Gibson B.B. King Lucille

I'm reviewing my 2001 Lucille that I bought brand new. This is the BB King named version of the ES-355 (NOT the 335 as stated elsewhere). Two AlNiCo 490 pickups. Two volume/two tone knobs, three-way pickup switch and six-way varitone rotary selector. Stereo outputs. Grover tuners (I thought these had Gibson modern tuners and was surprised to find the Grovers on this one. I look at it as an improvement). Pretty thick neck; think of a Les Paul Standard. Beautiful ebony fretboard, thick binding everywhere, gold hardware, and "Lucille" inlay in the headstock as opposed to the 355 which has the split diamond. The Rolls Royce of guitars.

This guitar is EXTREMELY versitile. Though it is BB King's signature guitar, it is not limited to use in blues. Its sound for blues is amazing, but it is suitable for just about everything. I use it for classic/hard rock all the way out to metal and also for blues. The varitone switch adds a lot more tonal options, but I've found myself generally leaving it off (position #1) or in positions 2 or 3. The others just seem to cut into the sound too much. The sound with the neck pickup alone through medium gain is amazing. So warm and full. The bridge pickup alone through high gain gives a great crunchy sound. I play it through a Peavey Revolution 112 (at home) and a Peavey 5150. You'd think a BB King and a 5150 is a strange combination, and maybe it is, but I just love the sound. I can't stress enough how versitile this guitar is.

Here is where I had a few gripes. There were a few imperfections with this guitar. They were all minor, BUT this is a $3000 list guitar. For that kind of money, there shouldn't be and imperfections. If the same things had been on a $900 Strat, I wouldn't hold it against it. But here.... There were some tooling marks on the fingerboard and neck binding, and some bits of reddish residue of whatever Gibson uses to buff up the guitar on some parts of the neck binding. There was also a small, less than dime sized finish blemish on to of the headstock. Also, the varitone knob was mounted too low and was marking up the switch plate below that has the numbers on it. In its defense, I got this particular guitar because the neck and frets were done so well, and that's really the important part. The other stuff is pretty minor. I really care how the guitar feels and plays, and this is one of the best playing guitars that I've used. I will deduct significantly here for the imperfections, though, because this is a $3000 list instrument and should be perfect.

This guitar is built solidly. The hardware is also of good quality, considering the grover tuners and the solid fine tuner tailpiece. I think the strap buttons are my biggest problem here; they're quite small and deserve to be replace with a set of strap locks. I actually worry about this gigging, not because of any problem with the guitar, but because it's just so damn nice and I DO NOT want anything to happen to it. Fears of imminent destruction aside, I'd have no problem using this guitar without a backup.

One other thing here that goes for ANY guitar with gold hardware is that the gold will eventually wear away. You can slow this down by always wiping down all the hardware and pickup covers with a soft cloth after playing, but it will wear away and oxidize years down the line no matter what you do. I won't deduct for that because it is totally unavoidable with gold hardware. That is the price you pay for it looking so nice on this (and most other) guitar. It does lose out due to the strap buttons, though.

I contacted Gibson about the imperfections. They were very nice and said that if I wanted, I could arrange for them to do a free evaluation. If they decided it was really lacking in their opinion, the guitar would be replaced for free. I didn't do this because of the quality of the neck and fret job, and I didn't want to take the chances of ending up with a worse neck or fretjob. Nonetheless, the fact that they would do this is pretty amazing. I did have them send me a new varitone switch plate at NO COST to me. Overall a really good deal if you ask me.

I've been playing for a while and had always wanted a BB King. I love the sound of the guitar, and I've always been a sucker for ornate binding and inlays like this has. I also own a Jackson USA Randy Rhoads with Floyd Rose and a USA Fender Strat with Texas Specials and an SD Pearly Gates. This is my favorite guitar. The versatility is a great thing to have, and it just plays so well. Not quite as fast as the Rhoads due to the neck shape but then what IS as fast as a Jackson? It's not meant to be a shredder's guitar anyway (though you actually shred almost as well as on the Rhoads). I absolutly love the sound of this guitar and how it looks and I'm sad that the gold will wear away eventually. But the hardware can be replaced cheaply and easily anyway. BOTTOM LINE: this guitar is amazing and I recommend it for just about anything.

