Before They Were Bigtime

Daniel Policarpo · Post by **Daniel Policarpo** » 25 Aug 2013 2:40 am

Sonny Curtis is a well known and influential steel player who enjoyed tenures as one of the Jones Boys and later, re-christened under Tammy Wynette, as one of the Country Gentlemen. Of course he didn't just land those gigs out of the blue. He worked the front lines for years. Before he was "bigtime" he was one of Donny Bowshier's Radio Ranch Boys, for example...

and they sounded like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjpw95dCPrY

What were some of your favorite players doing before they became more widely heard by the public at large, before they were "Bigtime"?

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 25 Aug 2013 3:16 am

Elegant simple solo and IN TUNE! Shows influences of some of the great players of the day.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 25 Aug 2013 3:19 am

My first steel guitar was a triple 8 National, just like that one. Way too cool.

Daniel Policarpo · Post by **Daniel Policarpo** » 25 Aug 2013 3:34 am

That is too cool, Richard!
What kind of amplifiers did you guys use with your first steels?

Just a novelty question I guess; nothing like derailing your own thread early!

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 25 Aug 2013 9:03 am

I believe Dan Dugmore's first steel job was with John Stewart, before he became "famous" with Linda Ronstadt

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 25 Aug 2013 9:09 am

Buddy Emmons with one of his early bands. I don't know who the other players are, but I think this was taken before Buddy moved to Nashville.

Some players score big at a young age, like Jimmy Day in his early 20s. It doesn't get much bigger than this...

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 25 Aug 2013 9:37 am

Hall of Fame Member Leonard T. Zinn with his first band, 1940. His guitar looks like an Oahu Iolana D-6

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 25 Aug 2013 10:02 am

My first amp was really a small crappy amp. Twin Reverb with JBL's.

Just funnin' guys. Great amp. I was a drummer prior to playing steel and traded my drumset in on the Twin. It was about a 70 or 71 (I bought it in 71) silverface, and it was awesome.

Tommy White · Post by **Tommy White** » 25 Aug 2013 12:31 pm

Doug, I really never liked that album cover . The only thing cool about it is that blue Emmons guitar and that the photo was shot in Buddy Emmons' back yard!

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 29 Aug 2013 3:09 pm

... and his AB pedal set-up is the reverse 0f what is used today.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 29 Aug 2013 3:40 pm

To expand on Don's post, by "reverse", he doesn't mean the "Day setup". Sonny tuned the guitar as follows (only A & B pedals shown):

[tab]
A B
F#
D#
A...........G#
E
C#.....B
A..........G#
F#
E
D
C#.....B
[/tab]

Buddy Emmons · Post by **Buddy Emmons** » 30 Aug 2013 5:09 am

At Bobby Bowmanâ€™s request I shall supply a bit of info regarding the picture. The steel is a triple neck Fender and the amp is the 1949 Fender Super Tube Tweed Amp with a V shaped front and two speakers, what size I donâ€™t know. I left home at age 16 so Iâ€™m assuming I was 15 years old when the picture was taken.

The venue was the Majorette Tavern in Mishawaka, Indiana, the band was the Choctaw Cowboys, the person playing bass was band leader Bob Reed, and the guitar player was Eddy Hopkins. The shirts probably came from Sears and I donâ€™t remember whose beer that was on the floor.

Buddy Emmons · Post by **Buddy Emmons** » 30 Aug 2013 5:14 am

At Bobby Bowmanâ€™s request I shall supply a bit of info regarding the picture. The steel is a triple neck Fender and the amp is the 1949 Fender Super Tube Tweed Amp with a V shaped front and two speakers, what size I donâ€™t know. I left home at age 16 so Iâ€™m assuming I was 15 years old when the picture was taken.

The venue was the Majorette Tavern in Mishawaka, Indiana, the band was the Choctaw Cowboys, the person playing bass was band leader Bob Reed, and the guitar player was Eddy Hopkins. The shirts probably came from Sears and I donâ€™t remember whose beer that was on the floor.

Craig Schwartz · Post by **Craig Schwartz** » 30 Aug 2013 5:22 am

I bet that beer was the base players , They really like beers, It drowns out the highs of the steel player, Ha

Howard Smith · Post by **Howard Smith** » 30 Aug 2013 7:09 am

Wow! This is the coolest thing about this forum...Buddy Emmons verifying the post/picture about himself, and anything else he wants to post period. Mr. Emmons you were the slickest looking guy on that stage as always. The first time I got to hear you play was at the only NAMM show ever in Atlanta, GA (1976). I wanted to play PSG ever since that moment. I stood their watching you play in that derby hat, perched way up in the air until my knees gave out. You were the first musician I saw, and the only one I remember when I walked through the doors. Richard is it true that drummers leave their drum sticks on the dash of their car so they can park in the handy cap spots?...

Bobby Bowman · Post by **Bobby Bowman** » 30 Aug 2013 7:14 am

Thanks Cheez.

BB

Daniel Policarpo · Post by **Daniel Policarpo** » 30 Aug 2013 9:22 am

Thank you Buddy Emmons! I had to look up the Fender Super Tube Tweed since I had never come across one in person.

A seller with a '52 in OK shape is asking about $3500,and I don't see any '49s for sale, so it's a pretty rare bird these days. According to this page,

http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/F ... s-821.aspx

the Super Tube Tweed's V-cab and 2-10" configuration were holdovers from the brief run of Dual Professionals,issued in '47, which are believed to be the first twin speaker combos manufactured by a large producer.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 30 Aug 2013 11:06 am

There's one on ebay right now, currently $3,250.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/INCREDIBLE-VINT ... 0868412206

Daniel Policarpo · Post by **Daniel Policarpo** » 30 Aug 2013 6:16 pm

That's a pretty nice specimen. I bet it was loud given what was available. Bet the bass player didn't give Buddy any volume trouble then, now, did he?
Ha!

Man, too cool that Buddy Emmons stopped by. Lets milk this thing!

Anybody have anything on Lloyd Green?

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 30 Aug 2013 6:26 pm

Anybody have anything on Lloyd Green?

Carl Mesrobian · Post by **Carl Mesrobian** » 30 Aug 2013 7:25 pm

Is he holding a slide and has picks on? Nice threads, and the shine on those shoes - whew!

Daniel Policarpo · Post by **Daniel Policarpo** » 30 Aug 2013 7:40 pm

nice Doug!
A Rick and an Oahu. Now, that's a sound. The amp's almost as big as Lloyd there and Carl's right, it looks for sure, that the bar is in one hand, and the picks are on the other. Looks like its wired in, too.

I gather Lloyd Green was a success story of the door to door Oahu sales campaign that was so intensive at that time?

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Before They Were Bigtime

Before They Were Bigtime

Sonny Curtis

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