Billy F Gibbons
\n(1949)<\/p>\n
Band: ZZ Top
\nMain guitar: 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard
\nMust-hear track: Just Got Paid<\/p>\n
Billy Gibbons is the boss. The boss of guitarists, with his sensual vibrato and the fat tone\u2014like a burrito\u2014he pulls 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 stagewear. And finally, the boss of collectors, with multiple hangars filled with thousands of guitars he\u2019s amassed over the years. Legend has it he owns one of each year of every model from the major brands\u2014and that might not be just a legend\u2026 The instruments we know he owns are enough to make your head spin, from \u201cMistress Pearly Gates,\u201d his iconic \u201959 Les Paul that\u2019s been with him forever, to his \u201954 hardtail Strat that often complements Pearly Gates, not to mention his many hotrod-style customized guitars.<\/p>\n
His career began in 1967 with The Moving Sidewalks, one of the few psychedelic rock bands from Texas inspired by the 13th Floor Elevators. They even opened for Jimi Hendrix before splitting in 1969, the year Gibbons formed ZZ Top.<\/p>\n
The trio started off with gritty, traditional blues rock before moving in a more electronic direction, beginning with Deg\u00fcello<\/em> in 1979. This shift became fully realized in the trilogy of Eliminator<\/em> \/ Afterburner<\/em> \/ Recycler<\/em>, three albums where Gibbons\u2019 blues merged with synths and drum machines of the era. The result won over many fans, whether they discovered the band through singles like \u201cGimme All Your Lovin\u2019\u201d and \u201cRough Boy,\u201d or through the band\u2019s excellent music videos that were on constant MTV rotation. Since then, ZZ Top has reinvented itself once more, with a fatter, more organic sound drenched in fuzz. Gibbons has made numerous guest appearances on other artists\u2019 albums and released two solo records: Perfectamundo<\/em>, which explores Cuban music, and Big Bad Blues<\/em>, which returns to his early loves, somewhere between Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley. The circle is complete.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A genius guitarist with a unique look and eccentric style, Billy Gibbons has made his mark on music history as much for the thick tone of his guitars as for his beard, now inseparable from the Reverend himself. A tireless instrument collector, Gibbons is also highly inventive when it comes to designing original models. Among the myriad guitars he has created over the years, the red Billy Bo holds a special place. This now-iconic guitar is actually a tribute to two generations of bluesmen\u2014Billy Gibbons, of course, and Bo Diddley, who originally came up with the shape. The John Bolin Billy Bo Gretsch Prototype offered by Matt\u2019s Guitar Shop is a rare guitar built by John Bolin. It showcases all the key features of the Reverend\u2019s personal instruments, pushing the Billy Bo concept to its highest level.<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s revisit the story of the Billy Bo, a mythical guitar that introduced a bold and futuristic design. In 2005, Billy Gibbons launched his first signature model with Gretsch\u2014a radically designed guitar that actually dated back decades. The Gretsch Jupiter Thunderbird shape was originally created by the legendary Bo Diddley in 1959. At the time, the Brooklyn brand made him just one example, which he later gave to Gibbons. This historic piece remained in ZZ Top\u2019s frontman\u2019s archives for years until he pulled it out for a recording session, after which he proposed to Gretsch the idea of developing a dual-signature model uniting two generations of guitarists. Hence the name Billy Bo\u2014honoring both Gibbons and Diddley. The Billy Bo retains the original shape, but features TV Jones Powertron pickups, better suited to ZZ Top\u2019s signature thick modern tone.<\/p>\n John Bolin and Billy Gibbons began a fruitful collaboration after meeting backstage at a ZZ Top concert in Boise, Idaho. Gibbons fell in love with Bolin\u2019s instruments, and the two quickly embarked on several guitar projects combining one\u2019s creativity and the other\u2019s technical mastery. Master builder John Bolin worked closely with Billy Gibbons, crafting more than 100 custom guitars and basses over two decades. Over the years and through numerous builds, they dreamed up eccentric instruments showcasing Bolin\u2019s craftsmanship. They experimented with various materials to meet the Reverend\u2019s boundless imagination: sculpted tops, gold finishes, flame tops, fur and leather coverings, even warped tops. Their partnership extended to the stage, where Bolin gradually became the maker of the Billy Bo guitars Gibbons played live\u2014primarily to reduce weight on the shoulders.<\/p>\n This rare Billy Bo John Bolin Prototype comes directly from Billy Gibbons\u2019 collection and was built by luthier John Bolin. It features all the hallmarks of the Reverend\u2019s personal instruments: a remarkably lighter weight compared to its Gretsch equivalent and a bridge pickup that roars with intensity. A truly exceptional piece, available at Matt\u2019s Guitar Shop!<\/p>\n Do you have questions about this product? Contact us!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6122,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[358,361,352],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16757","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-guitars","7":"product_cat-electric-guitars","8":"product_cat-artists","9":"pa_artiste-billy-f-gibbons-en","10":"pa_disponibilite-for-sale","11":"pa_marque-gretsch-en","13":"first","14":"instock","15":"shipping-taxable","16":"product-type-simple"},"yoast_head":"\n