Ray Gantek recordings??

Steve Morley · From: Connecticut, USA

While searching around the forum, I came across a name from my past, who was directly responsible for my playing ( or, irritating) the PSG - Ray G. So you don't have to read to the end to get the point, I'm looking for any recordings/discography featuring Ray Gantek.

The story is that I went to a music store in New Haven, Connecticut, in the late 1970's, looking for a 6-string amp for use in a country rock band I was in at the time. (Does anyone know the name? - it was on Crown St., on the second through fourth floors of a building between Temple and College, with a night club on the 1st floor - "Guitar [something])

Ray had just finished a demo for the store, and I started to talk with him about the PSG. There were a few on the floor at the time, among which was a used MSA Semi-Classic S-10, and an Emmons. He told me that he was living in Stamford, CT, and gave lessons there when he wasn't touring or on call for recording dates in NYC. I absorbed a ton of information that day, went home, thought about the matter, went back and purchased the MSA - Ray thought it was a good guitar for me to start with - I have it and play it to this day!

After that, I started hanging around Harry Guffee's "Steel Guitar Country" store in Meriden, CT a little, but I never made the connection with Ray for lessons, to my regret. I was young and poor, without reliable transportation to travel to him; I had all the excuses!

From reading old posts, I know that Doug Beaumier, Tony Prior and Bill Hankey remember the shows and stores and gigs back then. The local "country" radio station was almost as out of touch with the music as they are today (IMHO), but there was a very good local club, show and concert scene.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Ray Gantek now lives in Florida (I've been here almost 12 years and he was here when I moved to Florida). He's currently in the staff band at the "Orange Blossom Opry" in Weirsdale, Fl (between Ocala and Leesburg).

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

I spoke with Ray not all that long ago, sometime in 07. I believe he told me he is no longer working the Opry shows down around where he lives. That may have changed. He did tell me that he plays a regular gig of some sort at a Community Center down around Ocala. He told me he sells Real Estate now.

Ray was the premier Steel/Tele player back in our growing Ct days. Ray was also our neighbor for a while too, he's a great COOK ! He used to come by and sit in on our gigs now and then as well. Great guy, always willing to share what he was working on. Ray actually goes back farther with my wifes family. Bonnie's dad was a Steel player and Ray used to come by to hang out and learn stuff from Bonnie's dad, also a TONY.

Regarding recordings, I don't have even one . I have hours upon hours of our band recordings from back then and it is highly possible that Ray is on a few tunes.The truth is it would take me 30 years to listen to all the tapes !

Ray gave me two pieces of wisdom that I still carry around .

1) Practice one thing 5 min a day for 30 days and you will be great at that one thing. He used to add, you will still stink at everything else but you will be great at that one thing !

2) When I used to ask him how many Steel players were around the area he would say, about 12 , the other 100 are Steel owners !

Remembering back to those Meridan Ct. Cloverleaf Rest. Jams, those were great times. All run by Harry Guffee. This I guess was mid to late 70's.

I'm sure glad I was there and doing the Steel Guitar thing back then, so many fine players and friendships came out of those days.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Tony, Ray has been in and out of two Opry shows here in west central Florida. The one he's doing now, he's been there a little over a year (this time). I understand he used to have a studio up north and has put one together down here now.

I don't know how his Real Estate job is going with the slow housing market around here.

Don Sulesky · From: Citrus County, FL, Orig. from MA & NH

I remember when Ray played the PSGA show in the late 80's and he talked about his doing studio work in NYC.

I bought my 1st ShoBud SuperPro from Harry Guffee when he had his store in CT in 1980.
Don

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Jack, cool, My sister has a small place in Ocala and we are probably gonna go visit. I guess i should call Ray and visit as well. I think his RE job is selling specifically to a gated community type of thing. He is one of maybe two agents working that community.

If any of you go to a show and see Ray, please mention me to him. thanks

tp

Steve Morley · From: Connecticut, USA

Thanks for the replies; I didn't realize how small the world was for our community!

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Tony, if you come down, our steel guitar club meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month in Lake Panasoffkee and visit or even pick with us. It's about 35 miles south of Ocala (and about 25 miles from where the Opry is that Ray is picking at.

www.floridasteelguitarclub.com

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Hey Jack, thanks, I may just stop in, I'll wear dark sunglasses so you won't know I'm there !

It all depends on when my sister is down at her place ,she hasn't moved there permanently yet but I think she will be fairly soon.

tp

Mike Gross · From: Manchester, Connecticut, USA

Ray was with Connecticut's fantastic "Gunsmoke" band playing lead guitar and recorded a wonderful cassette with them when with the band on the RGP label back in 1988. I have used it many times on my "Swingin' West" radio programs.

