The Steel Guitar Forum

He was absolutely the best teacher I have ever had in any subject. One of the finest people. One of the finest players I have ever heard. I took many of his courses, even four or five "on the hill." I think I own about every course he put out, and still go back to his basic courses...he taught when to play, what to play, how to play. Then if was up for how hard I would work and how much talent (or lack of talent) I had to how much I could get out of it. He understood the guitar, music, - the whole ball of wax. Boy I miss him!

I was fortunate to be Jeff and Fran's neighbor for 17 years. We lived 5 doors apart on the same street. I spent a lot of time with them when Jeffran music was a printing press in their garage. Jeff and Fran spent hours putting together all that tab. I asked Jeff why he virtually stopped doing record sessions and started teaching. He said he wanted more control of his income than music row would give him. He also told me that as much as he loved to play that his guitar was a tool that he used to make a living. With his whit he told me that there is more than one way to use a hammer. Jeff loved teaching and it showed. Jeff was always good to me even when he would give me advice that I didn't want to hear. Paul, thanks for starting this thread.

Another great thing about Jeff was that he liked it LOUD.

My experiences with Jeff mirror most of what everyone has said. He was an excellent teacher and made it rather simple for me, as well as others, to play the steel guitar. I was stumbling around in a haze, trying to play this thing, until, I met him. I was never able to attend his college, unfortunately, due to lack of funds, but, I attended every steel seminar he held in the northeast, sponsered by the PSGA. We became close friends and talked rather frequently. I had a cerebral hemorhage in 1994 and almost didn't make it through and when Jeff saw me at a show, he kept hugging me and treating me as if I was a long lost relative. Tears were streaming down his eyes and I, too, lost it for a moment.
I will never forget him and how he made me a steel guitar player and a friend forever. He was the greatest in my book, never to be forgotten.

Frank Freniere wrote:Another great thing about Jeff was that he liked it LOUD.

Frank, you got it!! I remember once he did a seminar here on a Sunday morning at a motel nearby. It was about 10 Am. He cranked up the volume and said People have to get up for Church! Then he let'er rip with Life's Railway to Heaven in pure Jeff style...

Jeff was instrumental in getting a whole legion of players in the northeast to open their ears up to straight nashville playing. That is alot of us were introduced to steel via select cuts on popular music. We didnt have a CW background, he made sure we did.
The one thing he said that still haunts me though was when he told a group of students "if you think you are going to blow a lick YOU WILL!" I wrestled with that thought for years!
Jeff-wish you were still here with us.

I think he knew instinctively which players were secure enough that he could pick on them harmlessly.

Yeah I met him around 1977,attended a few seminars over the years and bought all his courses but he never did anything but dog me for being from California or criticize the way I wore my thumbpick or played harmonics. It was good natured in a way but after awhile I started getting tired of it and right about then he reached out to me to thank me for what I'd done to help Murph out when he was getting sick. I thought I'd give Jeff a copy of the record I did but he insisted on paying for it. Then we started talking RC model airplanes and I figured we'd finally really connected - and then he was gone.

I flew RC all over the southeast for several years, I always ment to talk to him about them but we never got around to it. Does anyone know when he closed his RC shop, I always wondered.
When we flew close to the runwqay in Atlanta, it was spooky when 2 of thoses big airplanes took off at the same time, we were on top of a slag pile, sopmeone flsttened it out, when we landed it was more like landing on a carrier deck. You had toget it right every time.

ernie

Jeff didn't like me ! After a lot of years, I find many more felt the same way. Jeff helped me in a lot of ways. I love him for that. Sorry Jeff for what ever I did wrong. RIP !!

I attended a two day seminar with Jeff and Buddy in Stockton CA in Sept. 84. We left our steels set up in the room overnight and when I came in and sat down on Saturday morning I looked down and noticed my bar- it was curved, banana shaped. Totally blew my mind, I just sat there, staring at it, wondering, what in the world is going on? I picked it up, examined it, and thought I must be in the Twilight Zone. Then I looked up, and Jeff was standing there laughing like crazy...

Then he gave me my bar back.

I`ve recently been wanting to thank Fran for the best year and a half of instruction anyone could ever have as a rookie, it has brought me a long way... And I must Thank Jeff for teaching all of us newbees from the grave and also in spirit, Along with his little chicky Fran whom I have on speed dial when I need to buy the whole next page...
Thank You Jeffran College
and to you Mister Paul Franklin for this thread
I picked you guys cause Buddy Emmons said your the best...

I wished I had been playing PSG back then and been able to attend his school.I am thanful for the great
learning materials that he put together for us.
His ,skills,personality and passion are so very evident on his videos and playing.

Jeff is the main reason I play a Universal. Love that man.

Albert

Good thread, good reading the comments. Also, his tempered tuning for PSG I have been using for years and his name is listed as the only PSG temperament on the Peterson strobosoft. It is such a sweet tuning for steel. Paul will probably say, tune your 'E's and use your ears for the rest. I have sat in front of too many session 500's over the years, so rather than everyone hearing me tune loudly, I let the tuner do the job for me these days, in silence, using JN presets.

David

With all due Respect, I hate to see the word "was" because with all the teaching materials he left behind he still IS. I know it is not like having him here, but to those of us who did not have the opportunity to meet him or live near him, what he left behind is awesome.

I treasure the few courses I have been able to afford to purchase. I will buy more in the future as finances allow. He IS a great teacher.

Good one, Tamara, and sorry if I was one who said "was". I agree with you. He IS the best teacher.