Junior Brown at close range

[Mike Neer]

C13 with a high G.

[Andy Henriksen]

Is it common to use a flat pick like this?

No idea if it's common, but it got me thinking. I play an electric "spanish" guitar and lapsteel, often switching back and forth a few times in the same tune. The finger picks always hang me up on my tele. I wonder if moving the finger picks down to my middle and ring finger so that, for the tele parts, I could grab the thumb pick like a regular flatpick might be a good compromise. Can't wait to get home and try it.

[Chris Renna]

Thanks Mike! Been digging your blog by the way.

Cool Andy. Yea, it's got me thinking too.

[Jon A. Ross]

So now that everyone has had a chance to criticize this video here...

"Everyone"??! Three posts contained views running counter to the mass hysteria. Sheesh!! At least I will know now to not even look at any posts about that out-of-tune, showboater R. Randolph!

As stated, I enjoy Jr's songs, his singing and his steel playing, and i appreciated tyhe up-close look at the steel in action.

Question: what is meant by the addendem of "with a high G" when stating C13? Is it a redundancy or are there other options for the pitch of the high string in such a tuning? I have seen this a few times and am always puzzled. Thanks.

[Benjamin Kelley]

Bb C E G A C E G from

http://www.juniorbrown.com

Cheers,
Benjamin

[Chris Renna]

Sorry John, you're right that I was being overly judgmental about the criticism. I actually don't care for the playing in that clip much myself : ) Junior just blows me away generally.

I sure look forward to getting an 8-string one day...

[Mike Neer]

So now that everyone has had a chance to criticize this video here...

"Everyone"??! Three posts contained views running counter to the mass hysteria. Sheesh!! At least I will know now to not even look at any posts about that out-of-tune, showboater R. Randolph!

As stated, I enjoy Jr's songs, his singing and his steel playing, and i appreciated tyhe up-close look at the steel in action.

Question: what is meant by the addendem of "with a high G" when stating C13? Is it a redundancy or are there other options for the pitch of the high string in such a tuning? I have seen this a few times and am always puzzled. Thanks.

There is the Jules Ah See version of C13 which is more widely used: E (.014) C (.017) A (.020) G (.022p) E (.030) C (.035) Bb (.038) C (.065).

[Jon A. Ross]

...which would be referred to as "C13 with a high E"? Or is it commonly known as the "Jules Ah See C13"?

I am just trying to become familiar with the standardized terminology in steel-dom (if there is any! re: lapsteel/Hawaiian/non-pedal steel/slidey-thingy)!!

[Mike Neer]

I think it's just referred to as C13.

[Tom Cooper]

Thanks for the great post Mike! I wish everyone had you're great attitude. I really dont know about some of these guys. What a drag. I for one am happy there are people making steel guitar fun and adaptable to different styles of music. I guess they are honest at least. Jr and Randolph are commited to the steel guitar. They have inspired me to think outside the box on more than one occasion when the conventional type playing just didnt fit. Thank God for variety. The church I play at has about 15 different bands that rotate, and I am in at least 3 or 4 of them any given time. Every thing from Jack Johnson/hawaaian to southern gospel to sacred blues style and even some modern jazz type stuff with sax and guitar. An open mind has come in handy.

[Dave Bader]

I believe that's a shobud pickup on the steel body.

[Jay Doughty]

Great skill, great talent but poor taste. Disconnected fluff and trash. I don't get it.
That's great for a circus but I can't imagine why anyone would want to listen to it.

I believe it's a blues festival. They are generally a pretty "easy" crowd (moreso if you add beer!).

I hafta say, I like Jr's songwriting best, his singing second, and his playing third. He's great, technically, but a bit much for me, especially his wanky "blues" guitar playing. I hafta say he gets some great stuff on the steel and his PSG playing on his records is right on!

This is the guy that wrote "Cagey Bee" so I don't really look to him for songwriting. His Ernest Tubb singing style is serviceable. But his playing is outrageously good.

He likes to play wild and take chances and show his personality--I totally dig that about him. He could sit back and play the VFW crowd-pleasing stuff all night but instead he steps outside and goes for it.

Gotta admire that!

[Jon A. Ross]

Dunno "Cagey Bee", but "Party Lights", "Highway Patrol", "Wanted by the Police...", "Too Many Nights in a Roadhouse", "Hillbilly Hula Gal", et cetera are some damn clever songwriting. His baritone voice may be a matter of personal taste. Dunno, either, what the "VFW crowd" digs, but I dig his steel playing (and was glad to have an up-close look at it!), and that of anyone else who takes chances and shows some personality in their playing (as long as they're relatively in tune: Randolph!). Only thing I do not dig about Jr. is his wanky, ponderous blues/"Hendrix" guitar drudgery. I, however, can see how a beer-soaked blues fest crowd will go for it.

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

i would say the ONLY 2 steelers making a living these days are Jr and Robert Randolph - and these guys are showmen.
anytime either of these guys comes up it resorts to this

Jerome you forget Cindy Cashdollard! She play real good old school music and have a good career, very inspiring!

By the way Junior Brown is maybe the one that make me want to play lap steel at first. He is very funny and a great musician.

[Jon A. Ross]

i would say the ONLY 2 steelers making a living these days are Jr and Robert Randolph - and these guys are showmen.
anytime either of these guys comes up it resorts to this

Jerome you forget Cindy Cashdollard! She play real good old school music and have a good career, very inspiring!

By the way Junior Brown is maybe the one that make me want to play lap steel at first. He is very funny and a great musician.

Agreed on both accounts!

[Chris Byars]

I thought Junior had a newer Sho-Bud based guitsteel with pedals and all? The one in this video looks like ol' Yellow.

[Butch Pytko]

This was posted a while back, of Junior receiving his new Sho-Bud pedal steel with standard guitar attachment. Does anyone know if he is still using this?