Gibson B.B. King Lucille

Mid 80's ebony Lucille , ebony fingerboard, chrome hardware and brass nut these features I've never seen anywhere. Other than that the guitar has the same features as all others. Varitone, 470 humbuckers, semi hollow body etc...

Now I've own lots of guitars and this one makes it for me. I've sold most of the others and kept my Lucille. The sound of this instrument is simply put, great! It has warmth, it's rich and with the Varitone switch the guitar will give you unlimited possibilities. Just pick one and play it, I garanty you'll fall under it's charm.

I bought it use and when I got it, the neck was slightly warped. Even then it was still good to play. In fact I only fixed it a few months ago after I owned it for more than a year. The finish is great and you can see that this is a quality built instrument. I've heard a lot being said about Gibson's lack of quality in the 80's. This one does not subscribe. It is a beautifully built guitar.

I have now owned it for a little over two years and I've had no issues with it so far. I live in Quebec where the weather is not always nice and I've have never experienced a problem. Again, this is a solidly built quality guitar that anyone can depend on. Take it everywhere, play it, have fun and don't worry.

I have been playing for close to 30 years. I've owned a Gretsch 6120, a Washburn J6, I still own a 79 Stratocaster, a 63 Telecaster and just before I got Lucille, I was playing a Gibson Chet Atkins Country Gentleman. If Lucille was stolen from me, it would be very hard to replace as I never saw another one with a brass nut and chrome hardware before. This is my favorite guitar ever! The only feature I miss on this giutar is the Bigsby vibrato I had on my 6120. But then it had it's problems...

1991 Ebony. Gold hardware, varitone, 470 Humbuckers, etc. Semi-hollow, no f-holes, laminated maple all around as far as I know - maybe the top is solid maple. Three piece neck - this neck is built like concrete - inherently stable. Fine tuning stop tailpiece, 24 3/4" scale.

Rich with a very clear, warm clean sound. I personally like the Varitone and pretty much keep it on 3 - to me, this is the sweet spot between a humbucking warmth and single coil spank. The tone is very versatile. So it covers Jazz, Country, Pop stuff in spades. Sustain is endless.

On the distortion side, it has a bit of an aggressive midrange bite due to the maple - definitely not as creamy as you'd get from a Les Paul. In certain situations, this is more desirable, other times not. This guitar doesn't "give" or "flex" as much as a Paul, the notes are more immediate and crisp. And the Les Paul can't deliver the clean tones this guy does.

I almost never use position 1 on the Varitone at stage volumes because it's lamost two loud with overwhelming bass and mids...but position 3? - to die for. At low jazz volumes, position 1 is very nice.

Great for fingerstyle jazz or country picking as well.

This guitar is about as efficient as it gets for playing economy. Using a Fender medium jazz teardrop pick with a nice warm tube amp, it alsmost feels like its playing itself. It has incredibly resonant response to you picking attack. I rarely have to dig in hard while picking because the guitar responds do well (so I don't wear out picks as quickly - another bonus!!).

The neck on this guitar is sort of a slim taper '60's style neck. Seeing current Lucilles in the store these days, the necks are a bit fatter - I wouldn't mind this as I usually can adapt to different nec profiles. The neck handles like a dream with no hand fatigue. I also like the flatter frets which make it easier to play fast and are cool for chording.

I removed the pickguard as it was in the way - a great improvement in usability.

The only down side of this guitar's fit is the body - but not tremendously so. It can be a bit akward playing sittinng down.

Solid build quality. I've had no issues. Barely have to tweak the truss rod seasonally due to three piece maple neck. I think its three piecess laminated together lengthwise to provide extra stability. Easy to tune up intonation and changing strings is easy - you don't have to pull them through the stop bar - they just pop off the front of the guitar.

I called once and they were friendly and responsive in answering my question about string height specs. But, never had to deal with them on a serious issue.

I've played for 25 years. I own too much gear and won't bore you with details. I would replace this guitar quickly if it were stolen. It's got the leader position among my other guitars. I'd recommend it especially when you compare it's price to value with the outrageous prices for one of the thousand variations of a Les Paul.

