When Derek Trucks selected which guitars would accompany him to the Crossroads Festival in the Big Apple, he included one extra special one on the list. Backstage at Madison Square Garden, he put it in the hands of Crossroads host Eric Clapton, who ran his fingers up and down the frets while doing some picking and complimented Trucks on the feel and sound of the Gibson Les Paul. It was then that Trucks told Eric he was playing the guitar that Duane Allman had used during the session that produced Layla and Assorted Other Love Songs. On learning he was playing the fabled Gold Top guitar, John Lyndon relates, 'Eric's whole body twitched and he was completely thrown for a loop.' Trucks also asked Eric whether he wanted to use it on stage but Clapton passed, saying it would just be too intense.
