Gibson SG Monark Billy Gibbons
Gibson SG Monark Billy Gibbons
The steampunk movement was launched by the novels of Jules Verne, such as *20,000 Leagues Under the Sea*, in which his descriptions of imaginary steam-powered machines inspired legions of writers, filmmakers, designers—and even luthiers! This SG Monark is the perfect example of what a steampunk-themed Gibson should look like. It started as a humble 2008 SG Standard, and Billy Gibbons, its owner, decided to make it special with the help of Thomas Nilsen (founder of the Cream T Pickups brand) and Raymond Eide (from the Faust Guitars workshop in Trondheim, Norway).
The two men began by sanding off the original finish of the SG, then aged the wood and refinished it with a much lighter varnish. But that was just the beginning. They then added a leather veneer to the headstock (with the Gibbons logo instead of the usual Gibson one), and also used leather for the four knobs. They sourced a beautiful metal logo from the Norwegian motorcycle brand Monark, dating back to the 1960s, to create the truss rod cover, and they salvaged elements from a World War II-era U.S. Air Force aircraft to craft the output jack, the pickup selector (labeled “Outer Marker”), and the toggle switch for the clock, which reads “Inter/Radio.”
Yes, you read that right: the ultimate steampunk feature of this guitar art piece is the mechanism of a 1950s British clock, shaped like a horn to replace the wood on the upper cutaway of the SG—like a bionic eye on a human. This incredible mechanism can be activated and triggers a massive roar from the Cream T Pickups. In fact, this guitar is so special it was featured in the summer 2018 issue of the British *Guitarist* magazine, as part of a cover story on modified guitars.
Billy F Gibbons
(1949)
Band: ZZ Top
Main guitar: 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard
Must-hear track: Just Got Paid
Billy Gibbons is the boss. The boss of guitarists, with his sensual vibrato and the fat tone—like a burrito—he gets from his Les Paul. The boss of singers, with his raspy and twangy voice. The boss of bandleaders, with ZZ Top, the trio whose lineup remained unchanged since 1969. The boss of style, with an impeccable sense of stage fashion. And finally, the boss of collectors, with several hangars filled with thousands of guitars he’s acquired over the years. Legend has it that he owns an example of every year of every model from the major brands—and it might not be just a legend… What’s certain is that the guitars we do know he owns are enough to make your head spin, from “Mistress Pearly Gates,” the famous ’59 Les Paul that’s always been by his side, to his hardtail ’54 Strat often heard alongside Pearly Gates, and his many hotrod-style custom guitars.
His career began in 1967 with The Moving Sidewalks, one of the few Texas psychedelic rock bands inspired by the 13th Floor Elevators. They even opened for Jimi Hendrix before splitting in 1969, the same year Gibbons founded ZZ Top.
The trio started out with thick, traditional blues rock before evolving toward a more electronic direction, beginning with *Degüello* in 1979. This shift was solidified with the trilogy *Eliminator* / *Afterburner* / *Recycler*, three albums where Gibbons’ blues blended with synths and drum machines of the era, winning over a wide fan base—whether drawn in by singles like “Gimme All Your Lovin’” and “Rough Boy,” or by the band’s iconic music videos that were on heavy rotation on MTV. Since then, ZZ Top has reinvented its sound again with a fatter, more organic, fuzz-drenched tone. Gibbons has appeared as a guest on numerous albums and released two solo albums of his own: *Perfectamundo*, which explores Cuban music, and *Big Bad Blues*, which returns to his roots—somewhere between Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley. The circle is complete.
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