What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

Duffy1949

Duffy1949

New member
What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes in their LP's?

I suppose different guitars had/have different pickups, but what were/are the predominant ones?

The only reason I put these two together is because of the Allman Brothers Band involvement. I realize that Derek Trucks plays the slide guitar on most songs, so it is not like I'm comparing the two guitar players, I'm just curious as to what pickups the two dudes are known for using.

I appreciate anyone sharing their knowledge on this.

All my LP's have good pickups in them, in my opinion: 490/498, '57 classic and plus, JB and Jazz, Burstbucker Pro's, Dimarzio Superdistortion and PAF, and my Michael Kelly Patriot Custom has the stock Rockfield direct mount pickups.

One of these days I want to put some Antiquities in one of my humbucking guitars; maybe my PRS SE Singlecut Tremolo.
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

Well Duane died before Larry Dimarzio started the aftermarket pup business, so for him and his LPs you're looking at just original PAFs.

Warren has used a lot if pups, but besides the burstbuckers he's used the Ants and Pearly Gates.

If you're trying to get in that ball park you really need to swap bridge pups because every single bridge pup you mentioned is high output except the classic + and truthfully that's pretty stout for a PAF.
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

Luke Duke said:
Well Duane died before Larry Dimarzio started the aftermarket pup business, so for him and his LPs you're looking at just original PAFs.

Warren has used a lot if pups, but besides the burstbuckers he's used the Ants and Pearly Gates.

If you're trying to get in that ball park you really need to swap bridge pups because every single bridge pup you mentioned is high output except the classic + and truthfully that's pretty stout for a PAF.
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I want to put a set of Antiquities in one of my twin humbucker guitars. That should give me a very nice PAF sound thru one of my good tube amps.
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

99% likely whatever came in the guitar. But what you're hearing that's so great is him, not his pickups. Anything he played sounded great, because he was a ****ing incredible guitarist – one of the very best ever IMO.
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

ItsaBass said:
99% likely whatever came in the guitar. But what you're hearing that's so great is him, not his pickups. Anything he played sounded great, because he was a ****ing incredible guitarist – one of the very best ever IMO.
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Which one? or Both?
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

IIRC, Duane did some pickup swapping. I'm no ABB expert, but I believe that he started on a goldtop LP, and when he switched to the sunburst he played later, he moved the pickups from the goldtop because they sounded better. You have to remember that back then, pickups were not just different from today, they were also different from each other. Manufacturing tolerances were very loose compared to today, and pickups were very inconsistent unit-to-unit.

Vintage-wind pickups will get you very close. Beyond that, there are many boutique winders who make specific pickups which (to their ears) capture specific artists' tones from the past. YMMV.

There was an article in Vintage Guitar several years ago about Duane's goldtop being found and restored. A web search will find it.
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

I used to use my Epi with a Custom Custom in the bridge for a lot of Allman/Skynrd stuff back once upon a time
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

Rich_S said:
IIRC, Duane did some pickup swapping. I'm no ABB expert, but I believe that he started on a goldtop LP, and when he switched to the sunburst he played later, he moved the pickups from the goldtop because they sounded better. You have to remember that back then, pickups were not just different from today, they were also different from each other. Manufacturing tolerances were very loose compared to today, and pickups were very inconsistent unit-to-unit.

Vintage-wind pickups will get you very close. Beyond that, there are many boutique winders who make specific pickups which (to their ears) capture specific artists' tones from the past. YMMV.

There was an article in Vintage Guitar several years ago about Duane's goldtop being found and restored. A web search will find it.
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Here's the story: http://www.guitarworld.com/guitar-lust-story-duane-allmans-long-lost-1957-gibson-les-paul-goldtop

The pickups in a '57 Goldtop would have most likely been alnico 2, BTW.
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

WCR makes ABB specific pickups, but they are spendy. I was looking at their site yesterday. Their Darkburst set is based on what his tobaco burst LP had. There's also the Bets Set. These are PAF clones. The Filmores are different. They are 13k. The theory is that Duane was using some custom rewinded PAFs to get that slide tone on the Live at the Filmore album.

