.gif)
Lucille (guitar)
Encyclopedia
Lucille is the name given to B.B. King's guitars. They are usually black Gibson
guitars similar to the ES-355.
In the winter of 1949, King played at a dance hall in Twist, Arkansas
. In order to heat the hall, a barrel half-filled with kerosene
was lit, a fairly common practice at the time. During a performance, two men began to fight, knocking over the burning barrel and sending burning fuel across the floor. The hall burst into flames, which triggered an evacuation. Once outside, King realized that he had left his guitar inside the burning building. He entered the blaze to retrieve his beloved $30 Gibson guitar. Two people died in the fire. The next day, King learned that the two men were fighting over a woman named Lucille. King named that first guitar Lucille, as well as every one he owned since that near-fatal experience, as a reminder never again to do something as stupid as run into a burning building or fight over women.
B.B. King wrote a song called “Lucille” where he talks about his guitar and how it got that name. The song was first released as part of Lucille and it is included on the B. B. King Anthology 1962–1998 album.
on most of his recordings with RPM Records (USA). However, he is best known for playing variants of the Gibson ES-355.
launched the B. B. King Lucille model. The most noticeable differences between the Lucille and the Gibson ES-355TD-SV on which it is based are the "Lucille" script on the headstock, the maple neck, and the lack of F-holes
on the top. The top has no F-holes at B. B. King's request to reduce feedback.
The Gibson subsidiary Epiphone
also offers a low-cost, foreign made Lucille model based on the Gibson Lucille. Differences include a variation on the headstock
inlays
, a gloss finish and different pickups
guitar. It differed from the Blueshawk in having a Tune-o-matic
bridge and a TP-6 stop tailpiece.
The model is no longer found among Gibson USA's current product listing, and the Blueshawk on which it was based has been discontinued.
. Upon researching information on the instrument, he was contacted by a Gibson Artist Relations representative, who informed Dahl of the stolen status of the guitar. This Lucille was returned to King in late November 2009, who was happy to receive his 80th birthday present back.
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
guitars similar to the ES-355.
The story of Lucille
Twist, Arkansas
Twist is an unincorporated community in Cross County, Arkansas, USA.Twist was mentioned in the B.B. King song "Lucille" as the location of a club where he once played. It was at this club in Twist where a woman named Lucille started a fight which set the place on fire...
. In order to heat the hall, a barrel half-filled with kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
was lit, a fairly common practice at the time. During a performance, two men began to fight, knocking over the burning barrel and sending burning fuel across the floor. The hall burst into flames, which triggered an evacuation. Once outside, King realized that he had left his guitar inside the burning building. He entered the blaze to retrieve his beloved $30 Gibson guitar. Two people died in the fire. The next day, King learned that the two men were fighting over a woman named Lucille. King named that first guitar Lucille, as well as every one he owned since that near-fatal experience, as a reminder never again to do something as stupid as run into a burning building or fight over women.
B.B. King wrote a song called “Lucille” where he talks about his guitar and how it got that name. The song was first released as part of Lucille and it is included on the B. B. King Anthology 1962–1998 album.
Early Lucilles
King played guitars made by different manufacturers early in his career. He played a Fender TelecasterFender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
on most of his recordings with RPM Records (USA). However, he is best known for playing variants of the Gibson ES-355.
Gibson Lucille
In 1982, Gibson Guitar CorporationGibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
launched the B. B. King Lucille model. The most noticeable differences between the Lucille and the Gibson ES-355TD-SV on which it is based are the "Lucille" script on the headstock, the maple neck, and the lack of F-holes
Sound hole
A sound hole is an opening in the upper sound board of a stringed musical instrument.The sound holes can have different shapes: round in flat-top guitars, F-holes in instruments from the violin or viol families and in arched-top guitars, rosettes in lutes. Bowed Lyras have D-holes and Mandolins may...
on the top. The top has no F-holes at B. B. King's request to reduce feedback.
The Gibson subsidiary Epiphone
Epiphone
The Epiphone Company is a musical instrument manufacturer founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos. Epiphone was bought by Chicago Musical Instrument Company, which also owned Gibson Guitar Corporation, in 1957. Epiphone was Gibson's main rival in the archtop market...
also offers a low-cost, foreign made Lucille model based on the Gibson Lucille. Differences include a variation on the headstock
Headstock
Headstock or peghead is a part of guitar or similar stringed instrument. The main function of a headstock is holding the instrument's strings. Strings go from the bridge past the nut and are usually fixed on machine heads on headstock...
inlays
Inlay (guitar)
Inlay on guitars or similar fretted instruments are decorative materials set into the wooden surface of the instrument using standard inlay techniques. Although inlay can be done on any part of a guitar, it is most commonly found on the fretboard, headstock —typically the manufacturer's logo— and...
, a gloss finish and different pickups
Pickup (music technology)
A pickup device is a transducer that captures mechanical vibrations, usually from suitably equipped stringed instruments such as the electric guitar, electric bass guitar, Chapman Stick, or electric violin, and converts them to an electrical signal that is amplified, recorded, or broadcast.-...
Gibson Little Lucille
In 1999, Gibson launched the Little Lucille, a version of their BlueshawkGibson Blueshawk
The Gibson Blueshawk is a relatively recently designed Gibson model designed mainly for blues players . It superficially resembles the Les Paul in that the body outline is similar...
guitar. It differed from the Blueshawk in having a Tune-o-matic
Tune-o-matic
Tune-o-matic is a name of fixed bridge design for electric guitars. It was designed by Ted McCarty and introduced in the Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar in 1954. In 1955, it was used on the Gibson Les Paul Gold Top...
bridge and a TP-6 stop tailpiece.
The model is no longer found among Gibson USA's current product listing, and the Blueshawk on which it was based has been discontinued.
The Lost 80th Birthday Lucille
In 2005, for B.B. King's 80th Birthday, Gibson made a special run of 80 Gibson Lucilles, referred to as the '80th Birthday Lucille'. The first prototype was presented to King as a birthday present. King used the guitar as his main guitar until the summer of 2009, when it was stolen from him. On September 10, 2009, Eric Dahl unknowingly purchased the stolen instrument from a pawn shop in Las VegasLas Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. Upon researching information on the instrument, he was contacted by a Gibson Artist Relations representative, who informed Dahl of the stolen status of the guitar. This Lucille was returned to King in late November 2009, who was happy to receive his 80th birthday present back.