Tolerance and Intolerance

Ken Thompson · Post by **Ken Thompson** » 30 Nov 2004 1:58 pm

Way to go Fred. I am in my early 50's and play in a young band. We have two other steel players in our community that are in their 70s. Everyone tells me that I am the best around. I know that is only because I play what is on the radio now. The truth is, and I tell them so, that I could not carry the other two steeler's guitars. They get more out of a chord than I ever will. They are the masters and I am still the novice. It is just a different style and has very little to do with ability. There is never an excuse to be rude and I applaud you. I could care less what tuning a person uses or if he even knows what note the strings are. If it sounds good and he can play it than I am a fan.

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 30 Nov 2004 7:08 pm

Fred-You old dog. Pretty clever. I can see where you have a pretty foolproof tuning.
Looks like good for Sacred and Dobro. and with the pedals just about anything else.

That is close to my old Gibson Electra-Harp 8 string E6 with just C#'s stuck in there between the E's and B's. Hang in there Kid....al

------------------
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 1 Dec 2004 6:03 pm

Fred, you did good. I've learned to ignore anyone who makes foolish judgements based on a player's tunings or equipment.

They kinda remind me of the empty-headed young girl who'll only date a guy that has a new car, or the equally empty-headed young man, who won't date a girl unless she has big boobs.

As Mae West once said..."It ain't whatcha got, but whatcha can do with it!"

Scott Henderson · Post by **Scott Henderson** » 1 Dec 2004 6:30 pm

Fred I hope The youngin learned a lesson in humility from. you way to go dude. And as far as the vet benefit and what you did as a vet

THANKS!!!

------------------
Steelin' away in the ozarks and life,
Scott
www.scottyhenderson.com

Gary C. Dygert · Post by **Gary C. Dygert** » 2 Dec 2004 9:00 am

Way to go, Fred. The guy really showed his ignorance.

Chuck Cusimano · Post by **Chuck Cusimano** » 2 Dec 2004 9:32 am

Fred, I second the heartfelt THANKS from a Vet.
I see a lot of bad manners out there anymore from young folks, and I blame their parents. They'll eventually get STRAIGHTENED out some day when Daddy or Mamma ain't around to protect them from the comeupance that is certainly in their future. You mentioned that you do or did rope calves, well I team rope and I see a huge lack of horsemanship, etiquite, and respect from the younger community. The shame is, the younguns could learn a bunch from some of us OLD FARTS.........in or out of the arena, or on or off the bandstand.
Again, THANKS from another VietNam Vetran!

Bill Beall · Post by **Bill Beall** » 2 Dec 2004 10:46 am

Ditto everything that Scott and Chuck said. I'm another Viet era vet. Never was much of a calf roper, though. I was a steer dogger til my left foot jammed in the sand and my left knee went in directions it wasn't supposed to.

Bill

nuthin'sings like a steel

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 2 Dec 2004 12:34 pm

Fred, i ain't a vet, nor a ropper or an old dog but like you and many of us here, seem to put up w: a lot of intolerance nowadays.
and not just from young un's
must be a sign of the times

doo doo unter others as they doo unto you
ain't this boogie a mess ?

Ron Sodos · Post by **Ron Sodos** » 2 Dec 2004 2:09 pm

Young and stupid usually go together. The audience that applauded you they are the smart ones. There are so many different tunings that are up to the player. What sounds you hear is what matters. The audience that liked the sounds is what matters. Keep up the "joyful noise".
Ron Sodos
Albuquerque NM

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 2 Dec 2004 9:54 pm

Hey you guys thanks for the kudos. I'm sure his momma weaned him late. He'll grow up soon I hope. He would if he had talked to our fiddle player like that. He's a big 'un.

fred[This message was edited by Fred Shannon on 02 December 2004 at 09:54 PM.]

Tony Orth · Post by **Tony Orth** » 3 Dec 2004 9:50 am

Fred,

Perhaps, someday, we'll get to hear the rest of the story. On the oft chance this young wippersnapper grows up to be some kind of accomplished musician, he may very well remember that day he learned an important lesson about music, about respecting people, and about appreciating diversity. And he'll tell that story over and over to others.