1997 Lucille just purchased for $1300 used. Ebony fretboard, cherry red, tuneable bridge, stereo, inlays in fretboard. Action quite remarkable, heavier than my ES335, neck is thicker than the 335. From the other comments that I've viewed it appears everyone agrees on the quality workmanship of Gibson. The case wasn't original Gibson but I will be purchasing that item for this guitar. The finish is quite extrodinary with one slight mark near the bridge. Gold Humbucking pickups with gold tuners.

My music style is 40's - 70's mostly. Use a Fender amp with 2 12" speakers. Varied sounds possible, no noise. Somewhat heavier than my ES335 although I've always used a wide strap with strap locks.

Action was very low, had to raise it somewhat. Pickups are crisp and clean.

Play this one for years without wearing it down. Pickups gold and will wear down eventually but who cares! Very dependable. No backup ever used with any Gibson I've owned. Strings are easy to quick change.

I've visited Gibson and they've been very informative in the past. Never had a guitar repaired in my lifetime. No warranty with this used instrument.

I have been playing for 38 years. I'd purchase another one if something happened to this guitar. It's the right color - red! Favorite feature is the fretboard inlay. I compared to Fender and Guild.

All maple, I like maghogany necks better but this neck played good.

The pickups sucked so I replaced them with a set of Lindy Fralins (8.5 neck, 9.5 bridge) It sounds and plays allot like an ES-355.

The nut was too low and I had a high fret. Had that taken care of with a bone nut and a fret job. The fine tuning tailpeice had to go. along with the gold hardware. Some chick that was with me when I was looking at one said it looked like a pimps guitar.

As good as any Gibson I've had.

I never deal with warranty repairs I don't like getting aggravated so I fix it myself.

This is a 1992 B.B. King Lucille, manufactured by Gibson USA. It is a 22 fret semi-hollow guitar, with two humbucking pickups, and three-way
selector switch. Essentially, it is a ES-355, without f-holes or a split-diamond inlay on the headstock. It has gold hardware, and an ebony finish. This one was purchased used, and had been converted to mono, by the previous owner. It came with a deluxe hardshell case, and the stereo electronics included.

This guitar is a very good fit for me. I play mainly Blues/Rock, but also many other styles, and as far as it's tone and action, it's right up my alley. It is mainly played through a Johnson Millenium 150 amp, but also through Marshall/Peavey/Mesa-Boogie rigs. The electronics are very rich, while displaying no hum/noise. It can take you from a very full bodied, natural tone, to a screaming Albert Collins-like honk. The neck pick-up is dead-on, while the bridge p.u. is just a hair on the weak side. As this one was converted to mono, the Varitone control acts as a Master Volume. This is rather cool, and a handy option to have to go to over-the-top solo-ing.

This was, again, purchased used, but even so, it's action was great from the get-go. I re-strung and set the intonation, but the neck required NO ADJUSTMENT, and this is about the only guitar I've ever had that you could say that about. I prefer light strings (9-46's) and my action pretty low, and this guitar accomodates these parameters nicely. The finish was flawless when I got it, and nobody does that gloss black like Gibson. The hardware was all in mint condition, too.

I've played this guitar for 15 months now, and I have found it to be extremely well built, and user-freindly. You do have to keep the gold hardware wiped down, but that's true of any make/model. The same is true for the finish, especially a black guitar.
I replaced the strap buttons with a Dunlop Strap-lock system when I got it. The old ones were fine, but I've learned from my mistakes. Being human can be a b***h.
This is as dependable guitar as I've ever owned, but I still don't gig without a back-up. It's not necessarily the guitars' fault if you break a string.

