The Tapper Demo And Development

[Chris Templeton]

The Tapper developement happened when I heard Gene Fields playing a pedal steel with a raised fretboard at Scotty's as well as Thumbs Carlyle playing guitar on his lap, a few years at Scotty's.
I was at Nashville luthier, Joe Glaser's shop, around '89 or '90, and he handed me a fretboard that could fit on a ten string pedal steel fretboard. He had given it to Paul Franklin who had given it back to Joe.
I was out in California and I stopped to see Tom Bradshaw, in Concord and he put on the fretboard on my Dekely C6 neck by drilling holses around the fretboard for allen screws that could move on the screws, if needed,, put the right amount of foam under the fretboard to keep upward pressure that overrode any downward prussure from fretting or Tapping.
I was still hankering for a second compensated bridge to keep things in tune I enlisted help from Sierra and Ned Steinberger, who made the blueprints that Sierra Sierra used the make the Tapper parts.
Tom Baker a Don Christensen at Sierra really came through for me.
What's especially nice for me is that the licks are fresh:
https://soundcloud.com/bluespruce8/tapper

[Chris Templeton]

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[Joe A. Roberts]

Hi Chris, the soundcloud link is not working for me "This track was not found. Maybe it has been removed"

[Chris Templeton]

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[Fred Treece]

I am astounded every time I listen to one of your tapper tracks. You call this one a “demo”, and maybe it is, but it’s also quite a psychedelic trip. Have you shown the Tapper to Jeff Watson, of Night Ranger? Or maybe Stanley Jordan? I think they would be very intrigued with your invention.

[Chris Templeton]

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[Chris Templeton]

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[Chris Templeton]

Judging from the amount of views and barely a comment I must say that most of the time, I usually play the Tapper clean and without fuzz or distortion. I posted this to hear how it can sound.
I use an E-66 on the steel neck.
I have minimal knowledge about pickups, and Danny Shields made a modular pickup for the Tapper and love the sound of it. If anyone has info about Danny, I'd love to hear more about him.

[J D Sauser]

Judging from the amount of views and barely a comment I must say that most of the time, I usually play the Tapper clean and without fuzz or distortion. I posted this to hear how it can sound.
I use an E-66 on the steel neck.
I have minimal knowledge about pickups, and Danny Shields made a modular pickup for the Tapper and love the sound of it. If anyone has info about Danny, I'd love to hear more about him.

Chris, it's not the number of replies that would indicate the lack of interest or reading. I don't comment on most threads I read. Still, some have me up and going to the guitar and "see if".
I think that your example evidently not only shows prowess but also is in a musical style that maybe some will not find words to comment about.
I believe to be able to "see thru" all the distortion and wha-wha screams and say to myself "well, interesting... I don't think I just can sit at my steel and do THAT!"

I've seen Gene Fields' guitar at one of the late 90's shows (I would guess in Dallas) on his tri-legged Fender PS210. I was more interested in the seat-leg and the general thinking behind the PS210 than the fact that he had a smaller neck in the back with very much raised frets he showed me he'd play with his hands instead of the bar. Thinking "Interesting" is as far I took the idea and concentrated again on the guitar itself. My bad.
GF was willing to comment shortly 'bout this'n'that, but didn't strike me as very talkative or interested in winning people over to his ideas. I think he has an immense history of creativity and individual thinking. Similar to Bud Carter, a genius who rather keeps to himself.

... J-D.

[Chris Templeton]

I saw that guitar in Dallas, either at Carter or at the the Dallas Jamboree. Gene was a master of innovation. I wonder what innovations he conjured up that didn't make it to production?

[Greg Vincent]

As soon as you add frets, you are committing to Equal Temperament, are you not?

[Greg Vincent]

[Double post]

[Larry Dering]

I watched Gene do his tapping magic at several steel shows. I was of course intrigued by his technique and skill. Gene was a genius builder and fine musician.

[David Phillips]

Wow!
Cool Chris!

[Ron Funk]

Chris

Sent you a PM

Do you have a video ( or two ) that you can provide link to?

Thanks