Derek is great. Love Derek.
But the greatest slide guitar player ever was is and always will be Duane Allman.
(IMHO) Derek is very musical in his slide playing, but lacks that old school down home grit.
It is impossible to judge that particular style of playing objectively. I dig a lot more slide players better than Derek, even though he may be more versatile in his technique than them. Just how my brain is wired when it come to that stuff.
I'm not a fan of rating musicians. How about they are both just amazing players?
Duane and Derek approach slide playing from completely different angles. Duane established a language of slide playing building off of guys like Elmore James and harp players like Little Walter. Something that was almost percussive became melodic.
Just as Duane built on his predecessors, Derek came along and fused slide with Eastern influences creating his own style. Where Duane would hang around on an open fret, Derek hangs around on a single string. It's a very different approach, neither is better. It's kind of like Godfather I and Godfather II, both are amazing and different but you don't get II without I.
But let's be objective, I've heard some Duane performances where he is not hitting the note on slide and hits some clams high on the neck. Sometimes it's because humidity was causing guitars to go out of tune, but sometimes you just have a bad night. I mean, the guy was creating a way of playing and taming his instrument in his early 20s. I'm not sure what I was doing at that age, but it wasn't that.
And Derek definitely has grit, just listen to "Preachin' Blues" from his 2nd dTb album. I think he's over that, to some extent. The gritty blues slide has been done, he always seems to be exploring new sounds and more interested in soul and jazz these days. He's been fortunate to be doing that for 40 years, we can only imagine the places Duane would have eventually gone.
Want to talk about grit, Elmore James (already cited here) was so gritty he sounded elementary compared to Derek, but it all comes out as the same feel.
I caught the first post showing "No Picks, No Pedal". First thing I thought of was....from Derek's soul to ours, nothing getting in the way.
Just want to add here about the statement about Duane building off of Elmore James influence. I recently watched a video on YouTube, an interview by Rick Beato with Derek Trucks. Derek says at one time in his career he remembers listening to only horns, such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
Derek takes all his influences and makes them his own and what we get is an over the top feel of timing, intensity and soul.
Went to "Friends of the Brothers" last night. I'll tell ya Andy Aledort is pretty darn good on the slide. Along with Junior Mack they put on great show. Andy's years in Dickey's band really shows in his playing. Jr. And Andy are incredibly tight.
Awesome you got out to see Friends, always a great show. I was always a little disappointed with Andy's slide playing, it's really loose and not precise which might just be his style. But sliding ain't always easy.
Junior Mack is a titan on slide, very underrated. Andy/Junior is a great combo.
Yes Jaimoe has a very fine band and I had the chance to see them and took it. Junior Mack was real good on guitar including slide. I like Jaimoe 's drumming style too.
I remember being very impressed with Derek's slide playing on the two Eric Clapton shows I saw when Derek was part of his touring band then.
In an interview Derek himself complimented Clapton's slide work. I saw Clapton on the Cradle To The Grave tour which was all blues music and he did play some nice slide but I recall Clapton using a pick and a metal slide.
I like Duane Allman the best on the songs he played slide when the original band was together. But Derek and Jack Pearson are indeed fine slide players and Derek mentioned listening to horn players and eastern music as more recent influences which expanded his slide canvas. But in that interview Derek mentioned Duane and said he wanted to play slide on certain songs with the kind of energy Duane Allman played with.
I like Warren Haynes slide playing too and Dickey on Ain't Waisting Time Anymore on Eat A Peach is good slide guitar. Gregg complimented Dickey's slide on Gregg's Ain't Waisting Time on Eat A Peach. In the same interview Gregg said Dickey's playing on Melissa on Ear A Peach is some of the finest electric guitar by anyone. And Berry Oakley's bass playing also is excellent on Melissa.
Clapton on slide guitar!
No he is not. His solos seem to sound very similar. Duane was much better. There are many side players current and dead. Rory Gallagher to name one.
