Len Ryder

About Steel Guitarists and their Music

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Darvin Willhoite
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Len Ryder

Post by Darvin Willhoite »

Have any of you ever heard of this guy? I think he was originally from Canada.

This album popped up in an Ebay search a few weeks ago and I remembered seeing it about 45 years ago in my uncle's collection, but I had never heard it. My last living uncle, Jerry (John) Ott played bass and sang a couple of songs he wrote on this album. It was recorded live in 1966 at the New Frontier club on Waikiki beach. It sounds like Len was a really good player, singer, and band leader. This album sounds really good for a live recording from 1966. Looks like he's playing a triple neck Bigsby maybe? I hear a lot of Speedy West in his playing. This was a really neat find, especially with my family connection to it.

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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, as well as some older MSAs, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Recently added a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored blue Rose, named the "Blue Bird" to the herd. Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic again that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also added a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks.
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Dave Mudgett
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Post by Dave Mudgett »

Probably forum member Len Ryder - https://bb.steelguitarforum.com//profil ... ile&u=2087 - who is from Penticton B.C.
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Darvin Willhoite
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Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
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Post by Darvin Willhoite »

Well, that makes sense, I never thought to see if he was on the Forum. Thanks Dave.
Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, as well as some older MSAs, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Recently added a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored blue Rose, named the "Blue Bird" to the herd. Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic again that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also added a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks.
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J R Rose
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Location: Keota, Oklahoma, USA

Post by J R Rose »

Good catch Darvin. so you brought the LP off ebay? Good story also. The guitar could also be an early day Sho-Bud?? No end caps, wrap around wood. Thanks for sharing, J.R.
Black Performance SD-10, 2002. Peavey LTD 400 with 15" Eminence EPS 15-C, Sho-Bud Seat, Goodrich L-120 Pedal, Sho-Bud Bar, Picks, Cords. Nothing else.
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Jim R. Harrison
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Location: North Vancouver, B. C., Canada

Post by Jim R. Harrison »

Dave, you are right that Len does live in Penticton now. He moved from Princeton, BC some years ago but was originally from Surrey, BC, a few miles East of Vancouver. Here are some photos I've taken of Len. The first was taken in the early '60's in Vancouver before he played pedal steel. That's his cousin, Ernie Straiton on lead guitar.

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I took this picture at the B.C. Steel Guitar Show in Okanagan Falls, B.C. You can see that he's playing a Sho~Bud.

The last photo was taken in Mission (?), B.C. in 2006 when Len, along with 'Cuz Ern' and others were inducted into the B.C. Country Music Hall of Fame.

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Len Ryder
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Location: Penticton B.C.

Post by Len Ryder »

That really is a long time back. Muriel and her sister Shiela who replaced har when Muriel married both died from cancer. A number of years back. John Ott on bass is now an ordained Minister in Oregon.
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