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Anyone know much about this Dickey Betts goldtop

D Strange

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Apr 18, 2020
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Dickey has used a lot of gold tops over the years original 57s , 58s and reissues but I was wondering if anyone new much about the one he was using in the 90s on the allman brothers band tours, it looks pretty beat up, paint worn away around the bridge pickup and by the cutaway. I believe his original goldtop from his day's alongside Duane got re sprayed as a cherry sunburst and got given or sold to Dan from Dickeys band before thie 90s so that rules that one out.
Another got re sprayed red (could this be the red one?)

There is a lot of footage of the ABB on YouTube from that 90s period when Warren was in the band for his first stint and 75% of the time Di key is on this goldtop (The other guitars being a cherry dot es355, a sunburst 50s strat and a PRS).

Would just like to know out of interest what became of it, was it re sprayed, has he still got it or did he sell it or maybe ot got stolen?

Any info would be great.

 

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El Gringo

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Apr 8, 2015
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Dickey has used a lot of gold tops over the years original 57s , 58s and reissues but I was wondering if anyone new much about the one he was using in the 90s on the allman brothers band tours, it looks pretty beat up, paint worn away around the bridge pickup and by the cutaway. I believe his original goldtop from his day's alongside Duane got re sprayed as a cherry sunburst and got given or sold to Dan from Dickeys band before thie 90s so that rules that one out.
Another got re sprayed red (could this be the red one?)

There is a lot of footage of the ABB on YouTube from that 90s period when Warren was in the band for his first stint and 75% of the time Di key is on this goldtop (The other guitars being a cherry dot es355, a sunburst 50s strat and a PRS).

Would just like to know out of interest what became of it, was it re sprayed, has he still got it or did he sell it or maybe ot got stolen?

Any info would be great.

I love Dickey's playing and his sound .
 

El Gringo

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I could be wrong , but to me it looks like the same Goldtop in all the images you posted as well as all of the many times seeing the Allmans going back to the 70's and right up to the end , along with seeing Dickey live with his band several times . Talk about loud wow , once time the The Dickey band really was blasting the decibels ! Love his sweet beer barrel soaked tone !
 

Joe Desperado

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Jun 8, 2004
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To me, DIckey was pure souther rock to the hilt. I learned every lick I could from his recordings. Now..I like me some Duane, but dang that Dickey Betts sure could play. Saw a TV show/concert with Dickey, his son and one of the Allman boys. It was quite sad to hear Dickey play so poorly as of late. He was bigger than life when I was growing up.
 

bern1

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I always loved Betts, just a great player, writer and arranger. The thing is, I think his physical style of playing took a toll on him. Free flowing isn’t what comes to mind watching him play. Rather, each note seems to need to be coaxed out of the guitar with huge effort. Part of his style. I hope he is enjoying Life.
 

bern1

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Oh, in sort of a response to the OP: Betts has had a lot of Gold tops and he never seemed to exhibit the collector attitude about them. To me he sounds the same on any of those various gold tops, sunbursts or conversions. What a sound! Oh yeah, and loud! Glorious!
 

El Gringo

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To me, DIckey was pure souther rock to the hilt. I learned every lick I could from his recordings. Now..I like me some Duane, but dang that Dickey Betts sure could play. Saw a TV show/concert with Dickey, his son and one of the Allman boys. It was quite sad to hear Dickey play so poorly as of late. He was bigger than life when I was growing up.
Dicky was always one of my favorite Les Paul guitarist , all because of his tone and playing . So many fun times seeing the Allmans and Dicky . Great Guitarist !!!!!!!!!!
 

TM1

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The guitar that Dickey used in the late `80's/90's was a `58 GT. I've played it a few times back then. The Fillmore guitar was also a `58 that was sent off to Gibson in early `72 and refinished sunburst. Dickey gave it to Danny Toler. Danny got in a bind and sold it to a DJ at KLOS, Geno Michellni. Geno has been friends with Dickey and the Bros' since the start. Geno sold it to some collector in Germany probably early, early `90's. It is/was the Jessica/ Bros. & Sisters guitar.
The guitar that was a `57 Goldtop in the early `90's was the one that Dickey refinished Red. Around `93/`94 Dickey started playing a PRS that Paul made him. It's a 1/4" thicker than the standard McCarty(about Les Paul thickness). During this time period he also played an early ES-335 and a Strat. I know alot of folks got upset because he was playing something other than a Les Paul. That kind of pissed him off. I've known Dickey since I was 15 (1968) and he's very much his own man and doesn't like others expecting him to be a certain way or play a certain guitar. I know he's very generous with his guitars. His son Duane, who is every bit as good as Dad, borrows guitars from him to take out on tour. The Bass that Berry Oakley had, the one with the big Guild pickup, Dickey had after Berry died. When Berry Jr. came around in 1990(or so..) Dickey had him fly down to Sarasota and gifted him that bass. Dickey had been the caretaker of it for 18/20 years.
 

