How Did Ralph Mooney Get Such a Distinctive Tone and Style?

[Jake Hoffman]

If you can, get your hands on a copy of the July 2011 issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine. There's a wonderful tribute to "the Moon" on page 28. He was definitely one of a kind.

[Kevin Hatton]

If you think this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V13y7n49 ... re=related sounds like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64-fltE4 ... 1ED6B30E51 have your hearing tested because it doesn't. Different rig. I could give you more examples. Compare this Sho-Bud http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sADh9Tkj69M to the first example.

[ebb]

i think it is disingenuous to use age to make your lame argument against keyless or any other insidious bias you are harboring

[Brint Hannay]

ebb, is that post maybe in the wrong thread? I don't see how it relates here.

[ebb]

Posted Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:52 pm
Ralph Mooney's tone on his GFI was NOTHING like his tone on his Sho-Bud, which was also different from his Fender. Totally different.

this is using the fact that ralph played whatever he was given
regardless it is always clear it was ralph to me style wise
its probably agreed that his most famous and popular stuff was done on the magnatone/fender followed by the sho~bud pro-2 where his pickups were wound to fender spec ohms
it was only after retiring that he played a gfi most likely because he dealt with gene fields at fender

[Kevin Hatton]

??? No one mentioned either age or keyless. Insidious bias?

[chas smith]

The way I heard it, from Red Rhodes was, Super Pro #3 was made for Mooney and he didn't like the sound, so Red bought it, and he didn't like the sound either, and sold it to me. It was my 1st D-10 and at that time I would buy anything that was black and chrome, but I didn't like the way it sounded either so I rebuilt it completely and I still have it.

[b0b]

I'm not sure what going on in that small room video that Kevin posted, but I've heard Moon play that same GFI with a very bright amp tone typical of his recordings. I think that maybe someone just plugged him into a Peavey amp that happened to be set up and he didn't bother to adjust it. Also, it appears to be an amateur video and you can hear the ALC in the camera compressing the audio in a very non-linear way.

Lastly, I wouldn't trust a YouTube video and my little computer speakers to tell me anything about the tone of a steel guitar.

[Brendan Mitchell]

I don't think anyone has mentioned the "sitar bar " , big part of his sound on a bit of the Waylon stuff .

[Billy McCombs]

Brenden could you post some examples of him playing with the sitar bar? Thanks

[Mark Eaton]

Lastly, I wouldn't trust a YouTube video and my little computer speakers to tell me anything about the tone of a steel guitar.

I remember a few years back that Mark Knopfler was commenting in an interview that what he didn't like about You Tube is that when an audience member puts up a video of him that isn't very good quality that he (Knopfler) had no control over the sound of something that he had worked very hard at for many years and it gives a false impression of his playing (or something to that effect).

The link below is to "modern" Mooney on his GFI, and it is from Marty Stuart's "Ghost Train" album, which I think was easily the best country CD of 2010 - shame on you if you don't have it yet!

And some good in studio photos - Moon playing "Crazy Arms" - a different sound than a Sho-Bud or Fender, but damn good. I was listening to it this morning through a pretty good pair of Sennheiser headphones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nn8T2AE ... re=related

[David Ellison]

If you listen to the instrumental album he recorded using the GFI, the tone (to me) didn't have "that sound" that I associate with him. Yeah, the Waylon stuff sounds a little different than the earlier stuff, but they're close enough.

There's no doubt in my mind that the Fender style pickups have a lot to do with the sound. You can't get that kind of sound just by turning up the treble if you have fatter pickups.

[Ray Minich]

If my memory serves me correctly, in the copedant section of Winnie's book, about Ralph Mooney's copedant, there is some mention about two of Ralph's pedals that he wouldn't say what they did. I always got a kick out of that...

[Brint Hannay]

I believe you're thinking of Curly Chalker and two of his knee levers. Mooney did say he was "not certain about his front neck tuning, since he rarely uses it."

[b0b]

If you listen to the instrumental album he recorded using the GFI, the tone (to me) didn't have "that sound" that I associate with him.

What album is that, David? Where can I get it?

[Ray Minich]

You're correct Brint. My memory ain't what it used to be. I should have looked first

[David Ellison]

Bob, I heard a couple of the songs online, but I can't remember where... I *think* it was something I linked to through this site. I don't remember if I downloaded them or not. If I did, I'll forward them to you... I'll check when I get home tonight. From what I could determine, the cd isn't available anymore. I'm pretty sure there's some discussion of the album on here somewhere.

[Joerg Hennig]

The album in question might be "The Toppa Sessions". At least the GFI is pictured on the front cover. I ordered it from Scotty's some ten years ago, don't know if he still carries it.

[David Ellison]

Yup, that's it. Looks like it can be bought here:
http://ww2.steelguitarcanada.com/catalo ... cts_id=963

[Kevin Hatton]

Mark, it's interesting. I agree. That's a prime example of a Grand Master steel player's technique overiding the tone of a given rig. Like you said, not his usual tone, but darn good.

[Brendan Mitchell]

Brenden could you post some examples of him playing with the sitar bar? Thanks

I can't find one Billy but here is another thread that deals with the subject :
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... bar+mooney

[Barry Horowitz]

His setup had his E9th as his bottom neck and C6th as his top neck

that was how curly chalker had his setup who moon told me was his idol

moon had a open g tuning on his front neck like an extended dobro

Moon's top neck (from the top) GDBGDBGDBG w/ only one pedal... ped 1 3rd string B to D
most unusual.... as far as I know

[Fred Jack]

I think the album you are looking for is Moon at Midnite, recorded in 1994, I believe. I was there but am not sure of year. I think Johnny Cox is spot on about where this tone came from. I am not looking for a peeing contest but I will say this; I have walked onto many stages with Ralph Mooney, him having not been onstage ahead of us and he set down and sounded just like Ralph Mooney.I've seen the rest of them do it too.

[Tim Heidner]

If his sound wasn't in the pickups why would he bother having them rewound to Fender specs?

[Donny Hinson]

If his sound wasn't in the pickups why would he bother having them rewound to Fender specs?

It depends on the amp being used, and how it's set. (It's far easier to get a thin sound with low wound pickups.) But for anyone who thinks that "the sound is all in the guitar", or even mostly in the guitar or pickups, I urge them to listen to Chalker's "Big Hits On Big Steel", and then tell me with a straight face it sounds like the typical Fender pedal steel.

Guitars are often capable of different sounds or tones, but normally the player is only seeking one tone...the one he likes. If one guitar makes it easier to get that sound, he will gravitate towards that guitar. Other players, however, can often get another sound or tone out of the same guitar, the one that they identify with. This is why Lloyd Green sounded different than Buddy Charleton, even though they both played Sho~Buds almost exclusively.