ZZ Top, why am I only just getting into them?

zepp76

Ive just recently been getting into ZZ Top and I don't honestly know why it's taken so long! I'd previously only heard a couple of songs off the Eliminator album but have just bought their back catalogue and have to say there are some real gems. I absolutely love Mr Billy G's tone, do any of you good folk know anything about his rig i.e amps and pedals used please? I'd love to have a crack at a few of their songs in the near future.

springhead

He's legendary for not letting on what he used on various songs/albums.  Or deliberately telling porkie pies.  First Album (wittily titled as such) is either a tweed Deluxe, brown Deluxe or a Marshall.  Or combination thereof.   With lots of Pearly.  Jesus Just Left Chicago is a '52 Tele.  Beyond that I don't know!

tone1

Bixonic Exandora is supposed to be his pedal of choice. Check out Pat&Doug on YouTube for some early Billy tone chasing 

EricTheWeary

springhead said:

He's legendary for not letting on what he used on various songs/albums.  Or deliberately telling porkie pies.  First Album (wittily titled as such) is either a tweed Deluxe, brown Deluxe or a Marshall.  Or combination thereof.   With lots of Pearly.  Jesus Just Left Chicago is a '52 Tele.  Beyond that I don't know!

That seems a fair summary!

Lots of studio level rack gear on later recordings ( possibly) with ring modulators, chorus,etc. Massive guitar collection. You'll see live pictures with Supro amps and Bixonic Expandora pedals but they aren't necessarily in his signal chain, they are there just to look nice ( IIRC Billy studied art before becoming a rock star so has a very strong visual eye for everything Top). There is a Rig Rundown on youtube from a few years ago. 
He hasn't used pesos as picks for a long time ( if he ever actually did) and has his signature strings are 7 to 38s. Obviously many tracks had multiple guitar parts and I believe he used altered tunings on many things in the studio although I don't think he does live. 

If you've been buying up the back catalogue what you hear will also depend upon which remixes you hear. Following the success of Eliminator a lot of the older stuff was 'modernised' with new mixes and added modulation. Those remixes still get used so you want the better/ earlier versions really.The 1980 Rockpalast live show is available on DVD and is probably the most straightforward live run through you can get. IIRC they would have been promoting the Deguello album at Rockpalast which  effectively marked the end of the early style. The next album was El Loco whch was more experimental  then Eliminator and hit singles,etc,etc. From then on they do seem to have had a realisation that an album can be two singles and eight tracks of filler. 

I've dipped in and out of Billy and ZZ Top for what must be over thirty years. I like to rediscover them about once a year, get slightly dissapointed with their output since the 80s and move onto something else.    

richardhomer

‘Apologies to Pearly’ was a 50s Strat.

Winny_Pooh

XXX is the best of the later albums. Marshall JMP1 direct & w cab, plus a plexi into 2x10s

zepp76

tone1 said:

Bixonic Exandora is supposed to be his pedal of choice. Check out Pat&Doug on YouTube for some early Billy tone chasing 

Just watched a clip on YouTube of the Bixonic, it sounds great! I never knew it existed until now, I wonder if there are any clones on the market?

tone1

Jhs Kilt is similar apparently 

springhead

Saw them late '90's in Brixton and they were fab.  Played only one Eliminator era song, the rest was all the early stuff.  It was wonderful.

Here's a recent clip with a minimal rig.  Think there's something on the floor in front of him.  Also any idea what pedal that is on top of his Magnatone combo?

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

clarkefan

Apparently a Marshall Lead 12 on some stuff amazingly.  

There's also a writeup somewhere on the net written by the engineer on Eliminator, apparently he and Billy did the whole thing, just the two of them, Billy wrote everything and used a Dean guitar with a Dimarzio Super Distortion which was so hard to control they had to record everything virtually chord by chord.

ZenOvertone

Old Grey Whistle test 1980...gritty and real (excuse the terrible syndrums)

 

lovestrat74

Its a shame there seems to be no early footage of them on youtube for whatever reason..

randella

As @EricTheWeary has said, the albums got remixed down the years.  The un-remixed versions are floating about on streaming services and I generally diffrentiate them by how heavy the drums sound (a lot thinner and more organic on the earlier ones).

Also I don't know what he was using on the live version of Backdoor Love Affair from the Fandango album, but whatever it was it was wound up, on the verge of feedback, and filthy.  Makes me smile every time.

Dave_Vader

zepp76 said:

Ive just recently been getting into ZZ Top and I don't honestly know why it's taken so long! I'd previously only heard a couple of songs off the Eliminator album ...

and that's why

newi123

Cue 'it's all in the fingers' conversation.......

HandwrittenHero

springhead said:

He's legendary for not letting on what he used on various songs/albums.  Or deliberately telling porkie pies.  First Album (wittily titled as such) is either a tweed Deluxe, brown Deluxe or a Marshall.  Or combination thereof.   With lots of Pearly.  Jesus Just Left Chicago is a '52 Tele.  Beyond that I don't know!

Jesus just left Chicago was a 1950 broadcaster. La Grange was a 55 hardtail strat (second solo was probably his 59 Les Paul)

A lot of that really doesn’t matter though...Billy has always been a gearhound and told tall tales. Guy has played thick gauge strings and 7s with a peso for a pick and through a ton of different amps. Most of his sound is in touch and attitude and he’s one of if not my favourite guitarist for that reason.

For my money though in terms of the early album tones...tweed, brownface or early Marshall and make sure you can get the tubes cooking nicely even with vintage voiced pickups hitting it and you can find yourself in the right ballpark.

HandwrittenHero

Dave_Vader said:

zepp76 said:

Ive just recently been getting into ZZ Top and I don't honestly know why it's taken so long! I'd previously only heard a couple of songs off the Eliminator album ...

and that's why

There’s some decent, well written songs on eliminator when you get to the meat and potatoes of it...less said about some of the production choices the better mind. Digital drums *shudder*

The real treasure is in the first few albums though.

chromatuna

Agree with the above post ^

There’s a few people who I wish would re-record tunes from the 80s with more, shall we say ‘organic’ sounds

TINMAN82

Love Billy’s greasy guitar style and tone. Saw them in Glasgow in 2017- awesome. Quite accessible to learn many of their songs even for those with modest talent like me. Lick library lessons are good and Jeff Mcerlain has an “in the style of” course on Truefire.

tralfamadan

I liked them but they grew big beards and I didn't like it but the newer fans did and then there was this whole do we have a beard? situation.

mark_jwedge

zepp76 said:

tone1 said:

Bixonic Exandora is supposed to be his pedal of choice. Check out Pat&Doug on YouTube for some early Billy tone chasing 

Just watched a clip on YouTube of the Bixonic, it sounds great! I never knew it existed until now, I wonder if there are any clones on the market?

@zepp76 there is actually a bixonic expandora for sale in the classifieds

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/155045/selling-up#latest

No affiliation, was tempted myself but have already splurged on two pedals in the last week!!!