Complete with Gibson T-Type humbuckers, a six-position Varitone and dual outputs, the reissue is available now.
Epiphone has announced the Alex Lifeson 1976 ES-355 Reissue, a stage-ready recreation of the Rush guitarist’s famous Alpine White ES-355 as part of the Inspired by Gibson Custom series.
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The semi-hollow body is five-ply maple and poplar with a solid maple centre block for sustain and feedback control, multi-ply binding on the top and back, and a three-piece maple neck with volute – mirroring the construction of the original 70s instrument. The ebony fretboard runs 22 medium jumbo frets with mother-of-pearl large block inlays, and the slim C neck profile keeps things fast under the fingers.
A pair of USA-made Gibson T-Type humbuckers handle the pickups, wired to individual volume and tone controls via CTS potentiometers and Mallory capacitors. A six-position Varitone with a dedicated bypass toggle expands the tonal range considerably, and a Maestro Vibrola adds pitch movement when needed. Dual outputs round out the electronics — mono and stereo — for those who want to split the signal
The reissue is complete with gold hardware throughout, a harmonic-style Tune-O-Matic bridge, Graph Tech nut and premium die-cast tuners with keystone buttons. The guitar ships in a custom hardshell case with a black exterior, red plush interior and a reproduction of Lifeson’s signature.
As Lifeson prepares to return to the stage with Geddy Lee for Rush’s Fifty Something Tour, the announcement is right on time. The tour honours Neil Peart’s legacy, with Anika Nilles on drums, kicking off in Los Angeles on 11 June before running through North America, South America and Europe into 2027.
“The ES-355 has always been a really special guitar for me – it’s got this incredible balance of elegance and power,” Lifeson says. “I’m genuinely thrilled that players everywhere will have the chance to experience it.”
The Alex Lifeson 1976 ES-355 Reissue is available now. For local enquiries on Epiphone, head here.