I think Lew is right about A2 HBers for the vintage part of the equation. I have been playing around with my set of boutique PAFs with the ABB sound in mind recently. These are A2 and scatter wound, and they are ceratainly capable in that genre.

I think Seths are probably the best Bet for nailing vintage ABB tone from Seymour.

In the early 90s both Warren and Richard were using Soldano SLO100 amps with Duncan loaded guitars live. They got some great tones those years. If I recall correctly, Richard said he used 59's in some of his guitars at that time.
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

59's or wlh for the brighter alnico v tones
seths or antiquitys for the warmer alnico ii tones

the lp warren used a lot in the early 90's had a pg bridge and 496r for a while
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

Plotonis said:
Pearly Gates set , thank me later. ;)
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I have a Pearly Gates in my Fender Lonestar strat and it is a very nice humbucker. Fender orders them from Seymour Duncan special for use in the five way switching. It is one of my favorite strats ever. This is not the new Lonestar that they just came out with. I'm still trying to figure out what these new Lonestar strats are all about.

Why mess with a good thing. I have the Roadhouse too, which is also cool. The new ones don't even look similar. I'm keeping the old stuff, definitely.
 
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Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

the pearly gates in your lonestar is actually a pearly gates plus if it is the stock pup. slightly different pup with an alnico 5 magnet
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

jeremy said:
the pearly gates in your lonestar is actually a pearly gates plus if it is the stock pup. slightly different pup with an alnico 5 magnet
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Yeah, that's what it is. Very nice guitar.
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

Rich_S said:
IIRC, Duane did some pickup swapping. I'm no ABB expert, but I believe that he started on a goldtop LP, and when he switched to the sunburst he played later, he moved the pickups from the goldtop because they sounded better. You have to remember that back then, pickups were not just different from today, they were also different from each other. Manufacturing tolerances were very loose compared to today, and pickups were very inconsistent unit-to-unit.

Vintage-wind pickups will get you very close. Beyond that, there are many boutique winders who make specific pickups which (to their ears) capture specific artists' tones from the past. YMMV.

There was an article in Vintage Guitar several years ago about Duane's goldtop being found and restored. A web search will find it.
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I always thought Duane sounded like he was using Alnico 2 pafs.

His gold top would have been older by a couple of years than his sunburst and I assumed the pickups in the gold top were early alnico 2 pafs whereas the pickups in his sunburst would have been alnico 4 or 5.

Duane liked the pickups in the gold top so when he traded for the sunburst part of the deal was that he be allowed to swap the pickups first.

So he put the gold top pickups in the burst and the burst pickups in the gold top. Then kept the burst.

Or so I've read.

Not like I knew him or anything. ;)
 
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Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

Antiquities or Seths will get you there, but a lot is technique and feel. The pickups have to be transparent enough to let that come through.
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

Plotonis said:
Pearly Gates set , thank me later. ;)
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While they have their fans, PG's are not universally loved by all players, or all PAF fans. My first recommendation for a great PAF is always Seth's.
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

Seth Lovers, Antiquitys, Pearly Gates...all great and very similar pickups.

Nickel covered Pearlys get the sound I'm looking for. I like them uncovered too but covered PG's sound sweeter to me.

Does take a certain picking style and the ability to use your guitar's tone control to create that "vocal" tone...or what Clapton called "Woman Tone".

Worth working on if you haven't developed that ability.

This guy has it down:


 
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Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

jeremy said:
the pearly gates in your lonestar is actually a pearly gates plus if it is the stock pup. slightly different pup with an alnico 5 magnet
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It's pretty similar to a '59, from what someone at Duncan told me awhile ago. I had a Double Fat Strat with that pickup. It's wound slightly hotter and has a tiny bit more treble.
 
Re: What pickups were/are used by Duane Allman and Warren Haynes?

Lewguitar said:
Worth working on if you haven't developed that ability.
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Ah Lew, god bless you. Everyone with a different opinion from yours is somehow deficient, whether it's lacking a skill or the ability to hear accurately.
 
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