1997 Gibson B.B. King Lucille ES-355 70th Anniversary Limited Edition, Near-Mint & Signed w/ Case, Tags

Up for sale, a 1997 Gibson B.B. King “Lucille” ES-355 70th Anniversary Limited Edition in near-mint condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case and hangtags. A rare, limited release of King’s signature guitar produced to celebrate his 70th birthday, this Lucille sports unique inlay, also among the last made in this limited run, hand-signed by King himself on the top.

One of Gibson’s longest-running signature models, B.B. King’s “Lucille” 355 was built to the blues legend’s specifications with no F holes (designed to further reduce unwanted feedback) and stereo outputs. This particular Lucille was ordered by Gibson’s Japanese distributor Yamano. Gibson’s USA-made guitars distributed via Yamano are often considered to be among their best, featuring the highest quality woods picked for Gibson’s discerning Japanese audience.

Tonewoods comprises a semi-hollow maple body (maple centerblock), mahogany neck, and bound ebony fingerboard, and this Lucille weighs 9lbs 14oz. Via the 490R and 490T humbucker pair, this Gibson pairs the attack and articulation of maple with the warmth of the semi-hollow body construction, covering ample tonal ground and delivering everything from harmonic rich growl in the bridge position to jazz-worthy warmth and fullness with the neck pickup singled out. The six-way Varitone switch adds a bevy of additional tonal options, with thinned-out sounds and midrange forward options, and there are dual outputs for stereo functionality. This Lucille has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

-Wood: Mahogany
-Shape: Medium C, measuring .845” 1st fret, .980” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Ebony, B.B. King signature and guitars inlay
-Frets: Medium jumbo, no wear
-Scale Length: 24 3/4”
-Nut: 1 11/16”
-Headstock: “70 Years” truss rod cover
-Tuners: Schaller (Gibson-branded)
-Serialization: Eight-digit stamp dates to ‘97
-Factory Markings: “Limited Edition” decal on back of peghead

Body Specs:

-Wood: Maple (maple centerblock)
-Pickups: 490T/490R humbuckers
-Harness: Bridge Volume pot replaced (original included)
-Controls: Volume x2, Tone x2, Three-way pickup selector, six-position rotary Varitone
-Hardware: Nashville bridge, TP-6 tailpiece
-Plastics: Multi-ply bound tortoise pickguard (Fox Guards replica, original included), black speed knobs, white switch tip

The gloss Ebony nitro lacquer finish is framed by multi-ply binding, accented by King’s prominent signature (applied in gold permanent marker) and exhibiting subtle vertical checking, and there are just a few minor finish scratches on the top and back, and light patina on the treble-side of the pickup covers and bridge hardware from the off-gassing of the stock pickguard. The nitro gloss on the neck profile is clean and smooth.

The original Gibson USA hardshell case is included, along with the Gibson/Yamano hangtags.