The FASCINATING History of Duane Allman's Guitars

[@SJLCinemas]

The type of content I want to see when I open KZbin

[@5150show]

One of my favourite notifications for sure

[@nimitz1739]

Dang right

[@ijustbecoolinlmao]

lemme tell you

[@avatar90404]

I stood 4 feet from Duane at The Whiskey A Go Go a month before the the Fillmore shows and he retuned the cherry burst after the slide tunes...

[@dylanadamsguitar]

Amazing, thanks for the further confirmation! I’m envious that you got to see him live!!

[@avatar90404]

@@dylanadamsguitar I agree that the cherry burst is the holy grail...

[@markpoppel7597]

Zappa for president

[@markpoppel7597]

1

[@kevindean1327]

@@markpoppel7597The military industrial complex wouldn’t allow that!!!

[@HarryLime-ge6dc]

Growing up in the Daytona Beach area, Duane Allman loomed large in the consciousness of every local guitar player worth their salt. And, as a young apprentice cabinet installer, I had the pleasure of helping install a new kitchen for Gregg and Duane's mother, Geraldine, at the very house the brothers grew up in.

[@scottculross4470]

Wish i could say that, i do cabinets . It would be an honor

[@Flavum]

The most accurate, thorough discussion of Duane's guitars that I've ever encountered. I've been an ABB gear nerd for decades, and you've pretty much condensed all my knowledge into 25 minutes. Hats off to you, Dylan. I look forward to further gear analysis. Dickey's goldtops? Duane and Dickey's choice of amps and speakers? I've gleaned a lot of info over the years, but your knack for consolidating it is wonderful. More, please!

[@Flavum]

Edit: I look forward to your discussion about the history of Duane's goldtop. Missing for years, rediscovered, and refinished/restored numerous times. Everyone seems to play it, but it's not really the same.

[@blucheer8743]

You know he was noted for his playing gibsons but listen to the solo on Wilson Pickett “hey Jude” he knocks out one of his best solos on a Stratocaster! And in fact it’s one of the greatest solos ever played on a strat!

[@artneville5994]

I heard he was fond of fender’s in the studio

[@HarryLime-ge6dc]

I honestly prefer Duane's strat work.

[@boulderguitarcoach5269]

That’s the solo that caused Clapton to look him up

[@MrNatural-fq1tq]

Very good informative video. I was always a fan of Duane and seen him play live three times before his death. I saw his very last concert in Maryland before his death about ten days later.

[@jpb962]

There's a video on here, Allman Bothers Love Valley Festival 7 19 1970, where Duane is paying a Les Paul Jr. during Whipping Post and then switches to the gold top for Mountain Jam.

[@greenman7612]

I always wondered why Duane was changing guitars then and what those guitars were. I wondered if he had broken a string. You add context. Thanks.

[@mattrobinson7262]

Duane is still my favorite guitar player. I loooooved your video. Thanks for taking the time to share that. It really means alot to me and other die hard Duane fans. After all these years, no one has topped Duanes phrasing and drive!! Well done!!!

[@michaeljohnston4127]

Fans of Duane need to listen to his Anthology recordings. A lot of Muscle Shoals absolute treasures! BB King Medley, Hey Jude, Loan Me A Dime, so many others. He was so unique and special and he Always elevated everyone else's playing, ie; Layla.

[@airtechmech6681]

I was at the June 6th, 1971 Houston concert. We went to hear Quicksilver Messenger Service and didn't even know who else was going to play until on the way their wexhear an advertisement on the local radio station and they played ZZ Top, and we thought "that sounds good". We weren't even aware that Gibbons had started a new band after the local band, Moving Sidewalks". Then we heard "Revival", that sounded good. At the show, ZZ Top only played for a few minutes,(the first album), to our dissapointment. Then at least two hours each from the others. Great concert. Been listening to ABB ever since. Bought my first Les Paul Standard about 45 minutes ago!

[@13cottonmouth]

Love your passion man, i dived into the filmore east rabbit hole around 40 years ago and I’m still down it! Duane was a giver and he’s still giving today, a true brother.

[@lumberlikwidator8863]

Thank you for sharing the results of your research. I think it’s fantastic that all these years after his death people still want to learn as much as possible about Duane, his techniques and his equipment. By all accounts he was an extraordinary person, and the proof of that is in the body of work he recorded in a few short years, which has fired the imaginations of three generations of guitar players. Thanks again, Dylan, and RIP, Skydog!

