By :
Todd Witzken
I commonly listen to guitarists talking about the fact that having coughed up for a set of endorsed humbucker pickups, they can't for the life of them work out why their sound isn't way more akin to Billy Gibbons. Oh and incidentally, if you have no idea who Billy Gibbons is, he's the guitarist and singer of the Texas blues band ZZ Top - the guy with a beard well over one foot long! Well one answer is like this, does a pair of David Beckham football boots get you to play just like his majesty? In other words, there's an awful lot of marketing involved and also a lot of variables. Not only where skill is involved but also in the materials area.Let's definitely not forget that so much of that Billy Gibbons blues sound is derived from the electric guitar itself, and this particular axe is in all probability one of the meanest sounding '59 Les Pauls ever. The type of wood and its age, the guitar's construction and the hardware all play a critical part - and that is before the guitar pickups play a part. Throw into the mix the type of amp that Mr Gibbons uses compared to you, and last but not least his playing style. All this effects his famous tone. Having said this, the endorsed models are wonderful pickups that emulate the performance spec of the original tremendously well. Great care has been taken with every component, from the coil windings to the magnetic strength. Let's be honest, these are lovely sounding pickups, but this specific reproduction does not mean that it will give your specific electric guitar and amplifier combination the greatest impersonation of the Billy Gibbons sound. A completely different pickup maker might produce a 'bluesy' model that just creates the sound you are chasing far more effictivley for your guitar and amp combination. Taking this a stage further, take a look at all those signature model guitars available. Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton all now have models based on one of their best guitars. They cost a load of money, look superb, could possibly be collectible but won't make you sound similar to the players themselves.So getting back to the replacement pickups. It's okay to read what's on the tin but I'm afraid to say you're simply going to have to taste it. Read the specification but never trust that alone - use your ears and go from there. There are some great pickup makers out there so there's plenty of choice. Go to their web sites, listen to many sound samples and remember to trust your ears. Some of the smaller organisations create great sounding, handcrafted pickups and offer replacements should you fail to be wholly delighted with your buy. This specific extra backup is a nice bit of security. Best of luck!
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