Killer tone, simple playing

[Dennis Olearchik]

I really like David Hartley's playing on the Youtube vids. And my wife especially likes his version of "You're Still The One"! Thanks David

p.s. Barry, thanks for the link.

[Steve Norman]

why would you want to get that tone on a pedal steel?

Because I'm too lazy to carry all of my instruments to every gig.

lol, guess thats why I have a bobro,, pure D laziness.


BTW James the Bobro + graphite bar can pull of a background dobro trill and some non-hammer on type licks if used with the right string combos. Its usually the technique that gives a bobro away (that and the lack of a dobro)

[Bill Hatcher]

Absolutely nothing special about any of this, the tone, the playing, the chick, the video, the music, the song,none of it.....have these kids overdosed yet? They sound like they are right on the edge.

[James Mayer]

Really, Bill? You can't find anything about the song that is good? Not even the girl?

This might be your cue to check for a pulse.

[Bill Hatcher]

Really, Bill? You can't find anything about the song that is good? Not even the girl?

This might be your cue to check for a pulse.

Let me go look at it one more time.

[Bill Hatcher]

Really, Bill? You can't find anything about the song that is good? Not even the girl?

This might be your cue to check for a pulse.

Let me go look at it one more time.

The Citroen was interesting. My buddy Mel who played drums used to have one. When you get in you have these hydraulic shocks that pump up the car. Mel was a doctor over at the CDC here in Atlanta. He used to do a lot of recreational drugs in years past. Would not go down to his basement in his own house because of the flashbacks.

I bet these kids in this band won't want to go down in their basements when they get a little older. That video and the song.....that is kind of like a thorazine groove. There was a cleavage shot....I kept searching for something, but not much to be seen. Wonder why she is always singing so flat at the end of all the phrases...I guess that is cool amongst some people.

The guitar playing is very butt level.

You have your opinion, I have mine. That is what makes a forum interesting. They are just opinions.

[Bill Hatcher]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhDQcG4pT3U

Much better tone. Much better in tune singing.

Whoever this guy is playing non pedal, he is remarkable.

If I had a pulse, I could really like the Cowboy Junkies......there is that drug reference thing again...

[James Mayer]

I guess I understand, actually. Nationalism and religion can cause an immediate negative reaction to me when mixed with music. Haven't been able to dig most gospel, modern country or sacred steel for this reason.

I'm not into drugs at all, but I don't mind the sound or the references when I hear them. I like the "induced" sound.

[Donny Hinson]

Absolutely nothing special about any of this, the tone, the playing, the chick, the video, the music, the song,none of it.....have these kids overdosed yet? They sound like they are right on the edge.

That was my initial impression - kinda like Tracy Chapman on quaaludes doing Norah Jones. It's agonizing to listen to the whole thing, and equally hard to make out all the words. If I write it off as a "mood piece", I can imagine it in a movie, and listening to it as the main character passes out from some reason or other.

[chris ivey]

i like the cowboy junkies, too...but my favorite drugged out performer is amy winehouse...really!

[Jim Sliff]

why would you want to get that tone on a pedal steel? why would you want to hammer a nail into a wall with a screwdriver? right tool for the job and all that.....

Because YOU like it. Or because (as b0b said) you don't want to haul extra equipment.

Sounds like the "tone police" are out and about again, trying to decide for other players what is and isn't acceptable pedal steel tone.

My take - whatever YOU like as a player is acceptable. Period. Most of us like our sound but are trying to tweak little things in it and switch amps, tubes, speakers, effects, tone bars, etc. trying to find OUR "perfect tone" (or "tones" - a one-tone pedal steel would be absolutely useless to me except as a training-tool).

I change the position of the tone control during a song; same with the volume. I'll also switch pickups for the bridge or chorus of a tune, or hit a boost pedal for solos, or use a Leslie effect on an intro but nowhere else.

But I suppose someone, somewhere will say "that's wrong" or "why do you need to wreck a perfectly good steel tone with all that junk?".

Answer - because I *want* to; and I don't consider it "wrecking", I consider it "improving".

Edited to add (because I missed this comment):

The pedals aren't used to just change the tuning so you can play it like a lap steel or slide guitar.

They are if you want to play it that way, and in fact that's EXACTLY what the original pedal steel guitars were made for. You say you're not dictating how the instrument should be used - but that's EXACTLY what you're doing.

So all the guys using "Bobro" units are wrong, anyone using a Leslie to get a B3 sound is wrong, anyone playing with distortion and a glass slide is wrong - errr, excuse me officer, but do I have the option of "pedal steel school" or do I just have to pay the fine?

