Before Warren Haynes formed the legendary jam band, Gov’t Mule, he was playing guitar in the Allman Brothers Band. First, he joined the Dickey Betts Band in 1988. Betts formed the band after the Allman Brothers Band broke up in the mid-1970s. In 1989, they put the band back together, and Betts recruited Haynes. As a result, he was very familiar with Betts’ unique guitar style.

Last year, Haynes sat down with Rick Beato to talk about his life, career, music, and his time with the Allman Brothers Band, and more. During their conversation, he shared the Betts guitar solo that embodies perfection.

[RELATED: Warren Haynes on His Long-Awaited Solo Album, Old-School Creative Process, and Working With Jamey Johnson and Lukas Nelson (Exclusive)]

Warren Haynes on the “Perfect” Dickey Betts Solo

Warren Haynes and Rick Beato sat down the day after Dickey Betts died. As a result, the late guitar legend was the first topic of conversation. “It is a really sad day, losing Dickey,” Haynes began. “I was a huge Allman Brothers fan from the time I was nine years old, before I ever started playing guitar. I met Dickey around 1981 or something like that. He was always super supportive and kind to me. We played together quite a few times when I was a kid. Then, I joined his band. It was such a thrill to be invited to be in his band,” he added.

Later in the conversation, Beato asked Haynes to name a perfect guitar solo. “We were talking about Dickey Betts… His solo in ‘Ramblin’ Man’, I don’t see how you can improve on it. His understanding of melody was so strong, it’s like his singing,” Haynes replied. “He created his own style. People would say, ‘Play it like Dickey Betts,’ and guitar players knew what that meant,” he added.

“Ramblin’ Man” Was the Allman Brothers Band’s Only Top 10 Hit

Dickey Betts didn’t just lay down a perfect guitar solo on “Ramblin’ Man.” He also wrote and sang lead on the song. The Allman Brothers Band released it as a single from their 1973 album, Brothers and Sisters, and it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the band’s first and only top 10 single.

“When I was a kid, my dad was in construction and used to move the family back and forth between central Florida’s east and west coasts,” Betts said of the song’s inspiration. “I’d go to one school for a year and then the other the next. I had two sets of friends and spent a lot of time in the back of a Greyhound bus. Ramblin’ was in my blood.”

Featured Image by Manny Carabel/Getty Images