
Photo: Ralph Arvesen · CC BY 2.0
What guitar does Billy Gibbons play?
Billy Gibbons uses a Magnatone Baby M-80 at home and in the studio, and has said Pearly Gates, his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, is at the heart of almost everything ZZ Top recorded, often through Marshalls. He has also said he plays a Gretsch Billy-Bo and custom Bolin guitars.
Where to start with Billy Gibbons's gear.
What guitars Billy Gibbons uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Guitars
“She is a 1959, and I acquired her when I was 18.”
“That was the fine work of a detuned '55 Goldtop running through a modified Marshall 100”
“Lil Red still thrives and plays like melting butter. Precious sound from this one.”
“Sunburst Gibson Melody Maker from 1962. Single cutaway, single pickup. Simple. Straight to the point.”
“This particular thrasher, combined with Pearly Gates, harmonics included, put the crowning touch on La Grange.”
“It’s right down to basics with the Esquire. Single pickup, single cutaway.”
“This instrument, acquired in ’73, is heard on three tracks recorded for the Tejas album.”
“It was in fine working shape”
“So this new reproduction model was recreated with some BFG mojo thrown in for good measure. It's now the main stage guitar with a groove.”
“I’ve had the pleasure of working directly with Bolin Guitars out of Boise, Idaho, for the last four decades”
“A player’s delight!”
“This guitar brought a supercharged aim to the recording direction of the Rhythmeen sessions.”
“Jellybean pushes a really hard sound.”
“Radical. Takes two hands and a lot of hammerin’.”
“The guitar, nicknamed KruiZZerhed, is a righteous machine”
“This thing is strong!”
Pickups
“I like the twank of a Telecaster and the beef of a humbucker, and right here you get a little bit of both.”
“Seymour Duncan took the Pearly Gates pickups and gave them an extra bump”
“It works as a regular guitar pickup, and then when you engage the octave-lower segment, it throws that in.”
Amps
“Marshalls are still present in our lineup and remain the cornerstone for our guitar and bass tones”
“We're using the Marshall tube preamp and loading that into Marshall's now out-of-production 120/120 power amp.”
“I started when I got a guitar for Christmas and along with it came a tiny little Fender Champ.”
Pedals
Strings and picks
About Billy Gibbons's gear.
What guitar does Billy Gibbons play?
Pearly Gates, the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard he bought at 18. He has also described playing a 1955 'La Grange' Strat, a 1961 Les Paul 'Lil Red', a Gretsch Billy-Bo Jupiter Thunderbird and many custom Bolin guitars, including the Peeler.
What amp does Billy Gibbons use?
Billy Gibbons uses a Magnatone Baby M-80 at home and in the studio, per Magnatone in 2025. He has said Marshalls are the cornerstone of his tone: a Marshall JMP-1 preamp into a Marshall 120/120 power amp.
What pickups does Billy Gibbons use?
He has Seymour Duncan signature pickups: the Red Devil, the Red Devil for Tele and the Hades Gates set. Premier Guitar showed Cream T Banger and Mash and BFG Banger pickups in his Bolin guitars, and he has said he used A Little Thunder octave pickups on Hardware.
What strings does Billy Gibbons use?
Dunlop lists his Billy Gibbons Custom Rev. Willy's sets among his gear, and Premier Guitar reported his touring guitars strung .07 to .038. He has said B.B. King taught him that a lighter gauge string offers superior playing comfort.
What pick does Billy Gibbons use?
He has said he plays a filed-down Mexican peso coin as a pick, and Dunlop makes his Rev. Willy's Mexican Lottery Brand extra heavy gel pick line, along with his Rev. Willy's glass slides and leather strap.
What is Billy Gibbons' Pearly Gates?
His 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, bought when he was 18 and named after a car sold to fund it. Asked in 2020 which guitar he owns sounds finest, he named Pearly Gates.
Billy F Gibbons is the Texas guitarist and singer who has led ZZ Top since 1969. This guide covers Pearly Gates and the rest of the guitars he has described in interviews, his Bolin customs, Magnatone and Marshall amps, and his Gretsch, Seymour Duncan and Dunlop signature gear.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Billy Gibbons didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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