Ed A

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The guitar that Dickey used in the late `80's/90's was a `58 GT. I've played it a few times back then. The Fillmore guitar was also a `58 that was sent off to Gibson in early `72 and refinished sunburst. Dickey gave it to Danny Toler. Danny got in a bind and sold it to a DJ at KLOS, Geno Michellni. Geno has been friends with Dickey and the Bros' since the start. Geno sold it to some collector in Germany probably early, early `90's. It is/was the Jessica/ Bros. & Sisters guitar.
The guitar that was a `57 Goldtop in the early `90's was the one that Dickey refinished Red. Around `93/`94 Dickey started playing a PRS that Paul made him. It's a 1/4" thicker than the standard McCarty(about Les Paul thickness). During this time period he also played an early ES-335 and a Strat. I know alot of folks got upset because he was playing something other than a Les Paul. That kind of pissed him off. I've known Dickey since I was 15 (1968) and he's very much his own man and doesn't like others expecting him to be a certain way or play a certain guitar. I know he's very generous with his guitars. His son Duane, who is every bit as good as Dad, borrows guitars from him to take out on tour. The Bass that Berry Oakley had, the one with the big Guild pickup, Dickey had after Berry died. When Berry Jr. came around in 1990(or so..) Dickey had him fly down to Sarasota and gifted him that bass. Dickey had been the caretaker of it for 18/20 years.
So for clarification you’re saying that the late 80s goldtop was a 58 and the early 90s was the 57 that he redid red. And we know the original Fillmore 58 was refinished to Sunburst in 72. So which goldtop was it that he was using in the mid to late 70s with great Southern?
 

Bob Womack

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The Bass that Berry Oakley had, the one with the big Guild pickup, Dickey had after Berry died. When Berry Jr. came around in 1990(or so..) Dickey had him fly down to Sarasota and gifted him that bass. Dickey had been the caretaker of it for 18/20 years.
So that's where "The Tractor" is!

Bob
 

TM1

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I thought the ‘Jessica’ LP is currently owned by Kunio
It could be as Dickey has had a number of Goldtops. He bought one around 1991 when they played the Pac Amptheater in Costa Mesa that was loaded with P-90's. His Tech Troy sorted out a way to load it with PAF's with out routing any wood. That was I think Dickey paid about $5-6K for. It's now at the Rock`n Roll Hall of Fame.
 

mistersnappy

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The Fillmore GT was used by Dickey as a Goldtop thru 1973: thats the one that was an ex-Bigsby guitar. There are many pictures of him using it. The Sunburst that he started using in late ‘71 was bought around the time of Duane’s death. That became his main guitar thru ‘74. So, the Fillmore guitar and the Sunburst are not the same guitar. The Burst is owned by Kunio these days and has a peculiar Burst pattern which makes me think it was refined before Dickey got it. Tons of pics of him using it.
In ‘75-76 he used yet another Darkback that was very clean and not the Fillmore GT. This is not the one used in Great Southern because that one was a brownback. Now, what 58 was refinned and given to Danny? Possibly the Fillmore GT because by ‘73, quite a bit of the paint was worn off the upper bout.
The GT with Klusons Dickey used in Great Southern in the ‘70s is probably the same as used thru the 80s and 90s, albeit with Grovers and also a brownback.You can track the progression of wear on the top. Finally painted red in about 94 like Mr Butler mentioned above.
I saw him use a P- 90 stoptail in the early 90s in Dallas, PRS, 335, Strat, etc. the same basic voice was always there: don’t forget the Superlead and D-120Fs in the tone chain.
 

jb_abides

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The guitar that Dickey used in the late `80's/90's was a `58 GT. I've played it a few times back then.

The guitar that was a `57 Goldtop in the early `90's was the one that Dickey refinished Red.

I know alot of folks got upset because he was playing something other than a Les Paul. That kind of pissed him off. I've known Dickey since I was 15 (1968) and he's very much his own man and doesn't like others expecting him to be a certain way or play a certain guitar.

From 1984: Not sure if this is the same 58, before more wear set in, or another... Gibson or PRS, he sounds great and plays from the heart, that's what matters to me. Hope things are well with Mr. Betts and family.

 

Redhod

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The first time I ever saw Dickey Betts was in 2002 at an outdoor festival in Connecticut. I was able to get a seat right in front and was astounded at the sonic power. He poured everything he had into it. He had a goldtop that day.

Goldtop goodness? Here's from a concert in 1982.

 
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