Marrs Music tapes

clive swindell · Post by **clive swindell** » 3 Dec 2002 7:15 am

I have just bought a job lot of old tuition material from the 60s and 70s and in there are seven sets of two tapes each by people like Lloyd Green, Paul Franklin, Terry Crisp, Doug Jernigan, John Hughey, Mike Smith and George Edwards.

I have never seen mention of these tapes in any of the old steel magazines -does anyone know anything about them and were there any tab books produced to go with them.

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 3 Dec 2002 9:38 am

Clive...........

Are these tapes produced by Duane Marrs, the PSG builder, or "Marrs Music Co",an outlet store for music and electronics for the Musician ??

Many,many years ago, I run across a 1/4" tape (reel to reel) from Duane Marrs. I feel that it was a practic tape being developed for players at that time. On one side ,it had the back-up tracks only. on the other side,the Steel was playing the medlody along with the back-up too.

If these tapes are from the "Marrs Music Co", I'm not too sure about what they are worth......

(BTY) I really don't think "Marrs Music Co" was in exsistence durning the period I came across the reel to reel tapes.

clive swindell · Post by **clive swindell** » 5 Dec 2002 5:16 am

Hi Bill

The tapes are by Marrs Music Co, 626 S.Gallatin Rd, Madison, TN 37115.

I have only listened to part of the Lloyd Green tape 1 and it seems to be in the same format as the more recent Paul Franklin tapes - here is a lick and here is how to play it although in the case of Lloyd it is along the lines of here is the intro form say 'Borrowed Angels' and here are the frets and strings in order to play it etc.

The tapes are labelled 'Lessons 1 to 4 so I presume each side of each tape is in a similar format.

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 5 Dec 2002 6:34 am

Clive......

The tapes are by Marrs Music Co, 626 S.Gallatin Rd, Madison, TN 37115.

The tapes are from:
Duane Marrs, the PSG builder. At one time back in the early 70's, he had a shop located on Gallatin Rd at that address.

If there is any tab material for these tapes,I'm not aware of it. If the player is narrateing the song/intro,I truely don't think tab is an option.

As you got a "Job Lot" on the tapes,You really got a bargin. Ain't too many of those kind of finds left any more. All the listed players are super pickers,(I have meet and talked with most of them)great folks.

No, you proberly didn't see any mention of these tapes in the early Steel mags,as they were a local thing done here in "Nashburg". Durning the "early years", the Steel wasen't a "hot" item such as R&R,Blues,etc,etc that was just comming onto the market. So therefore the Steel wasen't promoted very well in the music rags of the time.

You got a goldmine. Wish I could have found it.

Bill

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 5 Dec 2002 7:29 am

Mike (Miguel) Smith may be able to tell you more about the tapes. I met Mike thru Duane in the mid-late 70s. I seem to recall that Duane was setting up some teaching facilities and taped lessons. Look up Mike's EMail and drop him a note if he doesn't chime in (pun intended) here.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 05 December 2002 at 10:44 AM.]

clive swindell · Post by **clive swindell** » 6 Dec 2002 3:45 am

Thanks Bill

I am quite willing to lend the tapes to anyone who wants to listen to them when I have had a chance to go through them. I dont think that any of the players mentioned would object - do you?

Wayne Cox · Post by **Wayne Cox** » 6 Dec 2002 3:18 pm

Larry Bell is correct about Mike Smith doing some instructional tapes through Duane's store. I know because I did some, also. Its been a long time ago, but I think the ones I did were centered on (what we now call) the "Extended E9th tuning." Another was on "Gadgetry". I demonstrated the Echoplex and some stomp pedals that had already evolved. To be honest, I haven't heard the tapes I did since the day I cut them. Mike demonstrates his E9 "Speed Picking" technique on his tapes. They are really great and would be just as timely and current, today, as the day he cut them. Sadly,since we are now in an age of digital electronics, my tapes would probably be very obsolete,now.

~~W.C.~~

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 6 Dec 2002 4:33 pm

I have the Mike Smith tapes. They are marked
Series 1303 and 1304. Four tapes (white) Advanced speed picking Lessons 1 thru 4.
I have had these for a long while and know they originated with Duane Marrs.
I really have not worked with them much. I prefer a combination of tab and talk through.
Saves a lot of time and repetition.

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Al Burk · Post by **Al Burk** » 6 Dec 2002 8:26 pm

clive,
I have some of these talk tapes. I mainly have Paul Franklin and Doug Jernigan. I only have lesson 3 & 4 of Mike Smith E9th I can not find 1 & 2. I taught myself steel by using these tapes and still use alot of the riffs. I will still listen to the tapes to keep refreshed on some of the riffs. I'm in the process of converting them to mp3s. Not only to save but make them easier to track. Some of the tapes got to hot and started sticking together. I had to painfully clean the tape to get it unstuck. I'm perty sure there were no tabs.
I would be interested in buying a copy of some of the ones I'm missing. Especially Terry Crisp and the first part of Mike Smith's E9th.

Al Burk