I have the standard black tuxedo-style Gibson BB King Lucille. Twin 490 tuners, etc etc. Got it at a local used guitar store; a barely-used '00 for $1600; I've had it nearly two years. All the hardware is gold, and although mine is looking slightly less than perfect, it is still in good condition. Definitely need to keep it clean. I'm not a big fan of the fine tuners: they work great but (i) I like to pick the string with my right hand and I gotta turn them with the same hand (somehow that is a hassle) and (ii) I don't like them too high which makes resting my hand uncomfortable. Otherwise, this guitar has pretty much every feature you could want (no wah bar, but they have their own problems). It is a BIG guitar and not light, but with a quality strap I have no problem palying it forever. This guitar looks old fashioned, which initially turned me off, until I came to appreciate it's essential coolness. Best assay: my wife? who has great taste? loves it. A big black guitar.

Ah, now this is the make-or-break category for this guitar. This is the key: I first picked it over a Les Paul because its sounds great without an amp (it is a semi-hollow, and the unamplified sound is great). The sunburst LP looked good, but my decision was the right one: this guitar is terrific. I have several other guitars? a Reynolds strat (amazing sound for a cheap strat), a BC Rich Mockingbird acrylic (now THAT'S a heavy guitar), a U1 Danelectro, etc.. I think I have a pretty cold eye for guitars. No question which is the king of my guitar pile, and the one guitar on the planet I would pick if I could only have one. But it is not plug-and-play.

As others have said, this is a guitar that you need to understand and get used to. It took me at least six months to really turn the Varitone and explore its full sonic possibilities. I like to play everything: blues, punk, rock, grunge, and this guitar can do ALL of it if you take the time to explore it. Blues works with the Varitone at one, most others work at settings 2-3, and Ramones (cheap and trashy) works on still higher settings. At low settings, the resonance is so rich and complicated, that too many effects just sound muddy. If I want hardcore, I go with a small Marshall solid state and turn up the Varitone. Then it roars with as much distortion as you can dish out. Strat-like clean sounds are gotten in the middle settings. For blues, I used a lower setting and run it through a '68 Ampeg G-20 tube amp; with the tank reverb, everyone in the neighborhood will start crying including BB. It makes the LP and PRS sound thin.

My guitar was flawless. The bridge is adjustable, and the guitar seems to excel at any string gauge. The neck somehow feels right to me, but it's not set up for pure speed. The whole instrument is tight and says 'quality'. Really a classic, as a guitar of its cost should be. Something I'll give my grandkids.

I don't do much live playing anymore, but obviously this is one solid guitar. I know Gibson necks can break, but it would take a lot to dent this monster. Again, everything is first class.

NA

I've discussed most of the issues. I love this guitar, and it grows on me the longer I own it and the more other guitars I play. If I lost it, I think I might cry (especially at the replacement cost). I've been playing on-and-off for 35 years, I've owned too many guitars, but this is a step up. I don't buy guitars to collect them, but this has to be seen as a work of art twenty years from now. Again, take the time to learn it, and take the sonic possibilities of the Varitone seriously. If I had to change anything, I might add a wah bar, but this has its own problems (I believe you can get one from a third-party company, but they're expensive).

1991 model, black tuxedo looking guitar. Laminate, but what-ever. We all know the drill by now. Mine's a stock piece with the fine-tune tail-piece. Th elonger I have it, the more I like it. A guitar that has these kind of harmonics needs to be "440" all the way. Again, King designed and kept that way. It has all the features I need, plus gold hardware (which, by the way, is still in excellent shape.)

I play blues, pop, R&B, rock & roll, and whatever category it is that my original compositions fall into. Damned if I know. I use a Johnson JT-50 (which I love!) and a Fender Super 210 tube amp. Guitar itself is never noisy, except for the noise I make. As for rich, full, bright sound--yes, yes, and yes! The Varitone circuit allows a player to access so many pick-up variations it is astounding. There is a learning curve, though. So many reviewers have a tendency to jump right into the music journalist role and write a review after a few hours of plunking. I needed to make sure I gave the instrument time before I wrote anything. A lot of times, it is the impatience of the reviewer that colors the review. Example--Peavey T-60 guitar. Very versatile, many variations available. Sorry though; it is not "plug and play." Using it through a modeling amp (pardon my foul language, tubers), there are so many tonal possibilities it can confuse even the most discerning players. One must sit with it--like with Shakespeare or Chaucer--and take notes, to truly categorize and explicate the experience. What I can honestly say after spending many hours exploring the nuances of Lucille is WOW! B.B. may not have a degree, but the man has an ear and a half! What a machine he has built. And what of the price? Why so inexpensive? I paid $900.00 for mine. A steal, brother.
But wait a minute. Accollades are nice, but what of the actual sound?
The varitone circuit (that many disdain, and some disable) has a fan in me. Some say the sound gets nasal or hollow. If you leave your amp settings the same and change the varitone setting, that may be true. Would you use the same EQ settings for a Strat as for a 335? I would say, no. The guitar is a 335--or a 355--and it's made of maple; with NO sound holes. That makes it almost a chambered solid body. Neck pick-up in the "one" varitone position equals a nice "Dot" sound. CLick it over to five or so, and a nice Strat quack comes through. Of course the amp needs to be adjusted for the change, but the sound is there. I found that the Johnson modeling amp (my favorite among modelers) allows for the maximum flexibility in guitar programming. Yeah, I'm an old rocker, but I know programming. This guitar is NOT a beginner's ax. One needs to be a student, and leave all the aural discriminations behind. For me, this is the guitar that will stay, no matter what. My child will own her, and maybe her child. Thanks B.B.