As I got this guitar used, I've never tested the warranty. However, being a life-long Gibson kinda guy, they've always been helpful when I've contacted them. Great web-site, also.

I've been playing since the Mid-Seventies. The first guitar I owned was a Les Paul Jr. I now have a few Les Pauls, a Fender Tele Deluxe, and a Charvel in addition to this guitar. I once owned a 60's ES-335, and wanted another guitar of that type. This guitar more than fits the bill. I must say that I prefer not having f-holes. This guitar looks better, and I experience less feedback as a result. The only thing I may do differently is to install another pickup, perhaps a '57 Classic humbucker in the bridge position. I would like a little more headroom than the existing (490T) one allows.

"98 model ,cherry finish, it's beuatiful! I got replaced stock tuners almost immediately, set tailpiece tuners all to one position, love the fast neck and ebony fretboard

sounds like B.B.'s in the room with you. lot's of tonal variations available. this guitar doesn't seem to have the output levels of my Les Paul's., I have to keep the amp volumes higher. I use a Marshall "Bluesbreaker" re-issue and a Fender Hot-Rod Deluxe

I did have a control knob come loose

I have played gigs with this guitar, though I always carry a back up.As i previosly mentioned, I changed out the stock tuners because they just wouldn't stay in tune for me, I had a set of Grovers installed. This greatly improved the tuning though it still seems to fluctuate to a point where i wouldn't trust it on stage in higher humidity conditions, also seems better if the strings have been on there a while

Gibson's been very nice. They're always sending me stuff in the mail. nice people on their phone line. I haven't needed any repair work done.

I've picked up guitar playing again now for over 5 years after quitting for 15 years. I can now afford some nicer gear and don't need to depend on playing for a livelyhood. I play in a gigging blues band with like people. I usually gig with a Les Paul Custom. I would like to gig more with "Luciille" though I sometimes still worry about tuning problems, especially through 3 sets( it's definitely lighter than my L.P. which would be real nice).But damn! It sounds so great!

Presently, I have a 2000 Epiphone B.B. King "Lucille" (not to be confused with the Gibson one). I have had it about a month now, and it is all holding up very well. It is basically a supped up version of the Gibson ES-355. It's got loads of sweet features: stereo and mono inputs, separate bass and treble volume controls, a 3-way selector and a varitone knob. It has 2 giant humbucker pick-ups. Also all its hardware, (Pick-ups etc.) are gold, which is very attractive. A lot of other guitarists i know thought that it would be semi-solid, BUT IT ISN'T, so be warned!! Also it came with a lined hard case.

It really suits my style of playing (brit-rock, rhythm 'n' blues). The only way to get its true sound is to play it through a valve amp. The only effect i use with it is a tremelo box as it doesn't com e with one. The last guitar i had was a Fender Strat, which has really noisy pick-ups, the one's on this are a lot quieter. The thing i like most about this guitar is the amount of bass you can get out of it. Also, there are 100's of different combinations of sounds you can get from it.

This guitar is very nice to play, and I think the action is comparable to my old strat. When i went to look at it in the showroom there was a scratch on the back, but I received money off the price for this flaw. The one thing that I am disapointed about is that eventually the gold hardware will rub off, however, this will happen with any guitar that has it.

In the month I have had it i have only gigged it once and it took almost anything i threw at it (literally!!). The one thing that slightly irritated me was that it did not stay in tune for as long some guitars i have had.

I have not dealt with Epiphone yet, and hopefully won't have to. However it does have a 3 year warrantee.

I have been playing the electric guitar for 3 years now, and this is definatly, the best one i have ever played. If it were lost or stolen i would definatly go out and replace it with another one. I think that my favorite feature is the stereo input, because it features on so few guitars. The only thing i wish it had is the name 'Gibson' on the headstock!!!

