My impression is that all of the ABB’s guitarists (and there have been quite a few) used guitars with humbucking pickups. Were there any guitarists who recorded or performed with single coil pickups?
Wiki claims that Duanne Allman used a Telecaster but I’ve never seen a picture of him holding one. All the pics or performances I’ve ever seen showing Duanne Allman, Dickie Betts, Warren Haynes, or Derek Trucks had each of them holding either a Les Paul or an SG with dual HB PUPs.
Derek had some kind of Danalectro that he played onstage (his cover of Down the Flood I think) and that guitar had single coil PUPs. But that’s no proof of him playing one for any ABB songs.
I responded just to give this a bump. I can’t imagine Wordman passing this thread without a comment.
WordMan is on vacation with limited access to SDMB, or he would have been all over this thread by now. 
If Gregg can be counted as a guitarist for the Allman’s, I have definitely seen pictures of him playing a Telecaster. I don’t recall whether it was a Tele with humbuckers or not.
Duane did use a Telecaster during his Mussel Shoals session days, but gave it up around the time he formed the ABB. Derek Trucks rarely plays anything other than his SG reissue - once in a while he uses a Les Paul for a song or two - but he’s never used the Danelectro with the Allmans.
Warren Haynes did use a red Telecaster sometimes during his first stint with the band in the late '80s and early '90s. It was stolen around '93, I think, and I’ve never heard of him playing one since then. Dickey Betts played a Strat sometimes during his last years with the band. I couldn’t tell you what either of them did with the pickups. Betts started playing the Strat because the band’s other guitarist at the time, Jack Pearson, was playing a Strat copy - a G&L with Seymour Duncan hot rails, which I think are humbucking pickups. Being as untechnical as I am, that’s about all I’ve picked up by osmosis.
Okay - I’m back, but this is my first day back to work and I am totally under water with fires to fight, emails to reply to and papers to shuffle.
To my knowledge, you guys have it right - **Marley23 **is more likely to have ABB-specific knowledge, but Duane used LP’s and SG’s, Dickey LP’s and later PRS’s although has been known to use a Strat or two, but I think mostly outside the band. Warren Haynes focuses on LP’s, Firebirds and a 335 or two - he’s a guitar geek so no doubt has Fenders aplenty in his collection - in fact I am pretty sure I read an interview where he discussed how touring with the Dead is different vs. ABB due to using Strats with the Dead.
Derek Trucks uses an SG - which he started as a kid seeing Duane play his.
Back to the mines…
Ah - simul-post with Marley…
Was Derek Trucks born before Duane Allman died?
I am 39, I would have guessed (from his very youthful appearance) that I am several years older than Derek…
Warren has a ton of guitars and mixes it up more with Gov’t Mule than he does with the Allmans. With the ABB he uses a Les Paul almost exclusively. On a couple of songs he’ll use an ES-335, I think. He’s got one very nice ES-335 that is only used at the Beacon Theater - he won’t take it out on tour, but has a second cheaper one that goes on the road with him.
Derek is 30 and was born in 1979. Duane died in November 1971.
That would make sense—Maybe I misunderstood what WordMan was saying in the post that I quoted…
I don’t know if WordMan had his chronology confused or if he meant just seeing pictures of Duane playing.
Exactly - sorry for the confusion. I read in an interview that when Derek was 9 and wanting to start on guitar he saw pics or video of Duane playing the SG and since he (Derek) was a kid and SGs are light and good for wee folk (just ask 5’2" Angus Young) he was drawn to that model and hasn’t looked back…
Speaking of seeing Duane, there are a few bits of video footage of him and the original band circulating. I’ve seen some of them. I don’t know if they were out there when Derek was starting to play, and obviously they are much more easily available now.
Thanks to all who replied. The preponderance of humbuckers was what I expected. I think my impression is more from seeing pictures. I can’t say I’ve heard enough of the ABB to declare they sound like a Gibson band, but I don’t hear any Clapton or Cooder or Stevie Ray tones in the ABB’s songs.
They used them here and there. I’ve seen pictures of Gregg and Dickey using Fender guitars onstage from different times. But by far, the distinctive Allman Brothers sound is Les Pauls played through Marshall amps.
Dude (assuming you’re a dude and not dudette ;)), I just love the fact that you are geeking out over which pickups are being used…
Bit of a hijack
Does anyone know if Dickey Betts was invited/showed up for the Allman Brothers 40th anniversary uber-run at NYC’s Beacon Theater (earlier this spring)???
I am hoping that fences could somehow be mended, and Dickey could re-claim his rightful place in the band, but if he was excluded from the Beacon run, I would bet that he is gone for good…
He was invited and didn’t go.
That’s sad. I remember there was bitterness in the parting. Sometimes, years later, bandmates can re-think what made them split up. Some can’t.
It’s (checks) dude.
I’ve had (in this order) a Les Paul, Tele, Strat (still have) and an SG.
I would have framed it as Gibson vs. Fender, but people here are too particular for that (and good on 'em!).
I’m getting back into playing after a long layoff and I’m wishing I had the SG.