“The SG sound is very unique – it forces you to play to what you’re hearing”: Warren Haynes on the mid-’90s SG behind his early Gov’t Mule tone

This month on Cover Stars, we are turning the clock back to July 1994, a hot summer in which Guitar World was paying tribute to the late Kurt Cobain, interviewing the high-flying Zakk Wylde, and featuring the Allman Brothers on the cover.

Dickey Betts was there, with his PRS. Warren Haynes was there, too, with a Gibson SG. But wait, an SG? Where did his Les Paul go? Here he explains the story behind the SG, why he had it, why it got retired.

How did you acquire this guitar?

I got it from Gibson. I was looking for a guitar to play in Gov’t Mule as an alternative to my [Gibson] Les Paul [the guitar he used often with the Allman Brothers Band]. I wanted something a little brighter and less thick, sonically speaking, to play to get a different tone for certain songs.

Did you modify this guitar or use it with an updated rig?

I left it stock. At that time, I was playing through my modified Soldano SLO-100 through a PRS 4x12 cabinet that’s the size of a 4x10 enclosure with custom Celestion [speakers] made for PRS.

Why was this guitar perfect for you at the time?

I actually didn’t play it as much in the Allman Brothers Band as I did in Gov’t Mule. The SG sound is a very unique one, and, as with any sound, it forces you to play to what you’re hearing.

Did you use this guitar on any notable recordings or tours?

I used it a lot during the first couple of years of Gov’t Mule and some on our first recordings, which came out years later as The Tel-Star Sessions [2016].

At some point, we had made the decision to tune down a half-step for certain songs, which for me seemed better with [Gibson] Firebirds, so I retired the SG as they don’t do as well tuned down.

Why did you choose this guitar for this particular GW cover shoot?

It was a new guitar for me at that time, plus it looks cool. Also, the photographer – Danny Clinch – might have brought up doing some shots with that guitar from a visual standpoint. There were other shots with my Les Paul as well.

Do you still have this guitar?

Yes. It’s in the Big House, the Allman Brothers’ museum in Macon, Georgia.

• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.