Duane Allman's 1957 Goldtop Les Paul, which he played on Derek and the Dominos 'Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and was his main guitar for the first two years of The Allman Brothers Band, has sold at auctionfor $1.25-million.
This sale comes just a few weeks after Duane's 1961/1962 Cherry Gibson SG, which was owned by Graham Nash, sold for $591,000, making it one of the 20 most valuable guitars ever sold at auction.
Duane traded the Les Paul for that SG on September 16th, 1970. He got it from Rick Stine, a member of the band Stone Balloon, who shared a bill with the Allman Brothers on that day in Daytona, Florida.Eric Clapton had a similar guitar which Duane liked. When Stine hesitated, Duane threw in $200 and a Marshall amplifier head.
The Goldtop had been on display at the Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House in Macon, Georgia. Over the years it was played by Billy Gibbons, Kirk Hammett, Vince Gill, Derek Trucks and others.
Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident on October 29th, 1971. He was 24.