Derek Trucks is an American guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader, known for his slide guitar work and fusion of blues, rock, jazz, and world music. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, he began performing professionally as a child, and eventually formed his own band, the Derek Trucks Band, in 1994. In 1999, he joined the Allman Brothers Band, becoming a full-time member until their final tour in 2014. Alongside his wife, singer and guitarist Susan Tedeschi, he co-founded the Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2010. Trucks has been recognized for his unique, expressive slide playing and the power to improvise at any moment. In 2012, he was ranked among Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and was later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Allman Brothers Band.
Derek’s main guitar from around 2011 has been the Gibson Dickey Betts SG, which is Gibson’s limited edition replica of the guitar that Dickey Betts gave to Duane Allman during their playing days together. If you want to learn more about the original guitar, be sure to check out our Duane Allman gear page – Duane Allman’s 1961 Gibson SG / Les Paul.\
Derek received this guitar as a gift from Galadrielle Allman, Duane’s daughter, and he has been using it as his main live and studio guitar ever since.
It was like brother to brother, the Duane/Dickey [artist proof] guitar. I think this is number four. Duane Allman’s daughter, Galadrielle, gave this to me when they copied Duane’s SG. They relic’d the heck out of it. It’s an extremely light SG. All of them are. The lightness is pretty great.
Derek acquired this guitar sometime in the early 2000s, and it quickly became his main axe to be used for the next decade or so. We, unfortunately, couldn’t find any info on the story of how Trucks actually acquired the guitar, so if you happen to know anything please be sure to leave a comment below.
Normally when I find one instrument I try to stick with it, just so I don’t have to think about it. The instrument becomes the second nature, and you can focus on other things.
Musician’s Friend interview with Derek Trucks
The guitar originally had a tremolo tailpiece that was replaced with a stop-tailpiece, but Derek liked the look of the Gibson Maestro Vibrola plate so he kept it sort of as a counterweight. He also had the pickguard removed due to the fact that he doesn’t actually use a pick while playing, and possibly for aesthetic reasons.
Derek received this guitar around 1990 from his parents who bought it at Paulus Music in Jacksonville, Florida (The SG Guitar Book, Tony Bacon, p. 108).
By 1991 he removed the pickup cover on the neck pickup (or replaced it altogether, which is somewhat less likely), and by 1993 he removed the pickguard. Prior to this, Derek had the pickguard signed with white marker by B.B. King, so he possibly removed it from the guitar in order to preserve that signature. Also by this time, he had the guitar signed by several people that he toured with, as can be seen on Derek’s “Layla” jam from July 4th, 1993.
Trucks used this guitar as his main from the point he received it in 1990, up until it suffered a headstock break around 1999 (The SG Guitar Book, Tony Bacon, p. 109).
Derek used a 1965 Gibson ES-335 in cherry red on a few tracks from the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s 2013 album, Made Up Mind. He acquired the guitar while touring with the ABB, based on Derek’s recollection, sometime in the early 2000s (he started playing with ABB in 1999).
It’s a Cherry Red ’65 I bought on the road early on when I was playing with the Allman Brothers.
The 335 on a few of the tunes, like the solo stuff on “Part of Me” and “All I Need.” Doyle Bramhall (II) is playing the same 335 on the main rhythm of “Part of Me.”
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Minds Made Up, Vintage Guitar Magazine
Since he retired his 2000 SG Reissue guitar and switched to the Dickey Betts SG as his main axe, Derek started using a couple of guitars from his own signature line as backups. His signature model is a direct replica of his 2000 ’61 Reissue SG, which he used for more than a decade.
Derek played a few guitars from his signature line, his main one being one that was very light, which is something that he values highly in a guitar.
Derek Truck Signature model features two PAF 57 Classic humbuckers (Alnico II magnets, 42 American Wire Gauge enamel-coated wire, wax potted), 500 k pots for both volume and tone for each pickup, early style “no wire” ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic tailpiece, and no pickguard (Paul Balmer, Gibson SG Manual, p. 181).
Derek acquired this guitar from vintage gear dealer Ed Seelig in St. Louis and used it on “Made Up Mind” and “Whiskey Legs” from Tedeschi Trucks Band’s 2013 album. For that occasion, the guitar was plugged into an old Ampeg B-12 bass amp.