[@billmiller2051]

Duane has always been my favorite guitar player plus he looked so cool !!

[@Renn89]

I love how in depth this is and how much you’ve researched all this. Much appreciated man.

[@jeffsguitars3976]

Thank you for the info on one of the greatest guitar players ever. I been a fan for years.

[@petegibbons7453]

This is by far the coolest video I’ve seen in forever. Ive always wanted someone to do this and I’m so glad it was you since you’re a true Duane Allman nerd like so many of us. Thank you for finally clearing up all the confusion of these guitars and when he had them/used them. Awesome awesome channel live tour playing and keep up the awesome content.

[@larryogintz]

What a great dissertation. You seem right on with your analysis. He was the most complete guitarist.

[@VincentVader]

The man that made me pick up a guitar.

[@jeffsguitars3976]

Yes same here, I was in 9th grade when Filmore came out

[@philipg3372]

@VincentVader Same. A friend played Layla for me and I was hooked. The slide was mesmerizing.

[@mayito714]

Been listening and playing Duanes licks since 1974. Appreciate the history that I can now apply to his tunes I still listen to while running.

[@chesterproudfoot9864]

Blue Sky is the first song that I ever learned because I absolutely love Duane's solo and tone on that track. So that's my favorite. But honestly, it doesn't matter that much to me because everything he recorded is incredible. Love the research, and envious that you got to play his guitar at the Big House.

[@DeanKruger-b7z]

Duane didn't play on that one...that's Dicky and a session great who skips my mind....but my favorite Allman tune anyway..I usually play it 3 times in a row because the guitar's are so good!!

[@chesterproudfoot9864]

@@DeanKruger-b7z Yes, Duane played on Blue Sky. The first solo is Duane, the second is Dickey.

The solo is great- but also his rythm when Dickie is playing lead is fantastic also

[@Craig52-zq1bt]

I have a book of "How to play slide guitar". In it is a picture of Duane Allman playing slide guitar on stage with drool hanging from his mouth almost to the strings.

[@XxSkydog71xX]

This entire sentence is fucking legendary

[@kmajor44]

Slide lube… the other tonal ingredient… 🤫

[@TheSpiderbridge]

This was wonderful.

[@GuitarGuyBornInTheWrongDecade]

That trade story is such a funny thing to do but strangely so fitting of someone like Duane even though I don’t know much about how he was like

[@fivelongyears]

Really loved this. Thanks, Dylan!

[@joelolson2]

Thanks so much for sharing your research into Duane Allman. I just discovered your slide videos, and I appreciate your patient, pragmatic teaching. I love the guitar, and it's so inspiring to see a person much younger than me grabbing on to this music, keeping it alive, and making it relevant for new audiences. I appreciate your passion for the music and your entrepreneurial way of sharing it with the world. Best wishes!

[@dougfoulis5655]

Very educational and interesting. Thanks for sharing your info

[@skygreen5939]

Outstanding! Thanks for going to the trouble to put all this together. I've geeked out on this subject for a couple of decades, so it's not often that someone upgrades my knowledge on it these days, but even i'm guilty of assuming the 3/71 slide songs were the SG - thanks again for clearing this up! I haven't tried this yet, but you *might* be able to distinguish between the two goldtops by looking at the fretboard inlays - not very reliable, but sometimes those can act like a fingerprint.

[@gabrieln3613]

I saw Dwayne the next month April 10th 1971 and my recall is he was playing the red SG on the slide tunes. I won't duplicate but further up the thread I left a much longer comment about this.

[@bradyoung6235]

I learned something today!! Thanks so much for putting this content out. Such a great story.

[@A100Spires]

Really well done Dylan…in the first pic of “Hot Lanta”’ it looks like something is wrapped around his slide finger, maybe something in the slide, yet in most pics it seems like just the bottle? Mark

[@lumberlikwidator8863]

I had an original glass Coricidin bottle for slide back around 1978. I used it on my left ring finger. Because of the closed off end it made my finger sweat really bad and when I played without the slide my callus on the tip of my finger would start to fray and sometimes even start peeling off. So I switched to a regular glass slide and gave the Coricidin bottle to a friend. I suspect that Duane had the same problem and put something like cotton gauze or paper toweling around his finger to absorb the sweat and protect the tip of his finger. Author and guitarist Adam St. James interviewed Warren Haynes for a book and reported that Warren wanted to have somebody drill little holes in the bottom of a Coricidin-type bottle to allow the sweat to evaporate from the inside of the bottle. (BTW, wasn’t I totally stupid for giving that pill bottle away?)

