The Steel Guitar Forum

What Are We Up To? Buying Jeff Newman's courses has resulted in a number of problems for buyers. I've learned from those who have been stiffed by Melissa Greer that she has occasionally failed to fill orders properly, refused to refund money for orders not received by customers, fails to reply to customer's complaints, has sent defective CD's, etc. It now appears that she has assigned distribution to a firm in Canada and perhaps one in Japan. It seems to me that Jeffran Music is in freefall.

If this continues, Jeff's "Body of Work" will likely be gone forever. To avoid such a loss, Forum member Jim Reynolds and I are acquiring copies of all of Jeff's courses and scanning and converting them to CD's and DVD's to preserve them from their anticipated future loss for all time. We will never sell any of Jeff's courses; our goal and intent is preservation! However, we have made many of the victims whole when they have shown proof of the items that they didn't receive from Melissa and proof that she accepted their money. Should the opportunity to gain the rights to Jeff's work, it is my intent to upload all of it to the Internet to make learning this difficult instrument EASIER for any and everybody, and FREE to those who want to learn from Jeff. Frankly, I think he and Fran would approve of Jim's and my desires.

Jim and I have a good start on this project with our own collection of Jeff's courses. However, we still have a few to go. We ask that anyone who has any of the following, please loan them to use and be a contributor to this cause. We will return all items to you promptly. Here is what we still need:

Woodshed Workshop Videos for volumes 13 through 25 in VHS format.
Scale Stuff” (we've been told that besides tablature, VHS videos exist).
And, something that may pop up that we weren't aware existed.

If anyone would care to view what we have converted (Tab scans & the music) to CD's and DVD's, feel free to contact me and I will send you the list. It might happen that you are aware of something that we omitted from the list. That would be wonderful to discover. Email: tommybradshaw@gmail.com. ...Tom

Tom, looks outstanding to me. We have made a lot of gain in this so far. Just to mention, Ben Lawson contributed so much to this, with the box of meterial he sent to me. Thank you so much Ben.

Bump for the good fight

Tom & Jim,

I'd be glad to offer my time to the cause also. If you need help transferring the audio to digital don't hesitate to ask. I have done tons of conversions over the years and can gladly assist in helping archive Jeff's work for the future, Just let me know what i can do.

Thanks

Ron

I pm'ed Jim that I have the Good Hearted tab and track if it's still needed. Just lemme know.

Ben, I do plan on get ahold of you. Just no time yet. I will soon.

For those Forumites who have helped in the preservation of Jeff Newman's Course Materials, Jim Reynolds and I are very thankful. It appears that there are only a few items remaining to complete our project. If anyone has what we still need, please loan these to us. We promise to return them promptly. Whatever you can sent, do alert Jim when you send them. His email is (buzzbetty@hotmail.com) and his address is 106 Union St., Franklin, PA 16323.

It appears that we only have a couple of courses to obtain (unless some items pop up that we are not aware of. Here are what we still need:

Woodshed Workshop Videos for volumes 13 through 25 in VHS format.
Scale Stuff” (we've been told that besides tablature, VHS videos exist).
And, something that may pop up that we weren't aware existed.

...Tom (tommybradshaw@gmail.com)

Jerry, We got the Good Hearted Woman. straighten out. Di you need a copy. You had two CDs, one was labeled wrong, you sent me the right one, but I think you didn't need a copy. I sure have one for you my friend. You help us out very much. Thanks again my friend.

No, thanks Jim. You got me straightened out. I'm good.

We are nearing the end of this project. This appears to be all we have left to get:

Woodshed Workshop Videos for volumes 13 through 25 in VHS format.
Scale Stuff” (we've been told that besides tablature, VHS videos exist).
And, something that may pop up that we weren't aware existed.

i can get page 4 of the preacher for you.

I may have some of the original material you still need. Please e-mail me at clarkecastelle@gmail.com

Thanks Brenda. It appears that we are down to just one item needed, and the project is complete. It is alleged to be called "Scale Stuff." We're not certain if this is actually a course.

If anyone has a clue as to its existence, let me know. ...Tom (tommybradshaw@gmail.com)

So is this content still unavailable for purchase? I'd really love to get the C6th workshops.

Jim Reynolds and I will NEVER sell any of Jeff's courses. Our goal was to assemble, digitize and preserve Jeff's body of work. We've nearly completed this. I'll soon post a few things we need that we weren't aware existed. Beyond that, our effort is at an end (unless we gain permission or authority to make it available to all. If that happens it will be given away; never sold. ...Tom Bradshaw

Jim and I are nearly to the end of this project. Here is all we have left to acquire:


Woodshed Workshop Videos for volumes 13 through 25 in VHS format.
Scale Stuff” (we've been told that besides tablature, VHS videos exist).
And, something that may pop up that we weren't aware existed.

"Jim and Tom, you are good people."

A great service, not only to Jeff Newman’s legacy but to the PSG community at large.

I am looking for Jeff Newman's "Up from the Top". Does anyone know if it is available for purchase?

Jim Reynolds and I are happy to report that we have completed the project. We have digitally preserved every course that we feel exists that Jeff produced. There are some obscure items that are of limited value that still exist, but we are not pursuing them.

We feel we have made all those people who failed to get their courses from Melissa Greer, whole. They were required to prove they had paid for those courses. Jim and I wish to acknowledge the many Forum members who helped us acquire many of the missing courses we needed.

We do not know what the future holds for gaining authority to make the courses free and available to all, but our hope does "spring eternal," thanks to many of you. We will never sell any of Jeff's courses, but all who purchased Jeff's materials, such courses being their personal property, are free to do so. ...Tom

Tom,

Do you have, or will you have, Jeff's gospel course? I have the record but am looking for the book.

PM sent to Don.

PM sent to Don.

You know if you wanted to run it as a special library, I bet it would be fair use, since all of these items were properly purchased originally.

The trick would be to use a booking system software (there are free versions out there). Have to be able to set it to lock and unlock access to the file stored on the web.

Might be able to get the computer to do all the work.

Something to think about.
Edit:
I thought about it. Yikes.
Video streaming. Never mind.
Lol. Always the optimist.

That's kind of a big do it yourself project.
There are libraries that are set up for that and you might get one to take the collection but then you lose control of it.

Jim Reynolds and I have said from the very beginning that our goal in accumulating and digitizing all of Jeff Newman's courses was for preservation purposes only. Therefore, we will never sell any of the materials or offer them in any form other than to those customers that proved their purchase of Jeff's courses but never received what they paid for. Those past customers have been made whole.

Copyright laws prohibit the re-publication and distribution of Jeff's courses by anyone other than the legitimate owners. There is little doubt that the Newman family has the legal control rights to all of Jeff's body of work. Therefore, we will not be offering reprints of the courses to others in any form. Our position doesn't prevent owners of Jeff's materials from reselling what they originally purchased from Jeffran Music. ...Tom