Riff Tone

The Thrill Is Gone

B.B. King

Guitarblues1970s

Original Gear

Guitarmid-1960s Gibson ES-355TD-SV

AmpGibson Lab Series L-5 solid state combo

PickupsGibson humbuckers with Varitone circuit (position 2), both pickups engaged

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6.5

mid6.5

treble6

reverb3

presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1969. Both pickups engaged via stereo Y-cord, Varitone set to position 2. Guitar volume and tone controls set for maximum clarity and sustain. No evidence of pedals or additional effects in the riff section. Amp chosen for clean headroom and percussive attack.

Tone Character(10)

warm and smoothbright and articulatemidrange honkpercussive attackclean headroomsinging sustaintouch-sensitivetreble cutdynamic responserich, expressive vibrato

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate-level control of vibrato, bending, and dynamic phrasing to capture B.B. King's expressive style, but does not involve fast runs or complex chord changes.

Sources

B.B. King’s guitar tone on The Thrill Is Gone: secrets behind the sound | Guitar World 10 B.B. King-inspired blues intro licks you need to know | Guitar World

This tone has been researched 5 times by the community

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