Billy F Gibbon’s isolated guitar parts in ZZ Top’s “La Grange”

[j45]

Not even close

 

[Velvetgeorge]

Obviously not the original track. Seems like a good player, but many things wrong with this recording. The feel and timing for sure. The tone sounds like an amp sim in the computer. Obvious reverb plug in, not a real room. And missing the punch of a real amp. Too much gain, not enough dynamics.

george

 

[ted149]

One giveaway is the first solo (the section in C). On the original, it sounds like a Strat bridge pickup, switching to neck pup halfway through. On the 'isolated' track, it's the same pickup all the way, and too much overdrive.

The intro rhythm guitar is Strat in position 4 on both, but the tone on the isolated track sounds very different.

 

[Ron]

Thank you Roadrunner!

 

[Garincha]

Even one person suggested it's the track from Guitar Hero, not the original recording.

I think you hit it on the head with that assumption. First hint of it being the Guitar Hero version is the stereo format of the tracks. Stems from Guitar Hero are always stereo because of the file format used in games. That is even true when the original tracks were mono.

Some of the various games did use original tracks or at least stems, but some did not when the developers couldn't aquire the rights of the original recordings. This example is obviously the latter case. The guy did a pretty good job, but he doesn't really nail it. The strat part (rhythm) has too much gain, it's pretty clean in the original version. He also used a Les Paul for both solos where it was a strat on the 1st solo in the original version.

There is also no leakage and spillover from the drums and bass which pretty much all isolated takes from that period have. They did record much more live and in one pass back then and you'll always have leakage. And there is that stereo plate reverb, the original is pretty dry. If they would have used significant reverb, it would have been an EMT plate. But the original doesn't have that.

 

[The Real MC]

BG has been known to tell tall tales about his gear and recordings to keep copycats off his tail.

It ain't the real tracks. Even the intro is wrong.

 

[troyad]

If that's Billy Gibbons......he needs to buy a metronome.

 

[sgtJoe]

Really folks.......come on, that is obviously not the original track. The notes and phrasing are worlds away from BGs playing. The Hendrix strat was used on a lot of Tres Hombres. Tony Dukes showed me a photo one time of BG with a three color sunburst maple board strat that was from around the Tres Hombres time. Apologies To Pearly was recorded and named during a session when it didn't arrive at the studio in time, hence the name and use of the same strat.

 

[mistersnappy]

Everyone- erase all that mess with this fat juicyness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQQ3Z4ycFkc

 

[Garincha]

Tony Dukes showed me a photo one time of BG with a three color sunburst maple board strat that was from around the Tres Hombres time. Apologies To Pearly was recorded and named during a session when it didn't arrive at the studio in time, hence the name and use of the same strat.

The rhythm and the first solo is so obviously strat that I can't believe anybody thought otherwise. The second solo is not that obvious and could be Pearly mixed to fit the rest of the guitar tracks but all other tracks are really obviously strat.

 

[blewsbreaker]

Ok guys,
I should have checked it out a little closer before I posted it...
Now THIS is Billy for sure!!! :dude:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlmoU_yQdkM

 

[Classic]

If the OP is true then it's an early demo of the song.

The song is all over the place, the guitar is very bright/not warm and missing parts, which may have been tracked later.

 

[BluePat]

Has anyone actually listened to "La Grange" here? Listen to the original recording, then... listen to whatever that is in the link above by the O.P.. :hee

This might help...
http://deege.free.fr/zztop/

Muchas gracias por el enlace!

 

[DucRyder]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE1xO44FlME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl34aTt4d10

 

[Classic]

I'm still not convinced, mostly because the timing is all over the place in the OP recording. I'm not denying it could be an isolated guitar part of the original demo, but it is very unlikely to be an isolated guitar part as used in the original recording.

 

[fused]

Pinched harmonic at 1:21 in the OP clip that does not exist in the original - that and the falling down the stairs run that preceeds it.
:fc

 

[27sauce]

I always knew there was a lot of strat on that song as he used the strat a lot on the first few albums. The 2nd solo sounds like humbuckers to me and maybe Pearly. Jesus Just Left Chicago is all strat.

In his book he says it's this "Broadcaster", he he.