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Why Can't My Guitar Create That Billy Gibbons Sound?

By Todd Witzken

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 09Mar2012
Word count: 879
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I often hear guitarists talking about the fact that having splashed out on a set of endorsed humbucker pickups, they can't for the life of them figure out why their sound isn't more akin to Billy Gibbons. Oh and by the way, if you have no clue who Billy Gibbons is, he's the guitarist and singer of the Texas blues band ZZ Top - the one with a beard over 1 foot long! Well one answer is this, does a pair of David Beckham boots make you play like his majesty? In other words, there's an awful lot of marketing involved and also many variables. Not only where skill is concerned but also in the materials department.

Let's not forget that so much of that Billy Gibbons blues sound comes from the guitar itself, and this particular axe is probably one of the meanest sounding '59 Les Pauls ever. The wood, the age of the wood, the guitar's construction and the hardware all play a vital part - and that's before the guitar pickups play a part. Throw into the mix the type of amp that Mr Gibbons uses compared to you, and finally his playing style. All this effects his tone.

Having said all this, the endorsed models are stunning pickups that emulate the performance spec of the original incredibly well. Great care has been taken with every element, from the magnet strength to the windings. Let's be honest, these are lovely sounding pickups, but this reproduction doesn't mean that it will give your particular guitar and amp combination the best impersonation of the Billy Gibbons sound. A completely different pickup maker may produce a 'bluesy' model that just creates the sound you are chasing more effectively for your guitar and amp combination.

Taking this one stage further, look at all those signature model guitars out there. Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton all have models based on one of their prime guitars. They cost a small fortune, look great, are collectible but won't make you sound like the players themselves.

So getting back to the replacement pickups. It's fine to read what's on the tin but I'm afraid you're just gonna have to taste it. Read the spec but don't trust that alone - use your ears and go from there.

There are some great pickup makers out there so there's plenty of choice. Visit their websites, listen to some sound samples and remember to go with your ears. Some of the smaller companies make fabulous sounding, hand made pickups and offer replacements should you not be 100% delighted with your purchase. This little backup is a nice bit of security. Good luck!

The author has played in various bands throughout the years and owns a variety of guitars. He loves to upgrade and customise his instruments and strongly recommends the excellent replacement humbucker pickups and other great guitar pickups at TubGuitarPickups.co.uk.

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