Gibson Custom Shop 1991 B.B. King Lucille ES-355 Cherry Red

Gibson Custom Shop 1991 B.B. King Lucille ES-355 Cherry Red

Extraordinarily clean 1991 Gibson Lucille in Cherry Red!

This is a remarkable example of the legendary guitar that B.B. King helped bring into market, in all-original condition with only minor signs of use.

The Gibson “Lucille” is B.B. King’s rendition of the ES-355, but with his own modifications:

Semi-hollowbody construction without F-holes

6-Way Varitone Switch

Stereo Output

Fine-tuning TP-6 tailpiece

Full-block inlays

Ebony fingerboard

Triple binding

Special “Lucille” inlay on the headstock.

The gold hardware really makes a splash with the vibrant Cherry Red finish, and the frets are in excellent+ condition.

Brand - Gibson

Model - B.B. King Lucille ES-355

Finish - Cherry Red

Body - Semi-Hollow

Year - 1991

Made In - United States

Mods: None

Condition: Excellent (Barely played it)

Case: Original case should be there

COA, etc: It’s all here.

From Gibson Website:

Hardware - Gold

Bridge - Tune-O-Matic

Tailpiece - TP-6 Fine Tuner

Tuning Machines - Grover Rotomatic with Keystone Button

Pickguard - Multi-ply Bound Tortoiseshell

Truss Rod Cover - Brass Engraved Lucille

Control Knobs- Black Speed Knobs

Switch Tip - Cream

Neck Pickup - 490R Humbucker

Bridge Pickup - 490T Humbucker Engraved Cover

Controls - Stereo Varitone : 2 volumes, 2 tones, 1 toggle switch, 6 position Varitone switch, 2 output jacks, hand-wired with ceramic capacitors

Strings Gauge - .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046

Case - Hardshell

Accessories - Certificate of Authenticity

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The Blue Book Says:

ELECTRIC: B.B KING SERIES

The first B.B. King models were introduced in 1980 with two variations: the B.B. King Standard and the B.B. King Custom. Rather than true signature models, these guitars were regular production models with King’s personal touches, and only later became part of the Gibson Custom Shop Collection in Memphis.

The B.B. King models are based on a Gibson ES-345 with Varitone stereo electronics. Each model was renamed in 1981, respectively as the Lucille Standard and Lucille Custom. The Standard was produced through 1985, in 1986, the Lucille Custom was changed to the B.B. King Lucille, and up until 2002, there was only this variation of the B.B. King.

In 1999, Gibson added King’s requests and personal appointments to their small-bodied Blueshawk and called it the Little Lucille. In mid-2002 (according to Gibson’s price list) production of the B.B. King models was moved from Nashville to the new Gibson Memphis factory, and a new model was introduced called the B.B. King Super Lucille.

They also began to offer a signature fingerboard option (Special order with B.B. King or Lucille inlayed in mother of pearl on the fingerboard) on the B.B. King Lucille until circa 2004. In 2006, the Gibson Custom Shop produced 81 B.B. King 80th Birthday Lucille’s in honor of King’s birthday (King took ownership of Prototype #1) and that same year produced 150 B.B. King “King of the Blues” models that were exclusively sold through Guitar Center stores.

The author would like to thank Eric Dahl for his contributions in the B.B. King section.

B.B. KING STANDARD/LUCILLE STANDARD