This is a 1999 Ebony Lucille. Gold hardware, TP-6 Tuner (yank out the fine tuners...they really catch). Double Humbuckers with tone and volume for each, varitone (6 way switch) and 3 way toggle (allowing 18 different sounds in theory, although the bleed on the varitone 6 is extreme). Mono and Stereo jacks allowing each pickup to go to an individual amp. Beautiful pearl inlay. This is basically the ES-355 (not 335) without the Bigsby Trem or the F-holes...I think it was called the ES-355 Custom before 1984. The neck is a 12" radius (no compound) with nice high frets... It's a gibson so a quality case was, of course, included!

I love the blues and this guitar makes me feel like a blues man. I've seen so many photos of Blues Boy King playing this axe that it puts me in the mood. The range of this guitar is really suited to blues...it is very warm...even with the toggle on lead (bridge pickup), it still imparts a warm sound.

The factory setup was great, but I like a little more fall away starting at around the 19th or 20th fret. My relief was too extreme, but a quarter turn straightened the neck considerably. My action is a little lower than I like, making bends near the nut a little (speaking of which , I wish they'd use bone for the nut <sigh>). The finish is immaculate with only one little defect near the head (the burfing went a little deep.

This guitar is built to last...everything says quality... everything... although bound frets are a pain to replace <grin>. I wouldn't use it without a backup...but then again, neither does B.B. King...besides, I need a 12 string acoustic for my gigs as well as an electric with a good tremolo...I like the floyds...so I need to gig with at least 3 axes... Could it make it alone...sure, why not!

The warranty is 1 year from date of purchase...this seems to fly in the face of the Gibson Gold Warranty, but I don't know how to get that one <sigh>

I just bought the axe, but my overall impression is of a solid guitar and I must agree with Mr. King, it is Les Paul's big brother... I actually could have gotten a bunch of used Les Pauls for the price... (used I could have gotten one for $650 US and had enough for a Godin which I've been lusting...but this was worth it...it has everything I want...including an attitude!

My guitar is a "Standard" which I believe isn't made any more. I bought it secondhand in 1989. According to the headstock serial number, it was built in the first year of production 1981. According to advertisements from the time, it should have a rosewood neck but mine is quite clearly ebony. The Standard differs from the "Custom" by having dot inlays, no varitone, less multiple binding, and no gold hardware. It is cherry in colour. The pickups are PAFs and the tuners are "crank" tuners where little levers pop out of the tuners to act as cranks when restringing. Very nifty. It came in a durable, hardshell case with red plush lining. The build quality is very high. At the time I bought it, I had just bought a Les Paul Standard which was woeful in comparison: very cheap and nasty while this guitar is quality throughout. It has all the features I could reasonably want on a guitar to extract excellent guitar tones.

I play mainly blues and sixties to seventies rock. This guitar is ideal for these styles. It is however such a rich and powerful guitar that it is very important to match it with the right amp and speakers. In my opinion, it needs at least 50 watts and a couple of 12 inch speakers. Except on the lead pickup, it sounds muddy and indistinct through a Pro Junior or a Peavey Classic 30. It sounded very close to BB King "Live and Well" through a Peavey Classic 50 2x12. This guitar can do anything a Les Paul Standard can do with more class, more range and more subtlety with greater upper fret access and comfort. Because of the size of neck and frets, it is (surprise, surprise) an ideal blues guitar for BB and Freddie King or early and Cream era Clapton. Its sound is however very refined and so I use a Les Paul Special for more raucous playing where I want a cruder style of breakup. I don't miss the Varitone at all.

This guitar is in immaculate condition. I had it checked over a few years ago by a tech and it required no more than routine maintenance. It has never let me down.

This guitar would stand exactly what it was designed for - blues gigging. In my opinion it's as durable as any high class instrument.

Never dealt with Gibson.

