B.B. King’s “Lucille” is legendary, perhaps the most beloved artist’s guitar of all time, and a true icon of the blues. Now Gibson Memphis honour’s the 65th Birthday of “Lucille” with the B.B. King Signature, a luxurious take on the ES-355 format tricked out to the tastes of the King of the Blues himself. An elegant semi-acoustic updated for the demands of contemporary professionals, this guitar has the classic lines and deluxe appointments of the top-of-the-range ES model, with B.B.’s own preference for no f-holes in the top, all with the switching versatility of the great ES-355s. Crafted to full Gibson Memphis quality, dressed in a stunning Ebony finish with gold hardware, this is a 100% American-made celebration that you’ll want to be a part of.
Dues are paid to this landmark anniversary with a mother-of-pearl “Lucille” inlay in the peghead veneer and gold-engraved “65 Years” in the truss-rod cover. Mother-of-pearl block inlays, multi-ply body binding and bound tortoise pickguard extend the “custom” look, while 490R and 490T humbuckers in the neck and bridge respectively take it all home via the sonic switcheroo of Gibson’s 6-way Varitone and stereo output. Add B.B.’s handy TP6 Fine Tune Stop Bar, gold Grover™ Tulip-Button tuners and wrap it in a plush-lined hardshell case with Certificate of Authenticity, and you’re riding with the King.
B.B. King & Lucille- The Story Behind The Name
The story of B.B. King’s beloved and legendary guitar Lucille begins on a cold night in 1949 in Twist, Arkansas. King was playing a house party where a bucket of burning kerosene was set out in the middle of a room to combat the chill. A brawl broke out, spilling the flaming liquid into the melee. Soon the house was engulfed, and patrons and musicians fled for the outdoors. It was only when he’d reached safety that King realized he’d left his guitar — a Gibson L-30 with a DeArmond pickup — inside. He dashed back in to save the instrument, but nearly became trapped by the flames.
The next morning King found out the fight was about a woman — after all, this is the blues — named “Lucille.” To remind him never to do anything that foolish again, he gave her name to his L-30. And the rest truly is history.
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