Riff Tone

kiss

lucille

Guitarblues1970s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson ES-355TD-SV 'Lucille'

AmpGibson LP-1 Les Paul preamp head with LP-2 power amp/speaker cabinet (solid state, Standel-built, mid-late 1970s studio recording)

PickupsGibson humbuckers (stock on ES-355TD-SV, stereo wiring)

Amp Settings

gain4

bass5

mid7

treble7

reverb2.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, late 1970s. B.B. King used both pickups with the Varitone set to position #2, plugged in via stereo Y-cord to separate amp channels. No pedals or external effects confirmed for the riff section; all tone shaping from guitar and amp. No evidence of live/tour rig for this specific recording.

Tone Character(10)

midrange honkquick, percussive attackwarm and smoothtouch-sensitiveslight breakup when played hardemphasized treble cutforceful pick attacksinging sustain on single notesdynamic response to pickingarticulate note separation

Difficulty

The riff requires control over vibrato and picking dynamics for B.B. King's signature touch, but the fretting and rhythm are not technically complex.

Sources

The secrets behind B.B. King's guitar tone on The Thrill Is Gone

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

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