Bee Boppity Boo Wah

[Geoff Noble]

This is a little ditty I put together featuring guitar and pedal steel. I created a Pedal Steel backing track using the raking technique. The first section features a guitar solo on my Tokai Les Paul, the second section features a Pedal Steel solo. I don't have the 'real' Boo Wah pedal since I converted to E9 Ext from Universal, but I do have a couple of pedals which lower the bottom string, a low E as compared to a low B/C. My C pedal lowers E to D and my zero pedal lowers E to C#. I use the C pedal lower in this tune similar to a Boo Wah pedal on C6, on the Steel backing track.

The location in the video is Loch Leven in Fife, Scotland. It is a beautiful location and a walking path has been created recently, which goes right around the Loch. It is a bird sanctuary, and you can often see rare birds frequenting the Loch. The hill on the opposite side of the Loch is known locally as the Sleeping Giant, as from certain angles it looks like a giant asleep! It is also rich in Scottish history, it was where Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner before she escaped and never returned to Scotland before she was executed by Queen Elizabeth 1st. The island she was kept prisoner on is not visible in the video, and is to the West of where the video was shot.

Anyway, here it is, hope you like it.

https://youtu.be/Us4uiMJr42A?si=LTr-gTDHgNmHdTY0

[Jack Stanton]

Nice job, Geoff!

[Larry Dering]

Nice job and a cool tune

[Geoff Noble]

Many thanks guys. Some tunes come easy, this started easy and became a bit of a grind, however got there in the end.

I bought a Fractal FM3 recently and it's taken me a wee while to get to grips with tuning in the Pedal Steel. So many options etc, it does lend itself to experimenting with different approaches though.

For example, on the Pedal Steel backing track patch, I put an envelope shaper, ADSR, on the tremolo block, where it starts off slow around 2hz, ramps up to around 8hz then falls back down to 2hz. This is triggered when you hit the strings and retriggers the next time you hit the strings. It is subtle, but I think it adds to the overall feel.

Anyway, thanks again for your replies.

[Dale Rottacker]

That was nice Geoff ... You definitely set the mood and put me on that beach, though maybe in a warmer climate

[Geoff Noble]

Thanks Dale. I know what you mean, but on occasion it can get up to the balmy heights of -20°

Actually it's pretty warm here atm for March, in like a Lion out like a Lamb, as the saying goes.

Hoping for a good summer

[Marshall Woodall]

So relaxed and relaxing Geoff!

[Dale Rottacker]

Thanks Dale. I know what you mean, but on occasion it can get up to the balmy heights of -20°

Actually it's pretty warm here atm for March, in like a Lion out like a Lamb, as the saying goes.

Hoping for a good summer

I get that ... I grew up in Northern Alberta ... saw many 40º below weather, in fact our grades 1-8 in a one room school, our teacher would make us take recess outside, we never heard of "Snow Days" ... walked home once when it was -40, a full mile and no houses between the school and our house and open field on both sides of the road the whole distance. Still don't know why Dad forgot to pick me up ... YET, the summers were mostly a perfect 70º though on occasion get up to 100º.

[Geoff Noble]

Thanks Marshall

Visited Canada, quite a few years ago now. I have relatives in Toronto, so spent some time there then flew over to the West, hired a camper and drove up through the parks. Got as far as Jasper.

I asked a guy there what the winters were like and he said it can get down into the -50's. As you have said, it can also get very hot in the summer. Up in the higher areas in the parks, it was still very cold, that was in summer. I guess the fact that you have glaciers up there is a clue.

Beautiful country, really enjoyed our visit.

The coldest I can remember it being here was around -25, and that is uncommon, even more so now, as temps are generally rising. Summer can get up into the 60's, that's about it, and it rains a lot!

[Dale Rottacker]

Geoff we rarely watch "Network" TV anymore except for Golf and Football ... But since Covid we've been watching a lot of British TV ... Like The Bay and In The Line of Duty, Vera ... We've seen a lot ... we prefer the accents