The Steel Guitar Forum

please forgive all the spelling errors and disconnected sentences in the above post. I typed that post at about 5am while drinking a weak cup of coffee and even my proof reading had errors. cc

A few years before Jerry died I asked him about the Drifter series. In a talk tape reply he enlighted me on a few items that may be of interest to this thread.

He did not indicate in any way that the show was pre-recorded or any dubing went on. As far as I know it was live. The guitar was not Jerry's and he said he didn't know whose it was. This was in response to a comment I made that I didn't even know he had a reso guitar. He further elaborated that he really didn't care or particulary enjoy playing one. He said for these two shows the setting (on the dock) would have looked very phony if he plalyed his electric guitar so it was a reso. He also said that he on occasion would play a reso just to show that he could play one as some folks alluded in a round about way that he could not.

On the Charles K.L. Davis album and on his Steel Guitar Hawaiian Style album he used Pua Almeida's guitar. He had used that guitar on the the PBS show in 1989 commenorating the 100 years of steel guitar broadcast in Hawaii along with the frypan and his sho-bud console demonstrating three different types of steel guitar.

As far as answering questions he said he always tried to answer all questions asked. He also said he stuck to the question asked even if it was not the right question. By that I mean he wouldn't try to read the person mind on giving an answer. He did have a wry sense of humor on occasions and would pull your leg now and then just for a laugh. It runs in the family. Also in the later years his memory was fading fast and on occasion he would tell me one thing one time and the next time if was different. So I don't think we should hold that against him, after all with some of the questions he was asked that went back in time for quite a ways he tried to remember them as best he could. I don't think he was trying to be devious in any way, just a fact of nature and getting old. How many of you can remember what you did this month 50 years ago during a recording session or whatever. I sure can't and I'm getting up there myself.

I don't intend to throw oil or water on this topic and hopes this may add some history as I recall it. Rmember I am old too.

good post Jack. Lets see, you must be about 30 now,right. CC

No one has any more respect for the playing of the great Jerry Byrd than I do. As a kid taking lap steel lessons in the 60's, it was always Jerry Byrd this, and Jerry Byrd that. He was put on a pedestal at that music studio, and he obviously deserved it. He was the standard to which we were all held (and of course could not possibly attain). And I thoroughly enjoyed those videos, and many thanks to Basil for posting them.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but comments about it being probably or certainly the finest acoustic steel guitar ever recorded for video, or otherwise (and he was playing a wood-bodied dobro-which goes with the last part of this paragraph), why don't we just line up Jerry Douglas, Mike Auldridge, Rob Ickes, the late Josh Graves, and the late Brother Oswald-and in Moe from The Three Stooges style, just go down the line and give them all a good slap in the face!

Regardless of the details,....the bottom line is that Jerry's playing on an acoustic steel guitar is some of the smoothest, most beautiful music heard anywhere!

Everything else after that is filler.......

Oh...those pesky details!

Uhm, if I may have a word since it was me who started it all...
The 'thing' for me was that this was the first time I ever heard him playing acoustic, I didn't even know he'd recorded anything acoustic, and - I know I'll probably have to run for cover now - this video and the others Basil offered appealed a lot more to me than his electric work... (according to my personal taste, nothing else.. ).

Steinar

Quick! Add Steinar to the line for the Moe slap!

...also for spelling his name "Bird."

Actually, Basil started the first thread...then it found its way over to Reso-Nation.org, and I think that's where you came in!

Mark Eaton wrote: ...also for spelling his name "Bird."

Steinar

I think it's so cool when Jack Byrd can chime in with all the great info he's contributed to the Forum over the last few years, it's the next best thing to havin Jerry himself reply.

Jack, thanks so much for your wonderful contributions.

The only two other acoustic recordings of Jerry's I know are, "Black and White Rag," and "Chickadee." I forget which album they're from and am too lazy to look it up right now. I think he used a tricone for those. I'd love to hear more.

Mark Eaton, you left out Bob Brozman.
Anyway my reference SHOULD have stated Hawaiian Style playing.

As good as those you list are, Jerry would be better Hawaiian style on his borrowed RESONATOR guitar. (I don't think it was a Dobro as such)

Thanks Jack for helping clear up the debate about Live/pre-recorded.
Also thanks Jack for pointing out Jerry's playfulness (For want of a better word) regarding answering questions.

All of that pales into insignificance when one just sits back and enjoys Jerry's mastery and his relaxed "Non Burlesquing" style.

He may have took the p*** verbally, but musically his integrity was beyond reproach. (Something that can't be said for some of the present crop)
As an aside I don't think Jerry ever mentioned politics, he may have let his playing "Make it's own point"

My two favorite "acoustic" recordings are Jerry's "Drifiter" shows and "Hawaiian Touch" by Barney Isaacs (Incidently, that was the only time in his long career that he played an acoustic; and sadly, it was his last recording).

But not to side-track, so back to topic....

I found a letter...this is direct from Jerry's pen in 1999, on that classic blue paper he used!


Jeff -
On the acoustic instrument: I consider them a "novelty" - good to play for a few tunes on just to show how far steel guitar has come since "vaudeville days".

1 - They do not project
2 - With minimal sustain, all of the instrument's subtle nuances are lost and thus 90% of it's expression.
3 - They have to actually be "attacked" and that in itself defeats the essence of what steel guitar is.
4 - I would not spend a lot of money to have one built.

However, these are only my opinions and it's strictly up to the individual.

Wood -- or metal -- it's a matter of taste. I think the metal (National?) tri-cone is louder - however, neither is loud enough! Just be sure you get a quality instrument & not one that's been gimped up" (altered)! Check it out good, and good luck!

JB



P.S. - Jack, thanks a bunch for adding to the thread! I always enjoying hearing from you.