For “Made Up Mind” I used an old Ampeg V-12 bass amp quite a bit. Also a 1965 Firebird V I got from Ed Seelig that turned out to be an amazing guitar. Plugging it into that old bass amp, I was able to fully dig into the low end and it never gave up on me.
Jim Scott (who produced the album with Trucks) is really honest about what he’s hearing. So we would pick a song to record and start looking for guitar sounds, and I would plug in and he’d immediately say “that’s good,” or “kind of boring. Next.” When I plugged the Firebird into the Ampeg, his reaction was immediate: “That’s a sound I want to hear over and over.”
Derek Trucks on “Made Up Mind”
He also used this guitar on the 2011 album Revelator, on the songs “Learn how to Love” and “Don’t Let me Slide”.
Derek was seen using a Silvertone guitar occasionally, most notably in the studio on the song “Down in the Flood”. According to him, the guitar sounds great, and it’s a “good blues-folk guitar”.
This is a fun guitar, I capo it at the fifth fret and use it in the studio occasionally. I play it on that tune ‘Down in the Flood’ . I couldn’t tell you what model it is, but the serial number is X87242. I want to say it’s from the mid ’60s.
It’s a great-sounding guitar. It’s a slide machine. It’s kind of short scale, but it’s got a great thing going on. I got it maybe 15 years ago – I think I paid about $500 for it.
Please note that in the Guitar Player interview above, this guitar is listed as a Silvertone Tuxedo, but the guitar is actually a Silvertone Artist 1522S model. Furthermore, it seems like that particular model was made only for one year, in 1958, so that pretty much answers all of Derek’s unknowns about the guitar.
As Derek said, he was not sure of the exact model, but based on the photos from around that time, he was seen using an E300 live and a P4 TS on a Washburn promo ad. So it’s perhaps more likely that he used the E300 on the album since that’s the guitar he was seen using live on tour, but we of course have no way of knowing for sure.
Derek has said on a few occasions that he owns a vintage 1961 Gibson SG but mostly keeps it safe in the studio. Like with most of the equipment that he keeps at his studio, not much information is available on this guitar, so if you happen to ever come across an interview in which Derek mentions it, please post it in the comment below.
I do (own a vintage ’61 SG), and it has that vintage magic, but I don’t take it or my other vintage guitars on the road. I think of those as the kids’ college funds.
Ball & Chain, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s Blues Union, Guitar Player, 2012
Based on the photos and videos from the Swamp Raga Studios, this is the guitar that Derek keeps in the “chill” area, a room where the band would relax and talk during the recording.
Derek owns one of the Gibson Custom Shop replicas of Eric Clapton’s famed “Beano Burst” Les Paul Standard, which was given to him by Eric himself. The guitar mostly stays home at the studio, but it was used occasionally by both Derek and Susan.
I used a guitar that I stole from Derek that I really love, which is a Custom Shop replica of Eric Clapton’s Beano guitar [as used on the John Mayall’s Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton album].
He had a couple of those made, and he gave one to Derek, but I’ve been playing it a lot.
“Your Recorded Music Is Your Legacy”: Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Reveal the Guitar Secrets Behind ‘I Am the Moon’
This guitar became Derek’s main after his old SG suffered a headstock break. The first public appearance of Derek with this guitar seems to be at a gig played on the night of his twentieth birthday on June 9th, 1999.
The guitar was most likely a late 90s SG Standard, with both pickup covers removed and with a large “batwing” pickguard. Derek used it for a few years from around 1999 to 2002, before moving on to a ’61 SG reissue.
Derek’s backup guitar for his 2011 Gibson Dickey Betts SG (Artist Proof #4) is a guitar that Gibson made specifically for him. It has the exact same design as Dickey Betts SG, which Gibson produced in a limited run of 75, but it’s the only guitar produced outside of that run.
We wanted a great backup so we begged Gibson to make another one, and they finally came around! You know, with those guitars, they do a very strict run of what they do and after that, that’s that. So we had to ask a few times.
