B.B. King is widely regarded as the most influential bluesman in history. His journey began in Itta Bena, Mississippi, where he was born on September 16, 1925. Raised by foster parents, King eventually moved to Memphis, a city full of musical opportunities. There, he crossed paths with the legendary Sonny Boy Williamson, who hosted a local radio show. Williamson gave him the nickname “Blues Boy”, a name that stuck and eventually became “B.B.”. His big break came when Williamson gave him a ten-minute slot on the show to DJ, marking the beginning of King’s legendary career. From Memphis to Melbourne, B.B. King’s crystal-clear blues guitar and heartfelt performances would travel the world, earning him a place as a true icon of the genre.

In 1974, a music festival was organised in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) to promote the historic “Rumble in the Jungle” boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. This event, known as “Zaire 74”, featured some of America’s most influential Black artists, including James Brown, Bill Withers, and the King of the Blues himself, B.B. King. The festival was a monumental celebration of music and culture, bringing together legendary performers to showcase the very best of American soul, funk, and blues. In honour of its 50th anniversary, documentaries and albums have been released, offering new insights into this powerful moment in music history.

This limited edition model, of which only 100 were made, is a faithful recreation of B.B. King’s Walnut ES-355 from 1974, used during his legendary performance at the Zaire 74 festival. It features Murphy Lab Light Aging for an authentic vintage feel, mother-of-pearl inlays, T-Type Custombucker pickups, a mono Varitone switch, and a Maestro Vibrola tailpiece. The guitar comes with various case candy related to the historic festival and the iconic “Rumble in the Jungle” fight. It is delivered in a special B.B. King “Zaire” hardshell case, making it a true collector’s item.

This 2024 ES-355 is still in extremely clean condition and is practically like new. It only has minimal playwear aside from its aged finish. The guitar comes with a TFOA passport. The video below shows B.B. King Playing the original Guitar in Africa '74!