Vince Gill seemingly stays busy. He’s currently on tour with the Eagles and preparing for their Las Vegas residency at the Sphere. Gill is also working on a new solo album. Somehow, he still finds time to play solo shows. Earlier this month, he hosted An Evening with Vince Gill in Macon, Georgia, at the Macon City Auditorium. While there, he treated the crowd to some new music.

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Today (June 26), Gill took to social media to share a special moment from his show in Macon. In the clip, he’s holding Duane Allman’s 1957 Goldtop Gibson Les Paul. “I’m holding an amazing piece of history, right here,” he tells the crowd as he lifts the guitar’s thin leather strap over his head. Watch him connect with one of the greats while playing “Nobody Held Her Like Me,” from his forthcoming album.

Vince Gill on Playing Duane Allman’s Guitar and His New Album

Before playing the song, Gill explained the significance of the guitar and how he came to play it that night. “This is the guitar that was played by the great Duane Allman on the first two Allman Brothers records,” he said. “The Allman Brothers museum is right here in Macon, Georgia. My buddy Richard runs that place. He called me up and said, ‘I hear you’re coming to Macon. How would you like to play Duane’s guitar tonight?’” he added.

“Probably one of the most spiritual things I’ve ever experienced, getting to play this guitar right here,” he said of the experience. Then, he introduced his unreleased song.

“This is a song on that new record that I’m working on,” he began. “When you hear the song, you think it’s about a guy and a girl. You know, a relationship. But the truth is, at the end of the song, it’s about someone’s love for the guitar, and this is my love for the guitar,” he explained.

A Guitar With an Impressive History

Vince Gill was correct in that Duane Allman played that 1957 Goldtop on the first two Allman Brothers Band Records. However, “Whipping Post” and “Midnight Rider” aren’t the only iconic songs on which Allman played that 1957 Goldtop. Allman also played the guitar on the Derek and the Dominos classic “Layla.”

They recorded “Layla” in September 1970. Weeks later, Allman traded the guitar for a 1969 Cherry Burst Les Paul, according to Ground Guitar. It changed hands several times over the years. Finally, it came to rest a The Big House Museum in Macon, Georgia.