Members cap'n'crunch Posted September 22, 2007 Members Share Posted September 22, 2007 i dunno man, this show had NO backing tracks, NO drum machines, and was pure badass They were 3 - piece when I saw them too. No tracks or anything. Just raw rock'n'roll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members surfcat Posted September 23, 2007 Members Share Posted September 23, 2007 I've seen some fairly recent vids on youtube-they're still awsome. The only thing "corny" is the syncronized steps they do-I won't call it dancing. It's kind of cool though-kind of understated actually. One of my favorite bands-just skip the 80's stuff. 70's is the best, Rhythmeen on is great too. And Billy can still bring it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rich4Once Posted September 23, 2007 Members Share Posted September 23, 2007 Saw them last Friday night in Council Bluffs. I was in the 7th row. It was seriously badass. They had a couple of fake Crate 'cabs and amps' stacks in a 3-2-1 like configuration. There wasn't much cheese involved, just a couple of hours of kickass rock music. The Billy Bo guitar is a Billy-ized version of the 59 Gretsch Bo gave him. TV Jones Filtertron pickups sound pretty rockin thru whatever the hell he was using for an amp... Maybe he's still using one of these! http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p146/one4rich/Gear%20Pics/?action=view¤t=PDRM0156.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Electric Catfish Posted September 24, 2007 Members Share Posted September 24, 2007 Damn, why did I have to see the show with all the canned bull{censored}, and you guys got to see them play as a straight up 3 piece? This is the first I've heard of recent ZZ shows without the canned drum machines, honestly. I thought they'd done that {censored} ever since the eliminator era. They definitely did when I saw them. Sounds like the same stage setup, though. 1,2,3 cabs, consecutively, on either side of the stage, which didn't really seem to be pushing any volume. I'm pretty sure their real rigs were either under the stage, or they were d.i.'ing to effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bunghole Posted September 24, 2007 Members Share Posted September 24, 2007 I'm listening to Rhythmeen right now. What a great album... she bang bang my shang-a-lang I think Billy has a divided by 13, and those definitely sound great live Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Heretic Posted September 24, 2007 Members Share Posted September 24, 2007 oh, damn.. he was actually playing through those crate amps on stage? I figured those were fakes? I just looked on crates site, and it lists him as being an endorser, but i don't see the amps he had anywhere on the site. must be custom for him then? I think Billy Gibbons is using Crate V50 212's cream with two EL34's. According to him, they have a sound quite reminiscent to that of Marshall Bluesbreakers. Is this the one you saw him using? If so, then they are phased out last time I've heard, probably the reason why they are non-existent in Crate's webpage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members clunt Posted September 24, 2007 Members Share Posted September 24, 2007 Didn't he use a JCM900 4100 for a while? http://www.blamepro.com/br01220.htm I'm starting to think he can sound awesome on any old amp!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TattooedCarrot Posted September 24, 2007 Members Share Posted September 24, 2007 I don't think he actually plays through those Crates. He's always been real dodgy about how he gets his tone and has mentioned more than once about the stage stuff being props (endorsement thing). Early ZZ was mostly Fender Tweed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diddlybo Posted September 24, 2007 Members Share Posted September 24, 2007 I don't think he actually plays through those Crates. He's always been real dodgy about how he gets his tone and has mentioned more than once about the stage stuff being props (endorsement thing).Early ZZ was mostly Fender Tweed. I think you're right. Billy says the crates are for "stage monitors". I'm pretty sure he still tours with his rack of Marshall preamps and power amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gproud Posted September 24, 2007 Members Share Posted September 24, 2007 I'm starting to think he can sound awesome on any old amp!! Exactly. He's just got it, and I think he could get it with any piece of s**t guitar and 5 watt solid state amp if he wanted to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cryptic1911 Posted September 24, 2007 Author Members Share Posted September 24, 2007 I think Billy Gibbons is using Crate V50 212's cream with two