The Steel Guitar Forum

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FWIW , in answer to a question I asked him , Jerry sent me a letter stating that he played thru a "Volu-Tone" amp because he had heard Dick McIntire playing thru one and liked the sound !! I still have the letter that Jerry sent me . Eddie "C"

A great big thanks to Eddie Cunningham......for your recollections of JERRY BYRD's comments. I remember his words EXACTLY as you've stated.

My apologies to Carl Leyland......as I had no intention of becoming a focal point within YOUR fine post. Nor, did I have any intention of hy-jacking your post.

I had no intention of hy-jacking the post to discuss amps or 'ME' when it was 'about g'tars'. I'm sorry I took up so much of the post. It was, however, not my intention.

HOW did you 'know' that "I" would post later??? Humm?

MY AMP has not been MODIFIED! Nothing has been removed. It has been restored to 'as new' condition.

I'm happy to learn that altho' you've never seen it or played thro' it, that you've given your tacit approval "as SAFE" and not a hazardous model.
My amp was not made to be "SAFE" or "Non-lethal".

The 'local boy' to whom I referred, has sufficient electronic experience, I'd say, to be classified as a knowledgeable EXPERT. For more than ten years, he was the electronic angel for "THE GRATEFUL DEAD". His abode just north of San Francisco, is some ten hours from my domicile in Portland, Oregon.

He worked from factory schematics and informed me from the outset that he'd not install any kind of modern items in the amp and would use only the original factory pieces. He makes an exceptionally good living restoring original factory radios in expensive classic automobiles........and for musicians of his choice.

His shelves were neatly aligned with volume after volume of large factory, electronic manuals, quite similar to the majority of law offices and law libraries. This is in addition the cartons of tubes, etc.

As a matter of fact, I never heard anything about anyone referring to me as "Jerry Byrd's biggest stalker" and "Jerry Byrd's biggest leg-humper". I'm surprised that you would have taken note of same.

Like my good friend Eddie Cunningham has posted here,
Jerry Byrd told me he "wanted the same amp/equipment" that his idol Dick McIntire was playing at that time.

Your last question......... I saw he had one and I wanted to determine if Jerry's SOUND was the Bakelite Rick, the Volu-Tone amp, the special strings he used or just what. Until I acquired the Volu-Tone amp, part of the formula was incomplete.

You have a way of making my admiration of JERRY BYRD and his fabulous playing and recordings......sound just a litte bit nasty?

I undertand that "Scotty" is a lifetime fan of Jerry Byrd, as are countless other Forumites, so what's with the nasty jabbing at me?

I don't understand your mission. Perhaps you'd be kind enough to explain for my benefit?

Perhaps other Forumites might care to respond to your 'unkind' remarks about me and Jerry Byrd?

Ray Montee wrote: ...He worked from factory schematics and informed me from the outset that he'd not install any kind of modern items in the amp and would use only the original factory pieces.

...I saw he had one and I wanted to determine if Jerry's SOUND was the Bakelite Rick, the Volu-Tone amp, the special strings he used or just what. Until I acquired the Volu-Tone amp, part of the formula was incomplete.

I don't have any intention of entering into a nasty exchange, but I wanted to comment on two things you said, Ray. First, regarding original parts. When I was getting some work done on my National Electric Hawaiian (the model that became the New Yorker), the guy doing the work (freeing up stuck, scratchy pots) REFUSED to work with anything other than original parts - if I wanted any "modern" changes, he told me I should take it somewhere else. He wouldn't even replace the nut or saddle (some sort of plastic).

Your point about Jerry's sound... once you figured out the gear (guitar, amp, strings) formula, that just confirmed to you that the sound was all in his hands, right?

John Bushouse wrote:Your point about Jerry's sound... once you figured out the gear (guitar, amp, strings) formula, that just confirmed to you that the sound was all in his hands, right?

While you can certainly always tell it's JB playing, his sound changed greatly over the years while going thru a succession on guitars/amps/setups.
I too prefer the older sound he got with (now) antique equipment, never caring as much for his Sho-Bud days, but I'd give anything to have him still here and playing, even a mud pie.

I too like Jerry's 1950s-60s sound more than his later Sho-Bud sound. He was probably using a solid state amp by the late 70s/80s, no more tube amp. Oh well, that's progress!

He always preferred tubers and tried to stick with them, however in the studio he may have gone straight or with SS at times in the sterile Nashville days.

He eventually tossed his VT under the front porch and then left it there for many years.

Jerry Byrd told me personally.....actually a WARNING:
"NEVER go thro' the board, direct, regardless of who suggests it. You lose complete control of your own sound so don't do it! I did it once and will never do it again!"

Jerry's sound in the earlyl 1940's, and especially in the late 1940's and early 1950's with Ernest Tubb, Red Foley, Pete Cassels, Ernie Lee, Rex Allen, Red Kirk et al, were, in the opinion of many loyal Jerry Byrd fans, was some of the BEST "SOUND" Jerry Byrd ever produced.

Jerry confided in me just prior to his death, that he wished on many occasions, that he would have kept the first Ric and Volu-Tone amp as they had taken him to his artistic peak. He sounded somewhat remorseful about it.

If you haven't had the opportunity to hear a lot of music from that time, you haven't heard ANYTHING of real substance.