BB King has marveled many guitar players throughout the years with his short hard bending blues licks and scorching blues chops that can be imitated but not duplicated .Gibson owes a great deal of their success on their es models to the blues man , since the late 50s and 60s, bb king has played on numerous es gibson guitars ( es-5, es-335, ...etc )
thus giving them a great deal of exposure until both gibson and bb king decided to produce an official line of gibson electric guitars bearing the bb king name .
In 1980 Gibson Introduced the gibson bb king custom , it had the lucille logo on the peghead , 2 pick ups , gold plated parts , vari tone switch and were made in ebony or cherry finishes .
Gibson stopped production in 1988 . From then on the guitar was renamed bb king lucille.
Gibson BB King Lucille ( 1988 - present )
In 1988 to present gibson continues production on the bb king lucille which was called bb king custom from 1980 to 88 . Still has the same features , lucille on peghead , vari tone ,multibound , 2 pickups and gold plated parts .At the beginning these guitars were also made in ebony and cherry color and then started adding more colors such as black.
Gibson BB King Standard ( 1980-1985 )
In 1980 Gibson also introduced the bb king standard , which had the same features like the gibson lucille but with stereo electronics and chrome plated parts instead of gold hardware.
In 1985 The gibson bb king standard production ended . They came in 2 colors - " cherry or ebony ".
Vintage Price Value For 2008 :
1980 - 1988 > $1700 to $2000 ( custom )
1980 - 1985 > $1600 to $1900 ( standard )
1988 - 1999 > $1800 to $1900 ( lucille )
Avg Upward Trend Of 6% a Year since 2000Note : Gibson also introduced the BB King ES-335 "Lucille" guitar in 2006 , only a limited edition of 80 guitars were made and are valued today ( 2007 ) at $4900 to $5800.
Posted
By :
"It Ain't Snowing In Memphis"
Looking out the window.
Feeling cold inside.
It ain't snowing in Memphis.
Chilling to the bone.
Baby by my side.
It ain't snowing in Memphis.
How I wish I were in Memphis.
Walking down Beale St.
Sipping on a Coke.
Hearing BB sing the Blues.
Cause it ain't snowing in Memphis.
Cause it ain't snowing in Memphis.
by: Lamar Cole
Posted
By :
your info is wrong on the bb king 80th lucille..yes they did make 80 of them and the person who posted it a few years ago was right on the price of ten grand
me and a partner of mine both have one and paid that price 3 years ago..i belive your mistakening the 80th for the 150th that came out in 07 for that price of 4500.
Posted
By :
Some models are not listed :
BB King 75th Anniversary (with B.B. King inlaid on the neck),
BB King, King of The Blues (150 made) mine is 125/150
As told earlier there are 80 80th Lucille (mine is 3/80), they do have a different finish (kind of metallic grey), special glass (?) covered and engraved P.U. ...
Posted
By :
I HAVE ONE OF SEVEN LUCILLES THAT GIBSON MADE SPECIAL FOR CHARITY OF THE 1999 X-MAS CAMP HOPE FUND RAISER FOR B. B. KING. IT IS SIGNED ON THE BODY BY B.B.KING AND EACH GUITAR WAS HAND PAINTED WITH X-MASS DESIGN AROUND THE BODY OF THE GUITAR.
MINE IS PAINTED WITH X-MASS LIGHTS.DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE THE OTHER SIX ARE AND THERE WORTH??
I WON MINE AT AUCTION. IT IS A RED LUCILLE.
Posted
By :
Does anyone have any idea what a '58/59 ES-345T
w/ original pick-ups ( humbuckers w/ 1 white and 1 black
plastic piece each )and original stop tail-piece plus the case (needs
handle repaired) and an "A" in front of the serial # AND in VERY good condition
might be worth?? It has a tobacco-sunburst finish and 98% original
everything!! It is stereo as well
Anyone got any idea.... Guess-timate???
Posted
By :
Bb King Tickets
I work at Gibson in Memphis, and would like to inform you of another guitar in the Lucy lineup. I'm not even sure it's out yet, but we're making an 80th Anniversary Lucille for B.B.'s 80th birthday. I don't know all the specs, but the headstock says B.B. King with a crown inlayed and five diamonds on the headstock. It will retail for around $10,000, I believe. Something to look up, I suppose.