The Steel Guitar Forum

Hello to all my friends that have had some very good things to say about this old Generic steel player. It makes me very humble to think I have played something that you have enjoyed.
Thanks to everyone. Norm Hamlet

The pick up on the Dobro is actually a Bass pickup. It is an eight string dobro. It says Select Designed by EMG it has worked well for a lot of years. However every so often we are appearing in theaters that have old wiring and lighting. I am thinking about trying a humbucker pickup in it. any sugge...

Thanks to all that came to the shows, we were supposed to do an accoustic show that was the original plan. Kris was used to doing shows by his self and suggested the accoustic set just him and Merle, however Merle has allways had a band to work with. So that was the reason for me to play the Dobro i...

Hello Michael and James Sluder I will have to give credit to the great Ralph Mooney for the solos on sing me a sad song He recorded that with Merle before I went to work for Him. I am glad Ralph played on that song because I do not think any one but the Moon could have put the soul in it that he did...

Yes it is me when I was a lot younger.And thanks for the good words about me. When I went to work with Merle I had a triple neck 10 string Wright custom with nine pedals, no knee levers at that time. It was too heavy to take on the road and carry in and out. I had a Fender 1000 at home that was a lo...

If everyone loves Tom and his playing like I do they will want to get this DVD. When we were in Branson doing some shows I asked Tom if he would show me some things on the steel. Tom said sure, anytime just come on over. I asked Tom if he would mind if I brought my video camera. He said sure bring i...

That is Red Rhodes on steel. It was a movie that was made in Hollywood around 1966 and the producer hired the band from the Palamino in No. Hollywood to play some of the music. That is also Biff Adam on the drums. I went to work for Merle in 1967 and became band leader of the Strangers, and hired Bi...

My new CD is called Ridin the Frets and is $18.00 which includes shipping and handling in the United States. Overseas would be $20.00 with shipping and handling. The Strangers are backing me up on this CD. Anyone that would like one please send a check or money order to, Norm Hamlet 9319 Birch Creek...

Hello Brett,
Thanks for the congratulations on getting inducted in the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, I am still enjoying playing my GFI like you do.
I will enjoy hearing you play your Steel, I hope we can get together sometime.
Your Friend,
Norm

The Instrumental Barbara is doing on the first YouTube is one I taught her when she was Ten years old. It is called Ridin the Frets which I wrote when I was Seventeen. It is also on my new CD which I will put on the forum for sale right away. However I do not play it as fast as she doe`s. By the way...

Bill I have changed E-mail addresses and I haven`t been able to change it on my web address. Maybe if you could send me a Pm or private message I would be able to get it.
I will see if I can send you an E-mail maybe that will work.
Thanks,
Norm

Mr Hatcher,
I would like to have the Roller for the Zb. I have a double neck eleven ZB. and they are getting hard to come by. I was lucky to get some from Jerry Roller.
Thanks,
Norm Hamlet

Hello Pete,
Yes we are booked at the Ryman on June 25th hope to see you there. It is on a wednesday I think.
I am sure sorry I missed that jam session in 1977 I would have liked to just be there to watch all of you guys play. I am sure it would have been an event to see. Norm

Hello Pete my friend, and thanks for asking about the Popping corn Instrumental. That is a composition that we heard Buck Trent play on Banjo and Roy said we have to do that on our instrumental Album. Roy had Buck play it for him so he could learn just how it went. When we got in the studio Roy was ...

Thanks Bill for the good words. Joe we do not do steelin corn anymore because we do not have much call for insturmentals anymore, but maybe when I do a steel show maybe I can play it once in awhile if I can find a guitar player that wants to play harmony. Paul I do not know of any one doing tab on o...

David, Thanks so much for the great job you did on Stealin Corn. I will try to see if I can find it on e-9th but I don`t think it will be as good as you are playing it. Also like other things you are doing on U-tube, keep up the good work. Norm

Joe, Thanks for letting me know about the U-tube with stealin corn. They really do a good job on it. It looks like he is playing on a E-9th tuning. I have always done the tune in C-6th tuning. I will have to see if I could work it up in E-9th tuning. It sure is close to the way that Roy Nichols and ...

I met Irby Mandrell, Barbara`s dad when he came into the club I was working outside of Lancaster,Ca. With Capitol records group the Farmer Boys. He said he had a daughter that was playing Saxaphone in school but she wanted to play steel guitar and he could`nt find any one in that area and wanted to ...

Larry and I have been friends for so long I don`t want to tell How long. Everyone should have a friend like Larry, He has helped me and so many steel players and is a great player also.
Norm

Hello Pete, You are right on Threw away the Rose it was played by the great Ralph Mooney and is one of my favorite solo`s of his among many others too numerous to mention. Norm

That is what I need so I will take them all Thanks, if you could e-mail me we can work out how to send the payment Thanks Norm

I will buy those if you still have them, I have sent you an E-mail hope you got it. Thanks Norm Hamlet

Hey Herbie, I forgot to mention my Uncle Hank Ayers He was a real good fiddle player and we used to get with him and have some good picken sessions. I look back now and remember all the good musicians that were trying to get a start in music. I can`t even start naming them all because I would leave ...

Hello Herbie, I sure do remember Estell Finney, he was in our band in high school. We had a country music class in Visalia and we got to play every day. Jean Shepard and Gene Breeden talked the superintendant of schools to let us have a class of country music. Other s were taking Band and Orchestra ...

I met Frank Hardcastle when I was 15 years old and we were just starting high school. We were in different schools, he was in Hanford Ca. and I was in Visalia, Ca. My Dad would drive me and Gene Breeden over to Franks folks house and we would Jam for hours. At the time he played some great Jerry Byr...