Steve Miller Band's Steel Guitarist comes for a visit

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 21 Jul 2013 4:44 pm

How cool is that ... A big teal tour bus rolls in from Detroit (concert last evening ) on its way to Wolf Trap (outside DC) ... And parks in my front yard.

Steve Miller's steel player ... Jeff Kearns ... brought me 4 Rickenbachers and a Cherry Sierra to fix and/ modify ...

The wartime Bakelite checked out fine ... But the other 3 need help ... And the Sierra needs a "real" Hawaiian style unit ...

He came in and played for my family ...

His favorite ... '37 A25 thru a '35 Rickenbacher field coil amp...

My 42 lb solid bronze frypan caught his eye and ear ...

As did my personal "Black Pearl" ...

He left with a big smile on his face ... And two tickets to Tuesdays show are now at Wolf Traps Will-Call ... Looks like Rick has a hot date

Haven't had a fun day like this in awhile ,..

PS I gave him my list of a Byrd Pro Arrangements ... Chalk up another Pedal Steelist corrupted by the allure of Hawaiian Steel Guitar

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 21 Jul 2013 4:59 pm

How long has he been with Miller?
I'd like to find some shows to dl and hear what he does.
Cool pix and it must have been a cooler day. Let us know how the show goes, k?

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 21 Jul 2013 6:00 pm

Fun stuff Rick!!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 21 Jul 2013 6:34 pm

Cool! Thanks for posting it, Rick.

Stephen Abruzzo · Post by **Stephen Abruzzo** » 21 Jul 2013 7:41 pm

That's pretty cool Rick?

Hey Rick, is that a Yamaha THR10 amp on the little black cabinet? How do you like it and the models it represents?

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 22 Jul 2013 4:58 am

I think Jeff said he's been with Steve Miller for 4 years. He plays an Emmons PSG for the stage show ...

I always liked the Steve Miller Band ... Saw them at the Miami Baseball Stadium in 1978 with Jimmy Buffet.

Anyway, yes I love the Yamaha THR10 ... Although yesterday the Twin did most of the heavy lifting ...

... I like the clean channel with the gain and master turned way up ... I made presets via USB with a smidgen of reverb, then another with a little delay ... It's the best battery amp I've tried ...

Well, time to feed the "roadies" ... $:\$ ...

Oh no, one is missing ...

Max must still be in the coach searching for the "pompatus of love" ... for James Williamson

Stephen Cowell · Post by **Stephen Cowell** » 22 Jul 2013 6:49 am

Looks like he's enjoying playing through your wood stove! Very cool, thanks for sharing this.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 22 Jul 2013 7:29 am

Cool, man. He came to the right place!

Anybody who plays that A25 knows it's something special. Maybe the best steel I've ever played.

Your kids are looking beautiful!

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 22 Jul 2013 7:44 am

Cool adventure Rick.......and what Mike said about the herd....what a great group of young'ns....

In retrospect, I think that we should have bronzed Harry and set him in the front yard......

Jeff Kearns · Post by **Jeff Kearns** » 22 Jul 2013 8:14 am

Just want to say what a great time I had at Rick's yesterday. Meeting him, his family, and all of those incredible guitars was quite a pleasure. FYI, my "real job" as it were is Steve MIller's driver. I played pedal steel professionally until 1995 when I gave it up and started driving tour buses full time. after an 18 year hiatus Steve asked me to play a few tunes with the band on steel and dobro this year. He's a big fan of steel guitar. It's a real kick for me to be playing again after all these years and Steve seems to love it. Rick is absolutely right. I am another pedal steel player corrupted by the allure of Hawaiian Steel Guitar. It's all I play at home anymore.

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 22 Jul 2013 1:21 pm

Great story, Rick. Talking Steve Miller brings back the heady days of my youth.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 22 Jul 2013 2:03 pm

Thanx for filling in the blanx, Jeff, getting some stage time is an awesome drivers perk.

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 22 Jul 2013 2:26 pm

For y'all who only hang out here ...

