The Steel Guitar Forum

My personal ZB, built by me. I have played all brands of guitars, but for me the ZB sound is my best. Thank you Jerry G. and Al Perkins, and Tom Brumley.

Joe Goldmark wrote:On "Sugar Babe" by the Youngbloods, it doesn't sound like a Fender 1000. It's more like an Electraharp or one of those late 50s pedal steels. Also a slightly different E9 tuning. Unbelievably great sound that Banana gets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXJi3qh-Cvs

Joe

Joe,Yeah that was wonderful...
I would agree its not really a "typical" Fender steel sound, but who knows what he was playing through and how they had it EQ'd....I doubt it was an Electraharp, they were not really set up to play like a modern steel.. I suppose it could have been a Multi Kord or something similar, but by the licks and style being used, I would still think Fender- but who knows?... Regardless, I loved the song, and loved his playing which some might consider "dated", but at that time was right in line with what the well known country rock players were doing... Thanks so much for sharing it with us!.... bob

Here ‘s another with Jerry on steel from about ‘70
https://youtu.be/OlxHKza5ux8

Here's another, and Jerry is all over it..Steel is right out front, has Jerry's signature ZB tone, like it or not, , and he gets the intro, a short solo, and a second solo, and the outro...I bought this album back in the day, JUST for this song.... bob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-qlvHzzEQA

My first Dead show was March of 72, and he played steel on Looks like Rain, and of course I thought he would have it at every show hahaha. BTW, a lot of the NRPS stuff on the internet is painfully out of tune. The most listenable set I have heard was a bootleg from a 10/30/71 radio show called Glendale Train.

His "C" pedal often sounded flat to me. Not so much on studio recordings. I suspect that he tuned by harmonics and it drifted flat in concert.