It's a sad thing to say, but I've only seen the Allman Brothers one time and it was later on in their career- long after Dickey had left the band. But, like most purists I love their older stuff and "Live at the Fillmore" is among my top five records of all time. Great album, period. So, as we look at all of the signature reissues Gibson has produced, Dickey's Goldie and these Red Tops hold a special place with us because they were issued for the work of a Southern Rock guitarist. Of course the story of how Mr. Betts stripped down his old '57 is well known and these reproductions of that guitar are pretty darn close. This particular R7 is both a collector's and player's delight, meaning that it's a limited edition piece that you can actually play and enjoy. The pots and caps have been upgraded to an RS Guitarworks harness and if you look real close, you can see some actual playwear on the back. This of course means that at some point in this guitar's life, a guy actually plugged it into an amp, dialed it all up and made some great music with it and that's the whole point in the end, right? I think we all sometimes forget that these guitars were ultimately meant to be played, so when we come across one that has been through a good workout or two, we don't shy away from it because it's not perfect. Rather, we embrace it as the true workhorse it really is and hope to put it into the hands of a guitarist that will use it for the pleasure of others. The neck on this R7 is nice and full, without being a club and the electronics upgrade greatly enhance the growl of the '57 Classics. Limited, cool and yes, playable- that's what you'll always find when you visit the land of the 'Elk. Give us a call or an email on this great guitar today!