Billy F would be so proud to see the respect you give to his life's work. So much to be said for going straight into an amp, using the LP's controls with a keen touch to obtain a huge range of tones. Well done!
Why would you think that Billy has million's of people who worship him lol I doubt he cares just like I'm sure you don't care about people you do not know just like everyone else.....
I think, unfortunately, what’s left of the “music industry” has decided that rock/blues etc. is not cool anymore and we all need to be listening to Cardi B. So all the real music is now sort of online only. And this could be a good thing of course, it certainly gives us access to much more cool stuff than back in the day when big companies and producers decided what rock and blues we listened to but easy access online also causes mega-saturation of said cool music online so that very few achieve super-status now. Did that make any sense? LoL! Edit: I think “online only” isn’t quite the right term, essentially all music is online only these days as opposed to when people bought records, tapes and CDs in a store, but the kinds of music and artists they want us to hear get exposure on both net and TV along with a big budget for internet advertising etc.
The real answer is that's he's terrific but there are a lot of terrific guitar players and who gets famous, especially playing this kind of music which isn't that popular right now, is mostly a matter of luck. Like, Josh Smith isn't a household name. Frankly no one knows who he is other than blues heads, but I've heard very few famous players who could keep up with him. It also helps if you can write good songs. A lot of famous guitar players are mostly famous because they play on their own songs, or they got in a band with an excellent songwriter.
Just fantastic as usual. A lot of hard work must have gone into putting this together. As an old git guitarist of 75, I am, as always, stunned by your breadth of talent.
They have a bunch of empty Magnatone headshells on stage but they still play through JMP pre amps and valvestate power sections from what I’ve read and what Elwood has said. 🤷🏻♂️
Jack is a fine ,devine , guitarist and should be playing in front of audiences and doing studio work as well, i am impressed Jack keep it going im sure some big record company or music scout is out there with a contract for you good luck sometimes all that hard work pay;s off.
Agreed...Definitely a great display of both. Instead of the Tele he used, I think a Gretsch Jet with Powertron pickups might've been a better option as it grabs that '80s resonance. The fact is many directions could've been explored but great job with the 2 chosen.
It would be really great if Billy Gibbons were to watch this video and then give his thoughts. To me (long time ZZ fan) your tones sounded pretty accurate. Great job!
Awesome Jack. That vintage rig sounded amazing but there is something so fun sounding about the later rig and it’s kinda broken sound. In the ZZ Top documentary, Billy talks a bit about recording 2 guitars and making one of the tracks with the guitar slightly out of tune to make it sound bigger. I just thought that was awesome, he isn’t afraid to take a different approach to music, and that make the band sound so traditional but unique. Amazing playing and gear as always. Much love from Tulsa.
I love that the tone and style get matched without playing any actual ZZ riffs. Cool job getting to the heart of the sound but without mimicking at all
Really enjoyed the playing. Pure old school ZZTop style-gigantic tone !! And like The Reverend he "doesn't afraid to use fingers, doesn't afraid to use pick". Great job!
I wasn't a big Magnatone fan before but after watching this video I downloaded a few profiles for my Kemper and have been playing around dialing in some gain stages looking for "that" sound. Took a bit of tweaking but WOW, once you find it, you can't play anything else. I have pretty much replaced most my live rig setups to various Magnatone profiles. Sounds so creamy in the mix. Just a complete immersive experience. LOVE IT.
Without a fuzz and the guitar volume rolled back you just can't get his early "clean" tone. Billy like most guitarist from that Era is the worst to ask what he does. He's just never going to tell you, unless he's marketing something, then it's just talk to sell something. EVH was also famous for that. It's just how it was. Don't give away tone secrets cause that's your paycheck. Instead send them on a wild goose chase and they'll have a more difficult time copying your tone. This is not a knock it's part of what makes them cool.
Absolutely loved this! I’m a huge ZZ Top fan so it was great to hear you mimicking Gibbons’s awesome feel and hinting at some of the riffs and licks! Very well done
From awhile ago but can dig this ! '75, a friend buys Fandango. I was just out of HS and been playing for a couple of years. Blue Jean Blues knocked us out but once i bought the album, all in for Nasty Dogs... Learned it note and 'squank' for note. I had a Harmony Rocket II, a LPB1 and a nice little Magnatone tube amp. Dad walks in my room while i'm jamming with Mexican Blackbird. Just a jam for me but he says "Hey, that sounds good". Sorta gave what i was trying to do a lift. One of those moments i'll never forget.
