Sevens

7 Killer Guitar Gizmos You MUST Have

I’ve met some purists who claim the only gear they need is their guitar and amplifier. I don’t trust those people. Gear isn’t about what you need, gear is about what you want. Anyone who’s ever been to the NAMM show can tell you that. However, every once in a while you stumble across a guitar gizmo that’s so sexy and cool it becomes a necessity – you can’t sleep without knowing it’s comfortably locked away in your gig bag, patiently and eagerly waiting for you to use and abuse it.

So I began a quest several months ago to hunt down this unique species of guitar gizmo that lives between need and want: gear you must have. I asked a few Friends of the Fire, all of them accomplished artists, authors and renowned gear addicts in their own right, to help me put together a list of the 7 most murderously desirable guitar gizmos out there.

Behold… 7 killer guitar gizmos you MUST have! –Charlie Doom

1. Z Vex Box of Rock from ZVex

What: Makes your amp sound like a cranked Marshall JTM-45

Why: “I’m a Marshall guy, which is sometimes a challenge at gigs because I’m also an ‘everything on 10 guy’, but the BOR is designed to sound like a cranked JTM-45 (which is one of my favorite amps) without getting you thrown out of a gig and it comes as close to the real thing as I have ever heard from a box. Did I mention the separate boost feature is great as well? The two together are IT! If you like old Marshall tones then you MUST have this – I own 2!” - Jeff McErlain

Specs: Hand painted (when available), clean boost and a distortion circuit, unity-to-50X gain booster with nominal input impedance and low hiss; drive, tone, volume and boost controls, ¼” I/O, has a DC power jack on the side of the pedal, but you can use a 9V battery. More…

Cost: $199

Video: Z Vex Box of Rock

2. Original Shubb Capo by Shubb

What: An industry-standard capo for all guitars.

Why: “When I found out Gatemouth Brown and Albert Collins capo’d their electric guitars, it opened up a whole new way of seeing the fingerboard – or not bothering too, as the case might be. And for coming up with cool parts in the studio, it’s beyond essential. Funky chicken pickin’ and Delta blues licks in any key, and twangle and shimmer in every register – all for less than the price of a virgin vinyl LP import back in the day.” – David Hamburger

Specs: Machined from solid brass, hand assembled with patented locking action, a smooth flip lever and resilient fingertip-like rubber. More…

Cost: $24.95

Video: The Original Shubb Capo

3. MM-40 Micro Mixer by Signal Flex

What: Routes four ¼” inputs to a single output

Why: “I first picked up this little mixer for practicing in hotel rooms; I could route backing tracks through one channel, my guitar through another, then blend as I wanted and monitor on headphones. Since then I’ve found a dozen more uses. I use it all the time on gigs when I want to leave two or more guitars running into the same single-input amp. There are other good switchers (like by Whirlwind and Morley) but I need the flexibility of adjusting line levels on each. Signal routing — woo hoo, that’s good times.” - Rich Maloof

Specs: 4 input channels (600 Ohm), one 1/4″ out (1.k Ohm), with virtually no distortion (TTI harmonic distortion .01%). Travels easily since it’s pretty rugged and is 6″ wide x 3 3/8” deep. Can be powered with a 9v DC (not included) — a 9v battery works fine. More…

Cost: $39.99

4. Mothership Analog Synthesizer by Pigtronix

What: An analog synth pedal that makes your guitar sound like it came from, well, the mothership.

Why: “Forever chasing sounds that sound anything like a guitar it’s a Godsend when you run into a pedal that just lets you plug in and go when it comes to phat analog synth tones. When I saw the proto-type of the Mothership I just freaked OUT! From Genesis-approved monosynth tones to elephant roars to ring mod madness the Mothership is a MUST for any NASA-like pedal board.” – Chris Buono

Specs: Circuits designed by the brilliant Howard Davis, true bypass, analog Whammy!, variable portamento, Pigtronix’s unique F.A.T. sub-octave, pitch tracking, ring modulator, external gate, individual voice levels + master volume and it can produce triangle or square waves via its voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). Oh yeah, it comes with a power supply, user manual and the high quality you’ve come to expect from those loveably feral dudes at Pigtronix. More…

Cost: $479

Video: Mothership Analog Synthesizer

5. iPhone 3Gs by Apple

What: It does everything.

