A 20-year veteran of the Japanese music scene, Shinichi Ubukata of Ellegarden and Nothing’s Carved in Stone has long favored the old-school elegance of the ES-355 for his distinct brand of alt-rock edge. The Epiphone Shinichi Ubukata ES-355 Custom Bigsby doubles as a stunning replication of his axe of choice and a feature-stacked 6-string with world-class hardware and electronics. Firstly, the maple semi-hollowbody is loaded with dual Gibson ’57 Classic humbuckers and a vintage-style 6-position Varitone rotary switch to provide you with endless PAF-style tonal possibilities. Next, the rounded “C” mahogany neck is topped off with a beautiful slab of ebony, then finished with custom block inlays. What about performance? A top-class hardware trio of Grover Rotomatic Tuners, an ABR-1 LockTone bridge, and a Bigsby B70 Vibrato system ensure the highest level of tuning stability and playability. It’s all wrapped up in an attention-demanding black-on-black finish with graceful diamond F-holes, 7-ply body binding, and a signature Shinichi skull on the back of the headstock.