The Steel Guitar Forum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7ItqmNqtFE This is very beautiful playing by Jerry.

Classic ZB recording tone. Thats why I play ZB's.

Great stuff

He had his own style.
It is what it is.
And needs no comparisons to be valid.

Even without the singing,
if I heard this I would think
it was Jerry playing.
And I enjoyed it.

Logged many hours copping those licks.. The Wheel is one of my favorite songs of all time. Loved that one for probably 30 years or more..Jerry outdid himself with that very tasteful playing,,,


""Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of God, every time that wheel turns round ,bound to cover just a little more ground"
"" The wheel is turning and you can't slow down,you can't let go and can't hold on, you can't go back and you can't stand still, if the thunder don't get you then the lightning will""

Compare this set of lyrics with some of todays epic lines of musical dialog...

"I got a barbeque stain on my white T shirt".. She was killing me in that mini skirt"

"I am a redneck woman, I ain't no high class broad"
"Just a product of my raisin' I say hey y'all anyhaw"

Personally,I'll take Garcia/Hunters music and lyrics respectively.... thank you very much .... bob..

Kevin Hatton wrote:Classic ZB recording tone. Thats why I play ZB's.

What's a ZB?


Tune still holds up after, what 30+ years?
Solo album, not a Dead project.

Jerry also did some nice steel work on a cut on David Crosby's first solo album, 'If only I could remember my name', georgeous tune called 'Laughing'.

Here ya go!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqXPt35KoU4

What's a ZB?

I'm not sure if that was a joke, but if you really don't know, you should check this thread out:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=35915

I remember I was in college in 1972 or 73 right when that Garcia solo album came out and one of my dorm buddies came running in with his freshly-bought copy and had to put "The Wheel" on my stereo and crank it to the point of loud griping by most everybody else in the joint. Yup, it's a great sound. Especially for someone who deprecatingly argued he could barely play pedal steel, he sounded fine to me.

I know I'm gonna have to have a ZB one of these days. It's a great phat pedal steel tone, similar to the reason I love old Sho Buds, but with its own unique character.

Thats a ZB.

Thanks! I'm new to steel (just non-pedal now), so I certainly don't know the builder legends/lingo.

I guess ZBs aren't made in any shape or form anymore...tone wise, does anyone make a similar sounding PSG?

Yes, Zane Beck made a nice steel.
and played well too.

Actually Gerard, you should ask Mr Kevn Hatton about his new venture...

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... ght=pickup

I make NEW ZB's faithful to the originals in both tone and looks, but with modern mechanics underneath. Exact original pickups.

I'm a big fan of "Change Partners", Steven Stills, nice song, nice time signature change on the chorus, sweet steel(JG) doing some nice diatonic walkups in A. I can't find a clip or I'd post it. JP

Yup Jerry sure had a distict sound all his own on steel too. I wonder what tunings he liked to use? I'm amazed at the stuff you guys find on youtube.

Pete Grant could comment on this with more information, but I'm pretty sure that Garcia was playing an MCI at this point, and the ancient ZB was in Pete's hands. I remember being in Pete's house at this time and seeing the ZB there.

I've got to admit a guilty pleasure in this cut....

"The Wheel" was from Jerry's first solo album 'Garcia' which was recorded in 1971. I'm pretty sure he still had the ZB at this point, but I could be wrong.

I wonder what he used on "Stella Blue" from '73...? I think that's the last official recording he did on steel. This is probably Buddy Cage's Emmons:


He definitely played an MCI in the late 80s when the Dead toured with Bob Dylan.

Maybe this very nice cut will cut the Garcia naysayers off at the ankles. I like the mix, the tone and the verb. He was a multi instrumentalist. He used his instruments as colors and voices and within the context of his style it worked well. We should honor the efforts of anyone who adds to the legacy of the steel guitar.

Bill -- I hope so too...but don't bet on it.

one more great shot of Tom's ZB (and the Buckaroos)!

Hey Jim-
Great call on "Change Partners". That's one of those songs I used to love and just kind of forgot about years ago. I never realized that was JG on steel but listening now there is no mistaking it.

Garcia also played steel on Paul Pena's great album "New Train". I wouldn't say they are his best steel parts, but as always the tone is terrific. Even with guitar (and all the sounds he used) his tone was always great.

Will-
I read an interview in some neo-hipster magazine about two or three months ago w/ his ex-wife Carolyn (Mountain Girl)-
She said when he first got his steel he would practice for hours in the morning & "making up his own tunings."
Then if so, he "took his copedents with him" & we'll never know, exactly.