California S-Style 2006 Ex Billy Gibbons
California S-Style 2006 Ex Billy Gibbons
Just like the Harmonia that comes from the same Gibbons collection, this California was Gibbons’ couch guitar — a very cool version of the Strat he liked to pick up while watching TV, occasionally landing on one of the riffs from his last three albums. The Harmonia has a rosewood fingerboard, while this California has a maple one, closer to Gibbons’ usual preference when it comes to Strats.
Just as he did with Tokai in the ’90s, Gibbons chose this California — a guitar most players would have considered a low-value Strat copy — and made it worthy of his blues-soaked fingers. Starting with a hot rod–inspired neon pink paint job, Gibbons then designed a pinstriping motif that really brings out the character of this modest instrument. He continued the transformation with a green pearloid pickguard that perfectly complements the pink body, then added blue, green, and pink control knobs. The three pickups are all DiMarzio: a DP403 Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2 in the bridge, a DP414 Virtual Vintage Solo Pro in the middle, and a DP404 Virtual Vintage Solo in the neck — a model no longer in production and now attracting collector interest. This simple Strat has been turned into a blues machine with a hot rod look — only Gibbons could pull off such a feat.
Like all guitars from the Billy Gibbons collection sold by Matt’s Guitar Shop and purchased directly from Gibbons himself, this stunning California has been signed by the Reverend on the back of the headstock and comes with a signed certificate of authenticity, a photo of Billy holding the guitar, a photo of Billy signing the guitar, and a photo of Billy signing the certificate. It’s our way of ensuring that you’re truly buying his instrument.
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Billy F Gibbons
(1949)
Band: ZZ Top
Main guitar: Gibson Les Paul Standard 1959
Must-listen track: Just Got Paid
Billy Gibbons is the boss. The boss of guitarists, with his sensual vibrato and that thick, burrito-like tone he gets from his Les Paul. The boss of singers, with his gritty and twangy voice. The boss of bandleaders, with ZZ Top — his trio whose lineup remained unchanged since 1969. The boss of style, with an impeccable sense of stage attire. And finally, the boss of collectors, with multiple hangars filled with thousands of guitars he’s acquired over the years. Legend has it he owns at least one of every model from every year by the big brands — and that might not be just a legend… One thing’s for sure: the guitars we do know about are enough to make your head spin, from “Mistress Pearly Gates,” the legendary ’59 Les Paul that has been his lifelong companion, to his 1954 hardtail Stratocaster often heard alongside Pearly Gates, not to mention his many hotrod-style custom guitars.
His career began in 1967 with The Moving Sidewalks, one of the few Texan psychedelic rock bands inspired by the 13th Floor Elevators. They even opened for Jimi Hendrix before splitting in 1969 — the year Gibbons founded ZZ Top.
The trio started out playing heavy, traditional blues rock before shifting toward a more electronic sound, beginning with *Degüello* in 1979. This direction solidified with the *Eliminator / Afterburner / Recycler* trilogy — three albums where Gibbons’ blues mixed with synths and drum machines of the era, resulting in a sound that won over many fans, whether they discovered the trio through singles like “Gimme All Your Lovin’” and “Rough Boy” or through the band’s iconic MTV-heavy music videos. Since then, ZZ Top reinvented their sound once more — thicker, more organic, and soaked in fuzz. Gibbons has made numerous guest appearances on other artists’ albums, and above all, released two solo records: *Perfectamundo*, which explores Cuban music, and *Big Bad Blues*, a return to his roots somewhere between Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley. The circle is complete.
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