That JayDee/Emmons tone,,,wow!

Tom Quinn · Post by **Tom Quinn** » 25 Oct 2005 2:50 pm

Picked up a used copy of The Desert Rose Band Greatest Hits today. I loved that band! Listening to it on the way home, I realized that I had forgotten just how great the touch and tone JayDee has.

Combined with the old Emmons, that's about as good as it gets. Espcially when he's trading dozens with John Jorgenson. That stuff is scarey!

Where is JayDee these days? Years ago, I got a mint 65 or 66 volume pedal from him. I finally broke it out for the 65 bolton...

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 25 Oct 2005 3:03 pm

My old pal, Jay Dee is here in LA, doing sessions and still sounding as great as ever.

For some awesome vintage Jay Dee, check out Chris Hillman/Herb Pedersen's "Bakersfield Bound".

Tom Quinn · Post by **Tom Quinn** » 25 Oct 2005 3:04 pm

I've got that one too... Please ask him which guitar he was playing on those sessions. Thanks!

Tq

Steve Dodson · Post by **Steve Dodson** » 25 Oct 2005 3:07 pm

Tom,
And if you don't already have one or both,go to JayDee's web-site and check out his video's. He's got some good stuff in there.

Bill Simmons · Post by **Bill Simmons** » 25 Oct 2005 3:38 pm

One of my greatest steel guitar influences! After all these years, you can still recognize Jay Dee's tone and style...time for him to do an INSTRUMENTAL CD!!! What about it Jay Dee...love the video's, but I'd really like to get a Steel Guitar CD of your favorite songs...

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 25 Oct 2005 3:43 pm

I think that JayDee has always played an Emmons D-10 push/pull.

Tom Quinn · Post by **Tom Quinn** » 25 Oct 2005 5:08 pm

I think so too Bobby, but as I recall he said he had a couple of them. Just curious what year his is. Sounds like a bolton to me.

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 25 Oct 2005 5:23 pm

bOb Jay Dee is an avid collector of Emmons pp guitars. I was going to offer my Emmons to him a few years back but decided to keep it. Great steel player and a fine guy. [This message was edited by Jody Carver on 25 October 2005 at 06:26 PM.]

Tom Quinn · Post by **Tom Quinn** » 25 Oct 2005 6:19 pm

Shoot, had JayDee's number and lost it... we could do some swappin' and make both of us happy...

John Steele · Post by **John Steele** » 25 Oct 2005 6:47 pm

Hey Tom,
First of all, nice to see you back on the forum.
Over the years I've read several references to Jay Dee liking the '69 models, for whatever reason.
A couple of trivial points of personal reflection - A fellow that lives in my neighbourhood, David Rattray, sold Jay Dee a '69 black push pull through Al Brisco some years ago.
Mr. Rattray currently owns the spectacular sunburst birdseye Carter which was on display at the Texas show 2 years ago. It was custom built for him.
When I talked to Jay Dee in St Louis in 2003, he was playing a '69... perhaps the same one, I don't know.
The necks on my bolt-on were re-jewelled by Jay Dee while it was being born again at Mike Cass' shop about 5 years ago.
-John

------------------
www.ottawajazz.com

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 25 Oct 2005 7:03 pm

Jay Dee didn't invent the Emmons pp sound or anything but recently I wanted to demonstrate that sound for someone who asked me and I couldn't think of anything that more epitomized THAT sound than Jay Dee's sound. Bakersfield Bound was what I played him.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 25 Oct 2005 8:11 pm

Bakersfield Bound is an amazing album with terrific singing and playing. The real deal.

Gary Walker · Post by **Gary Walker** » 25 Oct 2005 9:58 pm

Jay Dee's great videos also let you drink in his signature sound. When he goes back to the solo work he did with Desert Rose and replays it at speed and slowed down, the Ol' P/P sings like an opera star.

Tom Quinn · Post by **Tom Quinn** » 26 Oct 2005 5:52 am

Yeah, the "Emmons sound" was there from the beginning, but JayDee's style is a perfect fit.

