Song Rig
Midnight in Harlem
Derek Trucks · Everybody's Talkin' · 2012
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
The most expressive modern slide guitar tone on record — SG in open E straight into an amp with zero effects. Every ounce of character comes from slide technique and fingerpicking without a pick. The tone is simultaneously raw and melodically sophisticated.
Signal Chain
- 1Gibson SG Standard (open E tuning: E-B-E-G#-B-E)
- 2Glass slide (ring finger)
- 3Divide by 13 FTR 37 amp (no effects in signal chain)
Amp Settings
No effects whatsoever — Trucks runs guitar directly to amp with nothing in between. Light crunch from the amp. All tone variation comes from slide angle, pick-hand dynamics, and finger pressure against the strings.
Technique
How to Play It
Fingerpicking without a plectrum — index, middle, and ring fingers handle different string groups simultaneously. Glass slide stays just above the frets rather than pressing down; fret-hand fingers behind the slide mute sympathetic string noise throughout.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Any guitar in open E tuning + glass slide + any tube amp at light crunch. This tone is 95% technique — specifically the no-pick right-hand approach, precise slide intonation, and sympathetic-string muting.
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