I bought used, so N/A. But for me, perfect--scracthes and all.

The ultimate in reliability, I presume--though I never play without a back-up. But--you ask, what is my back-up? A cheap Washburn Mercury by Grover Jackson. Unbelieveable for the price.

I've heard that there is an actual Gibson factory, but it's located on Mount Olympus or something--you know, like in North Dakota or Montana. I don't speak the language (I'm a New Yorker), so I guess I wouldn't know about service. Plus, Lucille don't never need nothin'

For me (and I stress that this is my opinion) this is the ultimate ax. I have not yet found the sound that displeases me. Twang, full-tone jazz, heavy rock (I don't do metal--well maybe aluminum), and chorused R&B chords. So freaking sweet, boys and girls. Would I buy it again? No brainer-YES! I hate nothing about it, I love how classy it makes my old sorry ass look on stage. It's like playing a Tuxedo.
And baby, there are no other guitars that compare. B.B. designed it.

According to the serial numbers, mine was made in Nashville in 1991. It has enough frets to reach the pick-ups, not one more. It is laminated (as am I), and possesses an array of electronic controls equal to those available to the lock operator on the Shinnecock canal. There is sufficient information concerning such configurations in previous reviews. I only wish to add a few opinions where I have something to add. This is not one of those areas. Read on reader.

Now, this is where I want to ad a few things. I've been playing for many more years than I've been alive--I do think it's genetic for some of us. Lucille is a demanding bitch. Know yourself first; know what you want; get that sound in your head; search for it in the electronics. Don't get impatient during the foreplay; you'll never know her that way. This is, by far, the closest I've ever gotten with an instrument. I'm one of those nuts who names his guitars and personifies each instrument that I develop a rapport with. Hey, go figure. It's my weird religion, I guess. Anyway, I wasn't sure I liked this guitar when I first got it. I hate hype, first of all. Tell me something is great, and I raise an eyebrow in skepticism. I really wanted a Gary Moore (Peter Green) Les Paul, but--since I'm approaching geezerhood--I thought Lucille was more "age appropriate." I've been plunking for over 35 years, and I never wanted to look like the old, fat rocker--trying to look like he's still 21, but with graying hair and a paunch. B.B. does it so well, and with so much class; so I figured the guitar would make me look like a sophisticated grown-up. I play in "The Hamptons" a lot, so that tuxedo look is a plus. Okay, so much for looks. Well, when I plugged her in I found there were several doors (tone-wise) through which I could enter Lucille's domain. The Varitone circuit is the key. Many musicians do not care for the Varitone. I must admit that I was one of those. I think many of us get into the "plug-and-play" mentality. We want the Strat sound--we buy a Strat. We want the Gibson sound--we buy a 335 or an SG. Now, to compound this problem, I'm playing Lucille through a Johnson JT-50 modeling amp. Uh oh, you say--one of those guys. First, I don't know what "one of those guys" means. Maybe someone with an open mind? I do know that with Lucille, I needed an amp that could morph. After trying them all--amd I MEAN them all--I decided on the Johnson Amplification JT-50 model. First, it's a great amp for carrying around to jams, and secondly--it didn't have that annoying digital decay sound that haunts so many other modeling systems. It took some time, some note-taking (yeah, don't be afraid to log your settings) and more than a few Merlots, but I was able to dial in some of the best sounds I have ever been able to make. This is all personal opinion, fellow pickers, and please approach each review you read as such. Find out who the person is that left the review, and if that person's taste is similar to yours. I'm not a sixteen year-old with limited funds and a hormonal imbalance. If you want to piss your parents off through music, that's cool--but I play for different reasons. Hey, it happens as one matures. This is a thinking person's guitar. Man, is it cheap for what you get. This guitar will be with me for a long time; not because it's so freaking cool or anything--just because it fills a need that that no other guitar can come close to. It's one of the best all-around guitars that I've ever played--hands down. But be ready for a relationship. If you can't handle the nuances of a real woman, don't even bother to waste your time with Lucille. She requires attention, love, and lots of foreplay.

