B.B. King's Sound
The single-note singer whose vibrato became the blues standard.
Warm semi-hollow neck pickup, clean-to-edge amp, and that butterfly vibrato
The rig
The gear associated with the sound. Each item opens a live Reverb search — vintage examples where they exist, modern equivalents where they don't.
Guitars
- Gibson ES-355 'Lucille'Find on Reverb
- Gibson ES-335Find on Reverb
- Gibson ES-175 (early)Find on Reverb
Amps
- Fender Twin ReverbFind on Reverb
- Lab Series L5Find on Reverb
- Gibson Lab Series solid-state ampsFind on Reverb
Effects
- Minimal — a clean amp with a little natural compressionFind on Reverb
Pickups
- Gibson humbuckers; f-holes closed on later Lucilles to combat feedbackFind on Reverb
Other
- Varitone circuit on ES-355Find on Reverb
- Very light picking with a plectrum, no fingerpickingFind on Reverb
Why it sounds like that
The Thrill Is Gone
Clean semi-hollow with string arrangement and a light chorus of natural amp compression — the definitive modern blues tone.
Sweet Little Angel (Live at the Regal)
A hotter Fender-amp edge with the room and the crowd audibly shaping the sound.
Every Day I Have the Blues
Big-band context with the guitar sitting cleanly above horns rather than fighting them.
Similar sounds
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