We popped that truss-rod cover on there. I mean, it’s from the same run but it’s a different guitar from the same run. They even relic’d it the same, with the wear on the neck, and it’s great, but it’s just – it’s a little bit of a different finish and it’s a heavier guitar. I don’t play it as much, that’s for sure. I mean, if I break a string I’ll play it for however long it takes Bobby to change a string!
Derek was seen playing a PRS McCarty guitar in the earlier years, circa 2008. As far as the exact model, it looks like it could be the Carlos Santana PRS, based on the body shape and the layout of the controls. But, Derek’s guitar has a non-tremolo bridge, which is not something you’d find on any CS models, so perhaps this is something else.
If you happen to recognize to model and know anything about this guitar, please be sure to leave a comment below. Use the picture below as a reference.
Derek was seen playing a vintage Gibson ES-150 CC guitar in a couple of videos posted on Tedeschi Trucks Band’s YouTube channel of the band playing with Jerry Douglas. The videos were recorded in 2014, during a rehearsal at the Beacon Theatre, and it’s possible that this guitar did not belong to Derek, but it doesn’t hurt to have it here on the list.
Derek was seen playing a red Silvertone occasionally in the earlier years, circa 2007. The story behind this guitar is unfortunately unknown.
The Silvertone 1457 was produced from 1964 to 1966, and it was originally sold through the Sears catalog together with a case that had a built-in amp (see Silvertone World for more info).
Derek owns a Gibson SG that was used by Jonny Jenkins on the Otis Redding song “These Arms of Mine”. Derek lists Jenkins as one of the two people that got him interested in playing SGs, the first one obviously being Duane Allman.
And then later on, I found out that Johnny Jenkins was playing an SG on all of those early Otis Redding records, where it sounds like a cross between a Stratocaster and a Les Paul.
Derek Trucks on tone secrets, first records and keeping it real, Music Radar
Unfortunately, the photos of the guitar seem impossible to find. There are a lot of SGs in Derek’s studio, seen throughout various videos, but none seem to match the description of this one. According to Derek, this one has Jonny’s signatures inscribed with a soldering iron on the face of the guitar, so it shouldn’t be different to spot.
This 1936 Gibson L-00 seems to be among Derek’s favorites, based on the frequency of use. He played it on many occasions, including on “Back Where I Started” at WNRN, and more recently on “Little Martha” with Jerry Doublas in 2020 (photo below).
When playing the guitar live on stage, Derek installs a DeArmond 210 soundhole pickup on it.
Derek used this guitar during the “Already Free” studio sessions in 2008/09. The instrument was crafted by a company from Tacoma, Washington, which ceased operations in 2008, four years after being acquired by Fender.
The 55 Series model boasted elegant maple bindings, rich rosewood backs and sides, intricate abalone floral inlays, and a hand-applied UV gloss finish.
Derek’s first guitar was an acoustic Jay G “Jackson Guldan” parlor guitar. He got the guitar for $5 when he was 9 years old, at a local garage sale.
I think it was sub-Sears. I had five dollars, and my mom liked garage sales, and this was the only thing interesting to a nine year old child. It was a good first guitar (in terms of quality) – nowhere but up!
Very little information is available on these Jay G guitars. It was a sub-brand of the Jackson-Guldan Company of Columbus, Ohio, a manufacturer of stringed musical instruments, mostly violins, fiddles, and violas.
According to a 2002 interview with Guitar International, Derek owns a 1936 National guitar that belonged to the blues legend Bukka White. This must be one of his most prized guitars because Derek has said on multiple occasions that he takes a lot of inspiration from White, specifically his old recordings from the 30s.
Yeah, I still use that! We didn’t record on this album with it. But we used it on The Allman Brothers record that we just finished. We finished it about the same time as my record. I think their record will probably come out early next year.
Bukka White is most often associated with a 1933 National nicknamed “Hard Rock”, a guitar that is accounted for and is in the hands of a collector. So Derek logically must own a different guitar owned by Bukka, one that is perhaps not that well known, but it’s definitely safe to assume that Derek did his research and bought it from a reputable source.
This Martin 0-17H is among Derek’s favorite and most used guitars. Among others, he can be seen playing it on the acoustic version of “Calling Out To You” posted on Tedeschi Trucks Band’s YouTube channel (photo below).
