<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Zz-top ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/tag/zz-top Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:00:36 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “My dad said, ‘Take a seat – a band is coming in to make a record.’ I spotted a guitar case entering through the side door… carried by none other than B.B. King”: Billy Gibbons on how B.B. King changed his life ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/zz-top-billy-gibbons-on-bb-king EZQbSKQb2zHqByP9BWuaX3 Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:00:36 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Jeff Beck arranged delivery with Marshall’s first factory arrival into the States, loading ZZ Top’s stage with stacks”: Billy Gibbons tells the tale of how an accident with a knife –and a British guitar great – set them up to conquer the ’80s ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/zz-top-billy-gibbons-el-loco dcrgS3zKNS5c7oFRpwqrdY Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:37:06 +0000 Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:37:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We were still gluing the fur on the tuning keys when the FedEx driver showed up”: Paul McCartney, Fleetwood Mac and ZZ Top basses top the biggest four-string sales at historic Jim Irsay auction ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/bass-guitars/jim-irsay-auction-2026-bass-guitars 3XDuER5KThuRS7EtyukHm7 Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:55:36 +0000 Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:09:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He came ripping into the hotel room and said, ‘Um, do you know this?’ He slapped down a lick that lasted 10 minutes”: When Jimi Hendrix gave Billy Gibbons a guitar lesson unlike any other ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-gibbons-jimi-hendrix-hotel-story pG9kJKAf3x9EcBetkWJSF6 Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:45:00 +0000 Mon, 19 Jan 2026 10:39:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My dad stepped in to greet the ensemble – and then in came The King”: Billy Gibbons shares the story of the “treasured moment” he sat in on a B.B. King session – as a child ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-gibbons-watched-bb-king-record-aged-7 J2G72k8zfSf78dHmFHJA9Z Sat, 05 Jul 2025 09:23:00 +0000 Tue, 08 Jul 2025 12:15:16 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I said, ‘The only way we can play 40 minutes is if we include Purple Haze.’ This guy grabbed me and said, ‘You got a lot of nerve!’” Billy Gibbons once covered Jimi Hendrix hits while supporting Hendrix on tour – and the guitar hero watched ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-gibbons-covers-jimi-hendrix-in-front-of-hendrix rJcsvFNV7Q6QFEaCfndyKG Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:27:08 +0000 Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:08:24 +0000 <![CDATA[ “That’s 15 less than I’m used to….” ZZ Top’s Elwood Francis was saddled with his 17-string bass after a joke appearance went viral – now he’s experimenting with a 2-string build ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/zz-top-elwood-francis-2-string-bass XDnrDM9q6T3XUQzS2eAwsJ Fri, 31 Jan 2025 09:46:16 +0000 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:12:45 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Would I play it for a whole show? Absolutely not! I’m so happy to get that thing off. It’s brutal”: ZZ Top’s Elwood Francis on his latest weird bass acquisition – the 15-string ‘High Selecta’ bass ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/elwood-francis-zz-top-15-string-bass Ay4atUA3a5cVRcjscyR4qT Fri, 24 Jan 2025 13:31:43 +0000 Tue, 28 Jan 2025 14:18:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I thought Billy was the coolest guitarist I’d ever heard, and that opinion hasn’t changed in 50 years”: Add some Texas blues sizzle to your lead playing with this lesson in Billy Gibbons' sweet soloing style ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/billy-gibbons-zz-top-tasty-soloing ibTCAgCQTN7Ntumq9pHNha Mon, 11 Nov 2024 17:05:41 +0000 Mon, 09 Dec 2024 16:51:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s interesting