Billy Gibbons - Pics of his Esquires

These pics are from this week,April 6, the Merle Haggard Tribute concert 'Sing Me Back Home'.

The guitar Billy is playing here has at least a Tele headstock. If there was not BFG written in big letters on the fretboard I'd think that it was just loaned for the concert but as it is it must be his.
Can't remember when I saw Billy play a 3/pu axe before.

 

Here's the video showing Billy and Warren at the Merle Haggard Tribute concert

 

Sorry that the video above doesn't work any longer.

Here's another cool pic of Billy with one of his
custom Snakehead Esquires. This one has the big
volume control knob.

 

Charles Whitfill "Tejas" Billy Gibbons Tele.
Awesome!!!







Whitfill TEJAS T' SN: #4 of 50 1-10-16
Mint (Reliced) 2016 Weight: 6lbs 2oz
The specs on this amazing guitar are as follows:



Body: Swamp ASH, proprietary chambering scheme based on the cellular structure of swamp Ash.

Neck: Gibson Scale, 23 usable frets, with fret #24 being the hidden pickup.

Paint: Butterscotch Blonde, Gibbons designed hand pinstriping by Kirby Adams (a Hot Rod builder who is friend of Gibbons)

Pickups: Whitfill proprietary Pickups by Onamac Windery, 2 cover Humbuckers in Bridge, Deceiver Pickup in neck.

Bridge: Babicz full contact BFG bridge designed in conjunction with Billy Gibbons for this guitar.

Wiring: Vintage cloth wire, CTS Pots, 2 volume controls (considering using a stacked pot for both volumes to enable the use of a tone control)

Appointments: 53 P Bass control plate, custom ½ pickguard, aged nickel hardware, SS screw


This very special guitar was designed by Charles Whitfill in conjunction with Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. #4 of only 50 built.



Billy Gibbons got the first three!

Features a custom pickup configuration with double coil bridge pickup and Deceptor hidden neck pickup. Incredible tones!

Features include a very light and resonant swamp ash body, custom pickups, custom pinstriping and 1 piece maple neck with a 10" radius maple fingerboard!

Very Fast Neck and Low Action

• Lightweight Swamp Ash Body

• 1 Piece Maple Neck (.860-.960")

• 1.650" Nut Width

• 10" Radius

• Whitfill Custom Double Coil Pickup and Deceptor neck pickup

• CTS Pots

• CRL Pickup Switch

• Oil and Paper Capacitor

• Cloth Wire

• Gotoh Vintage Style Nickel Tuners

• Babicz Bridge

 

I have a couple of questions regarding the above shown 'Whitfill / Gibbons / Tejas' guitar.

50 were built and Billy got the first three.
So is anybody here on TDPRI who owns one
of the 47 left?

Other question is if anybody is familiar with the hidden pickup at fret # 24?
Never heard of something like that.
Somebody here in the know?

 

For a few months now Billy obviously favors his Gibson SG style guitars.
At least this heavily perforated Fender Coronado here features a Tele neck.

 

We have seen these guitars before but here's some more info from 'Vintage Guitar Magazine':

 

Cohiba Cigars

 

Billy Gibbons & Allstar Band at the "Rooftop"
You may recognize some other slingers up there.
Eric J e.g. contributes some nice licks too.

 

It's been a long while since I saw Billy with an Esquire.
He's obviously riding on the Gibson trail again. LPs and SGs are
his go to axes these days.

Though I have no new Esquires to post here's a couple of "funny" pics of the Rev.

Never saw him in that pink suit. The guitar is obviously the well known Cohiba.



and here we have an art print of him.