What if there had been no Bud Issacs ?

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

When Bud Issacs recorded "Slowly"" the whole world of Steel Guitar playing changed. Was there anyone else on the same path where it would have happened if Bud had never come up with it ? It literly ended the career of some great players who never adapted to the new style. Maybe this has been previously discussed !

Wally Pfeifer · From: Illinois, USA

Never fear ! Someone else would have come up with the idea. Smile

Wally

Roger Shackelton · From: MINNESOTA (deceased)

I believe there were pedal steels around long before 1953, but for some reason they never made it into the main stream of the recording industry.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Back in those days, one DID NOT CHANGE TUNINGS.......

in public, let alone while playing a melody line.

Speedy West (and others) even had their pedals blocked from view so no one could determine what or when he was doing a pedal change. It was mostly for a chord change; get on, get off type of thing.

Bud DID it tho' and the rest is history.

Had it not been for Bud Issacs I wouldn't have that nice quad Bigsby that's sitting across the room from me at this time.

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

Roger Shackelton · From: MINNESOTA (deceased)

I believe Alvino Rey was using a pedal steel around 1940. Question

Ray Harrison · From: Tucson, Arizona, USA (deceased)

I'm just glad that it was my friend Bud that had the audacity to go into the studio and do the unthinkable.
He's still my hero. I think the world of him. A great steeler and a great person. Don't try to take away what is rightfully his.
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Andy Sandoval · From: Bakersfield, California, USA

Sure there were steels with pedals long before Bud recorded "Slowly" and no one can deny that but, it's how he got that unique sound that makes "Slowly" such a landmark recording for pedal steel guitar. Smile

Bent Romnes · From: London,Ontario, Canada

Eddie Fulawka retrofitted a Hawaiian steel with the AB split pedals and E9th tuning right around 1950
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J Fletcher · From: London,Ont,Canada

It wasn't the guitar, it was the man and his creativity that changed the steel guitar world, and the course of country music.
If Bud Issacs hadn't come along, we would be living in a different musical world...Jerry

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

I meant no disrespect to Bud Isaac. He was the man who lit the light in a lot of outstanding Steel Players. I was just wondering that without Bud would the style of some of the pure genius Steel Players still evolved ? i.e. Buddy Emmons, Curly Chalker, Lloyd Green, etc. I did not intend for this post to be a discussion about Bud Isaacs.

I should have posted under "Music" instead of "Steel Players"

Rick Jackson · From: Carson City, Nevada

J.Fletcher, you hit the nail on the head. Bud told me he had a sound in his mind of playing harmony but was limited by his non-pedal guitar at that time. As mentioned, it took a lot of guts to do something out of the norm in Nashville at that time as you could be easily replaced. Bud doesn't get near the credit or respect he should, but he knows what he did was life changing for a lot of people. He is a man of class and doesn't feel the need to blow his own horn.Attached is a photo of Bud and Geri with Speedy West...rj

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Maybe the first "pedal effect" record would have been a rock and roll record bending b7 up to the root, and Nashville would have stayed with non-pedal, and pedal steel would have evolved as a rock instrument. Or maybe only jazz players would use pedals today if Bud hadn't introduced that sound to the country audience.

It's hard to imagine the steel guitar world without Bud Isaacs. He changed the course of musical history. "That sound" was not inevitable - it was an invention by one of the most innovative musicians of the 20th century.
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Jody Sanders · From: Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.

What Bob said. Also, Bud and Geri are two of the nicest people on the planet. Jody.

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

If there hadn't been a Bud Isaacs, I'd most likely have become an attorney or gone into the retail liquor business with my father, both endeavors much to the pleasure of my parents. Laughing

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Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Robin Archer · From: Califon, , USA

Heard somewhere Bud Issacs was creative with the use of a coat hanger while everyone else was hanging coats?
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Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

The story was after Ralph Mooney heard Bud Isaacs, he rigged his non-pedal Steel withy a string pull and used a Coat Hanger to connect to some kind of floor pedal. I never did see it !

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

And I guess, if there'd been no Bud Isaacs, Joaquin Murphey wouldn't have gone into his second career... that of washing cars for a living.
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My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

We'd still have all the great Hawaiian players... Wink

Rick Jackson · From: Carson City, Nevada

Just wanted to mention that in one of Bobbe Seymour's newsletters recently he made some great observations of Bud Isaacs and Curley Chalker. Hope you get a chance to read it. Bud is practicing again after laying off for a couple of years. It sounds like the fire got lit under him again. I can't wait to hear him play. Hopefully on his birthday at the end of March. Plans are being made for another birthday party for him in Yuma. It won't be on the scale of last year's due to the amount work required to organize it. Merril and Vangie Fich did an incredible job last year but have family obligations this year and won't be able to dedicate the time required. Hopefully it will be a Jam of some kind with BIAB, great food and great company!! By the way, for those of you that know Bud's humor then you'll know why this is one of my favorite pictures of Bud at one of the Phoenix shows!!

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

Geez Herb, your avatar makes me feel guilty...
I hope you can't see me thru my screen... Very Happy

Bill Myrick · From: Pea Ridge, Ar. (deceased)

"What if there had been no Bud Isaacs" -----

I'd have had a lot more sleep the last 45 years !!!- Rolling Eyes

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Hey Billy T. Do you remember Kenny Cox? I remember him doing "Slowly" or something like it when he was playing with Bill Black at Walt's Club in Southgate and he was doing bar slants that sounded a lot like Bud Issacs' pedal licks. Kenny could also so some nice things by pulling the strings behind the bar with his index finger. Is he still alive?....JH in Va.
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Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

Jerry:
Kenny Cox died many years ago at too early of an Age.
Bill Black and Kernny were Buddies for years and at one time were running a Bar together. I never really had a chance to hear much of Kenny's playing as we were both playing a lot back then. Bill Black is retired and lives in Lake Elsinore, Ca. I talk with him about every three weeks and he is doing O.K.
We both keep in contact with Joe Baker who also lives in Elsinore. There's not too many left out here on the West Coast to to stay in contqct with anymore.

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