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Riff Tone

Just Got Paid

ZZ Top

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (1959, aka 'Pearly Gates')
AmpMarshall Super Lead 100 (Plexi, late 1960s/early 1970s)

Amp Settings

gain6
bass6.5

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Effects & Signal Chain

Notes

Studio recording, 1972 for the album 'Rio Grande Mud'. Multiple sources and interviews confirm Billy Gibbons used his 'Pearly Gates' Les Paul and a Marshall Super Lead for early ZZ Top recordings, including 'Just Got Paid'. No evidence of pedal use for the riff section; fuzz and boost pedals were not yet part of his rig for this era. No evidence of amp reverb or other built-in effects.

Tone Character(10)
thick, saturated British crunchpunchy midrange bitefat, sustaining riff toneraw, uncompressed attackslightly hairy breakuptight, percussive low endopen, dynamic responseclassic rock sizzlearticulate pick attackno audible modulation or time-based effects

Difficulty

The riff requires tight shuffle timing, clean articulation, and incorporates slide guitar fills, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.

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