Billy is is best known as the lead guitarist for “ZZ Top”. Gibbons trademark guitars are his Gretsch “Billy-Bo” and his 1959 Gibson Les Paul known as “Pearly Gates”, although it is common to see Billy step on stage with something quite exotic.
He is also known for his custom cars and love for Mexican cuisine. It is widely known that Billy uses a Mexican Peso coin as a guitar pick.
One of my favorite Billy Gibbons quotes is: “This place won’t be here tomorrow, so let’s tear it down tonight!”
Click this link to read a free issue that includes a 10 page interview from 2002 where Billy describes the secrets behind his search for the ultimate tone.
The interviewer starts with this introduction:
“Welcome, Señors and Señoritas. We resume our exploration into the mysterious realm of tone, and this month our journey begins midway between Houston and San Antonio in a little town called La Grange. You know how that story goes… The creepin’ shuffle boogie intro to “La Grange” exploded into one of the most unique and recognizable guitar tones on the planet, compliments of Billy F. Gibbons and that Little ol’ Band from Texas. You gotta hand it to the Rev… with just one note stroked from Pearly Gates, there is no absolutely no doubt who’s in charge, and that’s a high wire act matched by a mere handful of players in the long and colorful history of the guitar.”
So how did Billy start defining his tone? As I learned from the report, it started when he found the guitar that ultimately became knows as “Pearly Gates”. Check out the story…”
…a friend called and said he knew a farmer with an original Les Paul. He kept it under his bed and rarely played it. At that time I was driving an old 1930s Packard automobile, and I gave it to a girlfriend so she could get out to California to audition for a part in a movie. She made it and got the part, and swiftly sold the Packard and sent a check to me. I remember the day her letter arrived, and immediately struck out toward the farmer’s place and said, “How ‘bout $250 for that guitar?” He said, “Fine,” and that’s Pearly Gates. - Billy F. Gibbons, The ToneQuest Report, 2002
Even though that interview was from 2002, not much has changed for “The Reverend”.
Here is a link to a recent video from Premier Guitar where Billy’s tech, Elwood Francis, runs through Bill’s live rig. This is 17 minutes of pure heaven for tone searchers… enjoy!
…and remember what Billy says: “You gotta have the TONE!”
I made it to ZZ Top & Aerosmith last night in Phoenix. Forget that the temperature was 113 degrees, the concert was outside, and bottled water was selling for $4.00… this was one HOT concert!
First, Aerosmith was amazing. In fact, Aerosmith was the first band I ever saw perform live. They played at a small club called “The Agora” in Cleveland Ohio back in the 70′s. You could barely fit 100 people in there… and I was one of them. That was then, and this is now. Aerosmith is a major draw today packing the largest venues to the max. Like 20,000 max at the Cricket Pavilion Amphitheater.
Steven Tyler rocked…but for my money…Billy Gibbons is the legend I wanted to see. He did not disappoint. He owned the stage!
I am still amazed that 3 people can generate the sound that ZZ Top creates. The main reason? Reverend Willie G!
One last tribute to one of the all-time greats of lead guitar… Billy G — give us a blues lesson!
Billy Gibbons comes to Phoenix tonight… along with Dusty Hill, Frank Beard, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford and me…GuitarDaddy. OK… I will be in the crowd, not on stage. Should be a ripping concert from the Aerosmith / ZZ Top tour.
In honor of the evening, here is a killer video of Billy playing slide on “Just Got Paid”.
Billy F. Gibbons was born on December 16, 1949.