🎄echoing the holiday wishes - on topic, whether Duane or Derek, George or George, Lowell or Harrison, some might insist Ry Cooder was the best, others Bonnie Raitt -
the live slide playing on Johnny Winter And’s Mean Town Blues is sick - have always felt the same way about Mountain’s live take of Crossroader
great clip of Clapton showing his slide chops
….no one is ‘better than’ imo - it’s all joyful noise hittin’ the note, serenading the soul
again, happiest Christmas joy🎅
@stephen Merry Christmas ⛄ 🎁 and Happy New Year 🎊 from me to everyone!!
My favorite slide guitar is Duane Allman. His style and energy for me sounds best on old Allman Brothers Band songs such as Statesboro, Trouble No More, Don't Keep Me Wondering etc.
Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Jack Pearson, Lowell George, Ry Cooder, Johnny Winter and others are real good to me. No doubt about it.
Gregg Allman in his book and in a few interviews near his passing complimented Dickey on his surprising slide playing on Gregg's Ain't Waisting Time No More when the band decides to carry on and go back to Miami to finish the studio tracks for Eat A Peach.
Dickey always said electric guitar slide wasn't his bag and he didn't enjoy playing Duane's parts on those old songs.
Dickey also said he avoids playing electric slide when people such as Warren, Derek and Jack Pearson are around.
Now to me Dickey's electric slide on this five man band track on Eat A Peach is very good!!!
I guess this isn't the place to say I don't think of Derek Trucks as a "slide" guitarist, I'm gonna say it anyways, he's an incredible guitarist/instrumentalist. Duane didn't always play slide (pretty sure there's no slide on Little Martha); Trucks doesn't always play the slide. I've been fortunate enough to see him 14 times, and when he puts the slide away, yes it stands out, but yes it stands on it's own. As always, my opinion.
alot of articles about duane and the bros bring up his slide playing. to me his straight leads were just as impressive. imoer, w.p., mountain jam, dimples stormy monday etc all lead guitar and just as impressive. can you imagine him on southbound and jessica? derek's lead lines aren't as impressive as his slide playing(just my opinion)
Please, I ask my comment not be be argumentative. At 74 years old, I am constantly, sick and tired of "Whose the Best" argument/discussion. I never saw Duane play, have listened to him for untold hours. I've seen Derek live over 60 times, in all different bands. I've seen Warren probably 40 times. Bonnie 10-15 times, etc. My favorite style is finger picked with a glass slide. I have a lengthy music collection with a whole lot of slide players. Why must someone be the best? Appreciate the genre, listen to the various players and enjoy them all. I find the argument to be tiring, close minded and disrespectful. Music is to be enjoyed! Do yourselves a favor and do just that.
I, most sincerely, hope that doesn't offend anyone!
Furthermore, to quote Dickey Betts, "if don't hear what you want to hear, that's tuff".
Good post - thankfully that ship has mostly sailed - there aren’t enough people here to sustain such a discussion>squabble - not that they don’t occasionally try😀🎶✌️
I agree w/you, passing judgement on who is better<>best player is a waste of time & ultimately disrespectful
as you say, for gosh sakes folks, it’s MUSIC - everyone has their own ears
if one blithely spreads blather like, Player A Is Better Than Player B & I Know Why ….. he plays the fool - we see a little of it in this thread, but on the whole, the occasional music talk here on the boards is by & large friendly
🍄I love the ABB
good wknd🎼
This isn't Derek's "Brother to Brother" SG. But there is Dickey with Derek and Duane Allman's daughter gave Derek the "Brother to Brother " SG Derek plays now. As far as I know it's still his number one.
It's all in the family!! 
/p>
Personally Derek should and does have more licks and has evolved more since I first saw him as a kid.
But for me I like Duane Allman's style, energy and tone best on those old songs the Allman Brothers Band played which had slide guitar.
But it is true at the shows I saw, Duane played more lead than slide. And Dickey's lead solos back when he was younger continue to be some of my favorites. His unique style and tone was so sweet and uplifting.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/gpBR3Pfaapnwx845A
@robertdee that's the famous "Coodercaster" hot-rodded by Ry himself with a old lapsteel pickup in the bridge and an old "gold foil" in the neck...killer!
