Allman Bros Amps

[GTRJoe]

Here's an interesting photo of Duane sitting behind the ABB amp line. Notice the top cab is very open and of course the speakers are JBL's. I wish the photo went a little further to the right.

[billstets]

cool pic. Dickey said that JBLs were 80% of his tone.

[Maruuk]

Having played through that rig of Duane's (thanks, Duane!), I can attest to the JBLs being really bright and too me, too clean, brassy and hard-sounding. But I had tinny single-coils on my Hag II at the time which accentuated that.

[davebc]

Originally Posted by Maruuk

Having played through that rig of Duane's (thanks, Duane!), I can attest to the JBLs being really bright and too me, too clean, brassy and hard-sounding. But I had tinny single-coils on my Hag II at the time which accentuated that.

I hear that; that's a rig taylor made for an old burst.

But, think about this. At that time, no one, and I mean no one, would have even considered pulling those stock greenbacks.
EXCEPT for Duane and Dickey, who not only immediately yank
them out, but load the cabs up with JBL's as well; end result, the best friggin Les Paul tones ever recorded.

Actually, Dickey's cabs were completely loaded with D120's.
Duane used a pair of Cerwin Vega's ER 123's along with a pair of D120's.
The 123's were Cerwin Vega's version of JBL's. Duane also used a y-chord and played through both channels of his Marshall at same time which resulted in that trademark more gain, more distortion.

Again you see the innovation 30 years ahead of the curve. It's only been what, the last 10-15 years that builders started to understand the tone potential from mismatching speakers?
And, making those Marshall cabs semi open back was another homespun stroke of genius. Amazing stuff when you see in context.
Long live the spirit of brother Duane!

[bizzwriter]

I LOVE threads like this -- keep it coming guys!

[smolder]

ahhh dems my boys...

they are why I love pauls, jbls and can't seem to play a normal blues scale.

[zzmoore]

I was about to say "it's funny how new the cabinets look". Of course considering his untimely death...

[porterburst]

Two of my favortie players! I've been using D120F's for years, and love them.

Could we be looking at Dickey's cab, and not Duane's?

[Blue Strat]

Originally Posted by davebc

I hear that; that's a rig taylor made for an old burst.

But, think about this. At that time, no one, and I mean no one, would have even considered pulling those stock greenbacks.
EXCEPT for Duane and Dickey, who not only immediately yank
them out, but load the cabs up with JBL's as well; end result, the best friggin Les Paul tones ever recorded.

Actually, Dickey's cabs were completely loaded with D120's.
Duane used a pair of Cerwin Vega's ER 123's along with a pair of D120's.
The 123's were Cerwin Vega's version of JBL's. Duane also used a y-chord and played through both channels of his Marshall at same time which resulted in that trademark more gain, more distortion.

Again you see the innovation 30 years ahead of the curve. It's only been what, the last 10-15 years that builders started to understand the tone potential from mismatching speakers?
And, making those Marshall cabs semi open back was another homespun stroke of genius. Amazing stuff when you see in context.
Long live the spirit of brother Duane!

..or maybe they couldn't afford to buy new and just happened to end up with cabs like that purely by chance

[mbetter]

Originally Posted by Blue Strat

..or maybe they couldn't afford to buy new and just happened to end up with cabs like that purely by chance

Maybe they blew the stock speakers and replaced them with whatever happened to be around? Maybe because they didn't want to blow the stock speakers again? Seems like a reasonable possibility.

[GTRJoe]

Originally Posted by Maruuk

Having played through that rig of Duane's (thanks, Duane!), I can attest to the JBLs being really bright and too me, too clean, brassy and hard-sounding. But I had tinny single-coils on my Hag II at the time which accentuated that.

Wow now that's something I would give a testicle to have done. :BEER
As to the cabinets being non stock. I've heard that when the ABB got signed they put a great deal of money into new gear. I would imagine at the volume levels they were playing at they did blow the stock speakers frequently. I've always felt the move to JBL's, and Vegas was done for reliability. Needless to say they must have liked the sound.
I believe Duane had a Fender Twin he used for studio work that had JBL's in it. Maybe that's where got the idea to put the JBL's into the Marshall cabs.

[dewman]

There were some great pictures in "Hittin the Note' magazine of Duane going into a Marshall and a Deluxe reverb simultaneously with a Y cord.

[porterburst]

Originally Posted by AdamKremer

^^That's what I was thinking. Didn't Dickey's rig go and the bass cabs go on one side of the drummers and Duane's on the other?

My exact thought. I bet we're looking at Dickey’s cabs.

[heavysoul]

Originally Posted by GTRJoe

Here's an interesting photo of Duane sitting behind the ABB amp line. Notice the top cab is very open and of course the speakers are JBL's. I wish the photo went a little further to the right.

cool pic! we miss ya SKYDOG!

[bosstone]

Originally Posted by mbetter

Maybe they blew the stock speakers and replaced them with whatever happened to be around? Maybe because they didn't want to blow the stock speakers again? Seems like a reasonable possibility.

JBL were considered at the time to be the best speakers of their day. Some still think that it the best speaker period. They sure cost a lot more than the Celestions at that time and sometimes bring $400.00 and more today.

Dickey used 50 watters and with the extreme efficiency of the JBLs, he was plenty loud.