B.B. King and The Legend of His Guitar Lucille

In December 1949, B.B. King and his band were performing at a juke joint in Twist, Arkansas, when a brawl broke out between two men. The altercation caused a kerosene-filled barrel to tip over and ignite, rapidly setting the wooden building ablaze. King narrowly escaped but rushed back inside to save his guitar, risking his life as the structure began to collapse. He later discovered the fight had been over a woman named Lucille—a name he would forever after bestow upon his instrument.

King’s guitar of choice evolved into Gibson’s curvy, semi-hollow body models, particularly the ES-330 or ES-355. He immortalized the instrument’s dramatic origin in the title track of his 1968 album, “Lucille.” Decades later, in 1980, Gibson launched its first official B.B. King signature model: a black ES-355 Thinline Dual Pickup Stereo Varitone guitar, complete with a TP-6 fine-tuner tailpiece and “Lucille” elegantly scripted across the headstock.

One of the most distinctive and practical features of the Lucille model is its sealed body cavity, which omits the traditional f-holes found on most semi-hollow guitars. According to Mat Koehler, vice president of product at Gibson Brands, “He wanted to try to limit the feedback, which led to the f-hole delete, which is why Lucilles are still popular to this day, even outside of blues.” This design innovation not only reduced unwanted resonance but also gave the guitar a cleaner, more focused tone suited to both studio and stage.

Gibson has since released numerous iterations of the Lucille, including more accessible Epiphone versions, making the iconic model available to a broader range of musicians. A special 100th anniversary edition is also currently in development, continuing the legacy of one of the most storied instruments in blues history. For many players, the Lucille remains a symbol of resilience, soul, and technical ingenuity—qualities that defined B.B. King’s monumental career.