I used to do Load in and Outs for Concerts here in East TX. and got to meet Billy several times in the 90's . I'm a Guitarist for about 40 years now . So in my chats I asked him what Guitars he used in the Fandango era and he said His Gibson a Tele sometimes cant remb. the year ? I cant hear it but it came from The Reverends mouth ?? Weird thing is I'm a Metal /Shred player but can play some Blues in a Pinch lol ....
I was a sophomore at the University of Texas in the summer of 1974. Along with 75,000 fans I went to "ZZ Top's First Annual Rompin' Stompin' Barn Dance" at Memorial Stadium on the Texas campus. This was the early era of the band, but they had begun to hit the big time. Billy and Dusty (RIP) wore white Western-style suits with bold embroidery patterns, white "short -type" cowboy hats and boots. Only Frank looked comfortable in the late afternoon Austin sun. Their gear still was analog back then and like many bands in that era, they had huge stacks of speaker cabinets seemingly everywhere on the large elevated stage in the south end zone. Halfway through the set Billy announced a "special guest." The crowd roared with delight when Billy announced "Mr. Jimmy Page." ZZ Top's next album included an aerial photo of the huge stadium crowd. That show turned out to be not the "First Annual," but the last ever... the band has been back through Austin countless times, but like the "California Jamm" that same year, those types of big shows faded out of popularity for several reasons. The reason for the ZZ Top show being the last was that the University said the football stadium would never host another big concert event. Unfortunately, nobody thought to cover the field before the thousands of kids filled the stadium floor. The artificial turf football field had to be replaced because of the spilled beverages and general damage inflicted by the mega-crowd. The attention getting damage had one noticeable feature...a large piece of the artificial turf had been cut out and taken away as a souvenir/memento. At the 10- yard line, a big chunk of turf in the shape of the State of Texas was missing. The football season began that September with a bright green square patch of replacement artificial turf. The whole rest of the field was faded and the repair was a distraction. The bright green patch served as a reminder of what a great event ZZ Top had staged in the stadium. The football fans were not as pleased as the music fans had been. The following football season featured a whole new artificial turf field and the ZZ Top concert was the last show ever held in the stadium.
What a brilliant video. BRILLIANT . Jack - what a credit to the brand. Superb playing. SUPERB... one of the most enjoyable guitar/info/insight/playing videos that I have seen in a LONG time!
Billy's tone on "La Grange" was achieved by plugging a 1959 Fender Stratocaster straight into a Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100. That tone was also tweaked somewhat by the studio engineer, but that was the primary basis of the tone on that track. Just a '59 Strat straight into that Marshall Super Lead 100. Classic Billy.♥️
I think you nailed a lot of Billy's mojo, especially with the Tele. The Reverend Willie G. has been a seminal influence on me, my two favoruite ZZ albums have to be Tres Hombres and Deguello, the latter for all those cool tones and minimalist approach. Much of the sequenced synth years lost me, but I was most impressed with Antenna, where they stripped back the synths and made it a bit more organic. And I really like his solo album Perfectomundo, where he explored salsa-influenced music without sacrificing his tone.
Wow you have got it totally nailed Jack!! Some of the very best playing and tones i've heard on the interweb. You need to get a stick on beard and get yourself in a ZZ top tribute act. I'd pay good money to see that.
Jack, you are an excellent guitar player. It would be really interesting to hear average guitarist playing the same gear with same settings. I'm pretty sure there wouldn't be much of Mr. Billy Gibbons sound recognized...
Rig B, all the way. I wish you would demo the lower wattage Magnatone amps with the same pedals and CS Tele. I play a 61 Showman. Smaller wattage (30-40 watts) amps are the current reality for most if us players. Awesome job of putting your own brand on Reverend Billy's tone. Well done!
Jack "the hammer" Griffiths. Give me a sound, I'll nail it! The newer ZZ Top never interest me much but that Tele/Magnatone + effects was studio perfect and sounded like it was a blast to play.
