Duane Allman — £500 · Sweet Spot Rig

• Open E tuning: EBEG#BE — the same voicings as open D but a whole step higher
• Glass slide (Coricidin bottle): heavier glass gives more sustain and warmth than metal
• Slide position directly over the fret (not behind it) for accurate intonation
• Fret-hand muting: press lightly behind the slide with two fingers to kill string noise
• Amp reverb set low — the room naturally adds depth, heavy reverb muddles slide
• Neck pickup for thick, round slide tones; bridge for cutting, bright lines
• Vibrato from the slide: roll the bottle slightly back and forth after landing on the note
• Duane's slide work was influenced by Delta blues (Robert Johnson) and gospel — slow phrases

• ✗Adding too much bass on the amp — the lightweight SG body has natural mid-forward resonance. Adding bass makes the tone muddy rather than heavier.
• ✗Playing a vintage-voiced amp at low volume — the warmth and bloom of these amps comes from the power tubes working. At low volume the tone is flat and uninspiring compared to the amp's potential.
• ✗Expecting a clean tone to cover all playing dynamics — clean tone requires picking technique to do all the work. Lazy picking dynamics become very audible on a clean signal.
• ✗Using a humbucker where single coils are needed — the quack, string definition, and high-frequency air of single coils cannot be EQ'd into a humbucker
• ✗Adding a compressor before the amp "for more tone" — it kills the natural attack variation that defines the style. Blues tone is uncompressed and dynamic.

Gibson Les Paul or ES-335 in open E tuning (EBEG#BE) with a glass Coricidin bottle slide into a Fender Tweed Deluxe or Showman. The tone is warm, thick and vocal — slide work stays close to the nut for rounder tone, or up the neck for singing, brighter sustain. Minimal effects; spring reverb from the Fender amp.