Gibson Lucille

[Cincy2]

Since I retired last year, I've had an urge to explore slow blues in the style of BB King. What better way than with a Gibson ES model named after his favorite instrument. Gibson just released a new version of the venerable guitar. I didn't care for the transparent stain they put on the body. I also thought they added just a bit too much bling. I went to work with Google and found a 1997 instrument that looked to be in fantastic shape. A few days later I had her in my arms. I didn't care for the setup or the strings and felt that the swirl marks and light scratches could easily be buffed out. I took it to my GO TO guitar shop in St. Pete where they did a fantastic job of bringing her back to almost new condition. I love the heft of this instrument and the sophisticated color scheme. Much better than the current version to me. Now the fun begins.

Cincy

[Chickee]

Looking at that beautiful guitar, I can understand that the thrill won’t be gone for a very long time. 😎🎶😎

[Steve DeRosa]

Sweet guitar - use it well, often, and LOUD - but FWIW not exactly a new concept in Gibson annals; here's a Kalamazoo-built 1965 Epiphone Al Caiola Custom with the same basic features: two humbuckers (min-buckers in this case), Varitone switching (Epi's version was called the "Tonexpressor" and employed five individual mini-switches), and upscale appointments on a fully-enclosed semi-hollow body - which was also available in B.B. King-approved, 355-style dark-walnut finish:



It was also available in a "Standard" version, with two P-90's and simpler appointments but still employing the model-specific circuitry - here's a '66 in primo condition, with the customary ES-style cherry finish:



Great instruments BTW - I played a few back in the day, and missed a chance at two of them in the mid-70's (including a new-old-stock Standard selling for $150 at Manny's ) - and why the current Epiphone firm never revived them under a different name, rather than producing a downmarket Lucille, is a mystery to me...

[GoPappy]

Cincy, that is a beautiful guitar! Congrats and enjoy.

[EZYPIKINS]

Looks like "The Thrill" is about to begin.

[Glennwillow]

Wow, that is a terrific looking guitar! Shiny black with that white binding! Man! That looks great to me!

Congrats on a terrific guitar!

- Glenn

[leew3]

that's a beauty that likely has much more mojo than a new one! Have a great time getting to know your own private Lucille.

[BoneDigger]

That's a real beauty! If your spouse asks, just say "I'll play the Blues for you"! (Yes, I know that's Albert and not BB).

[FrankHudson]

Looks like a great end to your search.

I've always gotten the impression that the Varitone circuit was unloved, but I have one electric with a Varitone and I find it a neat variation.

[Cincy2]

After getting familiar with this instrument and the Varitone feature, I'm not a fan of it. I love the nice fat, rich tone i can get with the feature at position 1. Everything after that gets more constipated and shrill. If I want bite, I just mix the two pickups adding as much bridge volume as I need (never very much). This is probably because of my jazz archtop fetish I had for several years. I just love a thick, juicy treble range.

The guitar has some electrical issues. I'm taking it in for a rewire and pickup selector switch replacement. I have two brand new Classic 57 pickups I'm probably going to put on it also. This is really fun!

Cincy

[jseth]

Cincy;

I didn't chime in right away because you seemed enthralled with the way the guitar sounded, stock... but now that you've come to the (to me) obvious conclusion about that Variatone switch, I can tell you what I did about it!

I have a 1975 Gibson ES-345 (pre-Lucille nomenclature)... bought it used in 1976, so it's been with me a long time! After 6 or 7 years of playing it in a couple bands, I was not a fan of the variatone switch; like you, I used it only on the first setting. My bandmate at the time played a Gibson Les Paul, and his signal was demonstrably "hotter" than mine, so I asked a tech about it.

He put a little mirror inside the guitar and showed me what looked like a small Christmas tree with ornaments all over it... "That's where your signal is going!" The variatone pot has so many resistors and such that it was killing my signal output.

I had him remove that variatone pot and in its place he put a by-pass switch that runs the output of the pickups straight into the amp, bypassing both the volume and tone pots. At the same time, I replaced the stock pickups with Seymour Duncans; a PAF '59 in the fretboard and a Jeff Beck for the bridge pickup... both are wired with single-coil splitters.

LOVE those pickups, even after all these years (the work was done in 1983), and I love being able to get passable single-coil tones from them.

My 345 is one of those "Swiss Army knife" guitars, for me; it will do everything I want an electric guitar to do... have to alter my playing style slightly to achieve a "Fender-esque" sound, but it's right there! Love the 'board pickup by itself on full humbucker.

In an amazing turn of events, I really love the tone of that Jeff Beck pickup, as well! I've rarely been a fan of that bridge position; nearly always sounds far too thin and shrill for my tastes, but this one is fat and rich and smooth, with great harmonics!

Especially with the single coil option in the circuit, I really like using that by-pass switch as a sort of preset volume control, too; compensates for the output difference between the humbucker and single coil options...

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Beautiful guitar!! Sorry to hear it has some electrical issues though. I'm sure the guys in St Pete will get it straightened out for you.

[FrankHudson]

I must be the only one then who likes the Varitone. Though I have only one guitar with it, I also have:

• A Jaguar and a Bass VI with the "strangle switch"
• A Jazzmaster and that Jaguar with the "rhythm circuit"
• A Strat and a few others with "quack position" -- that's the one people like.

And I like using a wah pedal in "cocked wah" position too. So, I must like filtering an electric guitar signal.

The lower output, thinner sound thing is exactly what I've used the Varitone for.

[rmp]

I've always loved those Lucille's

Classy looking guitars, with exceptional tone

Congrats on the score, its beautiful.