Silver Strings Music & Repair

02/24/2025

the incredible Ella Fitzgerald in jail in 1955 for singing for an integrated audience!

Image of two Black women, one is Ella Fitzgerald (on the right) captioned:
"Powerful image: Ella Fitzgerald jailed in 1955 for singing to an integrated audience"

08/27/2024

Sweet share from Ed Seelig of Silver Strings Music & Repair: "Ed's Worthington #1 0015." 🤪 Thanks for sharing!

04/21/2024

Really a sad day....
As a friend of Warren's for years, this has to be really painful to deal with...Derek too.

RIP Dickey Betts – not sure what to say. Such a huge loss. Not only for our musical family, but for the world of music in general. Aside from being a huge, major influence on my music from before I picked up a guitar, Dickey was the one person I credit for everything amazing that happened in my career. As I have stated many times, I was a huge Allman Brothers fan from the very beginning. My oldest brother had the first album in 1969 and it got a ton of play around our house. By the time the Live at Fillmore East record came out in 1971, I was just starting to play guitar and that was with without question the album that influenced me and all my young guitar playing friends the most. We would all listen to it for hours on end, day in and day out. It was a moment in time. What a beautiful gift to up and coming guitar players who might want to travel down that road of improvisation and melding influences. The way he and Duane Allman played together was a thing of beauty and glory. Dickey’s style was a combination of all his diverse influences filtered through his personality and what came out was a joyous sound that would directly or indirectly influence all related music to come. His songs like Blue Sky, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, and his masterpiece Jessica will live on forever. Listening as a kid I had no idea that one day our paths would cross and that he would become a mentor to me. In addition to being the huge influence and inspiration that he had been for years, he was also a presence that loomed larger than life. I started playing with the Dickey Betts Band around 1986 and when he recruited me to be the other guitar player and the slide guitar player in his band, it was the ultimate compliment. I’ll never forget speaking to him on the phone when he called to offer me the job. It was one of those “pinch me” moments in my life, but I had no way of knowing what a heavy moment it would prove to be. After playing in Dickey’s band for 2 1/2 years, I got the call to join my favorite band of all time, The Allman Brothers Band. No one knew at that time that they were considering reforming, so it came as a shock to me. We all signed on to do what we thought was only gonna be a reunion tour for the band’s 20th anniversary to support the Dreams box set. Not myself or anyone else ever imagined that it would turn into what it did and I wound up spending 25 years of my life life as a member of my favorite band. As I’ve also said many times, when I think of the Allman Brothers Band, I automatically think of the original band with Duane Allman and Berry Oakley, who unfortunately passed way too soon, and although I’m extremely proud of my work with the band, that will always be the case. Dickey Betts and I created a lot of great music together and what I took from him was a major contribution in my life. It did not take long once I joined his band to realize, standing next to him with that beautiful tone, that I had a lot to work to on, both with my tone and with my style. It was amazingly intimidating to stand there night after night realizing how far I had to go. He threw me in the lake and I had to learn to swim. I am forever grateful for that “once in a lifetime” opportunity. Thanks Dickey-WH

01/16/2024

Full magazine advert where he shared the centerfold with none other than Les Paul himself.

01/12/2023

Really a profound loss to the guitar world!
One of the best of our lifetimes!

On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck’s passing. After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family ask for privacy while they process this tremendous loss.

01/09/2023

Old friend Rev. Ron "King Bee" Edwards doing his weekly Blues Show!

Listen live to KDHX

01/08/2023

Gary Richrath relied on Ed Seelig of Silver Strings Music & Repair for his guitars, pickups and more. Gary referred to him as his good friend, a bond that lasted for decades. He remains the defacto expert in all things worth playing with a literal lifetime of dedicaton to his passion and the industry. Ed credits Gary with teaching him to drive a stick shift. Ed's bio reads:

"I started selling vintage guitars and amps to "rock stars" in June of 1970 at the age of 17. After 2.5 years, I opened the store at the age of 20. I was also involved in the first vintage guitar show in the U.S. in March of 1973, which ended up spawning an entire guitar show industry. My customers have included: The Allman Brothers Band, Aerosmith, Bad Company, Chuck Berry, The Eagles, Bob Dylan, Heart, Grateful Dead, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Cheap Trick, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Uncle Tupelo, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Johnny Winter, Marshall Tucker Band, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Graham Nash, Three Dog Night, Yes, The Cars, Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, Poco, REO Speedwagon, Queen, Joan Jett, KISS, Huey Lewis & the News, Peter Frampton, Little River Band, Rush, Bon Jovi, Steven Seagal, and dozens of additional bands. Most of the groups and individuals have been repeat customers." (Photo of Ed with Johnny Winter).

Gary Richrath was hands down the best at what he did, and he relied on only the best in the business to help him get there.

01/08/2023

Thanks Jeffrey Gordon! Info on the guitar Gary is playing in the MTV first concert video:

Vintage Guitar: "On an MTV concert, you were playing what appeared to be a double cut-away 'Burst. It looked sort of like an Ibanez Artist."

Gary Richrath: "That's a Worthington guitar, made by the folks at Silver Strings Music & Repair in St. Louis. My good friend Ed Seelig works there, and I've bought almost all my Les Pauls from him. They also make guitars. I sent them one of my Les Pauls and they made an exact copy - the neck is right and everything. The only difference is the double cut-away style. If I was worried about taking my Les Pauls on the road, I'd carry a Worthington."

11/16/2022

Great to see & hear St. Louis musician, Devon Allman get some great press, & hear an incredible song with his soul in it!

"You got to live it to be able to sing it," Allman tells PEOPLE. "I had to get to a place in life where I felt like I had kind of earned my stripes enough to pull the song off"

07/08/2022

A classic!

Live at A&R Recording Studios in NYC in 1971