Curley Chalkers Setup

Steve Davis · Post by **Steve Davis** » 10 Apr 2009 11:54 am

Does anyone know what Curley's pedal setup was? I don't think he used a lot of knee pedals.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 10 Apr 2009 12:28 pm

Whoa, now don't tell us you've come back to reinvent yourself as Curly Chalker!

Steve Davis · Post by **Steve Davis** » 10 Apr 2009 12:36 pm

Not yet, but Curley was always the player I most revered. I stood next to him at the 1968 Nashville DJ's convention in a hotel room where he and some guys played for hours. DJ's were stumbling around drinking whiskey and there were a lot of other rooms with music, but I didn't move the whole aftenoon. He was the kind of musician I dreamed of being, loose and spontaneous. At my request he played a bossa - I think Desafinado that aftenoon. Heaven!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 10 Apr 2009 12:57 pm

Hey Steve, send me your email address; got something to send you.

Cheers,
JC

Tommy White · Post by **Tommy White** » 10 Apr 2009 7:12 pm

Jimbeaux,
Would you be so kind as to send me a copy too?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 11 Apr 2009 11:55 am

Sure, Tommy. Watch your email.
JC

Larry Hamilton · Post by **Larry Hamilton** » 11 Apr 2009 3:03 pm

Hey Jim, If it is Curly's copedents why not jut post it. Inquiring minds want to know. I'm sure it is on the forum somewhere though. I personally am just lazy

.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 11 Apr 2009 8:17 pm

Sorry, guys, I don't know Curly's setup, otherwise I would indeed gladly post it. Probably someone around here knows it, though, and will hopefully post it. Maybe Mike Perlowin?

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 11 Apr 2009 9:28 pm

I believe Johnny Cox might be the best source for Curly's tunings.???

ROGER

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 11 Apr 2009 10:30 pm

Here it is:

As long as we're talking abut Curly, let me remind everybody that I sill have over 600 copies of the DVD sitting in boxes in my garage.

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 12 Apr 2009 12:25 am

The set-up chart above shows
the Left-Knee-Right raising
the 2nd string to 'F', but
actually that knee lever
raises the 4th (and not
the 8th) string to F.
~Russ

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 12 Apr 2009 1:31 am

I got the information from the back of Tom Bradshaw's double LP, which I misread.

Thanks Russ for noticing the error. I fixed it.

Steve Davis · Post by **Steve Davis** » 12 Apr 2009 10:21 am

Hey Mike,

I'm kind of new and have been reading posts up and down for a couple of weeks. I remember seeing something about the DVD you have. How can I get one? I just heard some of your Spanish music. I love it. Do you think Curley kept his low string unpedaled at A?

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 12 Apr 2009 10:28 am

Steve, the DVD is available from b0b and the forum catalog, Scotty, Billy Easton over at the Southwest Steel Guitar Association, Russ Rask in Washington state and me. If you buy it from me, the price is $32.00. $30 for the DVD itself and 2 bucks for mailing expenses.

Please E-mail me for more details if you want to buy it from me.

Jeff Bradshaw · Post by **Jeff Bradshaw** » 12 Apr 2009 10:42 pm

This DVD is worth every cent and then some...I watch and marvel often. ..jeff

Steve Davis · Post by **Steve Davis** » 13 Apr 2009 8:19 am

What era is the DVD from and what tunes - there is hardly any description on the Forum site. Being Curly I know it's good - I will order it as soon as I can.

Steve

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 13 Apr 2009 9:06 am

The DVD is about 2 hours and 10 or so minutes of non-stop playing. (All the dead time between the songs was edited out.) It was compiled from 2 performances that were held in December of 1986, about 2 weeks apart. The first was recorded in Ontario, California at the California Country Club. The second was done in St. Louis at Scotty's Christmas party. The California band is Johnny Davis (who is also an outstanding steel player) on guitar, or fellow forumite Jim Bob Sedgwick on bass, and John Mauceri on drums. The St. Louis show (which comes first on the DVD) features Bobby Caldwell on guitar, steel guitarist Russ Weaver on bass, and drummer Jimmy Queen.

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 13 Apr 2009 9:08 am

Jeff Bradshaw wrote:This DVD is worth every cent and then some...I watch and marvel often. ..jeff

I echo Jeff's words here, plus I want to say that no steel player should leave this one out of his collection. Seeing as we have very little in the way of video from this virtuoso, it is a collector's item.
Contact Mike before he runs out.

Steve, The DVD was compiled from 2 concerts held in December of 1986, 2 weeks apart

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 13 Apr 2009 9:35 am

I've said this before but it bears repeating. Scotty still has the video tape of the show that comprises 1/3 of the DVD, but the original video tape of the California concert was lost when Jack Lox, who put on the concert, passed away.

The day after the concert I brought a top of the line beta deck, and the finest quality tape available, to Jack's club and made a copy of Jack's master. I then copied the beta copy, and put the clone of Jack's tape in a drawer for safe keeping, not playing it, and keeping it away from the elements that could cause it to deteriorate. This was what I used for the DVD.

I felt, and still feel, that this footage of Curly in action was so important that it had to be preserved. I had to do something to make sure it was not lost.

If Jack had not allowed me to copy his original master, this footage would not have survived. I couldn't let that happen. I felt, and still feel, that I owed it to the steel guitar community to make sure it was preserved.

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 13 Apr 2009 12:21 pm

Thanks Mike for your efforts in restoring this treasure. Guys, this is a DVD that you will never get tired of listening to. Jody.

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 13 Apr 2009 6:11 pm

Do you think Curley kept his low string unpedaled at A?

Steve, based on everything ever written and discussed here, yes, Curly's bottom string was an "A"

Steve Davis · Post by **Steve Davis** » 14 Apr 2009 9:50 am

Chalker almost went to prison once for whacking a drunk over the head with the metal leg of his pedal steel guitar. Ironically, this breach of temper attracts pedal steel players to him even more, since he did it to stop the drunk from leaning on his pedal steel -- which is apparently the worst thing you can do to a pedal steel player besides pouring a cup of coffee on their fret board. ... ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide

Another reason why I loved this guy!!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 14 Apr 2009 10:01 am

Steve Davis wrote:...he did it to stop the drunk from leaning on his pedal steel -- which is apparently the worst thing you can do to a pedal steel player besides pouring a cup of coffee on their fret board. ...

Well, actually there are 1 or 2 other things that drunks have been known to do to (or on) a PSG besides leaning on it that are even worse offenses. But we won't go there...

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 14 Apr 2009 11:18 am

Steve Davis wrote:Chalker almost went to prison once for whacking a drunk over the head with the metal leg of his pedal steel guitar.

That sounds like an urban legend... well, how 'bout a semi-country legend... to me, Steve.

But it can be fairly easily verified since there are several close friends of Curl's here in Forumland. I guess it could have happened, but he would have had to unscrew one of the rear legs to get the weapon ready for the assault. 'Course, he might have had a spare leg handy, ready for just such a situation.

I used to carry a leather bag (available from George L's), with two spare bars in it, for just such a task. Fortunately, in 42 years I never had to use it.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 14 Apr 2009 6:27 pm

Here's a shot of one of our local guys named Bobby "Muskrat" Reames. "Rat" played around this area for many years before doing about a ten year stay around Nashville. He's back in this area and playing as good as ever. Bobby is one big Chalker fan if there ever was one and can do justice to some of his stuff. He even plays an MSA with the Chalker's setup and the E9th neck on the inside.......JH in Va.

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