Jessica - A Tribute To Dickey Betts
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Dickey Betts' most beloved instrumental, "Jessica", performed by Willie Williams of Allman Brothers Tribute band SKYDOG. I found the excellent backing track on guitarbackingtrack.com, but I don’t know who the creator is. If you know who created the track, please leave a comment so I can give credit.
Equipment used:
2018 R9 Les Paul w/stock pickups
2002 SG with Lindy Fralin pickups
1964 Fender Princeton/Reverb (Modded with 6L6 tubes)
Marshall 1960ax cab with JBL D120F speakers
D'Addario XL Strings 10-46
Mogami cables
Mulder cables
if you like my playing, you’d probably like our band. Please check us out at www.skydogtrib... and like us on Facebook at / . You can also find me on facebook here: / brianwilliewilliams
NOTES ON THE GUITAR TONE
My main goal with this project was to get as close to Dickey’s iconic guitar tone from the “Brothers And Sisters” album as possible, using the equipment that I had on hand. After several conversations with various people who were on the periphery of that recording, I think I’m finally getting close. It’s no secret that Duane Allman and Dickey Betts hired Dennis Kager to modify their Marshall amplifiers in the early 70s. Exactly what was done, I don’t know, but the power tubes were definitely replaced. Whether 6CA7 tubes were used as drop in replacements for the EL34s, or the amps were rebiased to run 6L6s, I’m not sure. But what I do know is that whatever was done gave those Marshalls a very different tone and gain structure from the stock British versions. I think this is half of the equation.
The other half of course is the speaker and cabinet combination. It’s also no secret that Dickey Betts loves JBL speakers and has used them almost exclusively since 1969. In the early years, the band was using D120F models, the same speaker that was available as an upgrade in some Fender amps. In looking at various photos of the Allman Brothers’ backline, you can clearly see JBL equipped Marshall 4x12 cabinets in various configurations. Some are open back, some are closed back. Going a little further, I’ve even heard reliable testimony that by the time “Brothers And Sisters” was recorded, Dickey was experimenting with porting the back panel of the cabinet to achieve the perfect resonance he was looking for. I suspect this could be partially responsible for the unique tone that he achieved on that recording and live performances from that era. In any event, it’s obvious that Dickey put a great deal of thought into how his guitar sounded. That tone was no accident.
After years of chasing Dickey’s 1970s tone with EL34 Marshalls and coming up short, I decided to try something different. I didn’t have a Dennis Kager modified Marshall, so for this recording I used the next best thing. I have a 1964 Princeton Reverb that was highly modified by an amp tech here in Richmond, VA to run 6L6 tubes with a Vibrolux style output transformer. A mid boost was also added at my request to make the amp more “Marshally.” Not exactly what Dickey used, but worth a try. So I plugged that amp into a Marshall cab with JBL D120F speakers, and wouldn’t ya know it? Jessica showed up! In 25 years of chasing that tone, this is the closest I’ve come yet. I ran the amp on “6”, right at the edge of breakup and dialed in the tone knobs until I got as close as I could. Surprisingly to me, I had to dime the treble on the amp and the guitar. I also added about 5dB of boost around 2k in post production to help accentuate those glorious JBL mids. Other than that and a little bit of reverb/delay, what you are hearing is exactly what came out of the speakers.
So I’ve concluded that to get Dickey’s singing clean tone from that era you need a few things:
A Les Paul with low output PAF style pickups.
A powerful amp (at least 50w) running a preamp with a fat midrange and a power amp with American tubes. Lots of clean, glassy headroom is the name of the game here.
Some good ol’ JBL speakers. Find some original D120Fs in good condition, or find some carcasses and have them reconed by Ken Haerr with Upland Loudspeaker in the greater LA area. You will NOT regret this. These are without a doubt a key ingredient in the secret sauce.
A Marshall 4x12 cabinet. Experiment with various combinations of closed, ported and open back. For this recording I used closed back because it got me close enough for my satisfaction. Your results may vary.
A set of hands that know Dickey’s style well. Understanding his light touch and vibrato are key. Stay relaxed. Dickey played hard, but he never got tense.
#DickeyBetts
#DuaneAllman
#AllmanBrothersBand
#AllmanBrothersTribute
#SKYDOG
#RVAMusic
#SunburstLesPaul
#JBLD120F
#UplandLoudspeakerService
Unless you're a seasoned guitarist/musician, you probably don't realize how much time and energy went into putting this tribute together and the amount of detail Willie put in to make it as accurate as possible. Note for note hardly begins to describe it. This had to be a labor of love as no one would do this for any other reason.
Thank you. Yes, labor of love. I really appreciate your comment.
I used to request this song, relentlessly in bars in the early 80’s and no one could play it!
I can’t play it but I’ve listened to every Jessica performance on YT for years!
I appreciate how close this is to the studio version!
Slightly down tempo , just a tad, but the pitch is perfect. ( I’m not a musician).
I’ll be requesting this sing in the afterlife as well as it being played at my memorial.
dude for a sec you made me think dickey passed away and i was about to damn cry
I was panicking!!!! He is good though 😅
Me too Bro!
