Steel Guitar Strings
Strings & instruction for lap steel, Hawaiian & pedal steel guitars
http://SteelGuitarShopper.com
Ray Price Shuffles
Classic country shuffle styles for Band-in-a-Box, by BIAB guru Jim Baron.
http://steelguitarmusic.com

This Forum is CLOSED.
Go to bb.steelguitarforum.com to read and post new messages.


  The Steel Guitar Forum
  Pedal Steel
  A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words". (Page 1)

Post New Topic  
your profile | join | preferences | help | search


This topic is 2 pages long:   1  2 
next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words".
Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 12 October 2002 06:09 PM     profile     

F.M.,

This is the first of introductory pictures of the "Lucky 7" and The "Hankey Upright Fretboard".

Bill Ford
Member

From: Graniteville SC Aiken

posted 12 October 2002 06:37 PM     profile     
Bill, I like it....
What brand PSG is that,and what is that on the G# string?I think I know but,tell me anyhow.
Bill

------------------
Bill Ford

[This message was edited by Bill Ford on 12 October 2002 at 06:39 PM.]

Donny Hinson
Member

From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.

posted 12 October 2002 06:54 PM     profile     
Now I know what to do with all those old venetian blinds out in the barn!
Stephen Gambrell
Member

From: Ware Shoals, South Carolina, USA

posted 12 October 2002 07:28 PM     profile     
Venetian blind? How do you make a Venetian blind? (Well, you KNEW somebodt was gonna ask)
This thing looks real, Bill. Congratulations. Really. No, I mean it.
You working on anything for the right hand yet?
Doug Beaumier
Member

From: Northampton, MA

posted 12 October 2002 09:32 PM     profile     
Wow... I think that picture may be worth 10,000 words Bill! Home-built PSG, Lucky 7, Hankey Upright Fretboard, dual pickups, hand-carved wooden armrest... I'm wondering what you're hiding under that little cover on the endplate

------------------
My Site - Instruction | Doug's Free Tab | Steels and Accessories


Kenny Dail
Member

From: Kinston, N.C. 28504

posted 12 October 2002 10:49 PM     profile     
Bill, I like your idea but, I would not do away with the original fret board. Otherwise, your bar slants might be off the mark so to speak. I also think it would be an excellant accessary for those that like to play above the 17th fret like the GREAT John Hughey does. I have a friend that plays "Look At Us" and places a straight pick on his steel at the point he needs to be when playing that particular song.

------------------
kd...and the beat goes on...


Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 14 October 2002 10:29 AM     profile     

F.M.,

I traveled the rain, and foggy MA
turnpike yesterday to play the E.
Coast Steel Show. Thanks Frank for squeezing me in. It was fun chatting with Al Brisco, and Dana Flood. Both are top-notch steel guitarists. I invited both entertainers, as well as many others to view my Upright Fretboard. It turned out to be a lot of fun.


Bill H.

Stephen LeBlanc
Member

From: Los Angeles, CA

posted 14 October 2002 03:58 PM     profile     
Looks like a neat learning tool for the beginner but please tell me you don't stare at your fretboard all the time when you're playing. I would highly recommend you try closing your eyes when playing. You want to teach your ears and muscles to KNOW where to go without having to look...using a fret marker to stay in tune is definitly not the way to go about it...ears know pitch, eyes don't.

Just my opinion FWIW.

Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 14 October 2002 05:13 PM     profile     

Stephen LeBlanc,

Your stepping into a morass where
it may be difficult to extricate yourself from. You've thrown in a barb or two that have fallen short of their intended mark. What gave you the false impression that I stare at the fretboard? I said it once, and I'll say it again. In my opinion, I've got something special here, over conventional fretboards.
I'll never use a horizontal fretboard again. There is simply no reason to compare the Hankey Upright Fretboard to horizontal boards. It is entirely new in concept, and I am delighted beyond imagination. To say this works for me, is the understatement of the year. Are you saying that you don't look at the fretboard?

Bill H.

Stephen LeBlanc
Member

From: Los Angeles, CA

posted 14 October 2002 05:38 PM     profile     
Please don't take what I said the wrong way Bill...I wasn't being uppity, just stating my view based on the picture I saw. I didn't intend to throw barbs...I'm sorry you took my comments that way.

I don't play much Pedal Steel, I'm not an expert on this but I do play piano, guitar, a good amount of Dobro and a few other instruments. I try not to look at the fretboard too much.

When I saw your picture my first thoughts were "why"? My Dad was a pretty darn good steeler who was also legally blind...if he taught me anything it was don't worry about the fretboard.

I also know it's not that simple, that in the course of mastering any instrument there are several methods used.

