Gibson BB King Lucille 2003

This semi-hollow signature guitar combines the warm, resonant tone of an ES-355 with practical features like a fully closed body without f-holes and a TP-6 tailpiece with finetuners, designed to minimize feedback and maximize tuning stability during intense performances.

BB King named all his guitars Lucille after a famous incident in 1949, when he ran into a burning building to rescue his guitar. Gibson developed the Lucille signature model as a tribute to King's decades-long loyalty to the brand, with specific modifications at his request. The fully closed body without f-holes was essential for King, who played at high volumes and wanted to avoid feedback. The iconic Varitone switch offers six different tonal options through various capacitor combinations, a feature King often used to sculpt his sound.

The three-ply maple/poplar/maple construction delivers the warm, balanced sound of a semi-hollow, while the Gibson 490R and 490T humbuckers provide classic PAF-like tone with enough output for expressive bends and that signature sustain. The Slim Taper neck profile and ebony fingerboard with block inlays make this Lucille not only a tribute to a blues legend, but also a wonderfully playable instrument. In near mint condition, this is a beautiful example of this iconic signature guitar.