is available worldwide at www.gibson.com.

“Big Red has always been a grounding instrument and comforting reminder of where I come from,” says Marcus King. “This guitar always brings me back home to the joy, curiosity, and obsession I had for guitar from the beginning. I’m always tremendously honored and humbled when I take Big Red out of the case. It still feels like my grandfather’s guitar, and I approach it with the same respect as I did when he first let me play the guitar when I was a young boy. I know he’d be very proud to know that Gibson and I were delivering this feeling to a new audience of players, and I am so excited for another generation of players to feel what I feel; seeing and playing this guitar always feels like taking your dad’s car out for a Sunday drive. A hot red Coupe Deville with the top down, baby.”

A fourth-generation musician, the 29-year-old, GRAMMY®-nominated, singer, songwriter, and guitar phenomenon, Marcus King–the namesake of the Marcus King Band–is quickly becoming one of the most soulful voices of his generation.

The Greenville, South Carolina-born, Nashville-based Marcus King is renowned for his soulful voice, guitar skills, and diverse influences. Marcus comes from a musical family and began playing guitar at a young age. His father, Marvin King, is a blues guitarist, and his grandfather was a country musician. The Gibson Marcus King ES-345™ is a reflection of his own family’s sonic heritage, a personalized version of the classic model that was handed down from Marcus King’s grandfather to his father and finally to him as he launched his family’s musical legacy to stages worldwide. Originally released as a Custom Shop model, the new Marcus King ES-345 is inspired by his main guitar, a 1962 ES-345 that was handed down to him by his family. This modern version captures the look and vibe of his original, with only the features that King finds essential, including mono wiring, a pair of Custombucker humbucker™ pickups, a fixed Vibrola™ tailpiece for improved tuning stability, and a stud anchor cover customized specifically for Marcus King. All of the standard ES-345 features that you’d expect are also present, including the 3-ply maple/poplar/maple body, solid maple center block for improved sustain and feedback resistance, and gold hardware, including an ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic™ bridge and Grover® Rotomatic® tuners with kidney buttons. The mahogany neck features a Rounded profile that averages .875” at the first fret and .975” at the 12th fret. The Indian rosewood fretboard is adorned with acrylic split parallelogram inlays and equipped with 22 medium jumbo frets. A Graph Tech® nut adds to the tuning stability, and the guitar is finished in a classic and stunning Sixties Cherry. A Gibson hardshell guitar case is included to keep the Marcus King ES-345 safe when it is stored or in transport.

Explore the new Marcus King ES-345 from Gibson HERE.

Watch/share the new interview with Marcus King and Gibson Gear Guide host Product Content Manager at Gibson, Dinesh Lekraj, and take a deep dive with Marcus into his music HERE.

Click on the image above to play the interview with Marcus King.

The beloved Marcus King Band Family Reunion music festival will return for its fourth installment this summer, taking place in Charleston, SC, for the first time ever. Over the course of two days–August 23 and 24–the festival will see performances by the Marcus King Band, Jamey Johnson, Stephen Wilson Jr., Molly Tuttle, Hiss Golden Messenger, and more. Tickets and more information are HERE.

Listen to the latest music from Marcus King Band with the new songs “Carolina Honey,” and “Honky Tonk Hell” out now via American Records/Republic Records, watch/share the lyric video HERE. Further new music is imminent.

Marcus King with his Gibson ES-345.

Marcus King Band “Honky Tonk Hell” single cover artwork.

This year finds King hitting the road with Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson and Eric Church, Dwight Yoakam, and more. Complete list of dates below.

Marcus King started performing alongside his blues guitarist father when he was just eight years old. He made his solo debut with El Dorado (2020), produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. The album was met with widespread acclaim, with the Associated Press calling it “a definite high point of 2020.” It went on to earn King his landmark GRAMMY nomination for Best Americana Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

King followed up the success of El Dorado with Young Blood (2022), also produced by Auerbach. His sophomore album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Blues Albums Chart, describing it as a “staggeringly confident work.” Last year, King returned with his third album, Mood Swings, produced by Rick Rubin, of which Rolling Stone described it, “he…goes for something much more daring, vulnerable, and openhearted.”

Listen to new music from Marcus King HERE.

