This past Saturday, September 21, B.B. King's Gibson ES-345 “Lucille” Prototype, which he received for
This past Saturday, September 21, B.B. King's Gibson ES-345 “Lucille” Prototype, which he received for his 80th birthday, sold at auction for $280,000.
The signature instrument, which was King's primary stage guitar during his later years, was sold at the "Property From The Estate of B.B. King" auction in Los Angeles for well over its original estimate of $80,000-$100,000.
This "Lucille" guitar was one of only 80 of its kind, and features a headstock with the words "B.B. King 80," a mother-of-pearl crown, a pickguard printed with the same crown and King's name in gold, and custom "BB" covers on the pickups.
The “Lucille” prototype also came with a hard leather case with King's name embroidered in gold.
For more info on the auction, which featured hundreds of other items in King's collection - including a number of guitars - head on over to juliensauctions.com.