The Steel Guitar Forum

Duane,You should know by now ,Mr. Bill will NEVER,NEVER,NEVER, respond to a direct question,But you will notice he does not mind INQUIRING ABOUT YOUR LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY ON THE STEEL.For a long time he has been asked by myself and others to post something he has done on Mr. Tillys site.Won't cost him a penny to do so.The ONLY responce you will get is complete nonsense. BUT he will have more excuses than Lassie has fleas why he CAN'T do something like that. . YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

Edited!

Duane,

I've noticed that astute, discerning, and mildly opinionated personable forum members, linger in proximity with subject matters that are very well rehearsed. Rarely do they drift beyond the boudaries of familiarity, or would that be another useless preconceived notion? I'm tempted to follow the closely observed characteristics of the lot, by deliberately stressing the aircraft cable issue. It became very prominent in the 50's under the guidance of Leo Fender. (Correct me if I'm inaccurate in assuming this to be true). Paul Bigsby's cable creations have become valuable collector's items. Imagine, thrusting out your chin in the 50's when Leo and Paul were in their heydays; and proceeding to shoot down cable usage. The cables didn't flop! Manufacturers became guilty more or less of an oversight. I'd guess by now, you are beginning to realize that I'm advocating the use of aircraft cables in the construction of steel guitars.

Neither do I enjoy attempts to "capture" me by belittling and pointing out my suspected deficiencies.

Simply put, Bill, if you're gonna talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. Now which is it gonna be??

dbl post

Edited! Have a great day of practice!

Simply put, Bill, if you're gonna talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. Now which is it gonna be??

OK then, same as usual.....

Duane,See he just proved my point again big time. Will only respond to what he WANTS to,As much as he loves to practice 30 and 40 year old tunes,he should have at least one he could post for us. Maybe [pick me up] After 30 or 40 years of practice on one tune,even Elmer Fudd should be able to do a fair to middling job on it. Also ever notice when someone calls him out on the silly nonsense he spouts,Just like a five year old child, he wants to take his toys and go home then starts yelling for the thread to be closed. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

Edit: never mind.

Duane,

Need I remind you that the issue is concentrated on cable usage? And by gum, I'll not allow you or others who may share your feelings slip that one past me. I'm training my thoughts on the 50's, when the likes of Bigsby and Fender roamed the byways searching for new ideas. Their creations back then are worth big bucks today. Why? precision and skillful construction unsurpassed today.

Edit: never mind.

Edit: never mind.

Duane,

If you've had no experience with the Fender 1000, we might as well drop the subject of cables, for obvious reasons. To iterate, the argument is senseless, and will not lead to a satisfactory resolve. I've built several steel guitars before arriving at the one most faithful to me. Furthermore, my cellar at one time was literally a hospital for sick unplayable steel guitars, that required a lot of T.L.C. to bring them into a professional level of playability.

Edit: never mind.

I'm starting to debate (call it arguing if you prefer) less and less with people who are older or younger than me. They seem to know much more than me. Bill, when it comes to you I don't even come close.

Bill, I hated the guitar when I first picked it up at eight years old. The neck was too big for my hands, and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” was the best I could muster. My grandfather encouraged me to learn Chet-Atkins style and at age 12, things finally clicked.

I played locally in West Virginia and often opened for popular Nashville acts. When I spoke with the musicians in nationally-touring bands, they told me that the best way to get to Nashville without “being a bum” was to go to Belmont. I took their advice.

At age 20, I arrived on Belmont’s campus as a junior. “I did a lot more right than I knew I did right,” I was careful about labeling myself and first made a reputation on-campus as a guitar player. In my second year, I made Belmont’s Country Showcase and finally made it known that I was a steel player singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

During this time, I interned all over town in all aspects of the business. I had wonderful working experiences at ASCAP—where I met Chris Dubois—and at Atlantic Records.

When I was was at Belmont, I heard great lectures and advice from artists like Vince Gill, Amy Grant, and Stephen Curtis Chapman, so I knew the pressure would be on for some words of wisdom.

