BB King tone

Chriscwt1

Chriscwt1

Inspired
Hi All,

I have agreed to do a gig in a few weeks for which I need do play a few BB King songs. I would really like to dial in that classic 'BB King' tone (although I will using a Les Paul rather than a semi-acoustic. Does anyone have any tips for where to start?

thanks
 
I gotta' tell you the closest I've ever come to a BB King tone was 'with' my 77' LP. Years ago on my Ultra there was a preset called Subway Verb which as a factory preset exampled a ton of verb. I backed it off a bit and it became my go to for everything clean. I have converted and updated to the XL and then the III and still use it. My rig is packed right now and I can't see inside my preset but I have a copy. I believe it is the Soldano 90. Happy to attach it. See how it works for you.
 

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  • 000_My Ultra Verb.syx
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Start with the Super Verb or the Double Verb with the 2x12 double verb cabinet. Add a little Spring verb and that should get your close. Add an eq if you want to simulate the Veritone. Something like this might get you close to the dials on the veritone of his guitar.
1.) Bypass (no changes in EQ)
2.) -8.5dB at 1875Hz
3.) -12dB at 1090 Hz
4.) -15dB at 650 Hz
5.) -16dB at 350 Hz
6) -20dB at 130 Hz
 
I was just watched the "Life of Riley" film saw B.B. several times when he was alive. I was playing around the other day w/my '63 335 Gibson 2015 Memphis re-issue. I believe I dialed it in pretty close using the Fender Blues Jr. and a filter notch around 1875 Hz (see above) on the Amp Input EQ...This patch was built using the Axe-FX III and latest Firmware (12.14)... Please let me know what you think. Here's one of his best performances (his words):

 

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  • Riley B. King.syx
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Last edited:
I jumped into modeling with the AxeFX Ultra and upgraded to the newer version(s) when I heard something in development that, to me, justified spending the money. IIRC it was f/w update ver. 5.04 for the AxeFX II, and subsequently ver. Ares 11.01 for the AxeFX III.

If I'm dialing in something to emulate someone else's sound it will incorporate elements elements from the recorded sound on the original track mixed with elements that best fit my technique and the suited to guitar I'm playing at the time. Most of the guitars I have owned had/have been loaded with dual humbucker (most pickups were eventually swapped out for some PAF type variant (SD Seth Lover's, Fralin Unbuckers, etc.) I love the sound of single coil pickups but I much prefer humbuckers.

David Gilmour was a big influence for me growing up, and I spent a lot of time early on learning guitar tracks on Pink Floyd albums. As I was learning my way around the AxeFX UI and its PC software editor I found myself relearning a lot of the guitar tracks that pushed me to begin playing and tracks that I learned during my early years as a guitar player. Below are a few examples I posted on SoundCloud shortly after taking delivery of an AxeFX II. These were recorded using the bridge pickup in a 1987 alder body PRS CE24 w/ rosewood finger board (pre-production, 'PRS Electric' headstock logo) with custom shop Seymour Duncan Seth Lover pickups (wax potting for hardware only, coils unpotted and tightly taped) through an AxeFX II, presets built to approximate the lead tone of each track, not to precisely emulate. Pickup used was already a departure so...







Due to health issues I can no longer play as much as I'd like, but I do my best to play every day. These days I'm either learning, and sometimes recording, guitar solos from tracks that were/are influential for me (mostly from 60's/70's music) or I'm playing just for the joy it brings. When just playing for enjoyment I usually dial in something close to a couple of amps that I owned and used predominantly for many years - a 1964 Fender Pro 1x15 combo (no reverb), and a 1972 Marshall 50 watt Lead head w/ a Marshall basket weave B cab loaded with G1265's).
 
I'd say a Deluxe Reverb, with the middle position on the Les Paul coupled with those signature rakes and vibrato will put you into BB King territory immediately. Everyone will recognize that.
 
Much of B.B.s sound was in his hands...but also a 335-345/Lucille is the secret. IMHO, w/o a semi-hollowbody I can't get the vibe/feel. The 335/345 was created by Gibson specifically for these guys and jazz players (the 3 kings). The other secret was in the Varitone (as mentioned by @Jeremiah Pierson above)...I've read that mostly B.B played w/the Varitone in the 2nd position. Most Fender amps will work well for these tones. I chose the Blues Jr. for my patch (above) because, I believe, it adds a little more Blues Vib than the Deluxe or other models.
 
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