Here is some more on Jerry Playing an ascoustic guitar that some of you may not be aware of. In 2001 Film Works Pacific released a VHS in conjuction with the The Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau among others titled "Waikiki In The Wake of Dreams". It is a great VHS covering the history of Waikiki from the very beginning and includes many old B&W film clips of many of the dancers and musicians up to the present. Lots of history and interviews and very well done. Jerry plays Pua Almeida's National silver resonator guitar on this video in the background. He played Black & White Rag. Also included on the video is a short interview with Jerry after he played a short tune on the same guitar. For those who love Hawaii and the music of the islands this is a must have history you won't be disappointed with. And you also get a little of Jerry included. It can be obtained at this site: www.filmworkspacific.com

Thanks Jack .. on your recommendation I just bought the book and the DVD.

Basil, just adding my grateful "thank you" for taking your time and resources to make this wonderful material available to us all.

It's almost eerie how casual and relaxed J.B. looks while that famous sound seems to emerge magically from his guitar. It sometimes makes me wonder why the dobro style reso wasn't used more in that style of music. The "dobro holler" or hound dog sound that country and bluegrassers find appealing seems eminently suitable to me to mimic certain Hawaiian vocal inflections. Perhaps even better than a tricone.

I totally agree about Barney Isaacs's Hawaiian Touch album mentioned by Jeff Strouse. Instrumental duets with dobro and slack key guitar. One of my favorites.

Jack, thanks for that link-that looks like some great stuff.

Baz, yes we could add Brozman to the lineup of those receiving the Moe-like slap in the face-and Stacy Phillips, Randy Kohrs, Phil Leadbetter, and so on...but I had to stop somewhere. And also, the reso he was playing in the Marty Robbins clips, though we can't tell, was likely built by Dobro, or perhaps a pre-war Regal built Dobro-unless it was an unusually shaped Sho-Bro from the 60's, or perhaps a Mosrite Dobro from that era before the Dopyeras came back into the name and formed OMI. I use the word "dobro" in lower case, and "reso," interchangeably, as do many people.

Once again, I have to write a "preamble" so that all are aware that no one has any more respect for Jerry Byrd than I do, and I never had the honor of meeting him. if someone asks me about lap steel and someone they should listen to (besides me-I don't want to give them the wrong impression of the instrument!), I always start them on Jerry Byrd-might as well begin at the top.

I wonder if he ever played a modern reso, from Scheerhorn, Beard, Guernesy, etc.? There is no lack of projection on these modern resos, and some fine sustain, and my Clinesmith has projection and sustain up the wazoo!

But of course Mr. Byrd was correct in the letter that Jeff so graciously shared with us: You do have to attack a resonator guitar to get the best tone out of it. If anyone here ever takes a dobro workshop from Jimmy Heffernan, you will have it drilled into you in the first couple of hours that the dobro is very much a right handed instrument.

I have been around steel players, some pedal steelers in particular, and notice I used the word some-who as musicians are greatly superior to me, but put a dobro on their lap-and although they are playing great licks, their attack is too soft. They're not "pulling the tone" out of the guitar. It's a tough transition. They are different instruments.

Jerry Douglas says that the dobro is like a hand saw, whereas the lap steel is a like a chain saw. Cindy Cashdollar says the dobro is like a manual typewriter, and lap steel is like an electric typewriter. I suppose one could use the same analogies on regular "Spanish" guitar, of acoustic vs. electric.

Jerry Byrd, in his letter to Jeff, wasn't being specific as to his opinions on reso guitars as to just Hawaiian music-or music in general.

I don't know if reso masters like Jerry Douglas or Mike Auldridge, or Brozman (I would think Bob must have known him) ever had the opportunity to meet Jerry Byrd, but I have to believe that these fellows would have garnered his respect for their great musicianship.

Jerry just wasn't a fan of resonator guitars, he stated in Jeff's letter that it was his opinion of the things-and as much as I respect his legacy, I'm not going to chop up my Clinesmith (or my early 1930's Dobro) for firewood!

Of course, with Byrd's reputation for having a sense of humor that could mess with one's mind, I don't know what to believe- Jack Byrd-help us out here!

Somebody else would have to slap Jerry Douglass. I'm way too small and way too old.

Jerry more than met Brozman, he had him in the line up at one of his great Steel Guitar Ho'olaule'a programs.
Bob brought the star studded house down with his set, as is typical of him.

I once mentioned this moment to Jerry, who without missing a beat said, "and he didn't play a lick of music".

I moved onto another subject.

Did you notice if his tongue was in cheek, or is this another story of someone giving an example of the "dark side" of one of my heroes?

He was quite serious, and I knew not to push it much further, even tho I wanted to after that unexpected answer.
But it was interesting to see him get bent about a fellow steeler. A rare moment.

The personal 'differences' between JB & Broz are well known to many.
Both coming from very different angles on common territory.

I've seen on video and read in correspondence that Jerry didn't like the Hawaiian Guitar to be Treated in a "Music Hall" Manner, and as he said "Burlesqued".

I'm sure that although the eye catching stunts are most impressive to the uninitiated, in going that particular route, the music invariably suffers.
He treated his MUSIC seriously and the showman side of it he left to others.

Thanks for posting this stuff Steinar, Basil, et al. I got interested in lap steel as a result of hearing some modern-day players. I 'm really enjoying learning the history and becoming more familiar with the pioneers and legends of the instrument and its art, and this forum has been a great resource for pointing the way!

Hi Bas, just got back from the Bristol steelies, my first venture there, what I have learnt tonight, your clips included will help me enormously during the coming weeks, your a star mate what would we do without you !!

To elevate this post to the top again would not be such a bad thing to do !