how something so subtle can be so dramatic on the player’s end”: Seymour Duncan supercharges two classic Billy Gibbons guitar tones with new signature Tele and Les Paul pickups ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/billy-gibbons-seymour-duncan-red-devil-telecaster-hades-gates w9FGDbf9AJ3GJVEBJCsFN6 Tue, 03 Sep 2024 16:15:38 +0000 Mon, 16 Sep 2024 15:56:45 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Pearly Gates, our long-standing fave-rave six-string, entered the studio to do that righteous thing”: Billy Gibbons on bringing out his legendary Les Paul for Slash’s all-star blues album – and the liquor store run-in that sparked their friendship ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/billy-gibbons-slash-pearly-gates-orgy-of-the-damned SfCGtYznwSrUnznPCcdKrj Tue, 13 Aug 2024 10:02:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Billy Gibbons pulls out this big-ass yellow 17-string bass and he’s like, ‘Okay, we’ll play it for a song, right?’” ZZ Top’s Elwood Francis on teching for Joe Perry, lying to Steve Vai – and the curse of playing that viral 17-string bass ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/elwood-francis-aerosmith-vai-zz-top-guns-roses ZKUfxTWQLSbT6q3gw5XBEh Wed, 24 Jul 2024 11:43:17 +0000 Thu, 25 Jul 2024 09:58:59 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I said to Billy, ‘We should order one of these, and I’ll play it. It’ll be hilarious.’ Then it went viral. I hate playing that bass. Now I’ve got to play it every night”: Elwood Francis on why he regrets his 17-string bass becoming a ZZ Top staple ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/zz-top-bassist-elwood-francis-on-17-string-bass-origins i4UuNCfshfy6uZNYqDoqJW Thu, 18 Jul 2024 10:34:02 +0000 Tue, 30 Jul 2024 10:02:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Dusty is their bass player. I'm not the bass player. I shouldn't be in the band”: Elwood Francis replaced Dusty Hill in ZZ Top – but he still feels uncomfortable about it ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/elwood-francis-on-replacing-dusty-hill-in-zz-top 83oVzq3YqTuh3ir58KJRQb Wed, 10 Jul 2024 10:21:53 +0000 Mon, 29 Jul 2024 10:18:28 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Billy drops the line, ‘I'm sending you some sheepskins. I want you to put them on some guitars’”: Dusty Hill’s iconic fur-covered spinning bass from ZZ Top’s Legs video just sold at auction – and absolutely smashed its estimated sale price ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/zz-top-dusty-hill-legs-bass-sale yxFFsBUyBHinuQMHC6GhM8 Mon, 11 Dec 2023 21:22:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Billy Gibbons brought some off-brand amp simulator to the studio. We heard him playing through this thing and it was like, ‘Wow! It sounds like f**kin’ Billy Gibbons!’” Troy Van Leeuwen might have just proven beyond doubt that tone truly is in the hands ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/troy-van-leeuwen-billy-gibbons-tone uda9ftCW6GfULkFMyHSjRm Tue, 14 Nov 2023 12:57:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When they shot smoke, the crowd went wild!”: Dusty Hill’s Hot Rod car bass, custom built by Wayne Charvel for ZZ Top’s Eliminator tour, hides a few secrets beneath the hood – now it’s up for auction ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/dusty-hill-wayne-charvel-hot-rod-car-bass-eliminator 87KEaB99csEDLoSqUSBtGZ Fri, 10 Nov 2023 17:29:20 +0000 Wed, 04 Sep 2024 15:49:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ "We were still gluing the fur on the tuning keys when the FedEx driver showed up to pick up the guitars": The iconic fur-covered spinning bass from ZZ Top's Legs video is going up for auction ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/zz-top-legs-spinning-fur-bass-dusty-hill-auction 9TnacyCNCjh6EiGLAcXdfm Tue, 24 Oct 2023 19:10:16 +0000 Thu, 14 Mar 2024 16:31:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ Billy Gibbons gets his pedals on Amazon – and his favorite brand starts at $15 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/billy-gibbons-amazon-mini-pedals kxoaazwjuoBDEYBRf5y3eS Wed, 10 May 2023 10:09:09 +0000 Fri, 12 May 2023 14:19:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Joe Bonamassa, Buddy Guy, Santana, ZZ Top… Crossroads 