[@lachaineguitare]

Awesome video! Well done Dylan. Thanks a ton.

[@ae3898]

Thank you SO much for this labor of love. When I first started tuning into Duane in the early 1990s, the guitar magazines pretty much only published summer 1971 photos of him playing slide on the SG or standard on the dark burst. As a result, my eyes had me absolutely (and erroneously) convinced that’s what I was hearing on the “Fillmore East” record.

[@JohnCampbelljohnBlues]

Well done Dylan. Keep up the great work. Duane is by far my #1 slide hero. I must admit, I'm a bit obsessed with Duane's SG history. This would be the go to video for Duane/SG research. But I agree 100% that the the Fillmore album is THE masterpiece. Maybe some day you could talk about Lowell George and Ry Cooder...and of course the great Sonny Landreth. FYI, I too have the 2013 SG. It's my "Duane" guitar. Interesting to see in another video of yours that you were a little inhibited (my word) trying to be yourself on the SG. I've gotten that feeling also. I spent years NOT listening to Duane...trying to achieve my own sound...because he was such a dominant influence in my youth. You are a badass guitar player. Best of luck!

[@joecole8658]

Great video man. Good work.

[@zappa3837]

Wow. He even cites his sources. A man after my own heart.

[@5150show]

The fact the SkyDog was changing tuning on his les Paul from open E to standard, is again evident that he was a master of the instrument cos I can’t play open e slide on the action I play standard it’s just too low , and vice-versa playing standard song on high action doesn’t work for me .

[@leev9349]

I loved your video with all the technical info you provided. Thank you so much for researching this and clarifying which guitar was used when.

[@copperaudio9664]

If you're going down a rabbit hole, this is a good one. Thanks 😎👍

[@SeeCSeesCC]

❤great job on this video Dylan

[@prajnachan333]

I too love the Fillmore East tone. Its warm and full, nuanced. I was 14 in 1971. So you're taking me back bro! Cheers 🍻 👏

[@jackmundo4043]

Very insightful and factually correct. Excellent in every way. Thank you. You got it right.

[@dylanadamsguitar]

Thanks so much!

[@jackmundo4043]

@ I use to play golf with Dickey, Butch, Danny, and Frankie. We should talk, I have things.

[@predatorking1000]

@@jackmundo4043 what were their handicaps?

[@jackmundo4043]

@ They all were pretty athletic, especially Dickey. Butch was around a 13 and played a fairly controlled game with a slight fade. Dickey was fairly long and had a pretty good swing and was maybe a a 10 at his best. Danny and Frankie loved golf, too. Danny was a 12 or so and Frankie a little higher. Gregg was lefty and didn’t play. Looking back, it was great to get to know your heroes growing up.

[@Flare4roach]

Excellent analysis of each guitar. I learned a great deal. Outstanding playing too!!!

[@stevelongobardi6870]

Great research Dylan - thanks for sharing.

[@LeeShcolnik]

Good episode Dylan. Thanks for sharing the research you’ve done. Never got to see Duane but when I got LAFE in ‘72 I pretty much listened to that album incessantly.

[@Pab-Low]

This knowledge is Gold(top) !!! Tanks so much for sharing and congrats on the researches! Peace, Love and Music from France 🍑

[@lorenzodeabreu5703]

You're a master in this area. Very cool information. Thanks from argentina🎉

[@philipg3372]

Great job, Dylan! You've gone as deep down the Duane rabbit hole as I have. I play in an Allmans tribute and also geek out on the tiny details of Duane's gear. Regarding the pups in the Cherryburst - Im not convinced that they hadn't been changed by time Gibson got it and measured them. You've probably heard the rumor that Duane had the pups from the Goldtop hot rodded by Mike Ladd. If that's true, it could be why he insisted on putting them in the Cherryburst.

[@thomasskladany7760]

Great video brother. Many thanks !!!

[@longlivetheabb]

this is simply outstanding my dude. well done. your work tracks well with my own book and research. #longlivetheABB🍄

[@YOURMOTHER43211]

This was perfect! Great job sir!!!

[@barbararipani1331]

Thanks. I lived in that time but it’s always been confusing to me. Glad you’re doing this

[@logansams1559]

Thanks so much for this video. From a long-time ABB fan, I really appreciate this. Hope we can schedule live lessons from you again soon.

[@chantinking7778]

This is great man thanks for posting

[@jeffreygraves7913]

Killer video Dylan, I love seeing you play the DA Les Paul keep rocking!