The guitar is a vintage Hawaiian model (therefore the “H” in the name) that was converted to the Spanish-style guitar either on Derek’s behalf or by someone prior to him. This included resetting the neck, probably shaving the profile a bit, and likely installing a new bridge.
This is Derek’s first National guitar, the second one being the 1936 National Duolian Steel. Based on the photos, he acquired this sunburst model earlier on, at least before 2007.
As far as usage, this sunburst model was used on “Come See About Me” from Tedeschi Trucks Band’s 2011 album Revelator, and probably a lot more stuff but at this point, we haven’t been able to find any more direct quotes from Derek on this.
“Come See About Me” is also in open D. I played my old National, which is probably from the mid ’30s. It’s pretty funky looking with somewhat of a sunburst finish painted on it.
Ball & Chain, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s Blues Union. 2012
According to a Vintage Guitar interview from 2013, this was Derek’s first decent guitar, which he moved on from his Jay G Adjustomatic, his first ever guitar.
My parents got me a pawnshop Yamaha acoustic, which was definitely better than that garage-sale Jay.
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Minds Made Up, Vintage Guitar Magazine
Unfortunately, Derek did not specify the exact model of the guitar, so we’ll have it listed as a Yamaha acoustic.
Derek’s main and favorite amp was a 1965 Fender Super Reverb with Pile Driver speakers and some other mods (more on this below). He used this particular amp from around the mid-90s, up until around 2006, when it was stolen, alongside another Super Reverb, and a ton of other gear.
However, Derek’s love for the Super Reverb remained, and he continues using them as his main live amps.
It’s kind of the best amp ever made. The Super Reverb is just hard to beat, it really is incredible. It’s the tens (speakers) and it’s one of the few amps that are at two ohms, there’s almost no resistance between what you play and what you feel and hear.
I use the volume knob on my guitar, it’s kind of no pedals going into it, and when I amp the volume on the guitar, I want that compression. But the cleanness of a Super when you’re on about three of four on your guitar, but about seven-ish eight-ish on the amp is a pretty sweet sound./
Used with the Allman Brothers Band, and more recently with the Tedeschi Trucks Band as part of his main live rig. Around 2015, Derek seemed to have abandoned his usual live rig consisting of a couple of Fender Super Reverbs and opted for two Alessandro 1/2AZZ amps instead (also confined in the PremierGutiar rig rundown).
For this band, George Alessandro offered to build me something with a little more juice, so he built my current amp under his name.
It’s similar to a Super Reverb, with more guts. It still has that headroom, so it stays clean longer but can get saturated, too. It doesn’t get lost in the mix so much. Typically though, some nights I’m happy with my setup, then others I want to throw all my shit in the river.
This amp can be seen regularly in the videos filmed at Derek’s home studio, and he has occasionally used it on studio recordings, like on the song “Part of Me”.
He was also seen with the amp in the recent interview with Rick Beato, which could indicate that this is the amp that he perhaps uses to practice/warm up on – since the interview was filmed in Atlanta, and not in Derek’s studio.
Derek started using a PRS Original Sewell amp with the Allman Brothers Band in 2009. The amp was a 100W model, and it was paired with a PRS Original Sewell head.
I tried using a lot of different things, and up untill this years when I started using this head, it was just a constant battle. We tried this out at a rehearsal in New York City early this year, and it was just volume and tone, pretty simple and imidiettly fit pretty well.
Derek Trucks and the New PRS Amps
This is also confirmed by Derek’s guitar tech, Bobby Tis, who posted some details about the amps on Derek’s website. Unfortunately, the page has been taken offline, but we managed to access it through the WayBackMachine.
Derek playing through a pair of PRS amps in 2013. These seem to be the Dallas and the Original Sewell that he's been using since 2009, but it's hard to tell because both of the amps had their model badges removed.
This 1964 Fender Vibrolux Reverb amp was seen in Derek’s home studio, and based on how often he mentions it in interviews, it’s one of his main go-to studio amps, next to a Deluxe Reverb.
I experiment more with smaller amps in the studio, like Deluxe Reverbs or a Vibrolux. It’s usually Fender amps, but we have a few weird things floating around, too
The main tracking amp (on the I Am the Moon album) for me was a ’64 Fender Deluxe Reverb, which has an incredible sound. I also used a Vibrolux occasionally and a little tweed Deluxe that I used here and there.
Derek used two Fender Super Six amps with the Allman Brothers Band circa 2005. The amps were custom-built by Lord Valve (Fat Willie), who also worked on Derek’s Super Reverbs.
With the Allman Brothers, Derek runs two Fender Super Six amps, completely redesigned and built from the bare chassis up. They have a rectifier selection switch which allows Derek to select between a stock Fender fullwave diode rectifier circuit and a “saggy” rectifier circuit which emulates a tube. In the “hard” position, the amps are capable of outputting around 124 watts each, driving six 10″ Weber DT-10s. In the “soft” position, the amps are around 92 watts each.
On the last tour, Derek ran both amps, with both channels wyed together on each amp. (This is possible because I put both channels in phase on each amp, unlike the stock configuration where one is phased differently from the other.) He preferred the “saggy” rectifier switch position when running both amps together, which gave him a total of about 180 watts driving twelve 10″ speakers.
Derek used an Ampeg B-12 bass amp during the studio recording of the album 2013 “Made Up Mind”. He used the amp on the song“Whiskey Legs”, on which he played through it with a Firebird, and on “Made Up Mind”, on which occasion he used his SG.
On quite a few songs we ended up playing through an old Ampeg B-12 or B-15, switching back and forth, totally pinning it. “Whiskey Leg” was a Firebird through the B-12, “Made Up Mind” was my SG through the B-12, and it’s an amazing sound. I had never used that rig before, but there’s something about being able to play low strings and getting everything you want out of them.
According to Derek, one of his main go-to amps in the studio is a vintage Fender blackface Deluxe Reverb. He uses this amp a lot, probably second only to a Fender Vibrolux.
In the studio I take more liberties. At the beginning of each tune, I have a sound in mind. Me, Jim Scott, Bobby Tis, who’s engineering it with us, go into the room and play the riff or the theme of the song and try to get a sound. Sometimes, you plug into what’s tried and true – a blackface Deluxe – and you’re like, “Yeah, that’s good… Maybe a little boring. Okay, let’s try something else.”
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Minds Made Up, Vintage Guitar Magazine
This 1966 Fender Super Reverb was one of two Derek’s main amps, the second one being the 1965 Super Reverb. Both of these amps were stolen in Atlanta on March 11, 2006, and never recovered.
Derek had this second Super Reverb connected to the ’65 through its line output going into a Behringer volume pedal, the output of which was plugged into the Vibrato channel input on his ’66. He then used the volume pedal to add in as much of the ’66 as he felt necessary to produce his feedback effects.
Below are the full specs of this amp, as shared by Derek’s guitar tech.
Derek used this amp in the early days, circa 2006, up until it was stolen on March 11th of that same year. This is based on an email that was sent out after a bunch of Derek Trucks Band’s gear got stolen in Atlanta, among them two of Derek’s Super Reverbs. This amp was listed as a 1996 Chieftain 2X10 combo amp, with “Serial number: pending” written below it.
It’s unknown to which extent Derek used this amp, maybe as a backup, or maybe as a practice amp, but there don’t seem to be any images of him using the amp on stage. He is however listed on the Matchless website as one of their endorsed artists.
Derek used a PRS HXDA amp with the Allman Brothers Band circa 2012, paired with a 1963 Fender Tube Reverb amp. This amp was modeled after Duane Allman’s Marshall amp, which he famously used at the Live At the Fillmore concerts.
It seems that Derek started using PRS amps with the ABB around 2009, and at first he used a PRS Dallas and a PRS Original Sewell, but he eventually moved on to an HXDA.
I’ve been using a ’63 Fender Tube Reverb unit in front of a custom 100-watt Paul Reed Smith amp that’s kind of modeled on Duane’s 50-watt Marshall—the Fillmore Marshall. It’s got a lot of headroom, but it always keeps that growl and attack. It runs pretty hot. I don’t like playing at such a high volumes, but it’s one of the few amps that really feels like my Fender feels on a good night. I have complete control. I can get it to sing, or breathe, or bark.
Ball & Chain, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s Blues Union 2012
Derek used a Supro Thunderbolt amp on the 2022 record I Am the Moon, although it’s unknown to which extent. In the Guitar Player interview quoted below, he calls the amp an old “lighting-bolt” Supro, but he was obviously referring to the Thunderbolt.
The Supro Thunderbolt S6420 is a small 35-watt combo tube power with a single 15″ Jensen speaker, introduced in 1964 as a bass amp, but was quickly adopted by guitar players. As far as famous users, Jimi Hendrix was seen using one, and it was believed for a long time that Jimmy Page used one on Led Zeppelin I record, but that turned out the be a Supro Coronado
The main tracking amp (on the I Am the Moon album) for me was a ’64 Fender Deluxe Reverb, which has an incredible sound. I also used a Vibrolux occasionally and a little tweed Deluxe that I used here and there, plus a real old lightning-bolt Supro.
“Your Recorded Music Is Your Legacy”: Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Reveal the Guitar Secrets Behind ‘I Am the Moon’
This amp originally belonged to Duane Allman and was used on the At Fillmore East live recordings. As pictures show, the amp was serviced and modded by “Dennis Electronics”, a New Jersey-based company owned by Dennis Kager, most likely after Duane’s death.
Derek used this amp on the solo for the song “Idle Wind” from the album “Made Up Mind” released in 2013, and Susan used it on “Whiskey Legs”. He now occasionally uses the amp as part of his live rig, coupled with the Alessandro 1/2AZZ.
Derek playing one of Duane Allman's Les Paul guitars through Duane's Marshall amp on "Keep On Growing" live at the House of Blues Boston on December 12, 2014.
Derek started using this amp with the Allman Brother Band paired with a PRS Dallas. Both of the amps were 100W models and the Original Sewell was used as a secondary amp, to provide that extra kick for Derek if needed.
We are also running a 100w Original Sewell Model amp on a head switcher, this amp can provide Derek with a bit of extra “CUT”, like a Marshall, if needed. Between these two Amps we have gotten pretty comfy on ABB tour.
Bobby Tis, Tuesday, May 26, 2009 (page now offline)
This amp was seen in Derek’s home studio, among his pretty sizable guitar amp collection. As far as when and how he used this amp is at this point unknown, so if you happen to stumble upon any interviews in which he mentioned a Fender Bassman specifically, please leave it in the comments.
The first that Derek Trucks ever played with live was an old Fender Super 60 combo amp. According to Derek, it was the late 80s or early 90s model with red knobs. This particular model featured 60W of power, a single 12″ Eminence speaker, and two modes, clean and overdrive.
The first amp I gigged was a Fender Super 60, one of those with red knobs, late ’80s/early ’90s. But one of the things about growing up playing the blues scene in Jacksonville was all the musicians had good vintage gear, including a lot of blackface Fenders.
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Minds Made Up, Vintage Guitar Magazine
A 1960s Gibson GA-5T Skylark amp was seen briefly in Derek’s home studio in the Musician Friend’s video tour filmed in 2012. Unfortunately, he does not mention the amp in any interviews (that we’ve been able to find), so it’s unknown to which extent he uses the Skylark.
A 1960s blonde Fender Princeton can be seen in Derek’s home studio on several videos recorded there, but it is unknown to which extent he uses this amp. But, based on his love for small Fender amps when it comes to studio recording, there’s no doubt that this amp gets regular use.
Derek was seen using the PCE Aluminum Falcon overdrive pedal on stage circa 2022. This is a hand-wired, custom-made pedal, designed to emulate the legendary Klon Centaur.
More about this Effect PCE Aluminum Falcon Overdrive seen on Derek's amp, just behind him, 2020.
Derek was seen using an Ibanez Tube Screamer pedal, likely a TS-9, in his 2023 rig. He had the pedal connected to his Fender Super Reverb amp, which again became his main amp after he used an Alessandro AZZ for a few years as his main live amp.
It is therefore possible that Derek wanted a little bit more boost from his Super Reverb, which he could’ve achieved with the TS-9, since he has said on numerous occasions that Alessandro is pretty much a Super Reverb on steroids.
This pedal is actually used very often by Susan when playing live, as can be seen in the Rig Rundown posted by Premiere Guitar on YouTube. So, it’s possible that the pedal was laying around the studio, and Derek decided to use it on a few tracks to spice things up.
Apparently, Derek used an Ibanez TS-808 for a short time just when his Fender Super Reverb amps were stolen in 2006. This is according to one of our readers, who happened to attend a gig that Derek Trucks Band played on April 5, 2006, and had a chat with Derek’s guitar tech. His amps were stolen on March 11th, so the timeline makes sense roughly.
Derek is not really known for being an effects user, but it makes sense that he would try out a booster of some sort since he was having trouble getting a good sound from the amps that he used since his Super Reverbs were stolen.
Right after his original super reverb was stolen, he played at the handle bar in Greenville. I spoke to his tech back then and had asked about what amp he was now using. He stated many people had donated their vintage super reverbs to him but he couldn’t get the old sound he had. He said there was currently about 10 on the bus and just wasn’t satisfied with any of them.
That night, he played with an ibanez ts808 on top of his amp. I was standing about 10′ from his amp.. I’ve seen him at times use a pedal sitting on his amp that didn’t appear to be a tuner. Regardless, his tone is mostly in his fingers and smoothness. He’s a skilled master of the guitar.
This pedal was seen in the 2017 rig rundown by Premier Guitar. According to Derek’s guitar tech, Derek has the Echoplex connected to a lead channel of one of his Alessandro amps and uses it very occasionally when he wants to spice things up.
Derek mentioned using a Vox wah pedal on the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s 2022 I am the Moon record. Unfortunately, he did not specify the model, but since Derek loves vintage equipment, it could have been a 1960s Vox V846 or something similar.
I don’t use much in the way of effects. I have a Vox wah-wah pedal and a Moollon Zeppelin overdrive, but that’s pretty much it.
“Your Recorded Music Is Your Legacy”: Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Reveal the Guitar Secrets Behind ‘I Am the Moon’
Derek used a 1963 Fender tube Reverb unit when he was playing with the Allman Brothers Band circa 2011.
I’ve been using a ’63 Fender Tube Reverb unit in front of a custom 100-watt Paul Reed Smith amp that’s kind of modeled on Duane’s 50-watt Marshall—the Fillmore Marshall.
Ball & Chain, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s Blues Union 2012
Derek Trucks uses a custom set of guitar strings, with the following gauges – .011. .014. .017. .026. .036, and .046,
This particular string combination is not available in any of the standard sets, so Derek gets his strings by mixing two different sets from DR Strings, the PHR-10, and the PHR-11. He gets his .017, .026, .036, .046 strings from the PHR-10 set, and the .011. .014. from the PHR-11.
Sometime in the 90s, Derek Started using Coricidin bottles for playing slide. He received one from one of Duane Allman/Allman Brother roadies and used that as his main. Eventually, as they became harder to find, Derek transition over to Dunlop slides, and he even has his own signature slide now.
Derek was seen using an Anthology Gear Overland guitar strap on various occasions since around 2010. Since Anthology Gear officially started selling straps in 2009, Derek got his pretty early one, so it’s possible that he is a friend of someone related to the company.
More about this Accessory Derek Trucks using the Anthology Gear Overland guitar strap on his Gibson SG, Hitomi Memorial Hall, Tokyo, Japan 11 Feb 2014. Photo by: Takahiro Kyono/Flickr
This is a glass slide that Dunlop developed together with Derek, and it’s based heavily on the Dunlop Pyrex slide that Derek was using up until that point.
However, it’s also obvious that his signature slide is influenced by a Coricidin bottle, from the name itself, and from the fact that Pyrex slides are basically one width all the way, and don’t have a neck and a lip as the DT-01 does.
It’s essentially the same large Dunlop Pyrex slide that I’ve used for ten years, but they are all slightly different in size. I tried to get mine a little more uniform. I’m naturally apprehensive about doing a signature anything. I finally agreed to the slide because I didn’t have to change anything— it’s exactly what I use.
Ball & Chain, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s Blues Union, Guitar Player. 2012
Derek used Dunlop Pyrex slides between Coricidin bottles (which he used early on in his career), and his signature slide from Dunlop, the DT-01 (which came out sometime around 2009). According to Derek, his signature slide is nearly identical to the Pyrex (more on this here – Derek Trucks’ Dunlop DT01 Medicine Bottle Slide)