Your invention is great, I'm sure a lot of people will find something like that useful...I have a different approach, that's all.

I take back the first sentence of my earlier post...I didn't mean to be rude...I wasn't really assuming you stare at the fretboard and should have chosen my words more carefully...no insult intended at all.

Good luck..if you want me to clarify my opinion more I'll be glad to.

http://www.jamfree.com/

[This message was edited by Stephen LeBlanc on 14 October 2002 at 05:39 PM.]

Wayne Cox
Member

From: Chatham, Louisiana, USA

posted 14 October 2002 05:40 PM     profile     
I,for one,am particularly impressed with the simplicity of the tuning mechanism on the right-hand end of the guitar. Just one knob to turn. That's even more impressive than the frettboard! Just joking!
W.C.
Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 14 October 2002 10:11 PM     profile     

Stephen LeBlanc,

May I wish you and your dad the very best in every musical endeavor. I hope that you pursue the rewards to be found in the music of the pedal steel guitar.

Bill H.

Graham Griffith
Member

From: Glebe, N.S.W., Australia

posted 15 October 2002 01:29 AM     profile     
I've got the notes written in pencil on an old Gibson 6 string lap steel ... it was like that when I got it back in '77 from a pawn shop.

I find it re-assuring that, whatever I tune it to, it's always gonna be those notes.

Graham

Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 15 October 2002 04:03 AM     profile     

Graham G.,

Your reacquisition of the 6 strings
guitar in 1977 is an interesting thought. Yes, denotations have a very special place in our lives. Ask any carpenter who relies on the scribes made to complete their work. The "Hankey Upright Fretboard" shown at the beginning of this post, has been treated to subtle modifications. It has been trimmed to provide maximum visual acuity. The new concept is ideal for many reasons. Individual preferences governing that which pleases one viewer, and not another, is not a problem. There would be any number of decorative fretboards available, should this new concept attract others who may be interested in eliminating
wearisome eyestrain.

Bill H.

Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 15 October 2002 01:53 PM     profile     

Kenny D.,

When Christopher Columbus "sailed the ocean blue in 1492", his mates wanted to toss him overboard, and turn the ship around. They panicked thinking that the earth was flat, like a steel guitar fretboard. My new invention, smacks of the trending away from any sort of flat fretboard concepts. Mine has been removed, and the "Hankey Upright Fretboard" is all I'll ever need to enjoy playing songs with the fretboard clearly showing frets throughout performances. You wrote in your reply that a problem may exist while positioning the bar on the lower strings. Not so, turn back and rethink the would be helpful assumption. There are two words to describe the new concept, "Visually acceptable".

Bill H.

Bobby Lee
Sysop

From: Cloverdale, North California, USA

posted 15 October 2002 06:33 PM     profile     
Bill, I was going to send you a Columbus Day card yesterday, but on the way to the store to buy one, I drove off the edge of the world.

Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 15 October 2002 10:05 PM     profile     

Bill Ford,

I'm pleased to read that you like the idea of relocating the steel guitar fretboard. Yes, it's the "Lucky 7" at the third string pull. I will be showing pictures to provide a better view of the attachment.

Bill H.

[This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 21 October 2002 at 02:50 AM.]

Stephen Gambrell
Member

From: Ware Shoals, South Carolina, USA

posted 16 October 2002 02:13 PM     profile     
Bill, I still want to know when you're gonna introduce the "Hankey Right-Hand Blocking Pad." With wings, for extra protection!

Oh yeah, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then why do we still get the thousand words??? JUST KIDDING

Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 16 October 2002 02:56 PM     profile     

Stephen G.,

I have been experimenting with a blocking technique that may very well be worth the effort, and time needed to correctly apply it as a new style while playing the steel.
I've spent some time trying to look at how best to work it into my music. The "Hankey Upright Fretboard" has brought much pleasure to me, and now I'm back to serious practice sessions. I hope to spend some time at each session
looking for ways to advance the blocking technique to new levels of expertise.

Bill H.

Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 20 October 2002 04:07 AM     profile     

The slanting fretboard, mounted at approximately the same angle as a reader would hold a newspaper, or book, has the potential to create a mountain of thoughts. I have trimmed the fretboard at the bottom edge, which has produced a lower profile in over-all appearance. The excessive height can be observed in the first photo of the prototype. A correct calculation of proper configuration is pending, and will be determined accordingly. Citing the advantages over the flat fretboard, which is only visible in front of, or behind the bar hand, and the annoyance of playing off pitch, the Upright Fretboard features the necessary visual acuity to eliminate the stress associated with obscurities of the standard steel guitar fretboard.

Bill H.

