“We wrote this about the great Texas bluesman Joey Long, a Gulf Coast lead-guitar picker who appeared on a great number of wonderful records by the likes of Slim Harpo and Barbara Lynn. We had more than a few paper-clip nights over the years. The 220 setting doesn’t work very well outside of the 220 countries, as I can tell you from experience. I must, however, advise anyone fortunate enough to find one to beware of the variable power plugs. They still retain a distinctive, rich, enjoyable tone and are well worth owning. I ran them through cabinets with those Greenback speakers. I had four of those babies, and they were my main road amps for years. “That Marshall amp, which was a trusted friend through the first six records, was an import brought over by Jeff Beck’s at-the-time tech. The opening part was played on what we used to call ‘the mystery setting’ in the dark days before the existence of the five-way toggle switch, when finding that perfect ’tweener required dedication. Pickup-setting differentials account for the different tones. That fuzz sound in the lead and in the front and back end of the composition is just pure tube distortion. You should be able to get a good rendition of most of ZZ Top’s most played songs by using those settings.“That is straight guitar into amp: a 1955 Strat with a stop tailpiece through a 1969 Marshall Super Lead 100. Out of the box, we get a cleaner, crunchier sound without the need for extra effects by using the Plexi. We could have probably gotten away without using the Treble Booster if we had of chosen the JCM 800 amp model, but I think this works much better. I have the Boost set at 6 and the Bright set at 8. I only added one effect in the whole setup and that is a Treble Booster. The master volume on the cab should be at 7. Move the mic slider 80 percent to the right on mic B and the Dry/Air mix to 3.31. The cabinet is also going to need some adjustments too. To get the ZZ Top tone, set your Plexi amp to these settings: That means that we won’t need as much gain in the amp as guitar players that use a chunkier rock tone. I’m going to use the Plexi model in Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig 3 because I think it is a closer match for the sound we’re going after.Įven though Gibbons’ tone is a bluesy rock tone, we are going to go more to the blues side of the scale. Gibbons has used a Marshall Plexi amp and a JCM 800. I’ve said before if you start off with the right amp, you won’t need a bunch of pedals to make your tone sound like you want it to. He has also been known to use a Fuzz pedal and a couple of other devices too.įor our purposes, in building Gibbons’ ZZ Top guitar tone at a home computer, I am going to go very simple and let the amp do the talking. When it comes to guitar tone, Gibbons uses what you would expect any rockin’ blues man to have in his arsenal, including Gibson guitars and Marshall amps. As a matter of fact, they are in the midst of a summer tour right now, so if you haven’t had a chance to see them, there is still time. Whether it’s the beat, the lyrics, or that bluesy guitar tone, something always brings people to their feet for “Tush,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” and “Tube Snake Boogie.” You’re not likely to find a single person sitting down in a club when one of ZZ Top’s classic songs is being played. Along the way, the legendary power-rock trio has managed to maintain a constant and easily recognizable sound for almost 40 years. Using a long list of Gibson guitars, including his iconic ’59 Les Paul known as “Pearly Gates,” Gibbons has tirelessly led ZZ Top to become one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. Both styles are so unique they rarely get confused for someone else.
Clearly this is tone that has “Legs.”īilly Gibbons is one of those guitarists you can recognize from looking at him or from hearing his guitar playing. With ZZ Top, Billy’s been pumping out that Texas roadhouse sound since the ’60s. Today we feature the furry tone of Billy Gibbons. Straight from the Gibson archives, “The Gibson Classic Tone Tip” can help you sound just like some of music’s biggest stars and greatest legends.
ZZ TOP GUITAR SERIES
Next in a Series of Step-by-Step Guides to Home Recordingīy Jim Dalyrmple, from Gibson – Have you ever tried to play like one of your guitar heroes, but weren’t able to get your tone quiet right? Allow us to lend a hand.
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