The Steel Guitar Forum

I think of this band as Bob Wills meets Django. It has been a really fun challenge to play with Chris Ruppenthal, a really great guitar player. This cut is me trying to keep up with Chris. My steel break comes after he tears it up, then we trade a few. I feel like I should get a couple of points for posting a live improve, warts and all..
https://soundcloud.com/steelorama-1/ill ... st-11615-1

Mark, I edited the link to point to the sound file I think you wanted.

Sounds great to me! Thanks for sharing.

I'm glad somebody other than me is trying this stuff. I found that it worked a lot better on an acoustic with lots of Sol Hoopii type techniques. Found it very tough on electric. I do use C6, though. Don't have a recording of this on on hand. But my solo here is a good example. Not gypsy jazz. But traditional swing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iktj2Pcyi8

I always skip the adds.

Thanks Brad, I wasn't sure how to link it.

Edward, I have thought that a tri-cone would sound great for gypsy jazz. You are right in that the electric is very challenging...............

Nice! I really like the transition into your solo...very smooth.

Nice!

It's a pleasure to play with you mark! This is a fun band and I think we throw things back and forth wonderfully.

Btw I'm also working on swing jazz and gypsy jazz on a square neck tricone myself!

Mark Roeder wrote:Thanks Brad, I wasn't sure how to link it.

Edward, I have thought that a tri-cone would sound great for gypsy jazz. You are right in that the electric is very challenging...............

Playing with a Gypsy jazz group is what prompted my switch to acoustic. I don't even have an electric these days. Most people do prefer tricones for that kind of stuff. But if one shops around, one can get lucky with something not so expensive or heavy to carry around. I found a regal for $400.00 that has great tone.

By the way, what tuning are you using here?

Sounds great. It's hard to find lap steel swing that's not Western swing. Plain old swing is my favorite and I've been trying to get my slide playing to a point where I can play some swing.

Any good resources for transferring swing stuff horizontally?

Western swing is a good place to start. But I would listen to Milton Brown rather than Bob Wills. Brown did more traditional swing and less ho down. His steel player, whose name escapes me right now, played a 6 string. Forum member Mike Neer also did some great work with a group called the Moonlighters. Their CD, "Surrender," has some great swing tricone on it. Mike has put some teaching materials together . You might see if he can help you out. And I have found that acoustic guitars are much easier to really get swingy with. Tricones are probably best. But I got a Regal unicone with a wood body that I love.

I play fiddle and mandolin a lot and find the electric steel a big adjustment to play

Wow Mark....that was a fun ridge. Nice phrasing.

Mark, you held your own! Nice work. Keep it up, man.

Smoking good stuff!

Thanks all. I highly recommend finding someone really good to play off of, Chris really pushs my playing.