The Steel Guitar Forum

Many thanks to Carl Dixon for your explanation on my questions. Carl, I don't know if you were ever an educator, but you really have a gift at explaining things so they can be understood. I now understand what Kayton was doing in "pulling the strings." To bad I didn't get to see him perform this feat. And the Stevens bar is something I believe I have seen many years ago.

Thanks for your help. You are an asset to the Forum to all who want to learn.

God bless

oj hicks

one of my favorite Kayton Roberts solos is on "Snow in Hawaii" album.. the cut Little Grass Shack. He starts off with the melody, and in the middle takes a left turn into an incredible slow mangled chord slide that'll give ya goosebumps.

I had the opportunity in a band I was in to open for Snow with Roberts two nights in a row back in the early 70's. We opening act young'n's were piled on top of each other in the wings watching Roberts' technical mastery both nights. Kayton was digging the attention and was "hot dogging" a bit- to the point that Snow stopped the show and said basically "If my steel player will calm down maybe we can get on with this..."

He was pulling behind the bar with such acuracy you'd swear it was a pedal change...

I remember playing in Millersport Ohio on a show in the late 60s with Hank Snow. In the dressing room Kayton was playing some pretty stuff on the flat top. Meeting again several years later, he truly is a nice man & what a talent.

The liner notes on my copy of Snow in Hawaii state that Jerry Byrd is the syeel player. I'll check with Jerry and let you know. cc

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I haven't heard from Jerry yet however I quote from a 27 yr old article;"Joe Talbot was sheduled to play on this album but at this last moment he pulled out and Jerry played". I also have a video of the opry in which Hank sings a song from the album and he says" Who can cut a hawaiian album without the master of the six silver strings, Mr Jerry Byrd" and Byrd kicked off the song. I believe Jimmy Crawford was Hank's regular steel player at that time.

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I don't claim to be correct on this- I was making an assumption from Kayton's long tenure with Hank (and a comment by another non pedaler a while a go in a alcohol laced conversation) that it was him on the album. I would love to know for sure if it is JB or KR or even someone else not under discussion. Cause it's a great solo no matter who played it!

Jerry Byrd recorded a few songs with Hank Snow, but not for sure which ones.

I wrote Byrd years ago and he stated in a return letter that he had recorded with Hank, but wasn't sure which songs he had done with him. He suggested that Jim Farmer may have recorded some tunes with him.

Of course Jim Farmer was with Marty Robbins for years. Byrd too recorded several songs with Marty, and even done a guest appearance on one of Marty's television episodes. He played accoustic dobro guitar, and he and Marty done a few skits on that show.

Kayton Roberts filled the bill with Hank or he wouldn't have played with him so long. I love Kayton's playing!

Terry J. Wood
3 Nails + 1 Cross = 4 Given

In answer to who played steel on the Hank Snow album "Snow in Hawaii" Here it is from the big Byrd. Hi CC, Guilty!I played all the songs on this album and Hank played the flat top solos". Jerry went on to say that he pretty much had a lock on all the hawaiian recordings in Nashville plus the luaus etc. Now we know. Keep your thumb pick hot!

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Jerry also does a great job on the Burl Ives Lp "On The Beach At Waikiki".

Expect a Mackerel

jeffstro, it was jerryon snow in hawaii.

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Dm13th with a flatted 9th ?
"Snow in Hawaii" is long out of print, but I've seen it a couple of times recently on eBay.

I think that it is a split tuning with F9th on the bottom and F6th on the top.

Jeff: The time I got to observe Kayton up close, I got the sense that he didn't make much use of the F6/9 tuning, but used it only for certain fills and novelty effects. In the course of several hours playing, he stuck to the C6 neck almost exlusively, but gave a brief demonstration of how he used the other tuning that left everyone's jaw on the floor - lots of quick chording, slides and knob-spinning. There's probably a message in the fact that a player of that stature essentially confines himself to one tuning on the one instrument he's ever owned.