Song Rig
Done Somebody Wrong
Elmore James · The Sky Is Crying · 1960
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
An uptempo blues that became famous when the Allman Brothers recorded it — Elmore's original has a bright, aggressive slide tone driven harder than his ballads. The slide riff is the foundation of the Chicago electric slide idiom that Duane Allman and others built on.
Signal Chain
- 1Resonator or electric guitar (open E tuning)
- 2Small amp pushed hard
- 3Metal slide (heavier than the Dust My Broom glass)
Amp Settings
Brighter and more aggressive than the ballad recordings — uptempo shuffle material requires more treble for note definition at speed.
Technique
How to Play It
Fast slide shuffle riff — Done Somebody Wrong requires the slide to move quickly between positions while maintaining clear note separation. The right hand mutes strings not being used while the left-hand slide covers the target strings only.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Open E electric guitar → heavy metal slide → small driven amp (Fender Princeton, Deluxe) → practice quick slide repositioning: lift the slide cleanly between phrases rather than dragging it across unintended pitches.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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