True story the brothers were just finishing up the brothers and sisters albulmn....and the needed one more song to complete it..
Dickey.humbly says I have a song from my solo albulmn...but I think its too country....Greg said let's hear it.
.that song was ŕamblun man...Gregg said you crazy fool...thats the best song on the albulmn...the rest is history...
I'm going to need two lifetimes to get anywhere close to the beauty of that rendition! Bravo x 100!
Excellent! This reminds me of two friends of mine that I went to High School with and sat-in with during that period and the next couple years after. Chris Anderson (guitarist with The Outlaws band, also Blackhawk, Grinderswitch, and his own band Rattlebone) had a band with another friend David Altice (I don't know what happened with David) called "Southern Express" in Sarasota Florida (where we all grew up and Dickie has a place there now ((my family is friends with Dickie)) and Chris played the Les Paul/Dickie parts and Davids the Slide/SG parts and they had it down to a Tee. They also had the full complement of double drummers, Bass, Keys. When I sat-in it was to bring the harp parts.....ala Tom Doucette who was local also. I moved west to California at 20 and became full-time player out there so I lost touch with them over the years. Sat in once when I returned for a visit but this was all 45+ years ago! I also did some gigs there with the band on Dickie's "Highway Call" solo album, The Poindexter Band.....they were a local Bluegrass/Country-ish (basically Bluegrass with drums) band and would invite me to appear at shows such as opening for Doc & Merle Watson 1976. I went on to have a swing dance, jazz, blues band for 10 years, also 7 years in Austin with various bands but always love the opportunity to play some real Southern Rock when the players like you'all know how to groove it! Nice guitar work! ....and nailing of the tone.
Really nice job. You should be proud. Bye Dickie…thanks for the great memories
Good morning, just woke up, and saw this, first thing. I couldn't think of a better song, to get the day started, Thanks for the coffee, bro. 👍
This is a fine homage to a great guitar player, by another great guitar player
Well done sir
RIP Dicky Betts
Oh man wish i have this gear, awesome playing
The almond brothers almost all back together again up in heaven playing blue sky r.i.p dickey betts
Guess I’m not the only one here for this reason rip Dickey!
WOW! Great playing and very well produced! This song and style of play is what made me buy a Les Paul. Just learning.....but this will be an inspiration to me! Thank you!
I know I'll get hammered for this, but... Sounds SUPERB, except for one *tiny* thing. In the melody, when the high E is bent from D to E (10th fret bend), it should then do a quick bend back down to D (pre-bent).
Dude !!! Like others, I saw the title and thought 'damn not another guitar great gone'. After checking all's well on the interweb and a large JD to level off, I'm good ... nice playing man 😆
Utterly fantastic!!!!!
Nobody plays like this anymore! Thank you so much for keeping this alive!
Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very nice , and although SkyDog Duane Allman is my favourite. This tune by Dickie Betts is one of my favorite ABB tunes and this video is very well done
Thanks for sharing👍😎
My guitar instructor for 50 years
Another Masterclass, perfect. Man, 50 years of playing, seeing him live many times, having access to great guitars and vintage Marshall, Fender and other amps, and to this day I cannot fiqure out how Dickey gets that singing sustain for solos and yet, sound like there is zero dirt on it. Now that's a rig rundown of your gear and secret I'd love to see.
thanks for the kind words. I had a feeling people might be interested in how I got this tone. I just added a write up in the video description about how I did it. Check it out and let me know if you still have questions. Happy to help with your tone quest.
@@VirtualWoodshed Awesome man, thank you for the reply and updated info of our, and so many that chase his tone. I think you pretty much nailed it. On another note, for over 40 years I have been driving from here in Nova Scotia to Florida (always stopping in Macon) and I always look forward to the moment the beautiful Richmond skyline appears, it's at that moment I know I'm in the beautuful south that I love so much. Thanks again, by far the best on the ol' interweb!
R.I.P. Dickey Betts
Excellent!
Hell of a job man! Hats off.
Thanks!
BRAVO! Perfectly done!
Great work!!!!!!
Thank you so damn much for doing this. Brought a tear to my eyes. Have loved Dickies playing for over 50 yrs now. Well done bro, really well well. Just one of those melodies that you’d swear has existed forever.
Absolutely killer cover of both parts...Extremely well done, man!
Excellent 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Wow!! Thanks
Wow!!! Amazing skill and passion to put those harmonies and the videography together. Never before this thought I'd be giving a standing ovation in my living room 👏👏👏🙂
Ps, nice touch with the incense too 😉
Thanks man!
One of the greatest melodic lead guitarist ever! Saw Dickey at the Straz theater in Tampa with his band Great Southern. Incredible! Met Devon Allman afterwards! Talked with him a little while. One of the great nights of my life! 😎✌️Awesome job on the video and the sound was great! Love to know how you achieved that Allman brothers tone!🙏🎸🎼
Thanks! See video description for all the details on how I got the tone. 🍄
Fantastic 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
T-shirt. Gotta love Mr. Watson and his family.
Perhaps the greatest composer for guitar of my ol' coot lifetime..Dicky Betts!
