Early Gibbons Photo and a Cool Keith Photo

[ninermatt]

I'm thinking Harry Potter.

peace

That or Doogie Howser!

 

[marshallcrazy]

Those are cool!! If you guys want to hear some cool "new" Gibbons-esque southern slide, check out this band called Southern Electric. www.southernelectric.net Pretty cool stuff, great slide, Gibbons fan.

 

[Phil 52]

Man I can't wait until Sunday. I get to see them again.
Frank, Dusty, Pearly and Billy F. Gibbons closing out the 2+ weeks of the Houston Livestock show and Rodeo in style.

http://www.hlsr.com/index.aspx

Hi Nothinspecial
Did you attend the HLSR show? What about Billy's guitars? Lester onstage?

 

[MikeScalf]

Hi Nothinspecial
Did you attend the HLSR show? What about Billy's guitars? Lester onstage?

Heck yea! I just haven't had a chance to get on a post. It was killer, as I knew it would be. I love his style. It's simplistic riffs with complex execution. He played his Billy-Bo Gretsch guitars mostly. He used a red one at first. Then broke out a LP for the slide on Just got Paid. It wasn't Pearly Gates this year. A little disappointed, but not enough to not enjoy the show. Then he used a black Billy-Bo with tribal finish on body; fret board and headstock w/ single pup for remainder of show. They opened with the old Johnny Cash song 'Ring of Fire" then Played a number of standards...Gimme all your lovin', Cheap Sunglasses, Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers, Just got Paid (one of my favorites) plus they did a old Bob Wills tune, 'Waltz across Texas" with Billy's Tech playing Pedal Steel guitar. Played a few more like 'Viva Los Vegas', Legs (they broke out the White furry Explorers with "V" headstocks from the Video) and then ended on La Grange. I actually took dome pics with my camera phone, just can’t figure out how to get them out to my computer to post. Them. Not great pics, but I forgot to take my camera. Took some video with camera too, but obviously very poor quality.

Now for the Gold LP. It was unlike any I've seen. Not a regular LP by any means. It was all Gold, top, back, headstock and fret board. No markers on fret board and no regular Gibson Logo that I saw. There was a white logo of some kind between the tuner posts. Looked similar to a Supreme logo, but was a mono in color and looked kind of like a vinyl graphic. It also had only a bridge p/up, one Volume and one tone knobs.

As usual great show. Not enough LPs, but He's earned his right to play what he wants. I'm sure the LPs are getting heavy in his old age..:spabout
Just kidding Billy!:rofl

Incredible show, by an incredible band!:wail

 

[Tom Wittrock]

Here's a nice pic someone turned me on to a while back.....:dude:

 

[MikeScalf]

Here's a nice pic someone turned me on to a while back.....:dude:

Man Tom, I'm lovin that pic! You can just see he's feeling it!:2zone

 

[PatentAppliedFor]

Since we are guessing likeness, here Billy is a dead ringer for Clint Howard of Gentle Ben fame and brother of Ron Howard. :couch

 

[Heritage 80]

Clint or Billy? :hmm

 

[Phil 52]

Nothinspecial

Thanks for that detailed review. Sharp eyed man you are.
I hope I'll see them in coming spring.

 

[shuie]

Exactly. In the B&W picture where he is wearing the glasses, Billy Gibbons resemblance to a young Larry Miller is uncanny.

 

[SFK]

The shorter the beard, the better the rock.

 

[Gary K]

Now for the Gold LP. It was unlike any I've seen. Not a regular LP by any means.

As usual great show. Not enough LPs, but He's earned his right to play what he wants.

The Gold LP may be a custom, that is, built by a maker other than Gibson.

And, its more profitable for Billy to showcase the Billy-Bo guitar in concert. But like you said (and IMHO) he's earned the right to play and market whatever.

Question: Did you ever suspect Billy would bust out with a Les Paul "BFG"?

-Gary K

 

[MikeScalf]

The Gold LP may be a custom, that is, built by a maker other than Gibson.

