Which module coud cover a ZZ-Top like sound?

[eddiespaghetty]

Hi,

what would you guys think, which module would Billy Gibbons choose as a basic for his playing?
Your ideas are welcome!

Cheers
eddie

 

[ned911]

Depends on why era BG you're trying to nail. My first reaction would be a SL or SL2, it's all a hot rod Marshall sound. His stage rig (behind stage) is a JMP into a 9200 power amp. For the early 80's sound throw a Rockman in front of the SL/SL2.

 

[eddiespaghetty]

Thanks alot man - I thought about his sound nowadays (e.g. live in Texas) - saw him 4 weeks ago, wondering,what gear he really uses (his stage rig is very impressive, but I didn't know, he is using a JMP - is that for sure man?)

btw, what is a Rockman?

Cheers
eddie

 

[swimrunner]

I would think an SL would get that all the way.

 

[eddiespaghetty]

Is he using a fuzz in front of whatever he plays?
Does the SL/SL2 take pedals well?
eddie

 

[viking22]

btw, what is a Rockman?

In the 80's,many guitarists in the US were using a Rockman for recording (i was in Canada,but it was the same) as a DI box.It's a headphone amp/DI box/pre-amp (like a SansAmp).Not bigger than a walkman.It gives you a nice smooth lead tone.The upper model included a delay as well.But everybody had the same tone..Later on,Rockman became a leader in guitar effects building.

Is he using a fuzz in front of whatever he plays?

In the 90's,Gibbons made famous the "ExPandora",a Fuzz/distortion.Nowadays,he's using so many different gear...many pedal-builders claim they just made the BG fuzz...

 

[Zaphod B]

In fact, Gibbons was known to have chained 4 Pandoras in series, according to Guitar Player mag.

 

[jlbaxe]

He also just used a BK Butler Tube Driver. BG will sound like himself through just about any amp. Saw him walk on a stage and borrow a guys guitar, through a marshall something and didnt even touch his settings and still had that Gibbons tone. Alot of it is his style of playing.

He had Butler put tube amps for the stereo in his Custom '64 Cadillac that he gave to his long time girl friend.

An old guy I knew was over my house when I was 18, he grabbed my '88 Ibanez rg550 and peavey bandit 65 solid state crappy amp and started jammin out on ZZ top and I couldn't believe my ears. This guy won blues awards and played with Aretha Franklin and a few others and I didnt even know he played guitar. I never heard those tones out of a piece of crap solid state amp/guitar again. Goes to show you skill/style/technic can do.

 

[jmgman69]

I never heard those tones out of a piece of crap solid state amp/guitar again. Goes to show you skill/style/technic can do.

I got all this cool shit and no skillz

 

[jlbaxe]

I never heard those tones out of a piece of crap solid state amp/guitar again. Goes to show you skill/style/technic can do.

I got all this cool shit and no skillz

yeah I have all this cool shit and no skills too

 

[ned911]

Rockman was invented by Tom Scholz the leader and guitarist of Boston.

The other trick for BG is that he uses a Peso for a pick.

 

[EWSEthan]

The other trick for BG is that he uses a Peso for a pick.

That is fascinating. Im pretty sure Brian May plays with a coin too. Have you ever tried that? It sure as hell doesnt work for me.

 

[RockStarNick]

Billy Gibbons also uses like 8's for strings and has a super light touch.

Which contradticts his sound somewhat, but whatever works, right?

I tried playing with metal picks and coins. It became a battle of which metal would last longer, my strings or the pick, and my strings always lost.

 

[viking22]

The other trick for BG is that he uses a Peso for a pick.

That is fascinating. Im pretty sure Brian May plays with a coin too. Have you ever tried that? It sure as hell doesnt work for me.

I guess that's why he uses a Peso Nothing like Mexican coins..

 

[warlok1965]

This weekend my band played Cheap Sunglasses at a block party and I used the GnR module, channel 1, gain about 2 o'clock, volume down a tad on my guitar. Sounded great to my ears!!