What a fine, fine album Fandango is ... haven't heard it for ages, thanks for that :D
Live side - I still say Mules, but one of my Blackguarded Teles could almost pull it off with a dirty enough amp. If I was asked to impersonate this stuff though, I'd probably actually take my MQ'd Explorer with me instead of my Love Rock or teles. Definitely not Riff Raffs - I seem to use different words, but I agree with Twinfan, they'd be too "hard".
Studio side:
Nasty Dogs sounds LP-like to me. Out of what I've got, it's Mules. But there's quite a few guitars on there with different sounds to create the overall tone though, wouldn't surprise me if he's got a fender of some sort hidden in amongst it.
Blue Jean Blues, I really don't know, I've always assumed it's an LP. But out of the guitars I own at the moment, and the mood I'm in, I'd reach immediately for a telecaster to get that tone - but the solo, hmm, just a bit too much weight for a tele maybe? (and it does sound like a "one-guitar" job). I do think Twinfan could be right on the Stormies word here - but I've never tried them. Also I seem to remember Hunter doing a superb Blue Jean clip on here somewhere (what with I can't recall). How much do you use the guitar's volume/tone controls? The Mules will get you this tone, but we're talking rolling off on the guitar, not trying to find the tone on the amp with the guitar up full...
Balinese - one of my favourite ZZ Top songs - I've always assumed LP, but actually, my Flat 50 Blackguard bridge with the tone turned down on the guitar might do a better job than my Mules/Riff Raffs. I think it might even be a mixture of guitars like Nasty Dogs. The solo is definitely a fender of some sort.
Again, Mex Blackbird sounds like it's got a mixture to me... the underlying chunky rhythm I'd go for my Mules with the volume rolled off a tad on the guitar. My slide isn't really up to the BFG slide tone, but to get that sound I'd pick up my Danelectro, my fender/gibson types probably would do it, but my Dano would get me there a lot faster without too much effort.
The rhythm gits on Heard it on the X have a lot of "fendery" about them (actually the Dano would be very useful as well) - I wouldn't have known this before finding BKPs and getting all these different guitars and pups. I would have tried to get a Les Paul to do it, and wondered why it didn't have that extra "shimmer"to the sound...
Tush - MULES!! :lol:
Well I've listened to the whole album twice - a very enjoyable snowed in early morning, many thanks :D, time to put a guitar on now...