I play mine because even a semi-pro can sound good on these guitars. In the hands of a genuine picker, nothing comes close in my book, but before we all get into a you-know-what match, there are many, many fine sounding steel guitars.

Vintage Emmons guitars just happen to be my personal favorite.

Steve Dodson · Post by **Steve Dodson** » 26 Oct 2005 9:11 am

Tom I agree with you. The Emmons P/P tone and JayDee's style are a perfect match.

Mike Cass · Post by **Mike Cass** » 26 Oct 2005 11:40 am

yep, ol' JD gets a tone as big as a house, and a large one at that

I heard a GAC rerun of the GOO the other day w/JD & Vince Gill and J's tone was awesome and so typically him. He rotates between those two 69's he has. He says he likes one better for live,etc. One of my all-time heroes and proud to call him my friend. Nicest fellow you'd ever want to meet, and he has that same thing that Buddy E has; the ability to hear things the rest of us cant. I believe Mike Brown would agree with me on that

Additionally, if youve ever seen JD's p/p guitars then you know they're clean enough to eat off of; not my doing. JayDee is one of the best restores/mechanics of those guitars around, I learned alot from him.
Hurry yer tail back here J, theres a new buffet in town

[This message was edited by Mike Cass on 26 October 2005 at 12:55 PM.]

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 26 Oct 2005 12:14 pm

You can bet wherever JayDee is playing, there will be a large crowd having a ball listening, IMO it doesn't get any better than his music. Maybe someday I'll get lucky again and get a seat close to JayDee in some "joint" out west. He sure makes the place come alive.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 26 Oct 2005 12:38 pm

"Start all over again" is one of the sweetest steel tunes ever recorded IMHO.

jim milewski · Post by **jim milewski** » 26 Oct 2005 4:36 pm

when I saw him he used twin Evans, very big sound!

Steve Dodson · Post by **Steve Dodson** » 26 Oct 2005 9:01 pm

Hey Mike Cass,
You fit right in there as well. You take a second chair to no one my friend. Your tone and style is just as great as any.

Billy Carr · Post by **Billy Carr** » 27 Oct 2005 12:14 am

I first heard of JD when Waylon was doing the music/talking on the original Dukes Of Hazzard shows. After that I followed him w/Desert Rose Band. Saw him w/Vince on the opry a time or two when he replaced JH. Great player with his own tone. You know it's JD.

Jay Ganz · Post by **Jay Ganz** » 27 Oct 2005 5:35 am

Just wondering whether JayDee's 69 Emmons steels still have their original stock pickups.

David Wright · Post by **David Wright** » 27 Oct 2005 6:12 am

No, he does not have stock pick`ups... and like all the other great comments about JD, all I have to add is he is as great a person as player!... his guitars look to be brand new!! well, let's just say his guitars and hair... is always perfect!!!...
wish I could say that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=Z ... YYYYYY92US' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_2_41.gif' alt='Head Banger' border=0></a>

------------------
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.msapedalsteels.com"><img align="left" src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-4/1 ... GP0194.JPG" width="120" height="120" ></a> M.S.A.
M.S.A. Millennium
S-12 9 & 6
Bb is where it's at!
Peavey-2000-PX-300

David's Web Page
<marquee><img src='http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-4/1 ... 664150.gif' width=235 height=51 ></marquee>

Tom Quinn · Post by **Tom Quinn** » 27 Oct 2005 7:13 am

Have the Emmons, don't have the hair...-L-

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 27 Oct 2005 7:44 am

I grow tired of hearing about "tone".

Yes, Jay Dee and Buddy both sound great! However, their skills at playing far outshadows their "tone". I've heard a hundred players with just as good a "tone" as these guys, but very few that could match their creativity, ability, and technique.

I feel that we, as players, have to get off this "tone thing", and focus more on creativity, ability, and technique, in order to be accepted by the rest of the musical world. "Tone", in and of itself, won't buy you a cup of coffee.

Flame away!

[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 28 October 2005 at 07:12 AM.]