Good topic! I have been listening to Winterland for a while now. Near flawless '73 show...legendary jazzy Liz Reed, best Come and Go ever performed???, Dickey's YDLM>amazing grace solo...WOW! As far as NYE...haven't listened to it in a while, but I do know the sound is excellent and some of the Garcia stuff, particularly WP and Mtn Jam teeters on legendary...very acid-infused. Regardless...two of the finest '73 shows. Don't want to hijack the thread...but, is '73 Dickey's finest year? Cleaned up tone...SO sweet, maybe sweetest tone EVER. Anyone else?

Yes Dickey had a cleaner and somewhat softer tone in 1973. The several times I saw the band in 1973 Dickey was playing a light sunburst Les Paul with zebra pickups. He used this guitar in the later part of 1972 also. I think a lot of his tone in 1973 was coming from that instrument.

1974 is the year I think Dickey found the Gold Top Les Paul in New York he dubbed "Goldie". It had a fatter tone and he must have liked it better as he stayed with that guitar as his main ax for 20 years (1994). Before 1974 Dickey had some nice sounding guitars but must have been searching for just the right tone for his tastes as he used four or five different Les Pauls, a Gibson ES-335. A Fender Strat and a Gibson SG.

After 1994 he went back to experimenting as in short order he used a Paul Reed Smith, an ES-335, two Fender Stratocasters then brought back Goldie but had painted it red but also continued to use an old 1957 heavily road worn Stratocaster many nights. In 2001 his Dickey Betts signature Gold Top and Red Top Les Paul's came out and he was on those except it seems he didn't use the Red Top that much. He kinda rapped up his career with a custom shop version of his old Gibson SG called "Brother to a Brother". The original SG is the guitar Dickey gave Duane as his all slide guitar in 1971. Gregg gave the original SG away after Duane died and Dickey said he didn't know where it was for over 30 years but got it back a few years ago.

I'm told by a good source of mine in the music business Dickey is retired and has been since late 2014 but may come back out a little and possibly do a little playing with Gregg Allman.

But I'm pretty sure that tone in 1973 was coming from this:

This is Goldie after it was painted red about the year 1999. Notice the little touch Dickey did to the pick up switch.

3 of Dickey's classic guitars. the road worn Strat I mentioned of course is in the middle.

Dickey's son Duane Betts uses the guitars now and is doing a great job touring all over the world with the noted band Dawes!