I've been playing for fifteen years and own a reissue strat, tele and the Les Paul Special. They are all easier to play in that their unique sounds are much more accessible. It isn't difficult to get a fantastic sound out of this guitar, it's just much easier to get a saturated sound out of it. It needs restraint and reasonable technique to get the best out of it. I struggle. In summary, I love this guitar and would never sell it. I foolishly sold my Peavey Classic 50 and hadn't really been able to play this guitar enjoyably since until I bought a Fender Prosonic: a very classy amp for a very classy guitar. My only regret is that I didn't take it with me when I met BB King backstage in 1989 and get it signed. Frankly, it was a little overwhelming for a little, white, middle class fella from remote New Zealand to meet someone whose records I'd spent my adolescence trying to track down. There was also the problem of our accents. He misheard "o" for "r" and so I treasure a postcard inscribed to "Geroff" (Geoff).

1993 Gibson Lucille in Cherry, semi-hollowbody with no sound holes
Body:Laminated maple, Maple center block Neck/Profile
Fingerboard/Inlay Ebony/Pearl block Scale/Nut Width 24 3/4"/1 11/16"
Binding Multi-ply top and headstock , single-ply fingerboard and back Bridge/Tailpiece Tune-o-matic/TP-6
Hardware Gold Pickups 490R Alnico magnet humbucker 490T Alnico magnet humbucker
Controls Two volume, two tone, three-way switch, six-position Varitone, stereo/mono jacks Finish Cherry
Lots of featurs for a guitar!

The six position Varitone gives you a wide range of "voices," from big and full to almost acoustic and bell-like. Multiply this with the standard 3 position switch and you have, like 18 potential settings, each of which can be toned-around for some god-awful amount of variation. So much fun to play with it hurts.
This guitar is a hint clearer that my Les Paul Studio, note for note.
The neck is pretty chunky and the frets are huge. Super easy to play. Not as fast as my Studio, but not noticably different.
The sound is rich, very rich. Put on a BB King tune, and you can find his sound, even if you can't play like him.
You can dirty it up pretty well, and jazz it up too. Not a shredders guitar, because of the neck and hefty weight of the body, but an incredible blast to play. Very hard to put down. The notes intonate all over the board -- you don't have to be technically "perfect"; it's a very forgiving guitar. This is a great guitar if you're a big bender and slider -- you can really finesse the sounds and make it cry and sing. I don't know that any guitar deserves a perfect 10 for sound, but it sounds fantastic.

A work of darned art! Got it used, but in perfect condition. Not a scratch. Built like a brick house, heavy and sturdy. This guitar really has no flaws in the build. Tremendously nice job on the fretts and neck. The cherry is very pretty with hints of the wood underneath. The binding is very well done. If there is something wrong with it, I can't find it.

Darned thing could stand a nuclear detonation. Problem is, it's almost too nice to take out of home. It's just that nice. I've seen others that I thought were built poorly, but this one should be framed. If I gigged, I think you could gig without a backup, but then that would be poor planning, wouldn't it?

N/A

Just love this guitar! Bought it right after I bought my Studio, and their like big brother and little brother (Lucille is obviously the big brother). It's a big guitar, heavy, but worth the heft. If it were stolen, I'd probably need therapy. I could replace my Studio, but the Lucille is unique. I haven't seen another quite like it. I know I could not replace it for what I got this one for.
The favorite feature is probably the Varitone. Takes the guitar to a whole new level of cool.
I know these list for less than the 335. I honestly don't know why. I think this guitar is much cooler and has more sounds. However, I can't afford a new one; If you can, look into it. It's a whole lot of guitar for the money.

The most important thing is an advanced electronics ton control to modify your tone.

All i am going to say is: this guitar has tonal qualities not found in an electric guitar you can buy. This is the best electric guitar you can buy. The only comparisons are archtops (super 400, etc.)

They did an awesome job on the finish, it looks great.

This guitar will last forever (if the owner isn't a crackhead)

Gibson is always friendly

I have been playing for a long time. This guitar stands out from any other in tone. If it were stolen or lost, i would buy 2 more.