Gibson BB King

Gibson BB King Custom ( 1980 -1988 )

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 )

Note : 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.

Comments

  1. Anonymous3:06 PM

    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.

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  2. Anonymous5:10 PM

    wow , thats great will check it out . Im a nut freak for gibson lucille guitars

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous12:26 PM

    Does anyone know of details concerning Lucille prototypes, I have one in England which dates to 1980/81. It varies in some of the specifications from the production models.

    Thanks Dave

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous2:06 AM

    any word on where I can get one of the 80th birthday guitars?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous12:53 PM

    "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

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous10:26 PM

    just bought a Howard Roberts Fusion serial#00755706 in original case with tag and truss rod tool. Guitar is 99% , What is the year and where was it made ?

    thanks , Jerry

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous4:45 PM

    HI, I AM LOOKING FOR A SETE OF PICK UPS FOR MY 55 LES PAUL CONTACT ME A REDANDROLLIT@WINDSTREAM.NET

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous3:21 AM

    I have a gibson super 400 1937 in excellent condition.Just need to get the pickguard re attached. The guitar has a single pickup attached to it, was that an option for the guitar that year or was it added later on?
    woody

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous4:36 AM

    hai..i am having a acoustic guitar of an indian company..can i convert it into electric
    http://thevintageacousticguitar.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous8:50 PM

    Hi,
    Wich pickup is in the Lucile?
    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous9:09 PM

    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.

    ReplyDelete
  12. jerry6:59 AM

    i just purchased a 91 lucille.any way of knowing the production nos for her.would love to have mr king to sign her but he is not coming anywhere close to jacksonville fl

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous2:16 AM

    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. ...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous10:37 PM

    I own a King Of The Blues 7 of 150 with a C.O.A. and the guitar signed by B.B. King after a concert, does anyone have a value on what this could be worth? Thanks for any help, Bob. choadaboyx@peoplepc.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous8:50 AM

    weqwe

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous2:23 PM

    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.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Love it :) nice blog

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous12:32 PM

    i have a red 97 but it has lucille inlaid on headstock and B.B. King inscribes on metal peghead i guess its called. Was this a special model as all Ive seen have B.B. King inlaid?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous7:16 PM

    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???

    ReplyDelete
  20. that is great i will check it out. in addition i will share to you that B.B. King is coming to Flagstaff at The Amphitheatre at Fort Tuthill (formerly Pine Mountain Amphitheater) on 10/2/2011.

    ReplyDelete
  21. That's one of my favorite electric guitar until now.

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  22. Anonymous3:47 PM

    actually i've found an 70th anniversary lucille with BB's name for inlays instead of block inlays. On the golden truss rod cover its written clearly ''70 Years''.

    so there was another at the 75th anniversary or was this a typo? how rare are those anniversary guitars?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous11:38 AM

    From what ive heard,BB had his prototype 1 80th birthday stolen and Gibson made him a prototype 2 to replace it(#1 was his gigging guitar)It was given to him and then shortly after #1 was returned to him Does anybody know what happened to prototype #2

    ReplyDelete
  24. Nice blog
    www.musicjaan.com
    for guitar chords and to provide your own song

    ReplyDelete

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