The Steel Guitar Forum

Anybody know what's going on here? Sounds pretty steely, the 88 Elmira Street credits say he played a 6 string Fender lap steel on the album. I'm curious about the tuning he may have used, C6 with a high D? I've been fooling around with it on the E9 neck, it sounds like there has to be a major 2nd string to get some of the licks.
My guess is the first part is lap, then it switches over to tele at the end. I love this tune, so twangy!


https://youtu.be/v7kXyVkzBHo

That may be all done on the album with layered electric guitar(s)in standard tuning...and lots of reverb (and delay, chorus, and compression!). Danny was a master at string bends, behind the nut bends, harmonics, etc.
Here's a video of Danny playing "In My Room" live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clBIJK5iCqw

Looks like he might have B bender in there like Clarence White.

I love this version.

I had watched that live version, the playing doesn't have the same feel to it as the studio one. Meaning you don't hear him fretting any notes in the studio take until the last solo at the end. The first half is really deliberate and basic. When he plays fingers he can't help but throw some flashy licks into it.
I think it could also be doubled lap and tele in spots.

Thank you for bringing this player to my notice.
Here is a very good article about him by people who were close to him. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/ ... 1d91f389b8

James

Nice article, thanks. It's a shame the way things turned out. Some of the things he could do were just mind boggling.

I can't believe I never took notice of this song Tragedy before now, I just found it googling 'Danny Gatton lap steel'. Pretty sure I have this CD stuck off in storage somewhere.

D'OH!!! I have this song in my itunes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkWFk0-R5v0

You guys may enjoy this TV documentary about Danny (from 28 years ago!). What an amazing talent...and also seemed like he'd be a pretty cool neighbor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbNKMlrkHMc

Tragedy is on 'Cruisin' Dueces' great song, got to see him live during tour for that record just before his demise. Have all his stuff, he was the best!

Awesome!

My $.02: agree that the album version sounds to be 2 L/R panned six-string tracks ping-ponging the melody notes and creating that overlap. The longer legato phrases sound like bends rather than slide to my ears, achieved again with creative overlapping of separate tracks. Genius work!

I've always loved this track. "88 Elmira St" is one of those albums I have to listen to every few weeks. I have the tablature book for the album and it's definitely transcribed for 6 string guitar, and I don't think it's B-bender. I'll have to go back and check.

At the SWSGA Show I was thinking that someone with better chops than me should do a Pedal Steel version of Gatton's arrangement.

I just listened to this thru headphones for the first time today, that was a revelation! It's two guitars, one in each side, and it ping pongs back and forth; at times he plays a phrase, then it switches over, but on the minor chord segment it alternates channels on each note of the melody. So cool, you guys need to check it out.
I still can't tell if there's a lap steel or not, but it definitely sounds like two different guitars.

I've been trying to adapt it for pedal steel, but I don't have much in the way of chops. It is a nice one to practice on, though. Helping me with my blocking. Tonight I finally snapped to pick closer to the bridge to get a more trebly tone.

edit: D'OH! I just re-read Brennan Mangan's post, he heard it all along.

Here's my take on it so far, pretty rudimentary compared to the rest of you guys...

https://clyp.it/pyojswid

Really nice job, Tim

shucks