Mark Zinns
Member

From: Oakland CA

posted 20 October 2002 03:40 PM     profile     
I like it! I have noticed many times that a quick reference to the fretboard is all I need and this slanted fretboard might just be at the right line of sight to do the job. Don't think I would eliminate the factory fretboard.

------------------
Sierra U-12
Sho-Bud D-12
Fender Dual Professional

Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 21 October 2002 09:20 AM     profile     

Mark Z.,

Thanks for the response. I am enjoying the Upright Fretboard. It is everything I've ever wanted in finding a solution to difficult viewing of the horizontal fretboard. The original fretboard is just a memory. It is no longer needed for any reason.

Bill H.

Bobby Lee
Sysop

From: Cloverdale, North California, USA

posted 21 October 2002 12:53 PM     profile     
How does it work for bar slants, Bill?
Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 21 October 2002 10:31 PM     profile     

Bobby Lee,

Bar slants are traditionally for show. They coasted on out of town with the inception of pedals and knee levers. However, the H.U.F.
(Hankey Upright Fretboard) offers exceedingly more visual accuracy should one resort to fanciful bar maneuverability. I watched Herb Remington use bar slants while jamming with Jeff Newman, and Hal Rugg, from a distance of 5 feet. It was then and there that I saw him use bar slants that approached becoming parallel with the strings. All of the frets on the H.U.F. are visible throughout a performance. The technique used is gunsighting the bar, which means total accuracy when adapting showmanship methods of playing bar slants. You would have a much better view of both ends of the bar in relation to the its position for extreme bar slanting. There is no substitute for visual acuity, which is the most prominent feature of the H.U.F.

Bill H.

[This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 22 October 2002 at 02:29 AM.]

Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 22 October 2002 03:11 AM     profile     

For those of you who have read the error before I made the correction, I'm really sorry.
I had good intentions, when I erroneously typed "pedal", instead of fretboard. The sad part in the matter, was, that I wanted to originate a concise identification for the new "Upright Fretboard". There was a delay in posting on the webb, so I drifted off to sleep. When I saw the mistake this morning, I quickly edited the error. I'll have to practice keeping my mind on one thing at a time, especially while at the keyboard.

Bill H.

Bob Hoffnar
Member

From: Brooklyn, NY

posted 22 October 2002 06:56 AM     profile     
quote:
There is no substitute for visual acuity,

aural acuity

Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 22 October 2002 07:53 AM     profile     

Bob H.

I absolutely do not agree with your concise repartee. Nothing in the world could ever measure up to good vision. Diminished hearing ability is very common in the real world, particularly if one has been treated to rock era decibels that unsuspecting victims were subjected to, before the realization dawned on them, that something was amiss.
The highs don't register as well, and other sounds are lost amidst the din of a high volume band. Crashing cymbals have taken their tolls on steel guitarists. There is a great need for a caring person to address this abuse, and request that the band members become aware of the risks.

Musicians naturally listen to their own music, for the great pleasures provided in music played well. There is no need to remind someone that they should develop a good aural ability, to replace visual acuity.

Bill H.

Bob Hoffnar
Member

From: Brooklyn, NY

posted 22 October 2002 09:38 AM     profile     
Bill,
In applying your logic to another art form maybe you should be working on some sort of sonar sensing device to assist photographers.

Bob

Stephen LeBlanc
Member

From: Los Angeles, CA

posted 22 October 2002 10:35 AM     profile     
FWIW...don't be offended...this is just my opinion...

Bill, you should probably just let your invention speak for itself...if players gravitate toward it and like using it, it will become popular.

The more you argue for it the more silly it seems.

You might want to familiarize yourself with the many great blind musicians of the past and present...you might be amazed...they actually play in tune.

I'm just joshing...I think.

Stephen LeBlanc
Member

From: Los Angeles, CA

posted 22 October 2002 10:41 AM     profile     
One other thing...once again in MY opinion, Bar slants are not just for show, my Dad did bar slants all the time because they felt very natural to him. No matter how many Pedals and Knee levers you have...the most musical, soulful and immediate tool a player has is the bar.

OK, I'll leave this alone now...no insult intended...just can't keep my mouth (fingers ) shut.

Pete Burak
Member

From: Portland, OR USA

posted 22 October 2002 11:11 AM     profile     
Wow!
You guys are still using fretboards?!
I thought we all went to stenciling the frets right onto the strings, like we discuseed in that one thread that one time.
I'd buy those "Fret Rider" string sets with the frets already marked on each string, but they're so darn expensive.
I'll just stick to my stencil and my trusty can o' spray paint, thank you.
Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 22 October 2002 01:31 PM     profile     

I had promised earlier to show pictures of the "Lucky 7", which has proven to be a great assist in preventing 3rd string breakage. I haven't experienced one snapped string since the device was adapted. This photo shows the "Lucky 7" profile.