Gibson Marcus King ES-345 in Sixties Cherry

Gibson Marcus King ES-345 in Sixties Cherry

Gibson Marcus King ES-345 headstock

Catch the Marcus King Band on tour with Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Eric Church and Dwight Yoakam, as well as various festival and headline dates this year in the following cities:

DATE          CITY                       VENUE

June 26 /// Stockholm, SE /// Fållan*

June 27 /// Oslo, NO /// Sentrum Scene*

June 28 /// Odense, DK /// Tinderbox Festival

June 30 /// Warsaw, PL /// Klub Stodola*

July 1 /// Prague, CZ /// Lucerna Music Bar*

July 3 /// Munich, DE /// Muffathalle*

July 4 /// Pistoia, IT /// Pistoia Blues Festival*

July 5 /// Gardone Riviera, IT /// Festival Del Vittoriale Tener-A-Mente*

July 7 /// Bern, CH /// Bierhübeli*

July 8 /// Frankfurt, DE /// Batschkapp*

July 10 /// Brussels, BE /// Ancienne Belgique*

July 11 /// Dortmund, DE /// FZW*

July 12 /// Differdange, LU /// Blues Express

July 13 /// Weert, NL /// Bospop Festival

July 16 /// San Sebastian, ES /// Victoria Eugenia Antzokia*

July 17 /// Madrid, ES /// Noches Del Botánico

July 18 /// Vila Nova De Gaia, PT /// Meo Mares Vivas

July 20 /// Santa Domingo De La Calzada, ES /// Rockland Art Festival

July 27 /// Boise, ID /// Knitting Factory

July 29 /// Monterey, CA /// Golden State Theatre

July 30 /// Santa Rosa, CA /// Luther Burbank Theater

August 1 /// Mammoth Lakes, CA /// Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza

August 2 /// Sacramento, CA /// Channel 24

August 14 /// Park City, UT /// Park City Song Summit

August 15 /// West Valley City, UT /// Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre†

August 16 /// West Valley City, UT /// Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre†

August 17 /// Jackson, WY /// Snow King Mountain

August 23 /// Charleston, SC /// Marcus King Band Family Reunion Festival

August 24 /// Charleston, SC /// Marcus King Band Family Reunion Festival

August 31 /// Aspen, CO /// Jazz Aspen Snowmass Festival

September 5 /// Madison, IN /// Unbroken Circle Festival At Bicentennial Park

September 12 /// Lincoln, NE /// Pinnacle Bank Arena‡

September 15-21 /// Seattle, WA /// Keeping The Blues Alive at Sea Alaska

September 25 /// Green Bay, WI /// Resch Center§

September 26 /// Milwaukee, WI /// Fiserv Forum§

September 27 /// Des Moines, IA /// Wells Fargo Arena§

September 28 /// St. Louis, MO /// Evolution Festival

October 2 /// Detroit, MI /// Little Caesars Arena§

October 3 /// Lexington, KY /// Rupp Arena§

October 9 /// Indianapolis, IN /// Gainbridge Fieldhouse§

October 10 /// Grand Rapids, MI /// Van Andel Arena§

October 11 /// Cleveland, OH /// Rocket Arena§

October 16 /// Sugar Land, TX /// Smart Financial Centre At Sugar Land**

October 18 /// Austin, TX /// Moody Center**

October 25 /// Birmingham, AL /// Legacy Arena at The BJCC‡

November 1 /// Gonzales, LA /// Boots On The Bayou

*with Fiend Without A Face

†with Chris Stapleton

‡with Cody Johnson

§with Eric Church

**with Dwight Yoakam

Marcus King:

MARCUSKINGBAND.COM | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

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KRK:

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Maestro:

MAESTROELECTRONICS.COM | @MAESTROELECTRONICS

About Gibson:

Gibson, the leading iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for 130 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, Gibson has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies. The Gibson portfolio includes Gibson, the leading guitar brand, as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including Epiphone, which has been on every stage since 1873, Kramer, the original MADE TO ROCK HARD guitar brand, MESA/Boogie, the home of tone, KRK, behind great music for over 30 years, and Maestro, the founder of effect pedals. Gibson is dedicated to quality, innovation, and sound excellence so that music lovers for generations to come will continue to experience music shaped by all Gibson brands. Explore more at Gibson.com, Gibson App, and on Gibson TV, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and visit us at the Gibson Garage Nashville and the Gibson Garage London.