Serial#: 980408. In the winter of 1949, BB King played at a dance hall in Twist, Arkansas. The hall was heated by a barrel half-filled with burning kerosene, a fairly common practice at the time. During a performance, two men began to fight, knocking over the burning barrel and sending burning fuel across the floor. The hall burst into flames, and the building was evacuated. Once outside, King realized that he had left his guitar inside so he went back into the burning building to retrieve his beloved $30 Gibson guitar. Two men died in the fire, and King learned the next day that they had been fighting over a woman named Lucille. King named that first guitar Lucille-and subsequently named every guitar he owned since, as a reminder never again to do something as stupid as run into a burning building or fight over women.

Usually black in color and similar to the ES-335, this guitar has a laminated maple top and neck, Richlite fingerboard with full-block inlays, and was even signed and dated 9-17-2000 by BB King himself in gold ink. Other notable features include gold-plated hardware, a gold "B.B. King" engraved trussrod cover, no F-holes (as per King's request), and "Lucille" scripted in pearl inlay on the headstock.

This guitar was signed and dated by BB King, in the presence of the consignor, during King’s appearance on September 17, 2000, at Atlantic City’s Trump Taj Mahal.

VG; some playing wear on pickup covers, some wear on back