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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.
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.
Old Grey Whistle test 1980...gritty and real (excuse the terrible syndrums)
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.
The real treasure is in the first few albums though.
There’s a few people who I wish would re-record tunes from the 80s with more, shall we say ‘organic’ sounds
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!!!