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=249117

Jeff ... Sure was a fun couple hours

Mike ... When the big $$$ are at stake ... I reach for my "Black Pearl"

Howard ... They built a new house way down our gravel road and our little town has an ordinance stating that any access road that fronts 3 or more homes .. Must be named and they asked for suggestions ...

I submitted .... Fâ‚¬#Â¥?^g CÂ£%+$r Lane" ... In memory of Harry Dietrich

For some reason they chose another name ...

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 22 Jul 2013 3:15 pm

What a cool day in the life or should I say lives! Thanks, Rick and Jeff

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 24 Jul 2013 5:28 am

Well, we rolled into Wolf Trap and got our tickets (under Steve Miller's guest list) ... and was quickly met by Jeff Kearns who took us back stage before the show ...

To have dinner with Steve Miller ...

We talked steel guitars and pickups for 40 minute ... he told alot of cool stories ... then they came and got him 15 minutes before showtime.

After 22 years, it takes alot to impress my wife Chris ... last night did the job

I will say, Jeff is much more than Steve's driver and steel player ... it was obvious he's Steve's "right hand man" for sure !!!

I didn't think it was appropriate to take pictures at dinner ... but here's a few from our seats ...

Since it was the 40th Anniversary of "The Joker" ... He brought Jeff out (and really talked him up) to play Sneaky Pete's parts on "Something to Believe in" ... And the dobro parts (Jeff played a single cone National) on "Dance, Dance, Dance" ...

Mucho Mahalos Jeff K. ... couldn't have dreamed of a cooler couple days ...

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 24 Jul 2013 6:29 am

What a cool story, Rick. Congratulations!

Stephen Eger · Post by **Stephen Eger** » 24 Jul 2013 9:08 am

If you made a movie of this I would go see it! Very cool couple of days, and classy, I think, not to take pictures at dinner!

John RJ Wilson · Post by **John RJ Wilson** » 24 Jul 2013 2:25 pm

You couldn't write this stuff, great post.

Scott Thomas · Post by **Scott Thomas** » 24 Jul 2013 2:47 pm

Somewhere, Steve Miller is telling people he got to have dinner with Rick Aiello and talk steel guitars.

Wow, what a great story! Obviously Jeff, Steve and their organization are a classy bunch. I've been on a bit of a nostalgia trip myself lately (must come with getting older), and as someone who came of age during the '70s, Steve Miller is a big part of the soundtrack of those years. Glad you had a great time!

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 24 Jul 2013 4:16 pm

as someone who came of age during the '70s, Steve Miller is a big part of the soundtrack of those years.

Exactly ...

James Williamson · Post by **James Williamson** » 26 Jul 2013 6:36 pm

Yea, and all this is before you even did anything for them...just wait until you re-mag some pickups and fix some stuff and put a kiiler pickup in of yours dude...they'll be com in around every weekend.....oh, and do let me know when you've found out about that Pompetous of Love would ya?

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 27 Jul 2013 8:17 am

The 50's Bakelite (BD6) needs a rewind With AWG 38 ... Jeff didn't care for the sound ... They started winding their steels with smaller diameter magnet wire to compete with the Fenders of the day ...

The Silver Hawaiian needs potentiometer work ... As does the Model 59 ...

They all need to be remagged ... The prewar (wartime) checked out fine, so he kept it to play ... Till he returns to get the others ... Then I'll hit that one with the electromagnet.

Steve Miller's Sierra (Cherry with a Geo L 10-5) is getting a Fountain V.2 ...

As far as the "Pompetus" ... Max snuck back into the coach and " borrowed it" ...

This is the affect it has ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oHWXvFJOlY

Jeff Spencer · Post by **Jeff Spencer** » 27 Jul 2013 2:24 pm

And this is what it is all about. Thanks Rick for sharing!

Mitch Druckman · Post by **Mitch Druckman** » 27 Jul 2013 10:48 pm

That Fountain v.2 pickup looks awesome in the Sierra.

Mitch Druckman · Post by **Mitch Druckman** » 27 Jul 2013 10:49 pm

Double Post.