I bought used. She was dinged, but I lovingly polish and protect her. All top quality components.

Well, she ain't a canoe paddle or a war club. Other than that, she should enjoy a long life (if I care for her as I should). Built like a big-legged woman.

What the hell is customer support? We musicians have a network of our own. If we can get reimbursed for warranty service, that's cool, but not a consideration for me.

Playing a long time, though not a guitar god. I like the sounds of guitars and amps and I try to put their natural abilities on display. Who cares how fast I can play? Make it sound good. To me, Lucille is the penultimate guitar. But that is merely my opinion. I like the tonal diversity that Lucille makes available to me. Sometimes I almost feel like she is leading in the dance; pulling the riffs from me. I know, it sounds a little weird, but I just adore this guitar. Never have I encountered such an instrument. And it was NOT love at first sight. I worked at it--just like a real relationship. Danmed if I didn't stumble onto something. Take this as you will--it is only my humble opinion. Feel free to contact me for further info.

'91 Lucille - Black w/3 piece maple neck, flatter frets, varitone, ebony fretboard, etc. Varitone circuitry creats neat tones. Solid maple sustain block - basically an ES-355 without f-holes.

For you Les Paul folks, be prepared. Because Lucille is maple, it has a more tightly focused, punchier sound than the Paul. What does this mean? For clean playing (on positions 2&3 of the Varitone), it sounds wonderful with well balanced bass, mids, highs. Clean playing on position 1 (full power) is like a sledgehammer - I'd avoid it if I were you - very midrangy. Distortion sound is great, but again, more punchy that a Paul. Jazz on Varitone 2&3 is heavenly. FIngerstyle Jazz on this axe is second to none.

Examples of ES-355 rock recordings: Alvin Lee at Woodstock, Mick Taylor lead work on Sticky Fingers (wild Horses, Can't you hear me knocking?, etc.)

The 335 style fits me perfect. I think its because there's so much body behind the bridge (unlike a Paul), that it pushes the neck out a bit further out when you strap it on (compared to a Paul). The net - this guitar almost play's itself. When I got this guitar, naturally some tweaks were needed to fit my preference (truss rod, bridge height, intonation) - this is needed for all new guitars I think. One prob - I think I have a higher fret up around 12 for the high e string - slight buzz if you dig in hard. Otherwise - just fine.

All guitars' necks slack out just a touch with heavy string bending (try hitting an open e while bending another string - you;ll hear it go out of tune). With the Lucille, this is less the case. THe three piece neck is very strong and provides awesome sustain - more than a Paul in fact.

N/A

My main axe. It sounds different than a Paul/Strat. Extremely comfortable to play.

A 2001 Lucille. Prior reviews have the specs nailed as it has been around since the 80"s in a couple of forms,a striped down chrome standard (wich was discountinued) and the current fancier model with gold, grovers, ebony fret board, the 490 pups and the adjustable tailpiece. Basically the same that King plays except his has a standard Gibson stop bar instead of the adjustable. For those interested in the difference from a stock 355, from what I can tell, it has no f-holes (cuts the feedback), the adjustable tail, the 490 pups (a little more trebely)looks a little thicker (although I have not measured it) and it appears to have thinner and higher frets which mirrors Kings higher set up. Note, this sucker is heavy so get a good strap with a pad. Made/finished in Memphis.

I got it 9 months ago to use it for the more high end blues -bb, t-bone, freddy k. tunes and over the 335/355 mainly because I hate f holes and liked the pimpier looks.I have found that as I play it it is much more versatile than I expected and with the veritone at 1-2 and heavier distortion can make it really sustain/scream, but with it's own unique sound. More like a les paul's big brother. Settings above 4 basically remove midrange until it is thin (but not bright).Simple effects chain - a clyde>fd2 to a twin reverb (with just a little reverb). I have settled on the veritone at 2-3.

Factory set up was great (what you expect from a high end Gibson). I am finding I like the adjustable tuning tail peice. It was set high to mirror King's and is strung with heavy bottom .54/light top .10 strings like he plays. I genarlly like low action and as I'm a major bender so I originally had it adjusted down and used standard .10's. I switched around though, and found that I actually liked a higher setting and heavy/lights because of the clear sound on the bass strings at higher registers, the high frets and the ability to still bend a few g's b's. The best of both worlds.