2023 might offer the greatest lineup of guitar talent ever assembled ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/crossroads-guitar-festival-2023 NuB7kmi8mPHykLyyjqDyaE Mon, 17 Apr 2023 15:55:17 +0000 Fri, 13 Sep 2024 14:43:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ The greatest rock concerts in music history ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/the-greatest-rock-concerts-in-music-history EdMuQrvTcyAzHT5S5YH5QC Tue, 10 Jan 2023 16:15:52 +0000 Wed, 11 Jan 2023 16:38:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ The 17-string bass Elwood Francis played during a ZZ Top show was a cheap Chinese knockoff of Jared Dines' 18-string Ormsby ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/jared-dines-elwood-francis-17-string SRVzRZbXzicXAS4ivhrUkf Mon, 14 Nov 2022 12:37:49 +0000 Mon, 14 Nov 2022 12:38:27 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch ZZ Top's Elwood Francis use a 17-string bass guitar onstage for Got Me Under Pressure ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/zz-top-elwood-francis-17-string-bass EZDLjPwp6ZXbvMYNsFLMd6 Thu, 10 Nov 2022 21:52:39 +0000 Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:31:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ Red-hot blues guitar lessons you can learn from ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/zz-top-billy-gibbons-blues-guitar-lessons XDhazGCDpHSF5bPnV4iJL7 Tue, 27 Sep 2022 15:34:32 +0000 Thu, 03 Nov 2022 12:37:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ Jeff Beck announces mammoth list of US tour dates, including a string of shows with Ann Wilson and ZZ Top ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/jeff-beck-2022-us-tour-dates MW4tKu8uotRo8cHWNegUHR Mon, 15 Aug 2022 15:59:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ J. Rockett Audio Designs El Hombre review ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/reviews/j-rockett-audio-designs-el-hombre-review MTu9edNtwKdfx8bgJPhuzB Wed, 27 Jul 2022 13:43:05 +0000 Fri, 29 Jul 2022 09:56:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ ZZ Top announce new live album, Raw ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/zz-top-live-album-raw 5de4Qcv8vacfpw8YcmvRvL Mon, 07 Mar 2022 20:59:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ Billy Gibbons gives Jingle Bells a blues makeover in his cover of the Christmas classic ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/billy-gibbons-jingle-bell-blues DXhfSSUoFWecdh5MrtoZre Wed, 10 Nov 2021 13:21:01 +0000 <![CDATA[ Dusty Hill 1949-2021: paying tribute to the bearded boss of bass guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/dusty-hill-zz-top-tribute in5NqDNrZEChQLm62rfGW3 Wed, 13 Oct 2021 15:51:53 +0000 <![CDATA[ Billy F. Gibbons: “We let off steam by letting it rock... Hardware is a raging rocker but always mindful of the desert’s implicit mystery” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/billy-f-gibbons-hardware 3NuWQDFJ6JGhyfKK5SDQRP Thu, 16 Sep 2021 15:13:16 +0000 <![CDATA[ Billy Gibbons: “I was fearless when I started playing, but learning that agonizing F chord was miserable!” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/billy-gibbons-zz-top v3bzwjEFoMhDSkTCF9z4DQ Tue, 17 Aug 2021 15:15:05 +0000 Tue, 17 Aug 2021 16:47:27 +0000 <![CDATA[ Dusty Hill recorded bass and vocal parts for a new ZZ Top album, Billy Gibbons reveals ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/dusty-hill-recorded-parts-for-new-zz-top-album 9aUPVof5kPUY2HRBoHkfZ4 Wed, 04 Aug 2021 17:08:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch footage of ZZ Top's first shows since bassist Dusty Hill's death ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/zz-top-play-live-after-dusty-hills-death 43Mo6nZxvdaz4sSTZm3iaj Mon, 02 Aug 2021 10:20:25 +0000 <![CDATA[ Dusty Hill, 1949-2021: the guitar world pays tribute ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/dusty-hill-the-guitar-world-pays-tribute ftYyjVLAH8TQWeRxZLbe3J Thu, 29 Jul 2021 12:29:47 +0000 Thu, 29 Jul 2021 13:27:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ Dusty Hill, ZZ Top bassist, dies at 72 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/dusty-hill-dies-at-72 VswzzHeb8q5FhnEgmqv8Z Wed, 28 Jul 2021 19:05:21 +0000 Wed, 28 Jul 2021 20:20:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ Is Billy Gibbons’s new Wild Custom guitar the craziest signature model of the year so far? ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/wild-custom-billy-gibbons-signature nt7R2gb3HgQTjdRQQo7fXd Tue, 13 Jul 2021 18:01:45 +0000 Tue, 13 Jul 2021 18:05:24 +0000 <![CDATA[ 16 pro guitarists name the live shows that changed their lives ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/pro-guitarists-live-shows-that-changed-their-lives pzLhPtzYUFfzt7zrNMBFRB Fri, 25 Jun 2021 09:56:51 +0000 Fri, 25 Jun 2021 09:57:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Billy Gibbons and Steven Tyler team up for a blazing cover of Fleetwood Mac's Oh Well ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/watch-billy-gibbons-and-steven-tyler-team-up-for-a-blazing-cover-of-fleetwood-macs-oh-well V45g7H6CQ2TyVDdBhXtaBC Thu, 06 May 2021 12:03:14 +0000 <![CDATA[ Billy Gibbons announces new “raging rocker” solo album, Hardware, unveils first single ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/billy-gibbons-announces-new-raging-rocker-solo-album-hardware-unveils-first-single Vr8edLWKrZScYthddAAKU3 Fri, 26 Mar 2021 09:43:55 +0000 Fri, 26 Mar 2021 09:52:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ Billy F Gibbons discusses his extensive collection of hot rod-inspired guitars ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/billy-f-gibbons-discusses-his-extensive-collection-of-hot-rod-inspired-guitars 6SUi7dtFubhGkK3bP6vRkS Mon, 31 Aug 2020 20:26:27 +0000 <![CDATA[ Put some hair on your tone with Cream T’s new Billy Gibbons WhiskerBucker pickup set ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/put-some-hair-on-your-tone-with-cream-ts-new-billy-gibbons-whiskerbucker-pickup-set KCTaXVdjUKPyfnvEJNmiwF Fri, 10 Apr 2020 17:54:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ Get a private blues lesson from ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/private-blues-lesson-zz-tops-billy-f-gibbons-video N4cT9ZNsMLXrJVz8NQKedG Mon, 16 Dec 2019 16:52:15 +0000 Thu, 09 Jan 2020 11:27:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ How to play guitar like ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/how-to-play-guitar-like-zz-tops-billy-gibbons zY2JMoHUQbpXJB4Kz89FJm Thu, 19 Sep 2019 09:25:13 +0000 Thu, 19 Sep 2019 12:11:46 +0000 <![CDATA[ Classic guitar albums of 1979: ZZ Top's Degüello ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/classic-guitar-albums-of-1979-zz-tops-deguello a4iwEnacZCQS3WRCKTzX27 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 16:36:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ Jeff Beck: “Why My Strat Always Beats a Les Paul” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/jeff-beck-why-my-strat-always-beats-les-paul D2GX8HXEo964atW2n3nV9A Mon, 24 Jun 2019 13:00:07 +0000 Tue, 22 Oct 2019 21:41:38 +0000 <![CDATA[ ZZ Top Announce 50th Anniversary Collection, 'Goin’ 50' ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/zz-top-announce-50th-anniversary-collection-goin-50 XPDan8V7SMug3Wn8TBNk75 Thu, 02 May 2019 15:25:55 +0000 Fri, 03 May 2019 18:11:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ ZZ Top Announce 50th Anniversary Tour ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/zz-top-announce-50th-anniversary-tour YwhkWXTs4Su5oA74PDVjpn Tue, 09 Apr 2019 13:48:43 +0000 Wed, 10 Apr 2019 17:26:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ Billy Gibbons Shows Custom Gibson and John Bolin Guitars from His Collection ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/blogs/billy-gibbons-shows-custom-gibson-and-john-bolin-guitars-his-collection-video ufP3JNo8BKYdGoLYhCCDPC Mon, 17 Dec 2018 21:37:00 +0000 Mon, 17 Dec 2018 21:38:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Join William Shatner for "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/watch-zz-tops-billy-gibbons-join-william-shatner-for-rudolf-the-red-nosed-reindeer d8xLCxr3vEZnupLMvcqyzm Tue, 27 Nov 2018 18:40:59 +0000 Thu, 29 Nov 2018 17:11:38 +0000 <![CDATA[ ZZ Top Legend Billy Gibbons Breaks Down New Solo Album, 'The Big Bad Blues' ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/zz-top-legend-billy-gibbons-breaks-down-new-solo-album-the-big-bad-blues TjkBXbr5NCL8ip34NQRNN6 Fri, 02 Nov 2018 17:01:06 +0000 Tue, 18 Dec 2018 18:39:17 +0000