Fender
Precision Bass (1970s, Dallas pawnshop)
Top 5Seen using
Seen in Dusty Hill: 1949–2021, July 2021
No store page for this one.
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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by ZZ Top. Every item links to its public source.
14 items · Last checked What guitar does ZZ Top play?
Billy Gibbons has said he plays his 1959 Les Paul Pearly Gates and Bolin-built guitars through Marshall and Magnatone amps. Dusty Hill was seen with a 1970s Fender P bass and a John Bolin chambered bass, and Frank Beard with Tama Starclassic drums and Paiste cymbals.
Top 5
Where to start with ZZ Top's gear.
What gear ZZ Top uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Dusty Hill: bass
Seen in Dusty Hill: 1949–2021, July 2021
No store page for this one.
Seen in Dusty Hill: 1949–2021, July 2021
No store page for this one.
Frank Beard: drums
Seen in Frank Beard of ZZ Top, May 2004
No store page for this one.
Tama
Custom 28-inch-deep toms
Seen using
Paiste
Cymbals
Seen using
Billy Gibbons: guitar and vocals
Gibson
1959 Les Paul Standard 'Pearly Gates'
Has said they use
“She is a 1959, and I acquired her when I was 18.”
Said in Guitar World: Dear Guitar Hero, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons talks pinch harmonics, gear, setup, strings and more, December 2013
No store page for this one.
Gibson
1955 Les Paul Goldtop (detuned)
Has said they use
“That was the fine work of a detuned '55 Goldtop running through a modified Marshall 100”
Said in Guitar World: Dear Guitar Hero, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons talks pinch harmonics, gear, setup, strings and more, December 2013
No store page for this one.
Fender
1955 Stratocaster hardtail 'La Grange'
Has said they use
“This particular thrasher, combined with Pearly Gates, harmonics included, put the crowning touch on La Grange.”
Said in Guitar World: Billy F Gibbons discusses his extensive collection of hot rod-inspired guitars, August 2020
No store page for this one.
Gretsch
G6199 Billy-Bo Jupiter Thunderbird
SponsoredHas said they use
“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.”
Said in Gretsch: G6199 Billy-Bo product page, September 2026
Bolin Guitars
'Peeler' chambered T-style guitarSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill (2015), September 2015
No store page for this one.
Magnatone
Baby M-80Said in Magnatone: Magnatone announces Chrome Grape edition in the Billy Gibbons Collection, January 2025
Marshall
Modified 100-watt head
Has said they use
Marshall
Modified 100-watt headSaid in Guitar World: Dear Guitar Hero, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons talks pinch harmonics, gear, setup, strings and more, December 2013
No store page for this one.
Bixonic
Expandora distortion
Has said they use
Bixonic
Expandora distortionSaid in Guitar World: Dear Guitar Hero, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons talks pinch harmonics, gear, setup, strings and more, December 2013
No store page for this one.
Dunlop
Rev. Willy's Mexican Lottery Brand guitar picks
SponsoredSeen using
Seen in Dunlop: Billy Gibbons artist page, September 2026
Questions
About ZZ Top's gear.
What guitar does Billy Gibbons play?
His 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard Pearly Gates, a 1955 Goldtop, Fender Strats, Esquires and a Jaguar, Gretsch Billy-Bo Jupiter Thunderbirds and many Bolin builds, through Marshall heads and a Magnatone Baby M-80, with a Bixonic Expandora.
What bass did Dusty Hill play?
A vintage 1970s Fender P bass he bought in a Dallas pawnshop, and later a John Bolin-built chambered slab body with a Seymour Duncan stacked P-bass pickup. His tech said he played with all four fingers and popped with his thumb.
What drums does Frank Beard play?
In 2004 he played large Tama Starclassic drums with triggers, including two 17x22 bass drums with remote pedals and 28-inch-deep custom toms, with smaller Paiste cymbals to cut through stadium PAs.
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Named in this guide
ZT
ZZ Top
About this guide · Last checked
ZZ Top are the Texas trio of Billy Gibbons, the late Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, with Elwood Francis on bass since 2021. This guide covers the band's gear as a whole: Gibbons' Pearly Gates Les Paul, Bolin guitars and Marshall and Magnatone amps, Hill's Fender P and Bolin basses, and Beard's Tama drums and Paiste cymbals.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. ZZ Top didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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