I was gonna play a little but don't think I'll bother now lololol. Just amazing playing, control, vibe & tone nipping up the shop to buy a lottery ticket. that Paisley Tele is mine ;)
Good job, excellent style demo without stepping on sensitive toes, some chords you played remind me of Johnny Winter, another hero of mine. Fandango is my favourite ZZ Top album, especially the live medley and Blue Jeans Blues. When heard first time, it is hard to believe that this is a three man band, such richness and confidence.
I watched an episode of rig rundown about Billy's rig. His tech says that they have a sine wave graph of the output of the original "pearly gates" les paul. And they simply match every guitar that he uses to the graph. That way his tone doesn't have noticeable change when he switches guitars.
I preferred the purity of the Les Paul / Dr Z setup - shown off excellently by Jack's use of dynamics and volume control. That said, I have a slightly different version of the Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine and it's one of my favourite amps.
This guy never runs out off things to play , every lick is different . So refreshing 🤘🏻
bruce manners yeah I never get tired of his playing and varied tones. He Must have worked hard at it for a while to be so versatile
At the end of this video. That tone. Is some dirty ass down Louisiana swamp alligator 🐊 type nasty tone. Wow
Oh yeah it is… and I’m in Lafayette, LA I f know…
This is excellent, inspired blues playing. I showed up for the gear, stayed for the music!
The more i listen to this young man the more i see opportunity for the record companies , some one give him a chance.
Its 2024, the only thing stopping you from making a record is you.
Fantastic! Perfect example of showing tone and style without the note for note nonsense. Good for you!
This might be the first gear demo while playing "Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings". Bravo! 👏👏👏👏
Yeah, great song
My god, that was superb. Peach guitars is one the best guitar channels on RUclips. Thank you jack for this awesome content.
Billy F would be so proud to see the respect you give to his life's work. So much to be said for going straight into an amp, using the LP's controls with a keen touch to obtain a huge range of tones. Well done!
Why would you think that Billy has million's of people who worship him lol I doubt he cares just like I'm sure you don't care about people you do not know just like everyone else.....
Why is Jack not world famous and playing music for big audiences around the world? Some of the best touch and style I’ve heard/seen in a while.
Prolly because some play good but doesnt make him a good teacher, vice versa
He’s playing for the largest audience here on youtube
I think, unfortunately, what’s left of the “music industry” has decided that rock/blues etc. is not cool anymore and we all need to be listening to Cardi B. So all the real music is now sort of online only. And this could be a good thing of course, it certainly gives us access to much more cool stuff than back in the day when big companies and producers decided what rock and blues we listened to but easy access online also causes mega-saturation of said cool music online so that very few achieve super-status now. Did that make any sense? LoL!
Edit: I think “online only” isn’t quite the right term, essentially all music is online only these days as opposed to when people bought records, tapes and CDs in a store, but the kinds of music and artists they want us to hear get exposure on both net and TV along with a big budget for internet advertising etc.
COVID
The real answer is that's he's terrific but there are a lot of terrific guitar players and who gets famous, especially playing this kind of music which isn't that popular right now, is mostly a matter of luck. Like, Josh Smith isn't a household name. Frankly no one knows who he is other than blues heads, but I've heard very few famous players who could keep up with him. It also helps if you can write good songs. A lot of famous guitar players are mostly famous because they play on their own songs, or they got in a band with an excellent songwriter.
Thanx for the excellent video. Billy Gibbons is my main influence and favorite player. Excellent tones and playing.👍🎸
Simply BRILLIANT, Takes me back to seeing them live with livestock on stage 74,75,76 great times blessed to have been there.
Super playing. Tejas is a killer album.
Just fantastic as usual. A lot of hard work must have gone into putting this together. As an old git guitarist of 75, I am, as always, stunned by your breadth of talent.
They have a bunch of empty Magnatone headshells on stage but they still play through JMP pre amps and valvestate power sections from what I’ve read and what Elwood has said. 🤷🏻♂️
His Lagrange tone was a 55 strat hard tail into a Marshall. His play style with the drone note mixed in is where it's at.
Jack is a fine ,devine , guitarist and should be playing in front of audiences and doing studio work as well, i am impressed Jack keep it going im sure some big record company or music scout is out there with a contract for you good luck sometimes all that hard work pay;s off.
