Buck Trent, one of my heroes! How 'bout you?

[Jerry Hayes]

There was another thread about a pre Parsons/White B-Bender made by Bigsby. I'm a die hard fan of string pulling (or bending) devices and use three different versions, HipShot, Parsons/White or Green, and Bigsby Palm Pedals. One of the first instruments I noticed using a bender system other than pedal steel was the electric banjo of Buck Trent. I just bought a CD of Porter Wagoner's Greatest Hits and ol' Buck is all over the place. If you're a fan of B-Bender guitar you should check this guy out, he was without a doubt way ahead of his time. I know these records have to be 8 to 10 years ahead of anything Clarence White ever did aren't they?

I love the intro to "I've Enjoyed as Much of This as I Can Stand". The first half of the intro is pedal steel and then Buck brings it all together with his licks. What really knocks me out is his choice of notes and pulls when doing fills. Check out "Carrol Country Accident" and just listen to what he does behind the vocals.

Buck's also a fine guitarist in his own right and I've always wondered why he didn't get into "bending" on an electric guitar. The only guitars I've ever seen him pictured with didn't have one of the devices. I'll be he could've really done 'em justice.

In the Classic Country Band I work with on Tuesday & Thursday nights, we do some old Porter stuff and I use an old Les Paul with a Bigsby Palm Pedal as it seems to be easier to do some of his things with that as opposed to a neck pushing puller........Is anyone else out there a fan of Buck's? I've only been to Branson once but the next time I'm there I'm going to make sure to catch his morning show.....JH in Va.

[Stephen Gambrell]

Buck's playing when he only used the Scruggs tuners always made me dizzy, and then, after Shot built that electric banjo, with all those pulls on it, and no volume control (seems like he always played wide open on Porter's show), drove me nuts! Buck said he was trying to emulate a pedal steel, so he could keep getting work, and I respect him for that. But he ALWAYS seemed to loud, at least to me, on the TV show, whether he was playing guitar or banjo.
Of course, this is just my opinion.

[Pete Finney]

Big fan for sure! I love that stuff, sort of "Mooney meets Clarence White"; though I wouldn't be surprised at all if he influenced Clarence because I think you're right that he was playing that way before Clarence was playing tele (but not by 8 or 10 years I don't think). Buck's on a lot of early Dolly records too, and a lot of the Porter and Dolly duets.

I got to talk to him and check out his banjo close up at the "Porter Wagoner 50th anniversary" Opry special last year which was really cool. He played with Marty Stuart's band for the Porter and Dolly reunion which was a great moment.

Some of his own albums are more conventional banjo but I know of one where he plays a lot of his great electric banjo with the benders; it's called "Give Me Five" and has his original version of "Poppin' Corn" that Roy Nichols later did with the Strangers. Anybody know what other albums of Buck's feature that style?

I read somewhere that Buck's first instrument in his childhood was the "Hawaiian guitar"...

[Andy Greatrix]

I know I've said this before, but when Jerry Garcia played streel on "Teach your Children", I always thought he was trying to sound like Buck Trent.

PS I've always been a big Buck Trent fan!

[Doyle Weigold]

IMO. Buck plays more steel licks on banjo than most steel players. Definetly a Buck Trent fan. Doyle

[Jody Sanders]

I too am a Buck Trent fan. Really enjoyed is work with Porter. Jody.

[Charles Davidson]

BIG TIME FAN,DYKBC.

[Drew Howard]

Lucky to have seen Buck on Porter's show when Willie had his Outlaw Channel. Always on, always hot.

[Jerry Hayes]

Has anyone seen his Branson morning show? Does he use the electric banjo much in that?.......JH in Va.

[John Floyd]

There was a guy in the VERY EARLY 60's in Miami, Can't remember his name, But I do Remember the builder, Lee Stiles Who had A Shop in Hileah who built probably what was the 1st Electric Banjo With Pedals, Benders Etc.

[Bob Knetzger]

Saw this for sale at Elderly a few years back--wish I would have bought it. Double palm pedals on a Custom Shop solid body Fender electric banjo. Lots of cool "Tele DNA"!



On second thought, I wonder how playable it actually would be: Scruggs picking while plam pedalling might be pretty awkward...

[Donny Hinson]

I liked what Buck Trent did! He played more pedal steel on a banjo than a lotta pedal steelers could play on a pedal steel.

My favorites are Porter's "At Least I'll Go Down Swinging'", and Norma Jean's "Let's Go All The Way", and of course, his playing On "Howdy Neighbor, Howdy". There's no doubt in my mind that, had he played steel, he'd 'a been right up there with Mooney and Brumley.

Great licks.

[Bill Hatcher]

I used to watch the Porter show every Sat. afternoon when I was a kid. You should have seen Trent on those! Just tearing it up.

[Stephen Gambrell]

BOY, do I feel like a party of one.

[Howard Tate]

Make that two, Stephen.

[Jerry Hayes]

You are! (a party of one) (or two). I never thought Buck was too loud! He was right up there in the mix where I wanted him to be. Without him ol' Porter'd be just another singer IMO. Porter put together a great show for the TV audience and on the road. That trio harmony knocked me out, and then there's "Pretty Miss Norma Jean" and later Dolly. There's a lot of good Buck pickin' on Norma Jeans records too........JH in Va.

[ray qualls]

Buck made an appearance at the Branson show last month. He played some and explained how he played with the palm pedals. Very entertaining and thanks to Hank Ruf & Terry Bethel for setting it up! You guys need to see him in his show at Branson. He's getting older but who isn't? Ray

[Ken Lang]

Jerry. Here's another bender. I bought this one from Paul McEwen a few months back. It's a B and a G bender. It mounts by the neck bolts so there is no drilling of the body or doing anything to the body.

The first picture shows the B bender and the 2nd shows the g bender I haven't played it enough to be good at it yet, but it sure is interesting to play.

[Jerry Hayes]

Ken, does that G bender hook to your belt like a Glaser does? That's one cool bender setup you've got there. I'm thinking of getting one from Paul in the near future to go on an old Les Paul I have....JH in Va.

[Bari Smith]

He's a good old SPARTANBURG SC boy!!!!

[Pat Carlson]

Buck is a super picker and great entertainer, hope he is still playing next time we get to Branson!

[Stephen Gambrell]

He's a good old SPARTANBURG SC boy!!!!

Well, He DOES have that going for him! You doin' good, Bari? Me and Bagwell were just talking about you.

[Ken Lang]

Jerry. This does not have the G cable that attaches to the belt. In the picture you see a round thing that attaches to a lever. You activate the G bend by pushing the guitar against your body. I'm having a little trouble with that. I may see if I can alter that to use a cable instead.

[Bari Smith]

Thanks Steve ...course ya didn't say what you two were saying Doing OK,gonna be out at Lil D'z here in Spartanvegas Sept 5&6.Actually have a good tele player you can work with, course he drinks that water up in Chesnee like old Ronald Radford does!!!!Guess that helps!Ya know that water has a twang in it!!!!!!!!Thanks again!

[Raybob Bowman]

Found Buck Trent @ Youtube. Try these.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrMU3Nif2Oc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAFhZww90yg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp5lcjNFS1k

That banjo isn't too loud, just seems louder than a regular banjo because the notes seem to sustain so long. Whatever he did to electrify that banjo gives him the sustain of a guitar, not a normal banjo.