Why: “I can’t remember the last time a gizmo had such a profound effect on the way that I work. On my iPhone, I have apps for recording audio to capture ideas anywhere I am (FiRe), a digital “Real Book” that transposes to any key (iReal Book), guitar education apps (Chordmaster and Scale Wizard) and a Peterson strobe tuner for ten bucks…(iStroboSoft). It has become my go-to device for everything that I do. I wish I could tell you that a pedal or an amp has changed my life like the iPhone has, but it hasn’t. And it keeps getting better every year.” – Marc Schonbrun

Specs: 16 – 32GB flash drive, 4.8 ounces, 3.5” widescreen multi-touch display, 480×320 pixel resolution at 163 ppi, support for multiple languages, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, video & audio playback and recording, PC/Mac compatible, built-in microphone, 3.5mm stereo headphone minijack, 30-pin dock connector, built-in speaker, SIM card tray and more apps than you could ever sanely want. More…

Cost: $199

Video: iStroboSoft on the iPhone

6. Ethos Overdrive Pedal by Custom Tones

What: A pedal that emulates the tone and responsiveness of one of the most sought after boutique guitar amplifiers ever made; it has a 13 month waiting list.

Why: “No question about it – the Ethos Overdrive pedal from Rob and Custom Tones is a must-have addition to the rig. Worth every dollar invested and every day spent on the waiting list to get one, the Ethos is no urban guitar myth – it delivers the goods. The Ethos nails the coveted “D” amp, is extremely touch-sensitive, serves up a phenom range and quality of clean through overdriven tones; is plug and play easy; and is as jaw-dropping in the studio as it is live on stage. Fair warning; the Ethos is highly addictive.” – Brad Wendkos

Specs: Dual independent channels with EQ; overdrive & clean; preamp boost, speaker simulation output, guitar amp compensation circuit with hi-cut tone stack toggles; brite, modern/classic & jazz/rock; operates on a 9V battery or 12V DC wall adapter, buffered inactive mode mitigates loading effects, packaged in rugged die-cast aluminum chassis. More…

Cost: $395

Video: Ethos Overdrive Pedal

7. Analogman Chorus by Analogman

What: Makes your guitar sound like an angel’s harp.

Why: “I don’t use many effects, but chorus is one of those essential ones that is good to have. After years of using rack and digital chorus effects, when I plugged into the Analogman chorus it was finally the sound that I had tried to get all those years! Lush, beautiful chorus. It will also give you a nice leslie speaker sim with the speed cranked up a bit. Takes a simple meat and potatoes effect like chorus and makes it special – the best chorus I have ever played! – Jeff Scheetz

Specs: True bypass, depth knob, speed knob; durable, powder-coated aluminum casing; high quality, double-sided circuit boards; ¼” I/O, 9V DC power jack (or a 9V battery), compatible with 12V DC & 18V DC power supplies. More…

Cost: $225

Video: Analogman Chrous

What’s your must have guitar gizmo? Check out what our forum member’s picked and share your own!

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February 4th 2010

Playing Old Guitar Strings Stings

by Charlie Doom

Spend thirty seconds playing a guitar strung with old, corroded strings and you’ll never want to strum on old strings again — unless you’re strange and lazy like me. I haven’t changed the strings on my acoustic guitar for over a year. Every song I’ve ever recorded was tracked with crusty strings. Every song I’ve ever recorded sounds like crap, too, but let’s not get judgy.

For those of you who don’t know or don’t want to admit you know, there is a sort of black soot that leaches onto your fingertips when you play really old, dirty strings. It smells like pennies with chicken grease. Strings have a good shelf life in the package but once you play them the metal reacts with your own sweat and filth and skin cells. I was working my way through 50 Acoustic Licks on my acoustic the other night (Pete’s Best) and in a freak accident I blinked one of my eyelids inside out and, as anyone would, I tried to pry it loose again, but with a sooty finger. It burned for a long time.

Beyond the health risks, crusty strings have a characteristic anti-tone. Part of the fun in playing the guitar is hearing the incredible timbres and upper harmonics, and those sounds aren’t so incredible when they’re bubbling through year-old finger muck. A lot of guitarists find new strings too bright and brash, and I know Eddie Van Halen has said that worn-in strings were crucial to his “brown sound” tone. But there’s a difference between worn-in and dead. And after the strings go dead, they start to decay.

At any rate, I think I’ve made my point. Playing old strings is terrible and potentially dangerous and I don’t know why I do it. I chalk it up as one of the many terrible cross-over habits from my youth; guitar strings were expensive when I had to buy them with leftover milk money. So I only changed them when they broke. Simply put, my acoustic strings aren’t broken yet.