Love the tale of two tones idea. Great playing too. Billy is the man, the contemporary rig sounds amazing
Agreed...Definitely a great display of both. Instead of the Tele he used, I think a Gretsch Jet with Powertron pickups might've been a better option as it grabs that '80s resonance. The fact is many directions could've been explored but great job with the 2 chosen.
It would be really great if Billy Gibbons were to watch this video and then give his thoughts. To me (long time ZZ fan) your tones sounded pretty accurate. Great job!
One of my favorite guitarists .. just pure blues feel with a rocknroll ♥️
This guy is a great player !!!
I’ve never heard anyone peg Billy Gibbons tone/picking that well. Perfect! Thanks
Check out Buddy Whittington, he’s on RUclips. Probably the closet in tone and expression that I’ve ever heard and seen
Perfect. That Les Paul is a rock and roll machine, and the Tele is NAS-T!!. Awesome tones.
Jack, you never cease to knock me out !!!
Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings is a badass riff
Tone history is an amazing topic. Especially seasoned with excellent playing and gear 🤗
I love that blues sound you get w/ the LP & a Dr. Z
The “Eliminator tone” is still just meanest sh*t I’ve ever heard in my life. If I could get anywhere close to that sound I’d never put my guitar down.
Awesome Jack. That vintage rig sounded amazing but there is something so fun sounding about the later rig and it’s kinda broken sound. In the ZZ Top documentary, Billy talks a bit about recording 2 guitars and making one of the tracks with the guitar slightly out of tune to make it sound bigger. I just thought that was awesome, he isn’t afraid to take a different approach to music, and that make the band sound so traditional but unique. Amazing playing and gear as always. Much love from Tulsa.
Van halen did that with an eventide. Same effect with only one track
Jeff Litchfield it’s a really cool trick. I didn’t know he used it too. That’s awesome.
@@jefflitchfield4950 same with Tony Iommi
@@GuitarDeuce and Ace Frehley. A lot of people have used that trick.
Unbelievable. You totally nailed it... and the explanation was most interesting!
Exceptional playing, keep the videos coming!
This kid can play 🔥
Awesome as usual. Thanks Jack.
At the 16:10 mark the tumblers clicked,the stars aligned and you were on it . Nice job
If we were in a park and I bowled peach guitars a ball it would be slogged out of the park. Brilliant stuff
I love that the tone and style get matched without playing any actual ZZ riffs. Cool job getting to the heart of the sound but without mimicking at all
Actual ZZ Top riff at 5:30 - Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings. :)
I'm lucky enough to live in Texas and have seen Top play 15 times and Billy Gibbons projects 4 times, he kicks ass.
Really enjoyed the playing. Pure old school ZZTop style-gigantic tone !! And like The Reverend he "doesn't afraid to use fingers, doesn't afraid to use pick". Great job!
Really enjoying this series of videos, great to see different rigs of famous players and how they've changed.
I wasn't a big Magnatone fan before but after watching this video I downloaded a few profiles for my Kemper and have been playing around dialing in some gain stages looking for "that" sound. Took a bit of tweaking but WOW, once you find it, you can't play anything else. I have pretty much replaced most my live rig setups to various Magnatone profiles. Sounds so creamy in the mix. Just a complete immersive experience. LOVE IT.
I like the tone of "I'm bad, I'm nation wide" the notes have a sort of sizzle sound. By the way, excellent playing. 😎
@16:10
That’s the meanest, nastiest, greasiest, low-down guitar sound I’ve ever heard.
Without a fuzz and the guitar volume rolled back you just can't get his early "clean" tone. Billy like most guitarist from that Era is the worst to ask what he does. He's just never going to tell you, unless he's marketing something, then it's just talk to sell something. EVH was also famous for that. It's just how it was. Don't give away tone secrets cause that's your paycheck. Instead send them on a wild goose chase and they'll have a more difficult time copying your tone. This is not a knock it's part of what makes them cool.
