Listen for the tape tomorrow, possibly a little crude, but very brilliant, from a brilliant mind. Every player should pay close attention to what he is saying, and possibly laugh at his style of saying it.

The pure true King of steel guitar.

Bobbe

Thank you Darryl, you have proven that steel players can be musicians too! Ha!

Actually, the steel parts are, although unique, quite simple, so the melody can be appreciated. I want the melody known since I wrote all the material on the CD.

Bobbe

[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 11 January 2006 at 09:50 PM.]

That Stromberg is worth more than the car that brought it there. Bigger too.

I have to disagree with you a little bit about the Jerry Byrd tape. Yes, he was one of the greatest players of all time, and I believe people will still marvel at his playing as long as humans have ears (or until the earth ends, whichever comes first).

But that doesn't make him an infallible critic. (If you want infallible criticism, keep reading.) Most of Jerry's comments make perfectly good sense, especially about his general approach to playing.

My beef with him is that he is too subjective. He takes his personal response as if it is objective truth. He seems to think that if he likes something, it's good, and if he doesn't like something, it's bad.

When he says Howard plays without feeling, Jerry is really saying that Jerry doesn't feel it therefor the feeling isn't there. But we all know great musicians who reach some listeners with something while even their fans aren't moved by that particular cut.

When Jerry talks about tone, he seems to forget that people like a lot different tones.

When he criticizes Howard for playing a ballad up-tempo, he says that particular song was meant to be slow. But almost everybody plays up-tempo versions of slow songs, including this new kid named Bobbe something.

When Jerry says that Howard doesn't take his playing seriously, how does Jerry know? When did Jerry become a mind reader?

Maybe I'm just frustrated because I didn't get your newsletter this week. Did you send one out?

Your 'umble sarvent,

dh

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"Drinking up the future, and living down the past"--unknown singer in Phoenix

[This message was edited by Darryl Hattenhauer on 28 January 2006 at 09:13 AM.]

Darryl, you are one of my favorite "posters" and you should be commended for your active participation in this forum. Your comments are always in line, intelligent and positive. I have given you this extraodinary long reply because you deserve a good reply. It also sounds like you may not really be real familiar with Jerry Byrd, brash, opinionated, arogant at times for sure, but he sure had the ability to back up what he had to say. Yep, he has made folks mad in the past, but I feel he got a good laugh out of that too! You didn't ask Jerry a question if you weren't ready for an honest answer!

An amazing charictor and amazing player with a great legendary career in steel guitar, for sure.

Now lets get you fixed up where you can get my news letters Darryl,

Your buddy,
Bobbe Seymour

Bobbe

[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 28 January 2006 at 10:52 AM.]

Jerry says that if you have a rhythm player, you don't need a drummer, and he implies that if you have a rhythm player, you shouldn't have a drummer.

Conversely, or obversely, or reversely, world-famous Darryl Hattenhauer wonders why bands with a drummer often have a rhythm player who is inaudible. Many times I've seen a rock, country, or blues band with not just one but two inaudible strum mongers. I guess a lead singer has an excuse for playing as if he's holding an unplugged stage prop, but why haul around another guy who does the same thing? And the only way you know what these alleged rhythm players are playing is by seeing them. They just keep pouring out eighth notes. No quarters, no rests. I'm glad I can't hear them, because rhythm has to have some variation.

So that's my question above: somebody explain to me why you'd pay to have a silent rhythm player?

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"Drinking up the future, and living down the past"--unknown singer in Phoeni

[This message was edited by Darryl Hattenhauer on 03 February 2006 at 10:16 PM.]

Jerry's theory is that for beautiful steel guitar music to be heard and enjoyed,(like fine wine) for what it is or was doesn't need 38 supporting musicians (and four drummers Ha!) to make the steel sound better.
He is saying that the steel is a total sound unto itself without any more than just a rhythm player to lay down a light foundation.

Bands today think they need three Telecasters in a volume contest, 16 microphones on the drums, a bass player with four Duel Showman Death Master amps and a keyboard player with four Japanese keyboards all going through the PA system. Complete with a full monitor system.

(mms://radio.tnweb.com/steelguitar)
My computer gives me a message stating:

"mms is not a registered protocol."

Any suggestions? (keep it clean...this is a family show)

[This message was edited by Mike McBride on 17 February 2006 at 09:58 PM.]

On KBOB, Radio Free Seymour, steelguitar.network, there is a steel with banjo cut. Do you recall offhand what it's from?

About your question about my Vega D8 console.
It was a beautiful Birdseye maple, had 4 chroime adjustable legs that you could screw in the guitar.

Had a volume and tone control on the right end of the guitar. The tone control had 3 clik stops, bass, medium and treble.
I would Switch it very quickly from low to high to get the Boowah brass section sound,While slapping the bar down , no picking.
It was very effective and the customers loved it, and so did the band leaders I played with.
This was around 1939-1940. I was drafted for WWII in 1942 and left the Vega with my sister and never touched a steel for 3 years.
When I got out in 1945, I took that Vega on the road and played some real nice places with it. It had a good tone. I always played it standing up for better showmanship.
I had Alvino Rey's D8 tuning on it but he had 9 and a low E.It was E6 on the bottom and E7-9 on the top. If you want a chart of the tunings I used, I'l email to you if you wish.
You got to remember , this was way before Speedy West came on the scene with his great innovative playing.

Well, you asked about the Vega and I hope I didnt bore anyone and tell you all too much...al

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

Here's an example of better late than never.

Your post is a real education. Maybe you could post that info elsewhere at this site where more people would see it. I think a lot of people would be fascinated about it. The three-tone selector and boo-wah technique are all new to me.

I'd like to get the tuning, but I think others would like to see it posted here.

quote:

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When Jerry says that Howard doesn't take his playing seriously, how does Jerry know? When did Jerry become a mind reader?

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You've really taught me something here. I have no way of knowing what great players know. I've always thought of them as having miraculous powers. so why couldn't they also have more insight into another's playing than I could even imagine?

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EMMONS D10 10-10 profex 2 deltafex ne1000 pv1000, pv 31 bd eq, +