I’m working hard to change those habits. In fact, I have several packs of fresh strings in my drawer right now. But mostly I’m more careful about touching my eyes.

—

A few words from the wise:

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January 19th 2010

Blues Guitar Lesson: “Sweet Home Chicago” Genealogy

by David Hamburger

Come on…Baby, Don’t You Want to Know?

Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of teaching at various workshops in the company of some fabulous blues guitarists, including Paul Rishell, Steve James and Duke Robillard, among others. I’ve always soaked up as much as I could from these experiences, realizing early on that as long as no one who was paying me to teach realized just how much I was actually learning myself, I was pretty much sitting on so much velvet. The thing I’ve always envied about these guys is their hands-on connection to the past. Steve’s got stories about backing up Furry Lewis onstage in Memphis in the early ’70s. Duke told me once how he got called up to sit in with Muddy Waters, while Freddie King was already onstage too, and Freddie proceeded to glower at Duke the entire time for messing with his own Muddy moment. “And Freddie was a big guy!” laughed Duke. But the best of all are Paul Rishell’s stories about backing up Howlin’ Wolf in Boston, also in the early ’70s. After one session, one of the other musicians asked Wolf if he had any words of wisdom for a young, up and coming bluesman. Wolf looked the afro’d and dashiki’d guitarist up and down and growled, “Yeah! Throw them pedals in the river on the way to the barber shop!”

So I wish the things I am about to tell you, I learned from hanging with Robert Lockwood Jr., sitting in with Roosevelt Sykes, and catching Magic Sam at his incendiary Ann Arbor Blues Festival appearance in the 1960s. But I didn’t. I learned them on Youtube, and from Wikipedia. Also from Elijah Wald’s fantastic book, Escaping the Delta. More on that in a future post. For now, on to the Robert Johnson tune, “Sweet Home Chicago.”

Robert Johnson:

First things first. Johnson’s tune is, according to most people who think about these sorts of things a lot, a kind of a re-write or development of a 1928 Scrapper Blackwell song, “Kokomo Blues.”

Scrapper Blackwell:

Blackwell is best known for playing guitar with the pianist Leroy Carr, who wrote the classic “How Long How Long Blues.” “Kokomo Blues” was then recorded in all of 1934 by James Arnold as “Old Original Kokomo Blues,” which, to put things in perspective, would be like recording Beyonce’s 2004 hit “Naughty Girl” today as “Old Original Naughty Girl.”

Kokomo Arnold:

Johnson’s song, obviously, replaced the relatively obscure city of Kokomo, Indiana, with the hoped-for destination of millions of post-Emancipation blacks, Chicago, and in so doing unwittingly created an anthem for a blues scene that, while young and thriving, had yet to explode into the postwar phenomenon of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Chess Records and all the rest.

But almost nobody sings the final line of the first verse the way Johnson originally wrote it: “Back to that land of California, sweet home Chicago.” Pianist and singer Roosevelt Sykes is generally credited with changing that line to “Back to that same old place, sweet home Chicago,” which is how Magic Sam, Freddie King and, of course, the Blues Brothers went on to sing it in the postwar era. (And if you can’t trust John Belushi, who can you trust? I mean, the man’s wearing a tie, for cryin’ out loud.)

Roosevelt Sykes:

Musically, acoustic and electric versions of the song diverge as well, although there are some interesting connections to be made all around. Johnson’s original is based around the shuffle figure I grew up thinking of as the Chuck Berry rhythm, though Johnson himself deserves much of the credit for making this barrelhouse piano sound an essential blues guitar move. Carriers of the Johnson flame like Robert Lockwood Jr. and Johnny Shines ring their own subtle changes on the Johnson essentials, putting their own stamp on the shuffle figure itself (with various open-position fills) and Johnson’s distinctive intro and turnaround licks.

Robert Lockwood Jr.:

Johnny Shines:

Freddie King and Magic Sam, on the other hand, both have similar takes on what I think of as the electric version of the song. Whether one of them was the first to apply that intro and those turnaround licks to the tune, or if it was someone else, I haven’t been able to suss out yet, but I’m all ears if anyone knows (or has a plausible theory that doesn’t involve zombie swordfish, the color magenta or the C.I.A.). In the meantime, what’s cool and interesting about both of their versions is that Magic Sam and Freddie King are both essentially fingerstyle guys, even though they play electric guitar. And so they both do a lot of cool open position work, both for chording and soloing, and make hefty use of a classic Chicago turnaround move for the IV chord that I’ll get into in the video post along with a bunch of these other nuances.