EL34's. According to him, they have a sound quite reminiscent to that of Marshall Bluesbreakers. Is this the one you saw him using? If so, then they are phased out last time I've heard, probably the reason why they are non-existent in Crate's webpage. nah, he had 3 heads, and 6 cabs on each side of the stage. there's a pic on crate's website under artists, then click his name.. they are in the background. i'll try to post the pic here, but it might not show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ZCat Posted September 24, 2007 Members Share Posted September 24, 2007 ^ That's what he had two weekends ago. They looked really fake and I couldn't hear anything coming out of them. I heard he was using his custom made Mojave Scorpion head these days, but who knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JiroJan Posted September 25, 2007 Members Share Posted September 25, 2007 Billy has a better collection than Bbreaker ?? i gotta sse this - hook me up with a link. +1 that guys gear is amaizing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ratkent Posted September 25, 2007 Members Share Posted September 25, 2007 Billy still uses his rack of Marshall JMP1s and midi programable graphic eqs that he has had for years. One of my best friends is a top notch engineer (FOH for George Strait) and he did monitors for ZZ Top in San Antonio earlier this year. He spent a long time with Billy's amp tech and was even talking to him with me on the phone so I could ask some questions. To make all of his guitars sound the same, his tech runs them through his rack system and then uses a frequency analyzer to tweak the eq until they are similiar. He then saves a midi patch on the JMP1 and eq for that guitar and when Billy goes to play it he recalls the tone. It actually ingenious and simple. However you look at it, Billy is one of those guys who probably always sounds like him no matter what he is playing through. But the fact is, the Crates are all for show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Electric Catfish Posted September 25, 2007 Members Share Posted September 25, 2007 However you look at it, Billy is one of those guys who probably always sounds like him no matter what he is playing through. I hear this about quite a few players. I'm still waiting for the example of that guy who DOESN'T sound like himself no matter what they're playing through, though. Who else is one going to sound like? I wonder why he'd want all his guitars to sound the same. Isn't the point that different guitars sound different? And that some are furry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 57GLDTP Posted September 25, 2007 Members Share Posted September 25, 2007 You are rarely hearing the amps you see on stage at a ZZ show. I saw them in NJ several years ago & they had a bunch of Orange stacks onstage & I knew that's not what we were hearing. I went w/ a GC Mgr. whois a Gibbons freak & he got us back stage & showed us what Billy was REALLYplaying through. He had a small rig set up under the stage w/ a Trainwreckamp & a really beat to hell Marshall 4X12 w/ 2 mics on it. 57GT:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cryptic1911 Posted September 25, 2007 Author Members Share Posted September 25, 2007 ah ha! i knew he couldnt possibly be using those crate amps.. they looked too fake wow, 3 pages already.. i actually made a decent thread for a change eh? LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voodoods Posted September 25, 2007 Members Share Posted September 25, 2007 Thing I always remember about his monster tone - - - he plays .008s... no really... http://www.tonequest.com/back-issues.htm October 2002 - 6000 words with pics - his setup is very elaborate. I saw a schematic once in GuitarWorld I think - pretty insane looking, but its not just "plug it in and play loud" ala Angus or the other Marshall gods hehe. Here's a simple breakdown of it - this seems too little though based on what I remember seeing: http://www.hamptonplace.com/tonedepot/settings/musbg.php Equipment Description and Setup:Gibson Les Paul Standard/W alnico magnet pickups,Fender Deluxe 1x12,Marshall 1968 plexi or JCM800/900. I read In a recent interview that he sets all the controls to 5 and cranks the volume .dont overdo it with the reverb though.Stompboxs; Bixonic Expandora (dip switch set at overdrive or distortion/controls settings;Gain-5 o clock,Tone-12 o clock,Level-as desired)To get some of the newer zz top tones,the rev. usually tunes down to D or lower(C,C#,B somtimes even A!!) Strings; .08 no more no less picks;Mexican peso or you can use a stainless steel pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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