Mike Gross
www.swinginwest.com
_________________
Mike

Terry H Sutton · From: Vernon, Connecticutt, USA

In 1965-66 I played with Ray in Hank Cee's band in Milford Ct.and he was the bass player then,and as we know he went on to become a great steeler.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Terry, during the mid 70's just before Hank moved to Florida I also played several shows with Hank on Steel/Tele along with Bobby Laquay ! When Hank left the area I played on and off with Bobby and her band for a few years. I also played a bunch of times with Bobby Laquay and Freddy Spooner out of Stamford,they played a lot of shows together. I think these were all folks that Ray spent a great deal of time with before I started playing around town. Ray and I were hanging out a little bit during those times, but not a great deal.By then Ray was already into a few serious bands and started doing some NYC session work. I was still sitting in his dust !

pretty small world !

tp

Terry H Sutton · From: Vernon, Connecticutt, USA

Tony those are memories over forty years old can you believe that,time moves too fast. Luckily I'm still gigging quite a bit. Love to see you sometime,if you get a chance I'll be at the Mohegan Sun Wolf Den May 13.
I saw Bobbe a few years ago but have lost touch.

Terry H Sutton · From: Vernon, Connecticutt, USA

Speaking of Freddy Spooner he actually installed three more knee levers on my 1965 Sho-Bud crossover which Shot said couldn't be done but they worked fine.

Terry H Sutton · From: Vernon, Connecticutt, USA

Dummy I am, I forgot you had moved out of the area, cancel the Mohegan thing. lol

Frank Freniere · From: The First Coast

I may as well chip in here, too.

Ray totally knocked me out when he played at the Rodeo Bar on the Upper East Side of Manhattan back in the early '80's. He had a white Emmons D-10 that would just ooze notes when he did tunes like "Crazy." He was in a couple of recombinant country bands back then. He'd start the night at O'Lunney's with one group & then pack up & play with a different set of guys at Rodeo. Great player & a nice guy - a natural.

Charlie Paterno · From: Westerly, Rhode Island, USA

I didn't know Ray well but met him a few times at Harry's store. I bought a steel from a country dj from New Haven area and with it he gave me a teaching tape by Ray called Ray's Rhinestones and a cassette of tunes called I think 'What I did on my vacation'

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Ray still has the white Fatback Emmons. When he got it, he traded or sold his Wood Bodied Sho-Bud Professional and brought the Emmons home. He was playing with a friend of mine who used to tell Ray he looks like he is playing on an Ironing Board !

Lots of memories going on here...

Ray sat in with Bonnie and I one time, we did a small trio thing. Ray was on Bass, I was on Steel/Guitar. After awhile I asked him if he wanted to switch off, he of course said sure. I picked up the Bass and he sat behind my Pro III. He kicked off a song and it was the worst Steel Guitar sounds you could ever hope to hear. He looked over and was laughing, he told me my Guitar was setup backwards. Ray plays a Day setup , mine was the Emmons setup. He never thought to check before kicking off the song.

Another time he sat in for me on my Sunday night gig. evidently he was really blowin' out the Tele licks because when I came back the following week all the band guys did was brag on him . I called him the next day and told him he is NOT to play Jerry Reed things while filling in for me anymore, he told me to shut up and go practice !

Another time I went to see Ray play at some club with his band. He goes to the mic and announces that Ronnie Milsaps Steel player is here and is going to sit in. He makes up some name and points at me and says.." hey, you're him, get up here "...I go up the stage and people start clapping ! What a goof ....

Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

I remember one night when drummer Mike Neelan came in our club with Ray one night and he set up and played three sets with us. Ray did have a recording out ,something about Fishing...Also Bernie Palka brought in you Terry to work with us for a few days when Smitty moved to Texas..Two super Pickers Ray and Terry and terry also plays a sweet Fiddle..One thing not too many people know is Ray was approached by ALABAMA to join their group when they were mired in Myrtle beach..

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Joe, yes that is the case. Ray got a call to go join a band out in Myrtle Beach, they were not known as Alabama yet, it was prior to there fame. They were looking for a player who could do multi Instruments. Ray didn't go to Myrtle Beach, the rest is history.

Ed Iarusso · From: East Haddam, CT US of A

Ray also has a album called "You Respond To Everyone But Me..Songs for the EMT" Under a million sold I'm sure. I also have his Tape "What I Did On my Summer Vacation" Ray was a heck of a player. We were pretty good friends for a while. I took lessons from him at Guitars Unlimited on Crown in New Waven when I first started tryin' to play this thing. He asked me to do some fill in work for him at the Goodspeed Opera House here in East Haddam in the late 70's for a show "The Red, White and Bluegrass Western Flyer" It was a hoot! If you think musicians are an odd lot you gotta meet theater people. The last I saw of him was at a club in Middletown CT around early to mid 80's... What ever he's doing now I wish him well

Charlie Paterno · From: Westerly, Rhode Island, USA

I think I remember him telling me that the emmons had all five knees hooked up to both necks. When I asked how he could play it like that he said he thought the floor pedals were closer together. I guess he meant closer than the old wide space emmons. Anyone know for sure?

Steve Morley · From: Connecticut, USA

Ed, That's the name of the place in New Haven, I tried to mention up top (Guitars Unlimited)! Wow, the names you guys are bringing up here sure recall some memories. At the time, I was playing in Hungry Charlie's (Toad's), The Agora Ballroom, Oxford Alehouse, and other rock palaces and saloons throughout CT, but couldn't get the bands I was with to do even some outlaw country! Keep it coming, and if anyone talks to Ray and he's still offering his tapes, I'd like to know.

Nick Reed · From: Russellville, KY USA

I just saw Ray playing at the Orange Blossom Opry back in February. He has a white Emmons P/P.

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