Magic Sam:

Freddie King:

Poke around Youtube and you’ll also find versions where people append Elmore James’ classic “Dust My Broom” intro to “Sweet Home Chicago,” a song James does not seem to have done himself. Considering that Robert Johnson didn’t actually do “Dust My Broom” on slide himself, you can see how the longer you look at these things, it just gets weirder and weirder, like an M.C. Escher print. Heavy, dude.

David Hamburger leads a double life as a guitar geek/educator and composer for TV, film and advertising. Check out the former at www.davidhamburger.com and the latter at www.davidhamburgermusic.com, and dip into his popular Truefire course Blues Alchemy for his take on all things 12-bar and beyond.

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January 4th 2010

Happy New Year!

We’ve had a great time launching TrueFire’s blog this past year, and the feedback we’ve received from players around the world has been nothing short of inspiring. If this is your first time punching in, be sure to check out some of the archived posts listed down there on the right. We live on the feedback of fellow musicians, so please let us know what you think.

At the coda of 2009, we posed a handful of questions to some of the people who have been instrumental in making the Punch-In a success. With thanks to all of them for sharing their wit and wisdom, here’s what they had to say.

We hope your stockings were stuffed to the top with gear and that you make great music in the new year. –Rich Maloof, Editor

BRAD WENDKOS

Brad Wendkos is the founder of TrueFire

Biggest WTF of 2009
Hendrix Electric Vodka packaged in a “purple haze bottle”

Jaw-Dropping Moment
Larry Carlton playing “Kid Charlemagne” on the Steely Dan tour

I improved my playing this year by…
Eating my own dog food at TrueFire

I’ve learned from my musical mistakes: Never, ever again will I….
Attempt to sing. Not even back-up!

I would sacrifice at least one of my toes to play like…
Larry Carlton

Favorite New Gear or Gizmo (product released in 2009)
Enounce software (slows and speeds streaming video on the fly without change in pitch

Favorite Instrument/Gear/Software I Bought in 2009
Nik Huber custom snakewood Dolphin guitar

Guitarists I’m Watching Closely
Larry Carlton, Monte Montgomery, Tommy Emmanuel

Words of Wisdom for 2010
Be the water, not the rock.

LEE KNIFE

Lee Knife is a musician, and is General Counsel to the Digital Media Association (DiMA) in Washington D.C. DiMA is a trade organization that represents digital media companies.

Favorite Record of the Year
Bleu – “A Watched Pot”

Biggest WTF of 2009
That people STILL insist on talking about what new idea or approach will “revive” the music business. It’s over, folks! Recorded music will never be the type of stand-alone entertainment destination it was before the advent of the DVR, On-Demand, video-game consoles, cell-phones, the internet, IM-ing, texting…

Jaw-Dropping Moment
Seeing Lady GaGa — the princess of disposable pop for 2009 — belt it out, with just her and a piano, proving she is (was? could have been?) the real deal.

I improved my playing this year by…
Slowing down. Trying to pay attention to playing interesting melodic vignettes

I’ve learned from my musical mistakes: Never, ever again will I….
Tell anyone that I know how to play an instrument.

I would sacrifice at least one of my toes to play like…
Allan Holdsworth, even for a minute.

Favorite New Gear or Gizmo of the Year
REAPER 3.0

Favorite Instrument/Gear/Software I Bought in 2009
Either REAPER 3.0 or Toontrack Superior Drummer 2.0

Guitarists I’m Watching Closely
Jake Cinninger of Umphrey’s McGee, Guthrie Govan

Words of Wisdom for 2010
Play because you want to. Because it makes you feel good and fulfills you. Not to “make it” in the music business or to be famous.

RICH TOZZOLI

Rich Tozzoli is an award-winning producer, mixer, composer and sound designer. Check out his official website.

Favorite Record of the Year
Ace Frehley’s Anomaly

Biggest WTF of 2009
The continued lack of any new real bands with “sack.”

Jaw-Dropping Moment
She’s from Venezuala, but I stilI don’t think she wants me to put this in print.

I improved my playing this year by…
Studying online.

I’ve learned from my musical mistakes: Never, ever again will I….
Work on a project basis instead of hourly — unless there are strict parameters.

