No. 0121969·blues·5 blocks
The Thrill Is Gone
The most iconic blues guitar tone of all time. B.B. King's sound on The Thrill Is Gone is warm, vocal, and dripping with emotion: his ES-355 'Lucille' through a Fender Bassman, with no effects whatsoever. The semi-hollow body of the ES-355 provides natural resonance and sustain, while the Bassman's warm, fat overdrive (when pushed) or clean tone (at moderate volume) creates the perfect canvas for King's expressive vibrato and precise bending. Every note sings like a human voice.
Completely WellSignal path · input → output · 5 blocksLive values · Fractal Axe-Fx
Guitar
Gibson ES-355 'Lucille'
Pickups
HH
Tuning
neck
Strings
standard
Compressor
59 Bassguy
4x10 Tweed
Tube Spring
Compressor
← Studio LA-2A compressor
Level
6dB
Peak Reduction
25
59 Bassguy
← Fender Bassman
Drive
5
Bass
6
Mid
5
Treble
5
Presence
4
MV
6
Tube Spring
← Spring reverb
Mix
20
Decay
1.5s
Engineer's note
File 012
The most iconic blues guitar tone of all time. B.B. King's sound on The Thrill Is Gone is warm, vocal, and dripping with emotion: his ES-355 'Lucille' through a Fender Bassman, with no effects whatsoever. The semi-hollow body of the ES-355 provides natural resonance and sustain, while the Bassman's warm, fat overdrive (when pushed) or clean tone (at moderate volume) creates the perfect canvas for King's expressive vibrato and precise bending. Every note sings like a human voice.
— B.B. King
Sources · Verified by
Field notes for this tone
All field notes →BB King Blues Lead Tone Recipe: Lucille's Sound Explained
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From SRV's Texas shuffle to B.B. King's smooth leads, these are the best Line 6 Helix amp models for blues, with exact settings for each style.
