The Steel Guitar Forum

Glad you did this, Bas.

Many thanks to you, Steinar, and others that contributed to one of the best threads ever on the forum.

Was great to have input from Jack Byrd. Hopefully, Jack will continue to have input when Jerry's name comes up.

Thanks again, Dave

Even though I spent many hours with Jerry both in Nashville and in Hawaii and we stayed in the same hotel room for 13 days when we were in Japan, I feel like there are more people that know more about Jerry than I do. Even when Jerry would visit his daughters in Nashville he would call me and I would join him and we would stay in the same room and during the day we would play cards or just sit and talk. I had every oportunity to ask him a lot of things but I can only remember asking him one thing. "What is it that can make your playing so emotional at times? Did you have an experience sometime in your life that has an influence on that?" His answer was the same as I heard from other professional players. "No, I just play the way I feel and that can vary from day to day". To me the answer was that a true professional can express himself in many different ways and plays from the heart.

We would talk to each other late at night or in the wee hours of the morning on the phone as Jerry knew that I worked late at my store. The converstations was 95% not pertaining to music.

I have those two VHS tapes that Jerry is playing on with Marty. I never ever gave any thought to the things that are being discussed on this thread. I just enjoyed it for it's contents. The series by Marty was "The Drifter" and Jerry is on the 2nd and 4th ones. At the time the videos were made Jerry had never been to Hawaii. That proves to you that those two segments were purely for entertaiment.

What impressed me most was when Jerry was playing the tune "Hilo March". At one spot he said to Marty, "Hey in three part harmony". I always played it on the basic A major tuning and I think Jerry did too and I always played that section in two part harmony. (the bridge or at the change of key) I never heard a sour note played by Jerry. I tried it again and all I can say is, "NO WAY". I respect CC Johnson and I feel certain that his comments are correct. Scotty

Basil......a great BIG THANK YOU for the link direct to the JERRY BYRD FAN CLUB. Very nice of you. Surely hope more Forumites will want to visit the site on a regular weekly basis. I'm sure, there will be tunes that come that some of you have never heard before.

Well Edward Meisse, you mentioned you knew of only two songs recorded by JERRY BYRD on a reso gutiar..........

Well, here is another fine tune Kilima Waltz. It's now posted on the JERRY BYRD FAN CLUB site for all to hear.

I couldn't help but notice that Jerry rarely takes his eye off of the fret board even though he has perfect pitch. It looks like we may all need to notice the fret board even if we have a very good musical ear. Right?

Aloha,
Don

Thanks!

Don I was at the Surf Room at the Royal listening to Jerry, Benny, and Kalani. During the break they were at my table and a fellow walked up and asked Jerry why he never looked up while playing and he would like to get a good shot of Jerry smiling while he was playing. Jerry said he was sorry but he could not do that as his job was to play good steel and not to sell toothpaste. Jerry then took him to the bandstand and stood behind his sho-bud and smiled so the guy could get his picture. cc

c c johnson wrote:Jerry said he was sorry but he could not do that as his job was to play good steel and not to sell toothpaste.

Good one!

Steinar

Congrats Steinar, the post has had over 3000 views.

Just a little 'Bump' for Steinar's post.
Probably the most read post in this new section on the new forum.

RE: Jerry Byrd. One way to measure a musicians talent, creativity, and personality, is how much he is talked about and remembered in a positive light after his departure. My final analysis is; What ever Jerry did or did not do, he sure did real well...........excellent in fact. BYRD LIVES!

You should read Jerry's book. More or less an autobiography. Can't rmember the exact name. "It was a Trip on Wings of Music," perhaps? It's pretty widely available. On top of everything else, the guy paid his dues during a time when the dues were very steep.

Might I for a moment cast our minds over Jerry's 'Dobro' There's something very odd going on over the nut area, its as if he only has half a nut riser on there, towards jerry's body.
Also I notice a tuning peg on Jerry's side that is quite close to the top of the peg head, this would back up the theory thats its a seven string and this is the extra peg, however I can still only see two other tuning heads on Jerrys side , making it a 6 string.
The neck of the guitar is also very narrow and the string height is enormous, good 'projection I would have thought, any sharp eyed forumites ouit there can shed light on number of strings
Hell of thread Steinar

Thanks again Basilh.
You really improved my Saturday morning.

I also caught the clips with you playing the Church show.
Great.

Around 90 or 91 Jerry Byrd played up in Concord California.
I was in San Francisco at that time and went there to see the show.
WOW... What a great gift to the world he was.
We should not worry too much about how he did what he did, just be thankful he did!

I've just checked an old Starday album called "That Dobro Sound's Goin' 'Round" and I think I see the mystery guitar in the hands of Shot Jackson. It's a 7 stringer with 4 posts on the player's side but the post nearest the nut is shorter than the others, which fits with Kevin's observation. The guitar is a round neck with a dark nut raiser. It looks like a modified Regal from the shape of the body, headstock and tailpiece. I seem to remember from somewhere that this guitar of Shot's was badged as a "Norwood Chimes".

Depending on where the film was made Jerry could well have borrowed this from Shot.

Just my observations, I've been wrong before!

Jerry said that Marty brought the reso to the picture shoot.During our conversation when Jerry mentioned it he refered to it as a "prop". cc

Just a point about the seven string debate, has anyone found a suitable frame in the videos that shows the machine heads CLEARLY ?

6 string, 7 string? Where is Zapruder filming from? I still believe some notes came from the "grassy knoll."

Jerry has used a number of various instruments during his career, including a 1920's National Resonator (this can be seen on several of Marty Robbin's Video's dubbed "The Drifter" )

from an informed source !!
Right Skip ?

Listen for a transition of 'room ambience' from when they are talking to when Jerry starts to play......there simply isn't any. On one song, Marty asks, 'How am I doing?' during the playing....Jerry keeps playing and just nods..another clue, I believe. If the music was pre-recorded and they are just synching to it, then all of the dialog was pre-recorded as well, and I certainly do not believe that. It also would rank as the greatest 'synch job' ever done, before 1965 or after. Just my humble opinion.

At the end of Mauii Chimes, Jerry stands up and shakes hands with Marty. He swings the guitar around and you can (using pause) see that there are 3 pegs on one side and 4 pegs on the other (the side closest him). Not just a pick-up guitar, I think

My comments above apply only to Mauii Chimes video. In listening to Beyond the Reef, I think I detect an ambience change at the beginning of the song. So maybe there is no one correct answer.

Ben, I agree about the seven string, I posted this :- last week http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=113727

Here is the video clip showing the seven machine heads clearly

Click Here

Basil,
Where can I buy the original of these clips?
Are they on DVD, or ?

I am floored !, I love that Marty always gives a "nod" to the steel players on his country clips, but this is the first I have seen him do this style, and Jerry Byrd has captured my heart. I need be able to watch and listen to this over, and over, and over .....

Thanks for posting this and changing my life, for the better..

Fred

Oh, and to Steinar for starting this thread, sorry did not mean to overlook the fact that you started this thread. Fred

"you won't find a Mexican without his guitar".