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Billy Gibbons tone

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cannes06

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Jul 3, 2019
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1
Hello all,
besides purchasing a genuine Custom Shop Pearly Gates model (outside of my budget), which combination of Les Paul guitar and humbuckers (probably a SD Pearly Gates) would achieve the Billy Gibbons early ZZ top tone within a 5k$ price range ...
Thanks
 
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randall

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Feb 21, 2002
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1,310
Depends what years of his tone your taking about?

Sure he used certain gear that you can find or get close enough too, but all of it is in his hands and mind.

Les Paul + Marshall is the cornerstone of all ZZ Top.

Get a used Les Paul classic and put some SD pearly Gates in it wired 50's
Get a used Marshall DSL40 or JCM 800 or 900 combo

Probably run you $2000 - $2400
 
jb_abides

jb_abides

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Apr 6, 2005
Messages
5,385
randall said:
Depends what years of his tone your taking about?

Sure he used certain gear that you can find or get close enough too, but all of it is in his hands and mind.

Les Paul + Marshall is the cornerstone of all ZZ Top.

Get a used Les Paul classic and put some SD pearly Gates in it wired 50's
Get a used Marshall DSL40 or JCM 800 or 900 combo

Probably run you $2000 - $2400
Click to expand...

This - it's also down to what tune, actually...

He also played Strats on the early albums, too.

Oh, and let's not forget his fuzz, and the obligatory peso pick.

"Tone is in the fingarz" :salude
 
Big Al

Big Al

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Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,541
A good reissue 50's Burst like a R9, bright, slightly hot, paf type pickups of your choice, roll the tone knob back a bit on bridge pu and use a Fender tweed amp you can wack up to patent pending and control from guitar. You need to engage the power tubes to get the tone, push treble and mids, just enough bass to know it's on but keep it low to eliminate mud and flap. On amps with a TONE knob, dime it.

Control amp from guitar and fingers. Try this variation of woman tone ala Gibbons. Both pickups dimed, toggle in the center, neck pickup tone rolled all the way off and bridge tone dimed. Use the pickups vol controls to adjust tone.

Or just hit the Rev Willy G preset button on your multi FX.
 
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Mats A

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Jan 15, 2008
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799
I think he used something like Rio Grande amps in the 70’s wich i believe where like Marshall or Fender clones. I’m not sure he rolled back on the tone he used some kind of Fuzz and it was probably that that gave him that low mid tone. As said tone is mostly in the hands of the player.
 
Last edited:
K_L

K_L

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Joined
Sep 11, 2014
Messages
566
cannes06 said:
Hello all,
besides purchasing a genuine Custom Shop Pearly Gates model (outside of my budget), which combination of Les Paul guitar and humbuckers (probably a SD Pearly Gates) would achieve the Billy Gibbons early ZZ top tone within a 5k$ price range ...
Thanks
Click to expand...

I would start w/ a decent LP & and a set of Seymour Duncan 'Pearly Gates' pickups. I would also 'take notice' of 'randall`s' post right below yours as he is an expert on Billy Gibbons`s tone imho. Also do a search of the band 'Flash Lightin`' & you`ll hear some great guitar tones played by 'randall' reminiscent of early ZZ Top. Here`s a good example for you as that`s 'randall' gettin` down!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Suud0wxDB3c&fbclid=IwAR3Vl4plLiIZZT5ieAWQ3o-x9aKj7o-eXeldLt23286TCKdqSWxvJQUMbzM

 
Last edited:
mdubya

mdubya

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Mar 31, 2010
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1,025
Strat direct into the mixing board.

Or a Marshall Lead 12.

 
R

randall

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Feb 21, 2002
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K_L said:
I would start w/ a decent LP & and a set of Seymour Duncan 'Pearly Gates' pickups. I would also 'take notice' of 'randall`s' post right below yours as he is an expert on Billy Gibbons`s tone imho. Also do a search of the band 'Flash Lightin`' & you`ll hear some great guitar tones played by 'randall' reminiscent of early ZZ Top. Here`s a good example for you as that`s 'randall' gettin` down!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Suud0wxDB3c&fbclid=IwAR3Vl4plLiIZZT5ieAWQ3o-x9aKj7o-eXeldLt23286TCKdqSWxvJQUMbzM
Click to expand...

Very kind words.
 
maxcarp709

maxcarp709

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2019
Messages
34
K_L said:
I would start w/ a decent LP & and a set of Seymour Duncan 'Pearly Gates' pickups. I would also 'take notice' of 'randall`s' post right below yours as he is an expert on Billy Gibbons`s tone imho. Also do a search of the band 'Flash Lightin`' & you`ll hear some great guitar tones played by 'randall' reminiscent of early ZZ Top. Here`s a good example for you as that`s 'randall' gettin` down!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Suud0wxDB3c&fbclid=IwAR3Vl4plLiIZZT5ieAWQ3o-x9aKj7o-eXeldLt23286TCKdqSWxvJQUMbzM
Click to expand...
Since the subject of this thread intrigued me,I decided to watch the video of Randall and Flash Lightning.I am glad I did!I would say he has the Billy Gibbons tone from the early days nailed!Great performance and Great Band!
 
R

richie6

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Joined
Jul 2, 2009
Messages
10
maxcarp709 said:
Since the subject of this thread intrigued me,I decided to watch the video of Randall and Flash Lightning.I am glad I did!I would say he has the Billy Gibbons tone from the early days nailed!Great performance and Great Band!
Click to expand...


I am not one who fusses on tone much. Yes good gear helps but always felt
that most of it is in the fingers .
however I do feel I got a pretty good BG tone one day by accident really.
Was at GC trying out a les paul and plugged it into a Fender supersonic.
No idea what setting I was on , but sounded pretty good.
underrated amp IMO.
 
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