GuitarCleanSolo
Blues Boys Tune Solo Guitar Tone Settings — B.B. King
B.B. King · 1990s · blues
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson ES-355TD-SV 'Lucille'
Pickups
Gibson 490R (neck) and 490T (bridge) humbuckers, with Varitone circuit
Amp
Gibson Lab Series L5 solid-state combo
Pickup Position
Both pickups engaged (Varitone position 2, stereo Y-cord)
Studio recording, late 1990s ('Blues on the Bayou' album, 1998). B.B. King used his signature Lucille ES-355 with both pickups engaged and Varitone position 2. Amp is the Lab Series L5, his main studio and live amp from the late 1970s onward.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain2.5
Reverb3
Treble6.5
Presence5.5
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Tone Character
- warm and smooth
- nasal, out-of-phase midrange
- singing sustain
- touch-sensitive
- quick, percussive attack
- bright but not harsh
- round, vocal-like phrasing
- clean with edge-of-breakup
- dynamic response to picking
- minimal compression