Blown away by this video. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😎😎😎✌🏻
Absolutely loved this! I’m a huge ZZ Top fan so it was great to hear you mimicking Gibbons’s awesome feel and hinting at some of the riffs and licks! Very well done
Killer Tones & Chops Jack! I believe a lot of the early album tones come from Fender tweed and Brown-Face Deluxe's
Dude, You are a great player. Love this. You nailed Billy. Peace
Hi Jack . I love the The Rev. I was here three years ago. You sound great
That esquire really nailed the ZZ Top tone
Wow, you got it, but more important, you are an amazing blues rock player with an incredible touch and feel
Superb playing an absolute joy to behold, top notch.
You did a great job as always with showcasing the tone. Cheers
That was some damn fine playing there .
I really enjoyed those excerpts from fandango. Well done Sir!
Thanks for good jams shared and insights to tones of the Rev.
From awhile ago but can dig this !
'75, a friend buys Fandango. I was just out of HS and been playing for a couple of years.
Blue Jean Blues knocked us out but once i bought the album, all in for Nasty Dogs...
Learned it note and 'squank' for note.
I had a Harmony Rocket II, a LPB1 and a nice little Magnatone tube amp.
Dad walks in my room while i'm jamming with Mexican Blackbird. Just a jam for me but he says "Hey, that sounds good". Sorta gave what i was trying to do a lift.
One of those moments i'll never forget.
Wonderful vid. Please keep it up-we all want more! I preferred the vintage take but was amazed by the tele mag tones, thanks.
I used to do Load in and Outs for Concerts here in East TX. and got to meet Billy several times in the 90's . I'm a Guitarist for about 40 years now . So in my chats I asked him what Guitars he used in the Fandango era and he said His Gibson a Tele sometimes cant remb. the year ? I cant hear it but it came from The Reverends mouth ?? Weird thing is I'm a Metal /Shred player but can play some Blues in a Pinch lol ....
When I saw them at crossroads fest they were louder and had the baddest tone of anyone that day I could not believe how killer he sounded
I was a sophomore at the University of Texas in the summer of 1974. Along with 75,000 fans I went to "ZZ Top's First Annual Rompin' Stompin' Barn Dance" at Memorial Stadium on the Texas campus.
This was the early era of the band, but they had begun to hit the big time. Billy and Dusty (RIP) wore white Western-style suits with bold embroidery patterns, white "short -type" cowboy hats and boots. Only Frank looked comfortable in the late afternoon Austin sun.
Their gear still was analog back then and like many bands in that era, they had huge stacks of speaker cabinets seemingly everywhere on the large elevated stage in the south end zone.
Halfway through the set Billy announced a "special guest." The crowd roared with delight when Billy announced "Mr. Jimmy Page."
ZZ Top's next album included an aerial photo of the huge stadium crowd.
That show turned out to be not the "First Annual," but the last ever... the band has been back through Austin countless times, but like the "California Jamm" that same year, those types of big shows faded out of popularity for several reasons.
The reason for the ZZ Top show being the last was that the University said the football stadium would never host another big concert event.
Unfortunately, nobody thought to cover the field before the thousands of kids filled the stadium floor. The artificial turf football field had to be replaced because of the spilled beverages and general damage inflicted by the mega-crowd.
The attention getting damage had one noticeable feature...a large piece of the artificial turf had been cut out and taken away as a souvenir/memento. At the 10- yard line, a big chunk of turf in the shape of the State of Texas was missing.
The football season began that September with a bright green square patch of replacement artificial turf. The whole rest of the field was faded and the repair was a distraction.
The bright green patch served as a reminder of what a great event ZZ Top had staged in the stadium. The football fans were not as pleased as the music fans had been.
The following football season featured a whole new artificial turf field and the ZZ Top concert was the last show ever held in the stadium.
Wow, that was superb. First time I’ve seen this channel but won’t be the last. You must have put some serious hours into that. Well done.
This is a great video. Thanks a lot, especially for the eq setting 🙂
I watch these because Jack never never fails to amaze which his skills.
That’s a a fabulous tele too. Who would have thought pink would look so good.
What a brilliant video. BRILLIANT . Jack - what a credit to the brand. Superb playing. SUPERB... one of the most enjoyable guitar/info/insight/playing videos that I have seen in a LONG time!
Billy's tone on "La Grange" was achieved by plugging a 1959 Fender Stratocaster straight into a Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100. That tone was also tweaked somewhat by the studio engineer, but that was the primary basis of the tone on that track. Just a '59 Strat straight into that Marshall Super Lead 100.
