B.B. King Lucille Gem Series Ruby Electric Guitar

In the history of all music, there has never been a guitar associated with one musician quite like blues legend B.B. King is linked to his beloved Lucille “ a custom-built Gibson ES-355 manufactured exclusively for the true "King of the Blues" since 1980. And B.B. King is not only the most renowned blues musician of our time; he's also one of the most important electric guitarists of all-time. His singular bluesy style has influenced generations of players across genres, and his powerful and distinct songs have appeared on the charts more than 70 times, from blues to R&B to pop.

B.B. King Lucille Gem Series electric guitars are a limited release of BB King's iconic "Lucille" finished in dazzling colors. Today's B.B. King Lucille from the Gibson Custom Shop is made to exactly the same specifications as the guitar played by King himself. The most outstanding qualities that make this instrument his own include a body with no f-holes and a fine-tuner tailpiece. The body consists of plain laminated maple top, back, and rims, with multi-ply binding on both the top and back. The neck is a three-piece maple neck with Gibson's traditional rounded profile, a scale length of 24¾-inches, and a 22-fret ebony fingerboard that is outlined with single-ply binding and adorned with genuine pearl block inlays.

The Gibson Lucille is loaded with dual 490 humbucking pickups that feature alnico magnets for a classic tone that is well balanced, smooth, and warm. The 6-position Varitone switch circuitry adds capacitors of different value to the circuit. The capacitors act as a notch filter, so each position on the switch notches out mid-range frequencies, thinning out the sound. You'll get a surprising range of great tones that will let you cover any musical turf. Stereo wiring provides both stereo and mono connections, with two output jacks on the lower bout.

Other standard appointments include all gold hardware, metal tulip tuners, a Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge and TP-6 fine tuning tailpiece. As is customary with the ES-355 there are two volume, two tone knobs, and a three-way selector switch, Vari-tone switch, and both stereo and mono jacks. The B.B. King Lucille comes a Gibson Custom hardshell case and certificate of authenticity. Each certificate is printed in white, with artwork in the color that matches the guitar. This is a first for Custom and Memphis. The cover of the certificate holds "BB King" and an image of his crown logo, inside lists the serial number, and a facsimile of BB King's signature.

Also included are The Best of B.B. King Christmas Collection CD with B's bluesy interpretation of 13 holiday songs, and the 160-page hardcover book The B.B. King Treasures: Photos, Mementos & Music from B.B. King's Collection that tells the story of King's life and includes an hour-long CD of conversation with the bluesmaster also playing musical examples on his very own Lucille. The book also included facsimiles of tickets, programs, posters from King's shows.