Alright, so picture this: you’re at a ZZ Top show in 2025, and bassist Elwood Francis – Dusty Hill’s replacement – rocking this ridiculous 17-string bass. Like, seriously, a 17-string bass. He pulls it out for “Got Me Under Pressure,” and, believe it or not, it actually works.
“It’s not horrible,” Elwood says, laughing in an interview. “But yeah, it’s not exactly top-notch craftsmanship. The guitar tech’s constantly dealing with loose frets. It’s just your standard crappy, Chinese-made guitar.”
Here’s the wild part: they’re not even using all 17 strings. “We only use four—two on top, two on the bottom. My sound’s already this big, thick, dirty thing, so you can hide a lot of imperfections. It’s enough to get through the damn song!”
But wait, there’s more. As if the 17-string wasn’t already enough chaos, Elwood decided to add another monstrosity to his lineup—a black 15-string bass, which he calls his “B rig.” It’s got a Teisco logo slapped on the headstock and “High Selecta” inlayed on the fretboard. Classy, right?
“These things aren’t exactly well-made,” he admits. “The nuts are literally wood! But hey, they look cool, and they’re good enough to use as stunt basses.”
And yeah, it’s all a bit of a joke. Apparently, it started as a goofy idea between Elwood and Billy Gibbons. “I found the first one, the yellow 17-string, while scrolling the internet late at night on tour. We bought it from some random Chinese bootleg website. No clue where or who it came from, but it showed up.”
Their plan? Try it once, laugh it off, and move on. “The first night, we were like, ‘Alright, let’s just do it, have a laugh, and be done.’ But then… we didn’t stop. It wasn’t planned, which I think makes it better. It’s honest. Some people love it, some hate it, but hey, it’s a thing now.”
And about that “High Selecta” inlay? That’s a nickname Billy came up with for Elwood. “He calls me Lord High Selecta, it’s just one of those things. Somebody said it once, and next thing I know, he’s getting it slapped onto the bass. It’s kinda catchy, right?”
Now, would the bassist ever play one of these beasts for an entire ZZ Top set? He doesn’t even hesitate: “Oh, hell no! I’m so happy to put that thing down after one song. It’s brutal, it weighs a ton. No way I’m hauling that around for a full show.”
Still, he says it beats dealing with ZZ Top’s famous fuzzy guitars. “The fuzzy ones are kinda cool, but also a total pain. When I was the guitar tech, I had to clean the fur with little brushes. I hated it.”
As for what’s next? Elwood has no clue. “I’m barely keeping up with the madness we already have. When I first played that 17-string, I hadn’t even practiced with it. I’m standing there like, ‘Oh, crap. I guess this is happening.’ It was so confusing—way harder than I expected. And nope, we didn’t soundcheck. A soundcheck would’ve been nice.”
But hey, that’s life as a bassist with ZZ Top. Elwood sums it up best: “Every time I look down at that bass, I’m just like, ‘Goddamn… this is wild.’”