[@dylanadamsguitar]

Thanks Jeff, and yeah man it’s become the first guitar I reach for!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@edcaouette5180]

Fantastic analysis Dylan. Thankz😌👍👍👍

[@prajnachan333]

I have been watching videos on guitars. The Fillmore album and others were major records in my formative years. Awesome. The best. Nice to dive into Duane and his guitars. 🎸

[@benallmark9671]

Great piece of work Dylan.

[@chrisf7047]

Great video! A follow up maybe on his amps/ speakers?

[@5150show]

Incredible video thank you

[@ColinDaviesGTR]

Amazing video and great content as per usual. Absolutely love your contributions to the guitar community

[@tateclarkmusic]

Great video! Red Dog Campbell said in an interview that the Goldtop pickups came out of the 335. Then as you said from the goldtop to the cherry burst. I think this makes since given EVH pulled his Frankenstein pickup out of a 335. Those early PAFs must of had the mojo!!!

[@tallpaul1020]

Great history, great playing from a talent we'll never know what could have come . Duane was incredible and a natural. Only God will know what we could have got from his playing. RIP. Keep up the great work, fantastic lesson and video

[@johnkadell6319]

Man, you know your Duane. I learned plenty. Thx.

[@arunviswanathan5555]

Awesome video, thank you! I learned the whole Fillmore album in the last few years and used my red ‘61 Reissue SG on all of the slide tunes and my 2006 Cherry burst LP on all of the non-slide tunes. I thought it sounded like the record but after watching your video and comparing Statesboro, Trouble, and the June One Way Out, now I know you’re right! The LP is thicker and creamier. The SG has more high end and he seems looser! I’m so excited to re-record the whole thing with my LP!🎸🎶🔥💙🎶🎸🔥🤘🏽

[@DeanKruger-b7z]

Brilliant work on your history..and figuring all this out..yer bang on..!!

[@nimitz1739]

Definitely worth a subscribe! Thanks for the video

[@Nicholas-dreamlove]

I love that SG.

[@KeyWestChrisRehm]

This video, Dylan, is truly outstanding. I was 14, I think when the Allman Brothers cut the June final night at the Filmore East gig, with the other bands played. Frank Zappa was there, The Beach Boys (Now that's a weird pairing!) I think Elvin Bishop was as well. That show was broadcast on two New York progressive radio stations working together, WNEW and also WPLJ. WPLJ also did live radio broadcast shows at the A&R studios, which the Allmans did. Duane also showed up for a live interview I think on WPLJ, though maybe WNEW one evening.... he was hammered! HA HA HA!. One morning I had the radio on and Dave Herman the DJ was handed a note, to which he paused then said "Hey man, this isn't funny. It's not true." The guy who handed it to him said, away from the mic, but close enough to be heard in the background, "No. Really, It's no joke.". A long pause from Dave Herman, then "Ladies and gentleman, some very sad, sad news. I was just handed a press release saying that our friend Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident" Needless to say, I was floored. The Allman Brothers were my favorite band. I always researched them in and out, often as it happened. Dylan, everything I've seen of your work is spot dead on. Regarding Duane's Les Paul, my favorite is his last guitar Hot 'Lanta. Of all the most beautiful guitars in the world, that is my personal favorite. (I do have a question that I've heard both conflicting sides of regarding his SG/Les Paul.) Thank you again for this outstanding piece! Fabulous!

[@mmmatthewww]

True Story: I had a chance to buy Duane's Gibson SG that was bequeathed to Jerry Groom upon Duane's passing. Jerry was having some health issues back in the early 1980's and he offered me that guitar for 5K so that he could have some quick cash to get treatment. At the time, (heck even now) that was a ton of money and so I had to pass on the offer. Needless to say, I should have figured out a way to come up with that cash....day late, a dollar short.

[@JD-ZagaDude99]

Great work on the history of his guitars. My favorite is the dark burst because of how it looks and sounds.

[@teresathomley3703]

Great, great content for a Peachhead muso like me. I like the dark burst Les Paul because of the visible tiger stripe and the hot PAFs. Thanks.

[@scottshand8559]

Interestingly I read that the "Thornbirds In The Garden" coda piano part was played by drummer Jim Gordon. One of my favorite parts of "Layla" is the backing vocals provided by Bobby Whitlock, the overall chemistry of everyone on the album makes it one of the very best albums of all time in my humble opinion. Thanks for this very interesting video and all of your research for it!

