Getting that Billy Gibbons sound

Simon_M

I’ve found the answer...

https://reverb.com/uk/p/gibson-billy-gibbons-pearly-gates-les-paul-standard-murphy-aged-sunburst-2009?gclid=CjwKCAjwsJ3ZBRBJEiwAtuvtlHoe3nrrfjey_n-L7BbgYys3z7SIJkCJIqG_WJ_dfHlW2yDAXP3OsRoCh3sQAvD_BwE&hfid=12945701

Bargain price.

AndyR

clarkefan said:

ChuckManual said:

Lodious said:

Make sure you avoid the 6 pack, which tried to make the good sounding albums sound like the shit sounding albums.

Probably the biggest remastering disaster in modern music. 

Wis award for this statement alone.

It simply CANNOT be repeated enough.

Find a copy of this greatest hits package from 1977, none of the crap remastering, bloody great album  It can be found for way less by the way...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Zz-Top/dp/B00069YEF2

Get this box set - it's the old mixes, and only £25 for the first 10 albums at the moment. Eliminator has some slight issues, an early version of the box set had the brickwalled modern version - but the set I bought a year or so ago had been fixed. It still has the wrong mix of Legs apparently, though... Who cares? Most of us are here for the first 5-6 albums. I also liked the 7th (El Loco) when it came out, but find it a bit "so what" nowadays.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Studio-Albums-1970-1990/dp/B00D66URO4

ESBlonde

One word of caution. Billy is a practical joker and is proven to talk bollocks when being interviewed about his gear (even by his own admission too).

The open tunings and light strings enable the band to do that easy corriagraphed stage routine without compromising the music or singing.

You might look at the Daryls House youtube episode featuring BFG where he sounds like himself and on the face of it isn't surrounded by racks and racks of gear or the need to be a ZZ rep. Daryls House does get some post production before transmission/release it seems, but that band are the dogs danglies.

impmann

Isn't the trick these days to have someone off stage playing a lot of the parts for you...? ;-)

Danny1969

It's all in his hands ... in particular the right hand. The riffs often use a lot of ghost notes, hard to explain but it's a totally different technique to most rock players .... got more in common with country ...not the notes, the right hand I mean

The pinched harmonics are pretty easy, pinch either an octave or fifth above the note your playing to get the right harmonic note .... so imagine the fretboard carried on all the way over the pickups, allow for how small the frets would have got and memorise some common markers like the edge of a pickup etc

iain.reverb

Simon_M said:

Been learning a few ZZ Top songs and I can’t nail down the sound. Obviously a lot of Billy’s sound comes from his proficient blues style which I’m working on but wondering what I can do to get his tone (or at least get close).

Short of buying a Les Paul (don’t give mean excuse!) what would be your approach? I mostly play a Strat so the lack of humbuckers might be an issue. 

A tree of Bixonic Expandoras (Allegedley!)

EricTheWeary

iain.reverb said:

Simon_M said:

Been learning a few ZZ Top songs and I can’t nail down the sound. Obviously a lot of Billy’s sound comes from his proficient blues style which I’m working on but wondering what I can do to get his tone (or at least get close).

Short of buying a Les Paul (don’t give mean excuse!) what would be your approach? I mostly play a Strat so the lack of humbuckers might be an issue. 

A tree of Bixonic Expandoras (Allegedley!)

There was definitely that tree, bit less certain that any of them were actually used.

Aidanspaghetti

XXX and (especially) Rythmeen have some of the BEST ever recorded guitar tones on them. He used a magnificent old mechanical DeArmond trem unit on a lot of the songs.... Incredible sound, searched for one for a long time but now they are unobtainium...... Legend for a reason.
He's the MAN.

John_A

ESBlonde said:

One word of caution. Billy is a practical joker and is proven to talk bollocks when being interviewed about his gear (even by his own admission too).

The open tunings and light strings enable the band to do that easy corriagraphed stage routine without compromising the music or singing.

You might look at the Daryls House youtube episode featuring BFG where he sounds like himself and on the face of it isn't surrounded by racks and racks of gear or the need to be a ZZ rep. Daryls House does get some post production before transmission/release it seems, but that band are the dogs danglies.

That was brilliant!  Three guitarists trying to complement the song rather than out-play each other.  Some wonderful playing from everyone

boogieman

Aidanspaghetti said:

XXX and (especially) Rythmeen have some of the BEST ever recorded guitar tones on them. He used a magnificent old mechanical DeArmond trem unit on a lot of the songs.... Incredible sound, searched for one for a long time but now they are unobtainium...... Legend for a reason.
He's the MAN.

Wis’d. Rhythmeen has some of the greatest tones he’s ever recorded, especially the title track. 

ESBlonde

John_A said:

ESBlonde said:

One word of caution. Billy is a practical joker and is proven to talk bollocks when being interviewed about his gear (even by his own admission too).

The open tunings and light strings enable the band to do that easy corriagraphed stage routine without compromising the music or singing.

You might look at the Daryls House youtube episode featuring BFG where he sounds like himself and on the face of it isn't surrounded by racks and racks of gear or the need to be a ZZ rep. Daryls House does get some post production before transmission/release it seems, but that band are the dogs danglies.

That was brilliant!  Three guitarists trying to complement the song rather than out-play each other.  Some wonderful playing from everyone

I often look for new or unseen episodes from Daryls house. I've discovered new artists and enjoyed old ones too. I remeber at the last Cambridge meet up Mark ( @Alnico ) too said he was a fan iirc. The band are a delight and thats an understatement.  As a taster I recommend The O'Jays episode or Grace Potter (low Road especially) Cheap Trick, The Doors, AWB, Joe Walsh, Cee Lo Green, Wyclef Jean, Chris Daugthry, Monte Montgomery (awesom guitar playing) etc. and then take it from there.

My latest discovery on the channel - Alan Stone, a young lad with a heck of a voice!

Alnico

Wow, OMG yes.

Live at Darryl's house is full of EPIC performances.

My personal Favourite is still 'Take another piece of my heart' or 'You've lost that lovin' Feeling'.

Not sure who the musicians where right now as I type this but search YT and you'll find them.

Oh and Kenny Loggins, 'Footloose'.

Joe walsh's set was jaw dropping when they play 'Rocky Mountain Way' and 'Life's been good'...

And the day he met the surviving members of The Doors...

It's endless talent.

Darryl Hall himself is such an accomplished musician and his session guys who back him up are just as good.

Top shelf and an inspiration to anyone who wants to play live.

Play as well as those guys and you've nailed it.

randella

As re. Gibbons, that tone of his as he smashes the Eb-E opening to Jailhouse Rock on the live side of Fandango, and on the version of Backdoor Love Affair that follows hot on its heels...

Yeah. 

That’d do for me. 

I suspect I won’t be replicating it in the confines of a suburban semi-detached any time soon though

FelineGuitars

this was fun

Voxman

FelineGuitars said:

this was fun

Interesting 're gear ZZ used but sadly his tone was far too thin and he got nowhere near Billy's tone.  Probably didn't help that he was playing the songs wrong too.