Favorite New Gear or Gizmo of the Year
Creation Audio Labs Holy Fire Overdrive / Distortion pedal — Holy s#)*!

Favorite Instrument/Gear/Software I Bought in 2009
Black Gibson Les Paul Custom Shop Custom – game on.

Words of Wisdom for 2010
Don’t work for the man (or woman). Somehow, figure out how to get the man (or woman) to work for you.

PETE PROWN

Learn more about Pete Prown here.

Favorite Records of the Year
Agents of Mercy‘s The Fading Ghosts of Twilight, Karmakanic‘s Who’s the Boss in the Factory

Biggest WTF of 2009
Gibson’s obscene line of Jimi Hendrix Strat-style guitars.

Jaw-Dropping Moment
A universe of brilliant guitar vids online. YouTube has changed music and guitar playing forever.

I improved my playing this year by…
Turning down the distortion and exploring a world of clean electric-guitar tones.

I’ve learned from my musical mistakes: Never, ever again will I….
Shred to show off (well…maybe a little) :^)

I would sacrifice at least one of my toes to play like…
Pat Martino. He plays guitar on a level beyond most mortals.

Favorite New Gear or Gizmo of the Year
PRS Starla or PRS Sweet 16 tube amp

Favorite Instrument/Gear/Software I Bought in 2009
M-Audio M-Tron Pro (Mellotron sampler), Seagull Coastline 12-string acoustic

Guitarists I’m Watching Closely
Julian Lage…the next jazz-guitar sensation

Words of Wisdom for 2010
Turn it down. You’re missing so much of the music in your own playing.

HP Newquist

HP Newquist is a widely published author, and Executive Director of the National Guitar Museum

Favorite Record of the Year
Silversun Pickups – Swoon

Biggest WTF of 2009
Gibson’s introduction of a Hendrix-sanctioned Stratocaster model — and it’s subsequent disappearance.

I improved my playing this year by…
Playing in a band with musicians who are better than I am.

I’ve learned from my musical mistakes: Never, ever again will I….
Leave the house with a guitar but without a tuner.

I would sacrifice at least one of my toes to play like…
Steve Vai

Favorite New Gear or Gizmo of the Year
iPhone guitar apps

Guitarists I’m Watching Closely
Orianthi Panagaris

Words of Wisdom for 2010
All things must pass.

CHARLIE DIAZ

Favorite Record of the Year
The Flaming Lips: Embryonic — a step back into the band’s darker side and a giant leap into the future of alternative rock.

Biggest WTF of 2009
Gibson’s Jimi Hendrix guitar

Jaw-Dropping Moment
The death of Michael Jackson, I think everyone remembers where they were when the news broke.

I improved my playing this year by…
Learning how to play my favorite songs; it’s amazing how many new chords and licks I picked up (thank you, Neil Young).

I’ve learned from my musical mistakes: Never, ever again will I….
Blindly go into any band audition I happen to find on Craigslist.

I would sacrifice at least one of my toes to play like…
Brian May. The delicate vibrato, the humming sustain…a constant source of inspiration.

Favorite New Gear or Gizmo of the Year
Some people have to change their pants after they play The Mothership
Analog Synthesizer pedal from Pigtronix. But not me, I can control my
bladder.

Favorite Instrument/Gear/Software I Bought in 2009
I’ve got student loans.

Guitarists I’m Watching Closely
Johnny Hiland. Take the last 30 years of rock guitar and put it on an evolutionary timeline — Hiland is the pinnacle.

Words of Wisdom for 2010
Take the road less traveled.

TAMMY BRACKETT

Tammy has a great blog that provides inspiration, motivation and practical advice for musicians. Check it out.

Biggest WTF of 2009
The circus surrounding the death of Michael Jackson

Jaw-Dropping Moment
Stumbling across Tina Turner in Concert on Pallida. 70 years old and she still moves like she’s 16. And sounds better than ever.

I’ve learned from my musical mistakes: Never, ever again will I…
Put all my music-business eggs in one basket.

I would sacrifice at least one of my toes to play like…
Mairead Nesbitt from Celtic Woman

Guitarists I’m Watching Closely
Chris Sheridan from Simplified. Great tone, perfect fills, awesome player, humble guy. Who could ask for more.

