The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi guys, this week I'm all over some old Connie Smith recordings and studying the style of Weldon MYRICK. I posted a tab for "I'll Come Running" and I'm hoping some people familiar with his style and technique can comment:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=232120

Or use this thread to share any tidbit about this amazing musician.

This was the first Weldon Myrick track I ever heard, which I heard when I was about 10:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjlaYWMeRuo

I was extremely fond of this record.

I read somewhere Weldon played Dobro on "Harper Valley PTA".Did he?

Dave Hopping wrote:I read somewhere Weldon played Dobro on "Harper Valley PTA".Did he?

NO

Jerry Kennedy on the "dobro" on H.V.P.T.A.

Read about it here

True, Weldon is an amazing player and so humble about it. I love the steel in Gary Stewarts, She's Acting Single. Just gives you an idea of how versatile Weldon is. He also did a lot of Reba stuff and George Straight.
Do you have the tab to the ride anywhere? It's on a web site I found (can't remember) but is totally wrong. Can't quite figure out what he is doing there.

Henry, you mean the tab for "Acting Single"? I'm going to check it out. The Winnie Winston book says the Weldon had a C# instead of D# for the 2nd string. It really helps to know the copedent when transcribing!

No, I was looking for tab on I'll Come Running Ride. Thanks

Ah, yes, well it's on my "to do" list, ha ha ha! I'll have it tabbed before the week-end if all goes well.

Mike, that's a great track. Does Weldon play on the whole album?

To properly tab I'll Come Runnin' one will need to have his guitar tuned as Weldon did on that session. The first seven strings were as follows,
F# C# G# E C# B G#
Floor pedals were Day, CBA.
The knee lever setup for those strings would have been,
LKL-R 2 1/2 tone
LKR-R 4 1/2 tone
RKR-R 2 1 tone
I didn't include the other three strings as I don't remember if he omitted the low F#, D or B when using the extra C# in the middle of the tuning. When he dropped the extra C# he lowered the 8th string (E) on LKL, Lowered the 7th (F#) on LKR & Lowered
9 (D) on RKR along with the movements mentioned above.
Weldon did not lower his 4th (E) until the 80s when the LeGrandes came out. It was on RKL. The vast majority of his recording career was done with the very simple three knee lever setup.

Alex Cattaneo wrote:Mike, that's a great track. Does Weldon play on the whole album?

No, just that track. The album does feature Canadian guitarist Domenic Troiano.

Weldon was an innovator and an awsome fast player

Thanks Johnny . Weldon , like Lloyd, played a very simple setup. They were acutely aware of the top of the neck.

Johnny, you sure you got that right? Tried it and it wouldn't fit, LOL. Henry

Bruce and Johnny, as y'all know, it's not how much you got, it's what you do with what you HAVE!!!

A lot of songs were cut only using 1 or 2 pedals per required for the lick that was invented, a lot of speed licks dont use any levers, allowing the player to be solid on the fretboard without dancing. Any additional two stepping that was needed was generally just a C pedal!

My kind of set ups back then. Simple and easy. I got a simple mind, so hey!

Johnny would know about Weldon's setup. He used to "live" at Weldon's (actually I think he lived close by and maybe next door at the time). He would come into Little Roy Wiggin's music store and show us the latest "Weldon lick". I worked at Little Roy's in the 71/72 timeframe.

I read somewhere, that several only raised the 2nd string and tuned it to C# or D. This was a carry over from the early Sho-Bud days when that string could only be raised, couldn't be lowered.

My friend, Canadian steeler Ollie Strong, tunes his 2nd string to D.

Some of the first recording that peaked my interest in Steel Guitar was Weldon's playing on Jerry Jeff Walker albums.

They usually misspelled him name in the credits, Weldon Merrick, but that i sthe sound I still dig to this day

Some of the first recording that peaked my interest in Steel Guitar was Weldon's playing on Jerry Jeff Walker albums.

They usually misspelled him name in the credits, Weldon Merrick, but that i sthe sound I still dig to this day

Watching Weldon tune up and play diatonic scales on the little Maverick we had in the store I worked at was the only lesson I hever had. It lasted all of ten minutes and couldn't have been a better one...

Jack, I actually lived on the opposite side of town from Weldon but as I mentioned earlier I spent a lot of time with him. It was Hal and Buddy that couldn't keep me away from their house.
The C# raise that Weldon, Hal and a couple other guys did wasn't a product if not being able to lower the second string but as a result of return problems.

Johnny, I have seen and heard you play "I'll Come Running" and it sounded to me like you nailed it. I don't think you had that extra C# in your tuning. Can you set me straight on that? Did you not hit it precisely as Weldon did it on the recording?
Jerry