Pete Burak
Member

From: Portland, OR USA

posted 22 October 2002 02:45 PM     profile     
Hey Bill,
How about a picture of the Go'Lo, and maybe a few good shots of your steel from the front, top, back, under the hood, ect!
Thanks!
~pete b.
Drew Howard
Member

From: Mason, MI, U.S.A.

posted 22 October 2002 03:43 PM     profile     
Bill Hankey,

Your inventions are very interesting, obviously the result of a lot of experimentation. The guitar in the photos guitar looks like a test-bed!!

The Lucky 7 is a great idea, reducing the angle at which the string sits. I suggest making up a bunch and selling them at next years convention in St. Louis.

Best of luck!

Drew Howard

------------------
www.newslinkassociates.com
www.drewhoward.com

Bobby Lee
Sysop

From: Cloverdale, North California, USA

posted 22 October 2002 06:12 PM     profile     
quote:
Bar slants are traditionally for show. They coasted on out of town with the inception of pedals and knee levers.
I beg to differ! Bar slants sound very different from pedals and knee levers. I often use a slant to get the "F" position in ballads simply because it sounds better.

It is often necessary to slant the bar to get harmony notes for which there is no pedal installed. Do you really think that Lloyd Green does all of those slants for show???

------------------
Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6), Roland Handsonic

Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 22 October 2002 09:44 PM     profile     

Bobby Lee,

I base my statement on what I saw with my own eyes. A time or two ago, I saw "Scotty" point a time tested finger at Buddy Emmons, when he did his now famous 360 degrees twirl, while playing a slow ballad.
I thought to myself at that time, that the move was showmanship. I realize that this type of entertainment is provided for the attendee's viewing pleasure, and doesn't serve to make the melody line sound better. As for Lloyd Green, who in their right mind, would question anything that he does while seated at his steel guitar? I'm one of his most faithful fans. I'm comfortable with the thought that Herb Remington may have the leading edge when it comes down to bar slanting. His bar slant moves seem to be endless. Bob, thanks for allowing me to state my opinion. Your friendship means much more to me, than whatever happens to be right or wrong.

Bill H.

Stephen Gambrell
Member

From: Ware Shoals, South Carolina, USA

posted 22 October 2002 09:55 PM     profile     
So, Bill, has Lloyd ordered one of these gizmos yet? What a shame, all this genius used for evil. You said you dozed off, why am I not surprised? There's a lot of money in clothespins, Bill. Look into it.
Brad Burch
Member

From: Athens, Ga USA

posted 23 October 2002 05:50 AM     profile     
I, for one Bill, would also love to see some more pictures of your guitar. If you have time please post some more pictures of the undercarriage, your experiments, etc.
Bill Hankey
Member

From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

posted 23 October 2002 10:45 AM     profile     

Brad & Pete,

Pictures will be forthcoming soon.
Thanks for your interests.

Bill H.

Johan Jansen
Member

From: Europe

posted 23 October 2002 11:55 AM     profile     
Hi Bill,
I think the steelplayers world appreciates your surch for new frontiers in Steelguitar- building and playing very much! Thanks for that.
I wonder:
The H.U.F. is a good way to visualize your position when playing, but how good you can see it, you need to depend on your ears, that's called playing on pitch. Not the visual one, but the audible one. This can be trained by building in a visual handicap (not seeing the fretboard right) right?
To me this way of seeing where the pitch is, will make an excuse, not on perpose, for not training your ears.
Playing by ear ( Yeah, Joe Wright!! )will make you a musician, and by the time your ears are damaged by to loud cymbals, you won't be able to hear music and to play it! A blind man can't paint, and a deaf musician can't pitch. If the times will ever come a loose my hearing, I will become diskjockey in a house- discotheque, there my ears don't matter anymore..
The lucky 7:
I think it's a good concept, and I shure hope you use the good material for that!
With al the tension on a string. (if this things comes loose, it slams the teeth out of your mouth, hate to think what it will do with a .22 plain, brrrrr )
Good luck with your mission and thanks!
Johan

[This message was edited by Johan Jansen on 23 October 2002 at 12:00 PM.]


This topic is 2 pages long:   1  2 

All times are Pacific (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  
Hop to:

Contact Us | The Pedal Steel Pages

Note: Messages not explicitly copyrighted are in the Public Domain.

Powered by Infopop www.infopop.com © 2000
Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46

Our mailing address is:
The Steel Guitar Forum
148 South Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA

Support the Forum