Words of Wisdom for 2010
“Hitch your wagon to a star, or you will stay just where you are…” —D.H.Lawrence

MARC SCHONBRUN

Marc Schonbrun is the creator of the new TrueFire course The Efficient Guitarist…

Favorite Record of the Year
Muse, The Resistance

Biggest WTF of 2009
The Tea Party

Jaw-Dropping Moment
Seeing my bride walk down the aisle.

I improved my playing this year by…
Practicing less. Having less time has made me more efficient. It’s focused me on parts of my playing that really do need attention, rather than just reinforcing what I already know.

I’ve learned from my musical mistakes: Never, ever again will I….
Start sentences with, “Back when I was touring….”

I would sacrifice at least one of my toes to play like…
I don’t see it that way. I have lots of guys who I love, but at the end of the day, I sound like me. I’d give a toe to accelerate my own playing curve so I sound like me with 20 years more experience right now.

Favorite New Gear or Gizmo of the Year
Digidesign 11 Rack

Favorite Instrument/Gear/Software I Bought in 2009
Metric Halo ULN-8 recording interface

Guitarists I’m Watching Closely
Jonathan Kreisberg

Words of Wisdom for 2010
Keep doing something different. It’s only through constant change that we evolve. You won’t get anywhere by doing the same things over and over.

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December 18th 2009

Blues Guitar Lesson: “Stormy Monday” Genealogy

By David Hamburger

There used to be a blues club on the upper East side of Manhattan called “Manny’s Carwash,” which the New Yorker magazine routinely dismissed as “an ad man’s idea of a nightclub.” And there was a kind of manufactured vibe to the place, as a friend of mine once theorized over a round of tall and frosty ones: “It’s like some guy woke up one day and said, ‘Yeah, I know, I’ll start a club! In Manhattan! That’s it! And we’ll have, you know, those neon Bud signs in the window! Yeah! And a brick wall behind the bar! And, live bands, that play – what’s that funky music they always have bands playing in the movies? Blues! That’s it! We’ll get some of those funky blues bands to come play!”

To be fair, they did have their share of good bands, although it seemed at times that their audience was cut from the same cloth as the club’s hypothetical, brick-addled owner. I found myself standing one night behind a particularly inebriated dude who kept bellowing for the band to play “Stormy Monday,” then turning to his girlfriend to grandly explain, “It’s an Allman Brothers song.” Which would have been o.k., because the Allmans did do a pretty damn definitive version of the song on the pretty damn definitive At Fillmore East. Would have been o.k., except that *on* the Fillmore East record Duane Allman *introduces* the song by saying, “Actually, it’s an old T-Bone Walker song.” So, I mean, come on.

The thing is, though, that if you go dig up the original T-Bone Walker version of “Stormy Monday,” it doesn’t sound anything like what Duane and company played that night in 1971. Here’s a latter-day version by T-Bone himself, where he plays in much the same vein as his original recording:

I always thought it was kind of weird that the Allmans’ version was so far afield of the original — until I discovered the missing link: Bobby Bland’s R&B chart-climbing version from 1962, with one Wayne Bennett on guitar. That’s what Duane is talking about on the Fillmore East record, though I never quite caught it at the time. His full intro is, “While we’re doing that blues thing, we’re gonna do an old Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland song. Actually, it’s an old T-Bone Walker song.” T-Bone’s 1947 song, officially titled “Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday’s Just As Bad)” to distinguish it Billy Eckstine and Earl Hines’ 1942′s “Stormy Monday Blues,” stuck pretty much to the I, IV and V chords, though it did include plenty of Walker’s already-signature slippery, sliding ninth chord licks.

Bennett, one of those “musicians’ musicians” (who also had a hand in Buddy Guy’s 1968 Vanguard debut “A Man And The Blues”), took those sliding T-Bone licks and incorporated them into a chord progression that was, ironically, much jazzier than the original. Dig it:

I don’t know whether the progression on the Bland version came from Bennett, Bland, or someone else in the studio, but it’s clearly what the Allmans went ahead and built their distinctive chord progression off of for their version of “Stormy Monday.”

Which makes perfect sense given Duane and Gregg’s recollections of playing R&B music with top-forty bands in the early sixties for fraternity parties around the southeastern U.S. Bobby Bland’s “Stormy Monday” would have been just the kind of current single you’d need to know for those gigs, and it was obviously something they were still into playing almost ten years later at the Fillmore shows.

Of course, plenty of people have continued to treat Walker’s song as a straight-up I IV V blues. Check out this Buddy Guy version from the same year as “A Man And The Blues,” featuring the same kind of lean, horn-driven sound he favored on the LP: