Al Perkins, 1981

John Ummel · From: Arlington, WA.

Just listened to 1981 LP "God Loves Country Music" which featured Al Perkins on pedal steel, as well as Bernie Leadon on guitar & banjo, & Chris Hillman & Richie Furay each doing a lead vocal. Al's tone on the steel is so smooth. Its how I hear steel in my head.
Anyone know what kind of steel Al would have been playing in 1981? I love THAT tone!

Greg Simmons · From: where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave

John, I'm thinking it would have been a ZB; don't know if Al was playing an Anapeg then.

------------------
“I always knew that there was something out there that I needed to get to.
And it wasn't where I was at that particular moment."
-Bob Dylan

Russ Tkac · Posted 8 Mar 2006 7:53 pm

I believe that would be a ZB.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

'81 would have been his ZB.

Al's tone is scary no matter what he plays. His tone on the Burritos stuff and Mannassas is just stellar out of his E7-tuned long-scale Fender 1000, with a simple 3/2 copedent. Interestingly, though the instruments are similar his tone is different than Sneaky Pete's is on his 400.

Jody Sanders · From: Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.

I met Al Perkins in Odessa Tx, in 1954. He and Bobby Tuttle were taking lessons frpm Al Petty. Even then, he was a great little player and had excellent tone, Jody.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Its his ZB D-11. I also believe that the Manasas recordings were also on his ZB. I think he told me in his interview for Steel Guitar World that when he got his ZB he traded his Fender 1000, and there was no going back. He said he had to get use to the ZB immediately. Now you know why I play a ZB.
Its that sound.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

"I also believe that the Manasas recordings were also on his ZB"

Pictures show him playing the 1000. He might have gotten the ZB somewhere during the Mannassas tour time, but the recordings are almost assuredly the 1000. One live boot I have has to be the 1000 - very distinctive tone and certain E7 tuning things.

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

A photo of Al Perkins with Manassas, dated 1972, appears in a recent issue of Uncut magazine - a ZB sits lonely behind him while he strums on a Stratocaster. The pic looks like it was taken during a TV appearance.

John Ummel · From: Arlington, WA.

Thanks fer all the great info guys.
I'm gonna look for the Manassas stuff with Al.
I have a 2-LP set of Burrito Bros that has a couple of cuts with Al on steel.

Greg Simmons · From: where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave

From the FAQ on Al's website -

quote:

On which track did you play on Exile on Main St.?

'Torn & Frayed' on a newly acquired 11 stg ZB Custom from Tom Brumley. Much higher strings from the fretboard than the Fender 1000, closer together, and several more floor/knee pedals to learn and try to get comfortable with, appx 10 more, as I recall! Needless to say, I had to play it safe. My Fender 1000 was already sold to a friend back to Texas.

------------------
“I always knew that there was something out there that I needed to get to.
And it wasn't where I was at that particular moment."
-Bob Dylan

[This message was edited by Greg Simmons on 09 March 2006 at 09:42 PM.]

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Thanks Greg. Thats what Al related to me also. I opened for the Burritos in 71 when Al was still playing his 1000. I was amazed at what he did with that tuning.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

I set that tuning up on one neck of my 1000, using a couple pedals in place of knee levers for the moment. It's really a fun one for country rock stuff - I seem to be able to find things almost automatically on it. The two lowest strings are a bit baffling, but I'll keep messing with it and see what happens.

I still swear I've seen a Manassas pic somewhere with the 1000, but I'll be darned if I can locate it. I know at first Al was freaked by the string height and spacing on the ZB compared to the Fender - funny, the spacing is one of the main reasons I don't play a 10-string. Anyway, I think I'll shoot Al a note and ask when he switched over exactly...it'd be interesting to find out. He actually gave me some tips on that tuning recently, even though he hasn't played it in years. A really nice man.

Added - sis some more checking, and looks like the Manassas stuff MUST be the ZB. Wonder what amp he was using? Kevin, does yours get that Fendery tone as well when you want it to??

BTW, also discovered there's a 40-minute Manassa DVD available - it's live in the studio, with no audience. That's something I need to order....

[This message was edited by Jim Sliff on 10 March 2006 at 04:52 PM.]

tom anderson · From: leawood, ks., usa

I have a bootleg from 1972 with Al playing with the Burrito's on WMMR-about an hour set, & he only plays the steel - after their "Flying Burrito Brothers" album (the blue one), but before "Last of the Red Hot Burrito's" & his playing is just wonderful. He picks right up where Sneaky left off & emulates his playing without imitating it. It's a shame that Chris Hillman or Al or A&M doesn't release that material. It is definately the best live Burrito's I ever heard.

[This message was edited by tom anderson on 10 March 2006 at 08:12 PM.]

Russ Tkac · Posted 10 Mar 2006 6:40 pm

The picture on the inside of the Manassas album has Al at the Fender.

I met him in 1974 backstage at an SHF band concert. Great player and nice man

[This message was edited by Russ Tkac on 10 March 2006 at 06:42 PM.]

John Ummel · From: Arlington, WA.

From the liner notes of "Close Up The Honky Tonks" The Flying Burrito Bros. 1968-1972:
"Al Perkins, a thoroughly reasonable human being...."

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

"The picture on the inside of the Manassas album has Al at the Fender."

THAT'S the one I was thinking of. Sheesh, all Ineeded to do was pick up the record sitting 5 feet from me.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Jim,I guess I'm wrong. You would know better
being a Fender owner. I can get the Fender sound on the thin tap, but it sounds like Al used his fender on that album. He was amazing on it. Its interesting. Al Perkins was the first live pedal steel player I ever saw. I was a nineteen year old drummer full of salt and vineger. The Burrittos showed me what real musicians were. I swore that I would play that instrument someday because of Al. Al's incentive to get his ZB was Tom Brumley. My incentive to get my ZB were both Al and Tom. They are my heros. I keep their licks alive every weekend. I study them both.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

I like both those guys as well. I'm not (as you know) a huge country fan, but I really like Brumley's work with Buck Owens and Rick Nelson, both of whom are country-rockers IMO. I went back and listened to some ZB-played stuff and it really is kind of close to a Fender tone with more sustain. I was kind of surprised. Maybe another reason they both went that way after playing 1000's. Hopefully I can try one someday - it'd be interesting to see if I could handle the string spacing, becase the tone is certainly there. somebody in the business I forget who) told me to steer clear of them for mechanical reasons, though. Any basis for that thought?

[This message was edited by Jim Sliff on 11 March 2006 at 08:18 AM.]

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Jim, some of the ZB players have our own info thread over on the pedal Steel section. I sold some of the most beautiful Sho-Buds and Emmons p/ps to get into ZB's. They are like owning a vintage Jaguar. You better know how to work on them mechanicly if you are gooing to own one or you could be frustrated. . When they are modified and adjusted out properly they play near as good as any modern guitar. The fun is in the tinkering with them. If they are not adjusted properly they can be unstable and play stiff. The good news is that when they are set up correctly they pretty much stay that way for good. There are no intermediary springs or connectors to slip. Alot of them are great sounding guitars. Some of them aren't. I play a restored 68 that has Zane Beck wound pickups in it. I wouldn't play any other guitar (except maybe a Zum or Fulawka). For me that Bakersfield sound did it.

Brendan Mitchell · From: Melbourne Australia

I have just been listening to some of Manassas "Down The Road" I had forgot what an impact that record had on me especially in regards to pedal steel . Before this I was aware of the steel but this one really made me sit up . Al Perkins plays beautiful country stuff and his country rock playing defines the genre IMHO .Thanks Al .

Russ Tkac · Posted 12 Mar 2006 5:29 am

Jim,

I think you would find the string spaceing on a ZB to be fine. I go between my ZB and Fender and sound just as bad on both. The ZB lets me miss the licks I'm trying to play with easier pedal action!

Al played some great stuff on the Gram Parsons albums as well.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

" go between my ZB and Fender and sound just as bad on both."

...and a mouthful of Sunday morning coffee spews onto the screen.....

Kevin nailed what I was thinking - the mention of "Bakersfield sound". To me, that's the Fendery tone that transfers well to non-country playing lik blus and rock stuff, as opposed to what I hear as the"Nashville sound" that's more...hmm, don't know how to exactly describe it, except it's kind of neutral in nature - not a bad sound, but more "uncolored" and more sustained.

Boy, do I understand the Jaguar reference. I have a '63 and it took along time to dial it in, but now it's stable as a rock and plays like a dream with no buzzing or rattles. But if you don't know it inside-out you're dead. Funny, but my son's a recording engineer and when a band is in the studio with a Jag he calls me for setup tips before they use it.

I've seen that long ZB thread...I'll poke around just for fun.

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