ZZ Top

[Mick Bailey]

He did an interview some while ago where he said his favourite recording amp on earlier albums was a very particular Fender Champ and a range of unspecified pedals.

[Ben N]

Not so familiar with the songs in question, but my idea of the young Rev's tone is something like an Anderton Frequency Boost into a BSIAB. Or at least that is as close as I ever hope to get. 

[Ripdivot]

I read years ago that he played an explorer into a cranked tweed champ in the old days. I get pretty close with a strat into an almost cranked SHO into an almost cranked tweed champ.

[thereverend]

i'm pretty sure 90% of his tone comes from his beard.

[Ben N]

I think that was nutrition, as in 90% of his food comes from his beard. At least between meals. 

[Solidhex]

Yo

  ZZ top's First Record was pre beard days for Billy Gibbons.

--Brad

[WGTP]

As much as I dig the Reverend and Les Paul's and Tele's and Pearly Gates and cranked amps and the hole ZZ Top Folk Lore stuff, what mic was used, how was the compressor and EQ set, how much tape saturation occurred, etc.  In other words, how much was straight out of whatever amp and guitar/pedal setup and how much was the recording process???  The same for the Van Halen Brown Sound, etc.

[Mark Hammer]

As much as I dig the Reverend and Les Paul's and Tele's and Pearly Gates and cranked amps and the hole ZZ Top Folk Lore stuff, what mic was used, how was the compressor and EQ set, how much tape saturation occurred, etc.  In other words, how much was straight out of whatever amp and guitar/pedal setup and how much was the recording process???  The same for the Van Halen Brown Sound, etc.

+1

[m-theory]

In other words, how much was straight out of whatever amp and guitar/pedal setup and how much was the recording process???

Like I said, my buddy, who has seen him record numerous times, said that the sound that he sets his gear up for when recording is not something that you or I would likely be able to do much with.  He called it a "bowl of mud."  But, he's able to take that bowl of mud and make it sound amazing, because of his touch.  Copy his gear, piece by piece if you want and assuming you could ever track down any specific detail of such, but you won't likely find it very useful.  Btw, he's lately been recording with a SS amp and consumer-grade OD pedal, and still sounds, not surprisingly, just like Billy.  **GASP!!!**

[DougH]

Regardless of exactly how he did it on those early tunes, there's nothing going on there that couldn't be done with a cranked amp or garden-variety pedal with a bridge humbucker on the guitar. The EQ/distortion/etc is pretty standard sounding and should be achievable with a lot of different setups. It wasn't until later on that he started getting into more "otherworldly" sounds that would be more difficult to reproduce.

[Joe Hart]

For what it's worth, I can nail (at least in my delusional mind) the "Just Got Paid" tone with my guitar (alder homemade SuperStrat with a JB4 PU in the bridge position) into a homemade DOD 250 with a diode selector set to germanium diodes (which is essentially a Distortion+) into a FF clone (using two BC109 transistors) into a small homemade SS amp set to clean.  I also use a stainless steel pick, which I'm sure helps a little.

So, in short, nothing very "magical."  I would try a Dist+ into a FF into a clean amp.  Hope this helps.
-Joe Hart

[solderman]

For what it's worth, I can nail (at least in my delusional mind) the "Just Got Paid" tone with my guitar (alder homemade SuperStrat with a JB4 PU in the bridge position) into a homemade DOD 250 with a diode selector set to germanium diodes (which is essentially a Distortion+) into a FF clone (using two BC109 transistors) into a small homemade SS amp set to clean.  I also use a stainless steel pick, which I'm sure helps a little.

So, in short, nothing very "magical."  I would try a Dist+ into a FF into a clean amp.  Hope this helps.
-Joe Hart

Listen to Blue Jean Blues ore La Grange Both quite clean an distad amps maby a OD the rest is his fingers. Wish it was mine
//Solderman