[@greenman7612]

I saw the ABB May 15, 1971 at Skidmore College and Duane played the SG that Dickey had him switch to!

[@dietmarsimon]

Great and super informative research. Thanks a lot !

[@ksharpe10]

I saw the Cherry Burst Lp, Duanes in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 96, My friend was the handler for most of the Stars Guitars that was one of them. Different stuff comes and goes out of the Hall of Fame.

[@peterb.68]

this is like christmas morning. thanks!

[@jeffdo1974]

Great video as always! Would you ever do a video comparing all the guitarists they've played with? You tend to focus on original lineup but would love to hear your thoughts on them all. Thanks!

[@MichaelSmith-ig8bw]

I read that Duane mostly played a Fender Strat when he did sessions. That would be 'Hey Jude', 'Somebody Loan Me A Dime' and the Aretha Franklin sessions. He probably played a Les Paul for the Layla sessions because Eric Clapton played a Strat. Good stuff, dude. I love geeking out on gear stuff. His 50 watt Marshalls deserve some KZbin mention.

[@scottcurry4116]

Nice video Dylan! Now I want either a LP or SG! I finished your slide course. It was excellent. Still have a lot of work to do!

[@dylanadamsguitar]

@@scottcurry4116 thanks so much Scott! Can’t go wrong with a Les Paul or SG. I’m so glad to hear you finished the course and enjoyed it!! I’m actually collecting reviews/testimonials for my slide course website, would you mind if I use your comment?

[@dougj7295]

Well done.

[@rsbabson]

Just bought a Custombucker and a Low output 57 Classic. Going to try both out to see which one I like for my LP Traditional.

[@JonnyPguitar]

Great video Dylan!

[@patrickcoughlin3564]

Thank you for an excellent post

[@billdurham8575]

I enjoyed the video.. Have you done a video on the amp he used on stage for the Fillmore album? You play slide very well also.

[@malcocreative]

Man, you can sure play that style. Cool.

[@johnpandolfino8663]

I was at a show of the Allmans at the Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park back in July 1971 he was playing the SG on the slide numbers.....I saw him play three times before he passed I'm that old....he's the reason I play guitar today ....think he had the Goldtop not sure as I really wasn't focused on his guitar as I was on his playing....those other shows were with Delaney and Bonnie Keep his shoes shined...he was a beast live....great job

[@gabrieln3613]

I left much longer comment above but I saw Duane on April 10th 1971 in Sarasota up near the stage and my recall was he was on the red SG for slide tunes. My comment further up the thread is more extensive but that's how I remember it.

[@giabgr]

Those brass ring straps - a good way to relic your guitar.

[@boscoserranovelasco3302]

Crear vídeo Dylan! Now we need one for Dicky Betts and also another for the amps for both guys.

[@richardwilliams-z3n]

Love Valley was a big show. I was there.

[@artneville5994]

Great video for Duane fans. On guitar tone, I do know that Duane preferred 50 watt Marshall’s while Dickey liked 100 watt, which is why Dickeys Fillmore tone is a lot cleaner, and Duane’s has more overdrive

[@rivereuphrates8103]

Anything Allmans and you get a like. Anything Duane and guitar related you get a sub. Just how it do.

[@thebigjakekinard]

My favorite based solely on aesthetics would be the dark burst with the gold top being a close 2nd

[@greenman7612]

The shirt was given to Duane by Eric Clapton. There are pictures of Gregg wearing it. It was later cut up in pieces.

[@bluesdriver6354]

Great video. Thanks!

[@charleslambiase5670]

I'm not a guitar player but I play the hell out of Gibson basses... And I'm really truly enjoyed this thank you.❤

[@zummo61]

I believe it was mid-May 71 when he started using the SG.

[@zororosario]

Awesome review, imho the 57Classic goldtop is the memory for the ages, thanks cheers

[@grantsmythe8625]

If that's you playing slide in the background, it's good. Really good.

[@ImprovGuitarJams]

Awesome video, great info! Question, will you do a video on Duane's gold top as you kinda mentioned?

[@johnvassos82]

I think Duane only used the SG for the last ten shows. I love your attention to the classic ABB and especially Duane.

[@steveferry4922]

I saw them a few times, met Duane once. One time was at the Miami Jai Alai Fronton, which sucked for sound quality. Duane played an LP for most of the show. But at one point, they invited Mike Pinera from Blues Image) on stage. Duane let Mike play the Paul and Duane went to the SG. At one point Mike started banging on the guitar with his fist. If looks could kill!!!