B.B. King

• No tremolo bar — all vibrato comes from a fast, narrow shake of the fretting finger
• Neck pickup only; guitar tone at 6–7, amp completely clean
• BB's vibrato is fast and narrow — pivot from the wrist, not the whole forearm
• Leave wide gaps between phrases — the silence is as musical as the notes
• Bend upward into the note, hold, then add vibrato; never release early
• Play fewer notes with total intention — BB avoided runs, every note was deliberate
• Mid-forward amp EQ (boost 500Hz–1kHz) reproduces the semi-hollow body warmth
• Volume swells with the guitar knob add dynamics without a pedal
• Study "The Thrill Is Gone" — definitive example of his phrasing and space

B.B. King's singing single-string lines through a semi-hollow guitar and clean amp defined the blues guitar voice for generations. He never used a tremolo bar — his entire vibrato came from his fretting hand alone, producing the "butterfly" vibrato that became one of the most studied techniques in blues.