The Steel Guitar Forum

I see why Buddy and so many players love this guys work.....
https://youtu.be/c21qLB4nwPw

As one can hear in the right channel, Sneaky could make it sound like a standard guitar. Amazing!

This record is 50 years old!

His work with The Flying Burrito Bros really got me interested in studying the instrument.

Did you know he was also a VFX guy? He used to do stop-motion animation, before CGI.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0459136/

Would have loved to pick his brain and learn.what a diverse talent.

Joe Krumel wrote:Would have loved to pick his brain and learn.what a diverse talent.

Indeed. Quite rare for someone to have two distinct high level careers in one lifetime.

If my memory serves correctly... his hand was the one poking the Pillsbury Doughboy in those old commercials https://youtu.be/ynrsuuDZcCg

Jim Park wrote:If my memory serves correctly... his hand was the one poking the Pillsbury Doughboy in those old commercials https://youtu.be/ynrsuuDZcCg

Looking at that link, it looks like the hand was also animated. If you watch it carefully, you can see the stop motion jitter. Could have been a life cast of his hand, or a 2d image of his hand.

Sneaky did the animation for Gumby, as well as working on some of the
Star Wars movies.

That acxtually WAS Pete's hand poking the "Doughboy" - not an animated hand.

Pete always saw himself as a part time "hobby" player - he never made much money with the Burritos - studio work was more "regular" and paid more - but his higher paying "day job" was the VFX work. He was a talented and in-demand stop-motion animator.

He actually started pursuing more steel projects when Industrial Light and Magic and other shops moved away from stop-motion animation to CGI (Computer Generated Imaging) as graphics rendering speeds increased exponentially.

Sneaky worked with CGI for a while but didn't really enjoy it even though it paid well - plus younger animators who started in computer games had a jump on the CGI "skill set". So he started playing more steel. But Alzheimers' hit him at a pretty accelerated pace.

The playing he did for Burrito Deluxe (and he didn't do all the steel playing) was fairly simple, with Anita setting up his steel for him. It was sad when you consider he had really found his "groove" playing-wise in the late 80's - '92 or so, but then faded quickly and we finally lost him in 2007. Maybe the quick onset was a blessing in disguise.

See if this plays OK - a rarely played instrumental "Spittin' Image - live, with a guitar break by Greg Harris

https://youtu.be/--8G3Y80gL0

there's a story I always liked about Pete getting paid after a Stevie Wonder session. a big bodyguard type was in charge of handing out the checks and when he got to Pete he said "how come you get paid so much more?"

Pete just smiled, took his check, and said "because I'm Sneaky Pete!"

Wow! Never seen that video, Jim. What a great player with his own style. And he played that on an 8 string Fender with both feet on the pedals...

FWIW, Greg Harris, who solos on guitar in the video is the Dad of Jesse Harris. Jesse is a hot guitarist who lives and plays in Austin, and used to be in my band in S.F. about 5-6 years ago.

Joe

I vaguely remember that one of the later incarnations of the FBB'S, one album was recorded at Sevie Wonders studio. I hope I didn't dream this

Jim, wow that was some fast cool pickin. Pete had serious right hand speed on that. Excellent playing.

I think I read somewhere he did the animation for Davy and Goliath, also. I knew about Gumby but not the P. Doughboy. Interesting!