ZZ Top

ZZ Top formed in Houston in 1969 after Billy Gibbons' previous band, Moving Sidewalks, broke up. Gibbons joined with bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard, who had played together in American Blues. They gave their first concert in Beaumont, Texas on February 10, 1970, signed with London Records and released their debut album in 1971. After a break in the late 1970s the band signed to Warner Music Group and released Degüello in 1979.

The lineup of Gibbons, Hill and Beard held from 1969 until Hill died in July 2021; obituary reports say Beard died in August 2026. The band built a signature sound on Gibbons' blues style and a tight rhythm section, plus a matching image of sunglasses, hats and long beards, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Gibbons' guitars are the main gear story: his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard "Pearly Gates" is the best known, supported by a very large collection, and Seymour Duncan makes signature pickups for him. Guitar Radar follows ZZ Top and Gibbons signature gear.