B.B. King - Lucille #iloveguitars B.B. King's Lucille. In 1949, B.B. King, during a concert, had to escape from a burning venue (in a brawl, the two contenders knocked over a bucket full of lit kerosene that was being used as a cheap heating method). Once outside, he realized that his Gibson 335 guitar was still inside. Without hesitation, he rushed back through the flames to retrieve the instrument he needed to make a living, and against all odds, he managed to save it... albeit in rough shape. He then decided to fix it up by modifying it, plugging the F-holes to avoid feedback, and putting in different electronics, with a special pickup and a new selector. He painted it glossy black and named it "Lucille" (after the name of the owner of the burned venue), adding the name on the headstock. This is how the Gibson Lucille model was born. As they say... not all bad things come to harm. B.B. King loved Lucille and even dedicated a song to her... listen to that beautiful blues.