Thanks, Man.
As my friend and mentor Lee Roy Parnell likes to say, Dickey is up there with some of the greatest composers of all time. Bach, Ravel, Stravinsky. His melodies are just that memorable. What a genius.
@@VirtualWoodshed Indeed a Wise Man! Dicky's very special.
One thing that makes his style so enjoyable is that he's playing extended melodies on the theme. A lost art in the post modern shredder era.
Awesome 👌
Thank you Willie.
Love the video!!!!! The whole intro setup switching on the amp and jamming away! Brillant! Dickey is one of my all-time favorite guitars. You do this song justice!
Excellent, we have similar influences
Anybody who likes Dickey Betts is alright by me.
Nice, nice work. Dicky and Les did a pretty good job of capturing the singing would dual lead of the Duane-led band.
This was great man, well played.
Thank you brother!
Realizing how many parts I’m playing wrong lol
My second favorite is Jerry garcia...he and betts make a great pairing...dont you think.
Duane allman....keep playing .... keep smiling
Did you ever hear that Jerry worked for the cia doing the Electric Kool-aid Acid Tests?
What a blessing to hear that magnificent tone on something other than a bridge pup. And at 4:40 did Dickey write that soaring transition? And what a masterpiece of a song. GREAT job you did with it.
Yes he did. Thanks for the kind words. 🍑
Loved the cover but loved Doc Watson t-shirt more. I wear an extra-medium know where I can find one?? I’m campaigning to let Toby one of the guitar players from foxes and fossils cover band cover this.Well done man…..Is Elizabeth Reed in your future??
ua-cam.com/video/4sVlwINdK3E/v-deo.htmlsi=TgONxfwnPJHX6_fw
Fantastic...i know the piano solo was omitted, was a Duane part omitted as well?
No. Duane did not play on Jessica. He was killed in ‘71. You’ve given me a good idea though...
Les Dudek on acoustic
Fantastic! Just LP straight into the Princeton?
Sort of. See video description!
First hah!
Too "country" was the word I left out...sorry ..such a burnout man lol..
People can get tributes still being alive, lol.
Forrest Richard Betts is not only my favorite guitar pĺayer..but is pure genius,legend,he's the genuine article...thats americana..its art..air and sunlight to me...thank you dickey...
Dickey is one of my all time favorite guitarist for over 50 years now. Great job 👍👍👀oh by the way the band was formed on my birthday March 26. So cool
Great job, as always Willie - but you scared me too!
Ditto on thinking Dicky passed away.. I had to go look it up. ..great job playing
Fantastic! You really nailed it Willie! From one ABB fan to another!😊
Wonderful!!! Whoever the cretin is that down voted this should step forward and explain themselves.
great job thanks for sharing your knowledge and talent
2 words. Incredibly great.
well done man... outstanding!
Dickey's tribute to Django, who had only three fingers on his fretting hand after the fire.
Well played sir spot on and what a great song...
B R A V O !!!!! WAS SO EXCELLENT!!
Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Betts
Dont know how iv not seen ur channel untill now . This is one of favorite Allman Brothers tunes . Hope u dont mind another sub . U got it goin on .
Thanks! 🍄
That’s a take!
amazing ;O)
Your relentless search for perfection is so intense. I imagine you dedicated a lot not only from the rehearsal perspective, but from tonewise, video editing… Amazing job mate, as always you so friggin nailed it!
P.s: I keep watching your videos to see if I learn something from you. Please keep it up bro!
Magnificent work...I am very impressed. And it happens rarely on UA-cam. Greetings from Verona, Italy.
this song is absolutely les dudek's idea.he is great musician
I'm sure the sheriff approved....great job as always Willie.....👍💪👏💰🤙👌
I meant to say that Y'all playing soo Well and very cool 😎 editing👍🎸
NICE😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Good stuff is an understatement. 💪💪💪
This is brilliant.
great tone match. Love the D120s....expected EL34 amp of some kind. Thanks for posting.
Thanks man. See video description for a ton of recording details I added today. JBLs are key.
@@VirtualWoodshed This is really wild. I was just last night reading a 14 page thread on TGP where a couple of guys nailed the tone, and it was either D120F/CV ER 123 and or plugging 6AC7 fat bottles into a Marshall. I was looking at tubes today! lol I'm running a 3rd power british dream amp into D120F...but they are Missing Link recone. I have another original D120F and was told to try out Upland. Must be sage advice, cause you are nailing it here. So jelly! Thanks for posting and always feeding us the gear info. You don't post enough!!! Peace Willie
@@Nicko30able That’s cool man. Definitely give Ken at Upland a call, and tell him Willie sent you. Great cat and probably the most knowledgeable JBL guy on the planet. Man, I haven’t been on the gear page in ages. Feel free to post this on there if you want to. Good luck with your tonequest. 🤘
@@VirtualWoodshed Done deal!
Love the wolf sticker and I'm off the Neck for a Bit healing from a Knuckle break. At one time I knew the whole thing to. Jessica brought me to the Jam then I ran and then followed them back. Like 6whree they get that from thx for sharing bro. Great vibrato to.