A tank, stays in tune. The gold gets nasty looking quickly so keep it clean. It's black, so regular polish is required as swirls appear overnight. Generally plug and play.

NA

Becoming one of my favorites and I find when practicing I am picking it up first a lot more than I thought. The feel of the higher frets took a while to get used to and I still debate wether I would prefer the flatter Gibson type. I play blues so my guitars tend to keep to the standard issue stuff -strat(I just got a ventage pick up Clapton, but that's another story)and lp's mainly w/ p90's. The Lucille is starting to replace the lp's though as I am getting more addicted to the cleaner sound.

No doubt, B.B. King's Lucille is the guitar legend: All maple, all black. It's a hollowbody-construction (no f-holes) with a center-block an a set-in neck (22 frets). The special features are the variotone-selector (no one really needs), two Classic '57 humbuckers (two outputs for stereo) and the fine tuning stop-tail-piece. I have catched one item of the masters 70 anniversary tour. Easy to be seen at the written B. B. King between two guitars (pearl inlays)in the fretboard (ebony). The hardware (Schaller tuners) is golden, two volume, two tone controls.

There is no better instrument for Blues. But Lucille is just more: That ol' lady is very versatile: You can play nearly everything with (not at least because the "variotone", which makes the tone every step more hollow and thin), because it has that special tone: Fat, brillant, it pushes You throu the wall. Every single note is perfectly figured our, so with chords. It's really a masterpiece (improved for the Gibson custom shop bei the famous Tom Launhardt, Wetzlar, Germany).

All at it's best

You might say: Too much honour fur one single instrument. But at least custom shop instruments seem even today have the best possible quality. Okay, I had the luck to get a very special offer, but the guitar is worth more than the double or tripple prize.

My guitar is a B.B.King Standard. It's one of the first exported
to the Netherlands in 1981.These days there was the B.B.King Custom
with gold hardware and varitone and there was the B.B.King Standard
without varitone and with chrome hardware.The fretboard is made from
ebony.The tuners contain a little crank lever.It's very well build
with a firm neck thats still perfectly straight.

I use the guitar with a Fender The twin. It can sound very much
like B.B.King.I play Jazz and blues for wich it is very well suited.
I don't know if I miss the varitone because I never used one.Sometimes I wish the tone could be a bit more bright.

Thee action is very good annd remains so over the years.
The finish is good but "Lucille" on the headstock is just a decall
and should have been a proper inlay.

Is build to last a lifetime. Never failed on me.

Never dealt with Gibson.

I own many guitars, 5 of them are semisolids, the B.B.King Standard
is one of the best (together with the Hofner verythin classic)

1988 Lucille (ES-355 without f-holes, Ebony finish with multiple white/black binding around the body and peghead, single white binding along neck. Gibson and Lucille on the peghead, large pearl block inlays on ebony fretboard. Two humbuckers with volume and tone for each and a 6 position varitone rotary switch. Three way pickup selector switch. Tortise shell pickguard with B-w-b binding.

Incredible smooth sounding guitar. Very full with varitone in position 1, with varitone on position 3 I get a very clean, almost single coil sound which is great for jazz chords. I try to play mostly blues, early rock and am taking lessons for jazz. Play through a Hughes and Kettner Triplex amp. Guitar is able to produce a wide varity of sounds between the pickup selection and varitone settings.

As this guitar was 13 years old when I got her I don't know about factory set up. The guys at Freedom guitar in San Diego did a really nice job of set up before shipping her to me. I played this guitar in San Diego six months ago, loved it then went checking out new Lucilles. I played three different new Lucilles and all of them had various minor problems (poor binding with gaps, varitone not working or stereo jacks wired wrong. All brand new from factory) So I called and found that this Lucille was still available and had it shipped to Florida.

1988 and in great shape. Built like a tank, very heavy for a semi hollow guitar. The gold plating on the pickups is starting to wear on the edges and one small chip in the surface "paint". Not bad for an older guitar.

Have not had to deal with Gibson

This is a great guitar, my favorite Gibson. I have owned a Nighthawk Special, Howard Roberts Fusion and Chet Atkins Tennenasean from Gibson as well as Guild Starfire III, a Dean Sarasota, G&L Legacy, PRS McCarty, Guild Perrigrine custom. Have sold all of the other Gibsons. This is the best of the lot. Mostly play this through the H&K amp or a Behringer V-amp for headphones. Great guitar!