[John Phinney]

Edited to add (because I missed this comment):

The pedals aren't used to just change the tuning so you can play it like a lap steel or slide guitar.

They are if you want to play it that way, and in fact that's EXACTLY what the original pedal steel guitars were made for. You say you're not dictating how the instrument should be used - but that's EXACTLY what you're doing.

Hey Sliff that's something I wrote, and it says "The pedals aren't used to just change the tuning so you can play it like a lap steel or slide guitar."

That doesn't read to me like I'm saying you have to play it one way or the other, just pointing out that the pedals give the pedal steel something different than the lap steel, and I know James has a 6 string pedal steel being made, but he doesn't have one.

If you want to assume I'm part of the "tone police" I'd say you're way off base. Why don't you come down to Long Beach this Thursday? I'm playing with two bands that don't play a lick of country and I'll even buy you a draft beer.

Liquid Lounge in Long Beach, first band goes on at 8:45pm.

[Donny Hinson]

Sounds like the "tone police" are out and about again, trying to decide for other players what is and isn't acceptable pedal steel tone.

I don't think it so much that as it is that when someone tells us something is "killer" anything, we (more or less) expect something very impressive. Of course, something that impresses the heck out of one person may not do anything at all for another, so then you have a disconnect in taste that creates a chasm of misunderstanding. One man's trash is another man's treasure, and one man's dirt is another man's diamond. What we shouldn't do is get offended when someone doesn't like what we like, or do as we do.

The majority of this forum seems to me to be two (somewhat overlapping) groups - one is religious folks, and the other is fans of classic country. Anything that is not an obvious part of either one of these groups is fighting an uphill battle for acceptance from the rest, but the prejudices appear to go both ways. So if anyone is at fault, everyone is at fault.

[Steve Norman]

That Cowboy Junkies vid was my point from earlier. He has a lap steel laid on top of his pedal steel, so he can get lap tone instead of pedal tone. Right tool for the job and all that.

I used to love Mazzy star, she has a sorrowful defeated sound that appeals to me. Cat power as well, The Concretes, etc. Some times a little slop goes a long way to making a great sound. Depends on your frame of mind etc.

Enjoying this thread

[James Mayer]

I don't think it so much that as it is that when someone tells us something is "killer" anything, we (more or less) expect something very impressive.

I'm impressed by subtlety.

[Tony Leggio]

WHY IS THE PRINT SO SMALL IT IS VERY HARD TO READ CAN THIS BE CORRECTED?
TONY LEGGIO

[Joseph Carlson]

When I think of simple playing with great tone this album is the benchmark (excluding track 1 of course!):

http://www.amazon.com/Breakin-Down-Gera ... 985&sr=8-3

Pretty much inspired me to take another swing at learning the steel after a previous failed attempt.

[Nicholas Martin]

I guess I understand, actually. Nationalism and religion can cause an immediate negative reaction to me when mixed with music. Haven't been able to dig most gospel, modern country or sacred steel for this reason.

I'm not into drugs at all, but I don't mind the sound or the references when I hear them. I like the "induced" sound.

At some point you're going to tell me how you haul a PSG on the back of a fixie, mine keeps falling into the gutter and going out of tune

[Brint Hannay]

I really like David Hartley's playing on the Youtube vids. And my wife especially likes his version of "You're Still The One"!

Me too!!!

[Danny Bates]

James, Hope has a new band & album & she will be in your neck of the woods this month.

If you go, please give us a report (& take some pics)

HOPE SANDOVAL AND THE WARM INVENTIONS: TOUR DATES

Mon, Sept 21 - Portland, OR @ The Doug Fir
Tue, Sept 22 - Vancouver, BC @ The Red Room
Wed, Sept 23 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Fri, Sept 25 - Arcata, CA @ The Arcata Theatre Lounge
Sat, Sept 26 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Tue, Sept 29 - Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Forever Cemetary

Thur, Oct 1 - Denver, CO @ The Bluebird Theatre
Sun, Oct 4 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theatre
Mon, Oct 5 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Wed, Oct 7 - Toronto, ON @ The Mod
Sat, Oct 10 - Williamsburg, NY @ The Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Mon, Oct 12 - New York, NY @ The Bowery
Wed, Oct 14 - Washington, DC @ The Sixth and I
Fri, Oct 16 - Atlanta, GA @ The Lofts

[Steve Norman]

At some point you're going to tell me how you haul a PSG on the back of a fixie, mine keeps falling into the gutter and going out of tune

gotta take that front brake off!

Wed, Sept 23 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile

this always happens, Im on the east coast then.