Classic Billy.♥️
You absolutely nailed it with that paisley tele
Right. Where do I get anything paisley nowadays smh
Not really... far from Billy's tone
Fantastic guitar tones. The pink paisley looks very nice
Unbelievable! Outstanding
Excellent playing! Love the LP + Dr Z tones.
Daaaang. Great information on tone, and outstanding playing. Fantastic.
Such great playing of a Gibbons licks mash-up.
tone is in the fingers and no matter the rig you really do have good tone my friend
Best I've heard on this topic. Brilliant playing.
Jack your playing is just sick!! 👏🎸
So many era's to choose from when it comes to Billy.. suprided you choose these rigs instead of Just cranking that deluxe or plexi up
Best tone I've ever heard coming out of that Z 28...and I've been around a while.
Fantastic video, Jack. The Tele/Magnatone... wow! Most enjoyable.
great sounds and amazing Guitarplayer
I think you nailed a lot of Billy's mojo, especially with the Tele.
The Reverend Willie G. has been a seminal influence on me, my two favoruite ZZ albums have to be Tres Hombres and Deguello, the latter for all those cool tones and minimalist approach. Much of the sequenced synth years lost me, but I was most impressed with Antenna, where they stripped back the synths and made it a bit more organic. And I really like his solo album Perfectomundo, where he explored salsa-influenced music without sacrificing his tone.
Wow you have got it totally nailed Jack!! Some of the very best playing and tones i've heard on the interweb. You need to get a stick on beard and get yourself in a ZZ top tribute act. I'd pay good money to see that.
Jack, you are an excellent guitar player. It would be really interesting to hear average guitarist playing the same gear with same settings. I'm pretty sure there wouldn't be much of Mr. Billy Gibbons sound recognized...
I agree. On my best days I’m average...I sound nothing like Billy Gibbons, I just end up asking “how how how”
Fantastic Job, Jack.
Sounds Awesome.
He used Dean Guitars in the 80's.
Rig B, all the way. I wish you would demo the lower wattage Magnatone amps with the same pedals and CS Tele. I play a 61 Showman. Smaller wattage (30-40 watts) amps are the current reality for most if us players. Awesome job of putting your own brand on Reverend Billy's tone. Well done!
Nice comparison, I read somewhere he used the pink Strat Jimi Hendrix gave him a lot in the studio in the early days.
Jack "the hammer" Griffiths. Give me a sound, I'll nail it! The newer ZZ Top never interest me much but that Tele/Magnatone + effects was studio perfect and sounded like it was a blast to play.
Love both tones.
I was gonna play a little but don't think I'll bother now lololol. Just amazing playing, control, vibe & tone
nipping up the shop to buy a lottery ticket. that Paisley Tele is mine ;)
Beautiful playing! Superb.
Bravo Jack. Top Player👍👍
I want both rigs and will get neither. Both sound great.
I’m in love with that Fender!
Brilliant! The early Pearly Gates sound was really ZZtop at their best. Well done, you pretty much replicated that tone.👍
That Z 28 sounds great! Great take on his playing and tone!!
Good job, excellent style demo without stepping on sensitive toes, some chords you played remind me of Johnny Winter, another hero of mine.
Fandango is my favourite ZZ Top album, especially the live medley and Blue Jeans Blues.
When heard first time, it is hard to believe that this is a three man band, such richness and confidence.
I think Johnny Winters and Billy were Jimi’s two faves.
Both sound awesome...great playing bro..really enjoyed it
I watched an episode of rig rundown about Billy's rig. His tech says that they have a sine wave graph of the output of the original "pearly gates" les paul. And they simply match every guitar that he uses to the graph. That way his tone doesn't have noticeable change when he switches guitars.
Rig B! Definitely rig B. What a sound. Epic playing too Jack 👌
I preferred the purity of the Les Paul / Dr Z setup - shown off excellently by Jack's use of dynamics and volume control. That said, I have a slightly different version of the Magnatone Super Fifty-Nine and it's one of my favourite amps.
Big time. Billy would love it. Heard it on the X!!!
Loved your playing and the tones you got from the gear.
Well done!
Very nice! A little Page tone for added spice in there too I think!
Superb playing
Using that volume knob like a drive pedal. Love it