Pedal Steel and a Leslie/Hammond sound

Russ Tkac · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 15 Nov 2010 4:53 pm

I always thought Rusty Young did it great.

Hurry Up

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 15 Nov 2010 5:43 pm

That is amazing. Unlike most steel players who imitate an organ, he seems to concentrate more on getting the percussive windy attack of a hammond rather than focusing on the leslie aspect of the sound. and it really is convincing. Id like to know what effects were used. envelope filter sounds like?
whatever it was they apply it to the background vocals "no no" at 3:26 also.

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 15 Nov 2010 6:52 pm

It's a Leslie.
Either a 147, which can used with a guitar with a pedal pre-amp, or it's a 122, which can be used with a guitar when you plug an RCA cable into the foot volume housing inside a B3.

Years ago - in the '70's - I remember seeing his ZB in Westwood Music here in West LA, and there was a Leslie jack (like you'd find on the end of a Leslie cable) attched to the underside of his gtr.

And yeah, he phrases like it was an organ. Very cool.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 15 Nov 2010 7:01 pm

Skip,There'a picture of the Leslie jack on one of those Poco records.I always dug Sneaky Pete's playing on Hot Burrito #1 mostly slow position.Hey Man how you feelin?

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 15 Nov 2010 7:06 pm

Hey Stu...
I think Pete was using a flanger, wasn't he?
I feeling great, thanks...better than I have in years.
Working on something for b0b's CD.

Russ Tkac · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 15 Nov 2010 7:18 pm

Skip,

Glad you're doing well!

I always thought Rusty phrased it like an organ and that is why it sounded so convincing.

Russ

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 15 Nov 2010 7:20 pm

Curly Chalker "Wolverton Mountain" is my favorite.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 15 Nov 2010 8:37 pm

Skip.You could be right,I'm putting my butt back in the penalty box now I'll watch Bristol Palin!

Jim Robbins · Post by **Jim Robbins** » 15 Nov 2010 8:45 pm

Thanks for the link, Russ, that is just amazing. Leslie, attack, phrasing, dead-on bar placement & some volume pedal is my guess. In the course of convincing myself he wasn't playing a B3 I came across this GP interview, which is in itself pretty interesting, especially the part about the "pro's" and the "non-pro's": http://www.calsharp.com/rusty.html.

Stu, funny you should mention HB#1 which I never thought of as anything other than steel, although I see what you mean -- on the other hand, HB #2 has a very keyboard-y sounding part in the verses - steel imitating an organ imitating a horn section.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 15 Nov 2010 9:34 pm

Jim,I'm with ya" HB#2 sounds like it's right outa Memphis...good stuff!

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 16 Nov 2010 9:30 am

stu..is there any chance you'll show up in any of the episodes of 'sarah palin's alaska'?

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 16 Nov 2010 10:08 am

I found this quote online from a concert go-er, is anyone familiar with this technique? anyone see Rusty do this?

"Rusty Young would use a metal comb on his pedal steel through the Leslie and get these UNREAL piano sounds!!!! "

Bob Knetzger · Post by **Bob Knetzger** » 16 Nov 2010 10:13 am

In addition to using a real Leslie, playing on the C6 neck, playing playing organ-istic parts and NO pedal steel cliches, the secret ingredient inRusty mix was the wah wah pedal. Listen carefully and you can hear it used at various FIXED positions to get different organ-y tones, like various drawbar settings..and he also uses it VARYINGLY to continuously sweep thru the filtering like an expression pedal.

Dave Burr · Post by **Dave Burr** » 16 Nov 2010 10:18 am

I've often wondered if Jimmy Day was playing through a Leslie on the chorus of Johnny Bush's cut of Farewell Party (circa '66/'67) off of the "The Sound of a Heartache" album. It may not have been a Leslie, but he was definitely achieving an organ sound... Anybody got the inside scoop on this recording?

Bob Knetzger · Post by **Bob Knetzger** » 16 Nov 2010 10:31 am

To get the piano and banjo sound, Rusty used a comb jammed onto the strings to kill the strings from ringing on. Perfect dead "plunk" sound. for banjo sound he played rolls, for piano, triplet chord stabs.

LIsten to "What a Day" from the first Poco album "Pickin Up he Pieces" to hear both.

David Hartley · Post by **David Hartley** » 16 Nov 2010 10:52 am

Are you telling me that was a steel?

I would have to see that before I believed that was a steel.

My bets on a hammond organ.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 16 Nov 2010 10:56 am

Bob Knetzger wrote:In addition to using a real Leslie, playing on the C6 neck, playing playing organ-istic parts and NO pedal steel cliches, the secret ingredient inRusty mix was the wah wah pedal. Listen carefully and you can hear it used at various FIXED positions to get different organ-y tones, like various drawbar settings..and he also uses it VARYINGLY to continuously sweep thru the filtering like an expression pedal.

THANK YOU BOB. I knew I was hearing an envelope filter or some kind of frequency manipulation (which is what a cocked wah is),in there somewhere in additon to the obvious leslie. I'd bet on a little fuzz too??, just a hair to give it that grit and wind ? and thanks for the metal comb info. I will definetly give that a listen this afternoon. how cool.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 16 Nov 2010 10:57 am

Chris,we can only hope!

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 16 Nov 2010 11:02 am

Id definetly watch "Stu Schulman's Alaska". you betcha!

Russ Tkac · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 16 Nov 2010 4:30 pm

David, Yes it is a steel. Pretty cool!

David Hartley · Post by **David Hartley** » 17 Nov 2010 8:08 am

I wonder if there's Leslie FX floor pedals?
I wonder if it would sound as 'hammondy' as the Leslie cab?
I remember my dad used to play hammomnd in the band and cart around the Leslie cabinet too. There's one on eBay for 400 pounds at the moment.
That is very clever styling his picking and blocking to match the playing of a keyboard.
Is there any YouTube footage of poco and the steel player?

Jim Mathis · Post by **Jim Mathis** » 18 Nov 2010 2:33 pm

David,

I use a Digitech RP100 to get sort of Leslie sound. Years ago, I played with a guy who used a Leslie with his Hammond, and we wired a A/B switch so I could run the steel through it. We used that on one or two songs, usually when he was playing piano.

If I had a roadie, I might consider a Leslie, but for one or two songs a night, and being able to put it in my Pac-a-seat, the pedal works just fine.

When I am playing through the Leslie effect, I am playing C6 and try to approach it as an organ.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 19 Nov 2010 8:49 am

I get the organ sound with a POG 2 and added Leslie with either an H & K Rotosphere or a Ventilator.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 19 Nov 2010 9:08 am

I hooked up my wah and rotary pedal last night and couldnt even get in the same ballpark.

still looking for a metal comb.

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 19 Nov 2010 9:41 am

The best Leslie effect I've come across is the Dynachord CLS-222... a single rack space unit that's not made anymore. Great simulation...it sounds like a treble horn has a brake, and the low rotor free-wheels...just like a 122.
Good luck trying to find one.
I've had one since they came out in the '80's and there's no way I'll ever part with it.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Pedal Steel and a Leslie/Hammond sound

Pedal Steel and a Leslie/Hammond sound

Hi

Hi