Description
Here we have a brand new Gretsch G6199 Billy-Bo in Firebird Red! This is a factory-fresh instrument handcrafted in Japan as part of the Gretsch Professional Collection — and it has one of the most compelling origin stories in guitar history.
The Billy-Bo was first designed in 1959 by Bo Diddley himself, and it's one of the rarest and most distinctive body shapes Gretsch ever produced. Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top found an original in the guitar vault during a recording session and was immediately smitten — but didn't want to risk subjecting such a rare instrument to the rigors of the road. So Gretsch worked with Gibbons to recreate it, adding some "BFG mojo" for good measure, and the result has been Gibbons' main stage guitar ever since. The Firebird Red gloss urethane finish is a bold, aggressive look that suits the instrument's raw, bluesy personality perfectly.
It's driven by a single TV Jones Power'Tron humbucker — a pickup specifically voiced for the kind of thick, saturated, midrange-heavy tone that Gibbons is known for. The laminated maple top over a mahogany back gives the Billy-Bo a punchy, immediate response with a natural compression that solidbody guitars can't replicate. The Jet-style headstock, chrome hardware, G-Arrow knobs, and 1-ply black pickguard keep the appointments clean and functional — this is a player's guitar first and foremost.
The rosewood fingerboard has pearloid Neo-Classic thumbnail inlays and a comfortable playing feel that works equally well for Gibbons-style blues shuffles or more aggressive rock rhythms. The Gretsch G-Cutout tailpiece adds a distinctive visual detail that's unique to this model. It's a guitar that sounds completely unlike anything else in the Gretsch lineup — in the best possible way.
It ships brand new in its original Gretsch packaging with a hardshell case and all factory documentation. A truly rare and sonically distinctive instrument for the player who wants something with real history and real character.