“The first thing I want to stress is that no one in Nashville knows what they are doing,” Record labels are scrambling: they have to distribute online to iTunes, but they also have to sell a product in stores, but those CD’s aren’t selling near as many as they used to.

I encouragd students to think outside of the box and throw things up against the wall to see what works. “However this is going to shake out, it’s going to be because of you,”

Regardless of which way the business actually turns, I believe that the foundation of everything will still be the music: continue to write and make good music, and the business will come.

Another one of my bits of advice: “One of my philosophies is if you’re gonna laugh about it later, why not just start now?”

Duane,See, He will NEVER answer a direct question.Not one,but will have plenty excuses NOT to.Like trying to get him to post ANY THING he has ever done,But he WILL question you or anyone else.Doubt if he will respond to this,if he does will just be his normal nonsense and BS. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

Duane,

A search back into earlier debates involving issues related to pedal steel guitars, for my part, would reveal the same pattern of reluctance to cave in to an assortment of bids to enter into mutual concessions. You see, I'm totally aware of the individual who will not, under any circumstances, come clean in the face of eye witnesses who can see clear through a "problematic" situation. Admitting that they favor contrariety, rather than becoming supportive, is a drag that hinders those who may take long range views of what lies ahead. Experience can be very costly in some situations, where a lack of cooperation by impatient persons, seals the fate of progress. It's unbelievable how much can be lost by misguidance, and the lack of truth sharing.

Edited: never mind.

Gentleman!!! And I use the term loosely.This is a Forum,set up to be a help,a knowlege gain and a means of communication amongst those who own and play the Steel Guitar, or are friends of the instrument..Why is it when one man uses his Forum privleges to express his thoughts, a certain 5 or 6 seem to target his writings and him personally?..I realize that one does not have to be an adult to participate but some sure make it hard to distinguish their maturity having to have b0b babysit and decipher FORUM RULES constantly..A gentle ribbing would be fair but a constant attacking of ones character does that make anyone feel better? It's ok not to agree with someone or something they don't understand..Are Bill Hankeys threads the only ones that certain people feel they are duty bound to pounce on? [/b][/i]

Duane,

Even a child can, in some instances provoke the most patient adult. Adults confronting adults with assumptions and unproven theories can give rise to all sorts of twisted facts and figures. There will always be a better way to accomplish an end. Lacking a formal education, places me in a losing position, when I'm confronted by steel guitarists who have degrees in education plastered everywhere for the benefit of those contemplating further schoolwork. Of course, I'm in that category of losers trying to observe how adept, educated, and certain, folks like you can afford the time to mingle in our midst.

Edit: misunderstanding, damage control.

Duane,I did not mention names or try to single you out for that I'm truly sorry..I sent you an e-mail before you posted..Joe

Bill, stop feeling sorry for yourself. As I said in the beginning, no one here is responsible for your satisfaction when it comes to feedback. You've had many people try to help you, but you have to work with them in order to get that done. Contrariety is not the key to success when it comes to finding new pursuits in steel guitar technology or proficiency.

Even look at the issue of cables... Is it a dead technology? No, and no one is saying that. Is it possible that there are new ways of applying cables to the job that might work well? Sure. But just because they've fallen out of favor, for one reason or another, doesn't mean that anyone is sweeping them under the rug...and to cite some disadvantages (or lack of advantages) of cable systems is not an affront against pioneer manufacturers, nor is it an act of co-conspiracy.

I really, honestly don't know what you expect from people.

Duane,

Perhaps the best method of managing this obvious clash of personalities that has materialized between us, would be to assume that a "To each his own", positive, point of view would absolve written messages that tend to wither the most sincere approaches to reason. These exchanges serve no useful purposes, other than to extinguish good intentions. I had explained earlier that my bondings with steel guitarists have rewarded me in many different ways. It has been about 6 years since the last "MASSBASH", located here in Western Massachusetts. The practice of inviting guests to perform on the steel guitar grew out out of a system of trust and honesty. Assisted by many friends, the shows culminated into a very respectable annual event. Virtually 25 shows have helped in having the ability to present some of the finest players in the land. I'm still the same person who advocated their growth in the interest of cultural activities.