The bass in Francis' hands wasn't a 4-string or a 5-string bass guitar, nor was it a 6-string model. No, readers, this yellow-finished low-end behemoth was a (by our count, at least) 17-string bass.

A few weeks later, after I had forgotten about it, Billy shows up with [the 17 string bass].” He described the situation as “one of those ‘hold my beer’ moments.” ...

Last Saturday (Nov. 5), when ZZ Top played the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama, Francis momentarily swapped his regular bass for the bright yellow 17 ...