Riff Tone

The Thrill Is Gone

B.B. King & Eric Clapton

Guitarblues1960s

Original Gear

Guitarmid-1960s Gibson ES-355TD-SV (stereo, Varitone circuit, both pickups engaged)

AmpGibson Lab Series L-5 solid-state combo

PickupsGibson humbuckers (stereo, both pickups active, Varitone position 2)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid7

treble6.5

reverb4

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1969 (album: Completely Well). B.B. King used both pickups with Varitone set to position 2, plugged into both channels of the amp via a stereo Y-cord. No evidence of pedals or outboard effects for the riff section. Clapton's rhythm guitar is not prominent in the riff section and is not the focus here.

Tone Character(10)

clean and glassyquick, percussive attackmidrange honktreble cutample headroomwarm but articulatetouch-sensitivelyrical phrasingforceful attack with heavy picksinging sustain from vibrato

Difficulty

The riff requires expressive vibrato, clean bends, and dynamic control, but is not technically fast or complex in terms of note choice or rhythm.

Sources

The secrets behind B.B. King's guitar tone on The Thrill Is Gone Best blues amps: electric guitar amplification for when the thrill is gone 5 songs guitarists need to hear by… BB King

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