Well...maybe. Only time will tell.

Best Wishes
Tony[This message was edited by Tony Orth on 03 December 2004 at 09:50 AM.]

Toby Rider · Post by **Toby Rider** » 4 Dec 2004 2:27 pm

Fred, you're my hero of the week (and I'm a young guy)

All I can say is that I can't believe he was a Texan. I was born & raised in Pampa (I'm sure all you panhandle boys know exactly where that is), and I'm currently living here in LA for work.

People here are rude to me all the time. I mostly let it roll off my back, because I think to myself that nobody back home would be that rude to me, and because I figure that these city folks just never had the same kind of raisin that I did.

I'm very disappointed that someone would be rude like that, back in God's country. Especially at a show to honor Veterans! (Desert Storm Veteran)[This message was edited by Toby Rider on 04 December 2004 at 02:32 PM.]

Ryan Giese · Post by **Ryan Giese** » 4 Dec 2004 8:22 pm

The exact same thing has happened to me just the other way around. It was a couple years ago when I was just starting out on a 1948 Supro lap steel at a little Steel Guitar Jam in the valley. Anyways, I was about 13 or so, and when they called me up the drummer saterted laughing a little and gave me a really wierd look... After I was done playing, the drumeer was standing up clapping... I thought that was pretty cool. [This message was edited by Ryan Giese on 04 December 2004 at 08:38 PM.]

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 5 Dec 2004 6:52 am

Well thanks all you former doggers, ropers, healers and headers. White hair and wisdom are seldom ever admired or listened to until adulthood, and that from one who has made the trip alone and suffered all the pitfalls life brings. I know that because it took me nearly 60 years to realize.

Ryan, don't forget drummers are just folks that hang around musicians, and he probably just "woke up" from a long winter's nap. Don't put too much stock in the applause.

As was once stated here on the Forum, " I once knew a good drummer, but he died". Just foolin' you skin beaters.

I would like for this "newbie" to have the opportunity to rake his fingers across the strings of an old friend who plays an old Mullen D12. I haven't seen someone wear a steel guitar chrome leg for a necktie in a long while. His name is Richie Dell. I was wishing that Richie would show up at the benefit and I was gonna' tell the super picker to go over and see what kind of tuning Richie was using. Junior Knight can verify that little episode would have been worth selling tickets to.

Thanks again for the posts.

fred

------------------
"From Truth, Justice is Born"--Quanah Parker-1904

Emmett Roch · Post by **Emmett Roch** » 6 Dec 2004 2:48 pm

Richie definitely has a way of making himself understood.

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 6 Dec 2004 2:59 pm

Emmett, definitely true. It woulda' been worth the price of the ticket.

When you comin' home? We miss you over here. Still playing the GFI?

fred

------------------
"From Truth, Justice is Born"--Quanah Parker-1904

Emmett Roch · Post by **Emmett Roch** » 6 Dec 2004 3:23 pm

Yep, still pickin' the GFI, she's been a good 'un. She's stuck with me through two marriages and two countries.

I might as well chime in here too, since my tuning isn't exactly legal. Strings 1-8 are, but my 9th is B and my 10th is G#. Works for me.

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 6 Dec 2004 3:30 pm

Emmett, sounds good to me. The little shrimp is from around Jal, NM, or Seminole Texas. I never did find out his name, but he's playing with a band out of Levelland, or somewhere in that area, I think. I can guarantee you'll never hear of him on an album.

He's that good.

fred

------------------
"From Truth, Justice is Born"--Quanah Parker-1904

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 7 Dec 2004 1:03 pm

That tuning looks pretty good to me. In some ways it's similar to a basic 10 string sacred steel tunings, the biggest difference being that they typically don't have a low G# and instead have a doubled middle E, and they typically wouldn't have a high G#, and instead would have a D as the second string. There's a lot of music on that instrument, that's for sure.

In any case, the steel pretender who dissed you was probably treated that way by some hot shot, so he thought he would try it out on a bigger dog.