Emmon's practical joke

About Steel Guitarists and their Music

Moderators: Dave Mudgett, Brad Bechtel

Post Reply
User avatar
Bill McCloskey
Posts: 7719
Joined: 5 Jan 2005 1:01 am
Location: Nanuet, NY
Contact:

Emmon's practical joke

Post by Bill McCloskey »

I'm going through my instructional books and I see a copy of The Emmons Guitar Company presents "Learn to play the pedal Steel guitar on the 10 string E9th tuning", instructor Buddy Emmons.

Oh good, let's see what I can learn from old Buddy. Open the first page, yep: there is the E9th copedent and instructions on how to read the tab.

Turn to the first tune...an old favorite. Steel Guitar Rag.

I start to play....hmmmm. Something isn't right. What the heck is Buddy trying to tell me? Is this a John CAge arrangement of Steel Guitar rag?

Then it dawned on me. I played it on C6. Worked just fine. Someone at Emmons stapled the wrong covers on the Buddy Emmons instruction book!!
Last edited by Bill McCloskey on 10 Mar 2025 4:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Rose Extended C6: Cabinet by J.R. Rose with mechanics engineered by Darvin Willhoite.
Williams D10 9x9.
Mullen Pre-RP D10 8x5
Desert Rose S10 4x5
User avatar
Chris Templeton
Posts: 3026
Joined: 25 Sep 2012 4:20 pm
Location: The Green Mountain State

Re: Buddy Emmon's practical joke

Post by Chris Templeton »

Another Buddy practical joke: At the end of a long week of Buddy teaching C6th at Jeffran ('86?), Buddy put a tape recorder, with a timer under the bunkhouse set to go off about 3 in the morning. The tape had Buddy playing licks.
He was experimenting with subliminal teaching.
Steve Paloucek and Mike Daly were there.
Excel 3/4 Pedal With An 8 String Hawaiian Neck, Sierra Tapper (10 string with a raised fretboard to fret with fingers), Single neck Fessenden 3/5
"The Tapper" : https://christophertempleton.bandcamp.c ... the-tapper
Soundcloud Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/bluespruce8:
User avatar
Don R Brown
Posts: 2882
Joined: 27 Dec 2011 9:20 am
Location: Rochester, New York, USA

Re: Buddy Emmon's practical joke

Post by Don R Brown »

I know Buddy was famous for gags and pranks, but I'm trying to understand how someone stapling the wrong covers on the book is a Buddy Emmons practical joke. Unless you're trying to say Buddy himself did it deliberately.
Many play better than I do. Nobody has more fun.
User avatar
Bill McCloskey
Posts: 7719
Joined: 5 Jan 2005 1:01 am
Location: Nanuet, NY
Contact:

Re: Buddy Emmon's practical joke

Post by Bill McCloskey »

I doubt Buddy was stapling the books, Don. Just a funny story. I've changed the title to Emmon's practical joke. :)
Rose Extended C6: Cabinet by J.R. Rose with mechanics engineered by Darvin Willhoite.
Williams D10 9x9.
Mullen Pre-RP D10 8x5
Desert Rose S10 4x5
User avatar
Chris Templeton
Posts: 3026
Joined: 25 Sep 2012 4:20 pm
Location: The Green Mountain State

Re: Emmon's practical joke

Post by Chris Templeton »

In Buddy's basement, he had a room that he assembled all his Swing Shift/Step One TAB, CD's. mailers, etc. for shipping,
Excel 3/4 Pedal With An 8 String Hawaiian Neck, Sierra Tapper (10 string with a raised fretboard to fret with fingers), Single neck Fessenden 3/5
"The Tapper" : https://christophertempleton.bandcamp.c ... the-tapper
Soundcloud Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/bluespruce8:
User avatar
Bill McCloskey
Posts: 7719
Joined: 5 Jan 2005 1:01 am
Location: Nanuet, NY
Contact:

Re: Emmon's practical joke

Post by Bill McCloskey »

So maybe Buddy DID staple the wrong covers on. That makes it even funnier.
Rose Extended C6: Cabinet by J.R. Rose with mechanics engineered by Darvin Willhoite.
Williams D10 9x9.
Mullen Pre-RP D10 8x5
Desert Rose S10 4x5
User avatar
Don R Brown
Posts: 2882
Joined: 27 Dec 2011 9:20 am
Location: Rochester, New York, USA

Re: Buddy Emmon's practical joke

Post by Don R Brown »

Bill McCloskey wrote: 10 Mar 2025 4:23 pm I doubt Buddy was stapling the books, Don. Just a funny story. I've changed the title to Emmon's practical joke. :)
I doubt it too, :wink: Bill, but it IS a funny story.
Many play better than I do. Nobody has more fun.
User avatar
Ernie Renn
Posts: 3484
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Brainerd, Minnesota USA
Contact:

Re: Emmon's practical joke

Post by Ernie Renn »

I don't recall an Emmons Guitar Learn to Play course that had Buddy teaching Steel Guitar Rag. Maybe John Hughey, Russ Hicks, Jimmie Crawford or Doug Jernigan taught that one. Buddy wasn't part of the 52 Week courses...
My best,
Ernie
Image
www.BuddyEmmons.com
User avatar
Bill McCloskey
Posts: 7719
Joined: 5 Jan 2005 1:01 am
Location: Nanuet, NY
Contact:

Re: Emmon's practical joke

Post by Bill McCloskey »

Here you go Ernie. Maybe they put a Buddy Emmons cover on a John Hughey lesson. :D
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Rose Extended C6: Cabinet by J.R. Rose with mechanics engineered by Darvin Willhoite.
Williams D10 9x9.
Mullen Pre-RP D10 8x5
Desert Rose S10 4x5
User avatar
Ernie Renn
Posts: 3484
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Brainerd, Minnesota USA
Contact:

Re: Emmon's practical joke

Post by Ernie Renn »

If you could copy the tab and the audio, I’d pay you for it.

(If you have an iPhone download Genius Scan. It works pretty good for scanning tab.)

Mail it to dirtprod@yahoo.com

Thank you!
My best,
Ernie
Image
www.BuddyEmmons.com
User avatar
Bill McCloskey
Posts: 7719
Joined: 5 Jan 2005 1:01 am
Location: Nanuet, NY
Contact:

Re: Emmon's practical joke

Post by Bill McCloskey »

Hi Ernie. There is no audio, just the book
Rose Extended C6: Cabinet by J.R. Rose with mechanics engineered by Darvin Willhoite.
Williams D10 9x9.
Mullen Pre-RP D10 8x5
Desert Rose S10 4x5
User avatar
Ernie Renn
Posts: 3484
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Brainerd, Minnesota USA
Contact:

Re: Emmon's practical joke

Post by Ernie Renn »

Please send me a copy! Digital is fine.

Thanks!
My best,
Ernie
Image
www.BuddyEmmons.com
Post Reply

Return to “Steel Players”