The first and the most obvious one was adding the pinstripe design, as seen on the original Lil Red. The replica was built upon the 2013 SG Les Paul Tribute, with some modifications. Following that, he had a replica of the guitar made for him by Gibson. Sometime in the more recent years, Billy decided to auction off the original Lil Red. He eventually managed to do that, with the help of his friend Scott Thompson, who again somehow got the information that the guitar was with Thomas Slaughter, better known as Texas Tom.īilly ended up using it on “Vincent Price Blues’from ZZ Tops’ 1996 album Rhythmeen. Billy was apparently associated with the band somehow, since he had that information, and wanted to purchase the guitar. This guitar originally belonged to one of the guitarists from the band The VanTels, who used it to record the band’s single “ Memo to Maxi“. The second replica that he used very often is one of the first prototypes, which is kept completely stock. The second, and a more major one, is the fact that the guitar’s body is hollowed out at Billy’s request, so it would be lighter and easier to use during long concerts. ![]() The first is the custom “Gibbons” inlay on the headstock instead of “Gibson”. Billy playing his “number one” replica with the Gibbons logo on the headstock. This special guitar, he seems to use the most, and it features some major changes when compared to the standard models. Billy’s Replicasīilly owns at least a few of these replicas, among them a very special one. 50 of those were aged to look exactly like the original Pearly Gates, another 50 were aged and then personally signed and played by Gibbons himself, and the rest were the “standard” models. The model was manufactured in a limited quantity of only 350 guitars. This guitar is essentially a replica of the above-mentioned ’59 Les Paul, produced by Gibson in 2009. This guitar is still in its original condition, and Billy refuses to sell it, even though he had a single offer for 5 million dollars to sell the guitar.Ģ009 Gibson Les Paul Billy Gibbons “Pearly Gates” Replica From then on the “Pearly Gates” nickname transferred over to Les Paul, and Billie basically ended up using it on every album he recorded with the ZZ-top. The Origin StoryĪs far as how Billie got the guitar, as the story goes, a rancher who lived in Downey, Texas, who himself once played in a country band, sold it to him for 250$.īut, before that took place, apparently, Billy loaned 250$ to an aspiring actress so she could buy a car and drive from Houston to Hollywood for an audition.Īfter she drove there and successfully got the part she was auditioning for, her friends, among them Billie, were joking around that car must have some kind of divine connection, and they named it “Pearly Gates”.Īfter she finally sold the car and sent the money back to Billy, he drove out to meet with the rancher with whom he was in talks about the guitar. But, among the fans of ZZ Top and Billie, this specific guitar is known by its nickname – the Pearly Gates. This was Billy’s first ever Les Paul – a 1959 model, the so-called “The Holy Grail” of Les Pauls. List of Guitars, Amps, Effects, and Accessories used by Billy Gibbons Billy Gibbons’ Electric Guitarsġ959 Gibson Les Paul Standard “Pearly Gates” He has his own signature set made by Dunlop called the Reverend Willy Extra Light set (.007. ![]() In more recent years, he keeps this amp safe in his studio and uses a more modern setup for his live gigs.Īs far as guitar strings, Billy is known for using very light strings. Very often, these guitars have their bodies and necks hollowed out so the guitar would weigh less, making it easier for Billy to carry them when playing live.īIlly’s main amp and the one he himself attributes with contributing to the ZZ Top sound is the 1968 Marshall Super Lead 100W. These are usually Telecaster-shaped guitars, with custom paint jobs, and custom specs. This replica was also available for anyone to buy, although it was produced in very limited numbers of only 350 pieces.Īside from the Pearly Gates, he also uses a variety of guitars made for him by John Bolin. Nowadays, he retired the original Pearly Gates and instead uses a replica made for him by Gibson.
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