And, its more profitable for Billy to showcase the Billy-Bo guitar in concert. But like you said (and IMHO) he's earned the right to play and market whatever.

Question: Did you ever suspect Billy would bust out with a Les Paul "BFG"?

-Gary K

Honestly? No, I really didn't. But that's mainly because I peeked in his road case before the show. Not that it would be a really big deal, but let's face it. Billy and Dusty are about the flash. Matching sequin outfits, and flashy guitars. Not really what the BFG is about. Although if he would have broke one out for some slide on Just got Paid, it would have moved the BFG a little higher in coolness points for me at least.

I agree with you that it is more of an incentive to play the Billy-Bo in concert because of the Gretsch endorsement. I'm actually really GASing for one.(along with about 10 other guitars..lol) I think it's cool that he can get such rich, thick tones out of a "heavily" chambered body guitar, with only a thin maple top. I'd love to know what his live rig is. :wail

One nice thing about the shows at the Rodeo is the round, rotating stage. I was able to use my Father's binoculars and peek around "back stage" :wah That's how I knew what guitars he had before they started playing. He had a road case with the Furry Explorer, Gold LP and 4 Billy-Bo's. Honestly I was still hoping he had Pearly in a separate case, but no such luck. I guess there comes a time when every musician realizes it isn't worth taking your most prized fiddler out on the road. Sad, but I guess understandable.:salude

 

[Tom Wittrock]

Honestly I was still hoping he had Pearly in a separate case, but no such luck.

Maybe Pearly is an acoustic these days. :wah :ganz :hee

 

[Gary K]

Nothinspecial,

Great observations on your part!

Now since ZZ has played guitars with "fur" on them, isn't the LP BFG within the realm of possibility for B.F.G.?

There's a picture of Pearly in B.F.G.'s book, even there it looks pretty weary and worn from ZZ duty. I can understand it being kept safe and off the road.

I have the ZZ Top + Brooks & Dunn CMT Crossroads on Tivo. And this goes back maybe 2 years, I watched it again today, B.F.G is playing a Gibson LP, but I don't think it is Pearly (its too new looking and in too good of shape).

So now it appears Billy is leaning more away from Gibson in general, and more toward the Billy-Bo. It was just interesting (to me) speculation that the LP BFG might have had something to do with "the" B.F.G.

-Gary K

 

[MikeScalf]

Nothinspecial,

Great observations on your part!

Now since ZZ has played guitars with "fur" on them, isn't the LP BFG within the realm of possibility for B.F.G.?

So now it appears Billy is leaning more away from Gibson in general, and more toward the Billy-Bo. It was just interesting (to me) speculation that the LP BFG might have had something to do with "the" B.F.G.

-Gary K

Well I think the fur guitars were just a reflection of the times. The 80's that is. I still remember the first time i saw them play the Rodeo here. It was back in the Astrodome and they left in the red ZZ 32 coupe. Nice touch!:dude:

I saw the show Sunday with my Father, one of my brothers and his friend. My dad actually asked if they were going to spin their guitars like they did in the video years ago.:spabout I had to break it to him they were using regular straps so....no, their not.:ganz

As far as the Gibson BFG, I think there were a few who speculated that it was going to have something to do with Billy, but I really didn't think so. It's not his style. I always thought it was just a coincidence that the initials were the same. All that said, would it have been cool to see him use one Sunday? Yea, I think so.

 

[Phil 52]

As far as the Gibson BFG, I think there were a few who speculated that it was going to have something to do with Billy, but I really didn't think so. It's not his style. I always thought it was just a coincidence that the initials were the same. All that said, would it have been cool to see him use one Sunday? Yea, I think so.

I don't think that Billy is very amused about the fact that Gibson is using his world-famous initials on that guitar.
Maybe Henry wanted to tease Billy a bit for signing that FMIC/Gretsch-deal.

 

[marc1kim]

Heh, Just scored some free tickets to see them in Corpus Christi tomorrow nite, a buddy of mine can't make it. I keep you guys posted on the BFG thing. Maybe , just maybe.....