I did not realize that ZZ Top was a three-piece for a long time. Gibbons makes a lot of sound. He has a distinctive style and an ace technique or two that he showcases occassionally.

  Great Texas blues guitarist with a fine sense of rhythm!

Awesome under rated leader of ZZ TOP!!!

Almost every song had two guitar solos. Making albums from 1969 to 2003+. Nobody better than Billy!

Possibly the best blues-rock guitarist of all time!  You show me a man who could rock like he does at the age of 57!  (Clapton Can't)!

One word GREAT

How did you get that sound? Very tasteful.

I know he's not the fastest, not the flashiest, but he has great "hands". His false harmonics, his bends, his left-handed tremolo, all that plus his growling tone makes him a great player in my book.

Mr. Crunch! You can't go wrong with Billy. Maybe not in the Top 10, but he definately deserves to be on this list.

Just another mediocre hillbilly electric guitarist. Nothing to write home about, really.

Hendrix saying that Gibbons was THE best is actually a myth. What Hendrix really did was cite Gibbons as ONE of the best guitar players in response to a question when Hendrix appeared on "The Tonight Show." For all of his prodigious talent, Hendrix was a humble guy, more interested in talking about players and other bands, rather than boasting about himself. An early band that Gibbons was in, an overrated psychedelic band called The Moving Sidewalks, had opened some Experience shows in Texas in 1968, and the two players became friendly and even traded guitars. Gibbons is certainly very talented, and is particularly good at playing in a blues style, though ZZ Top's output varied greatly in terms of quality IMO.

If Jimi Hendrix said he was the best that means he was really good

NOPE SORRY!

A very underrated blues rock player with a distinctive technique and tone. So, he may not shred at a zillion notes per second but he does incorporate some tasty double stops and bends. Bottom line is if Joe Satriani rates him, then that's good enough for the rest of us.

Tone, taste and tenacity.