The year was 1983. If you were alive and breathing, or even just passing a TV screen, you saw them. Two bearded guys in trench coats, spinning white, fuzzy rectangular guitars in perfect synchronization. It was the "Legs" music video, and it cemented ZZ Top as the coolest, weirdest, and most visually savvy band in rock history.
But let’s be honest. Most people think those guitars were just plastic props. I mean, they look like something you’d find in the rug aisle at IKEA, not a high-end luthier's shop.
Actually, the zz top fur guitar—or more accurately, the pair of them—is a legitimate piece of custom engineering. These weren't toys. They were fully functional, sheepskin-covered instruments built by a man who was probably wondering if he’d finally lost his mind at 3:00 in the morning.
The 3 AM Phone Call that Changed Everything
The story starts with Dean Zelinsky. He’s the guy who founded Dean Guitars. One night, while Billy Gibbons was touring the UK with the guys from Def Leppard, he decided he needed something new. Something... hirsute.
Gibbons called Zelinsky in the middle of the night. He didn't ask for a new finish or a different pickup. He told Dean he was sending over some sheepskins he’d just bought in Scotland. His request? "Put them on some guitars."
Zelinsky didn't blink. He took a Dean Z guitar and a matching bass, painted them stark white—including the fingerboards—and got to work with electric horse shears. He had to shave a literal path down the center of the fur so the strings, pickups, and tailpiece could actually, you know, exist.
The crunch time was real. They were still gluing fur onto the tuning keys when the FedEx driver showed up to whisk them away to the video shoot.
How the Heck Do They Spin?
This is the question everyone asks. How do you spin a guitar 360 degrees without the strap strangling you or the cable turning into a tangled mess of copper?
The secret is basically a glorified ball-bearing system.
- The Rig: The guitars are attached to a central hub on a belt buckle.
- The Wiring: You can't use a standard cable. If you did, it would snap or knot up after one rotation. The band used wireless transmitters hidden inside the fur or tucked away on the back.
- The Balance: If the weight isn't perfectly distributed, the guitar won't spin smoothly—it’ll wobble and smack the player in the face.
Honestly, it’s a miracle they didn't knock their teeth out during those early rehearsals. They had to practice the timing to make sure Billy and Dusty Hill were perfectly in sync. If one person is a half-second off, the magic dies.
It Wasn’t Always the "Z" Shape
While the original "Legs" video featured the Dean Z models (which look like Explorers), the zz top fur guitar evolved over the years. Billy Gibbons has a deep, almost obsessive love for Bo Diddley. Diddley was famous for his rectangular "cigar box" guitars.
Later versions of the fur guitar were built by John Bolin, a legendary Texas luthier who has made more custom stuff for Billy than almost anyone. These were often based on that Bo Diddley rectangle shape.
Wait, it gets crazier.
Gibbons actually has "A" and "B" rigs for international touring. If you see them in Europe, he might be playing a fur-covered Gibson Explorer with a Flying V headstock. If you see them in the States, it might be the Bolin custom. The man has a literal vault of these things.
The $300,000 Sheepskin
Think these are just dusty old rugs? Think again. After Dusty Hill passed away, his estate went to auction in late 2023. His iconic fur-covered Dean bass from the "Legs" video was the star of the show.
The estimate was around $80,000.
It sold for $317,500.
That is a lot of money for a bass covered in 40-year-old sheep hair. But it proves that these instruments aren't just stage dressing. They are cultural artifacts. They represent the exact moment when blues-rock met the MTV generation and decided to have a weird, fuzzy party.
Why It Still Matters (And Why Nobody Does It Better)
In 2026, we’re used to CGI and stage gimmicks that cost millions of dollars. But there is something so tactile and "human" about the fur guitars. It’s a bit of Vaudeville, a bit of Texas grit, and a whole lot of showmanship.
People often ask if the fur affects the sound. Technically? Yes. Fur isn't exactly a tonewood. It dampens the resonance of the body. But when you’re playing through a stack of cranked-up amps with enough gain to peel paint, the "acoustic properties" of sheepskin don't really matter. It sounds like ZZ Top: thick, growly, and mean.
If you’re looking to replicate this yourself, here is the reality check:
- Don't use cheap craft fur. It’ll shed all over your pickups and short out your electronics.
- Get a wireless unit. Seriously. Do not try to spin with a 10-foot Fender cable.
- Balance is everything. If you’re building a DIY version, mount the spinning mechanism exactly at the center of gravity.
The zz top fur guitar remains the ultimate example of a band knowing exactly who they are. They didn't care about being "serious" musicians in that moment; they cared about being unforgettable. Mission accomplished.
To dig deeper into the world of custom rock gear, you can check out the work of Dean Zelinsky or John Bolin, both of whom continue to push the boundaries of what a guitar can actually look like. If you're a collector, keep an eye on Julien's Auctions; you never know when another piece of the Eliminator era might surface.
