The Steel Guitar Forum

I've been trying to dig up information on Hop Wilson and LC "Good Rockin'" Robinson. All I know about them is they were Blues musicians who also played steel guitar. Does anybody know anything about these guys?
Also, why do you all suppose there are so few blues lap steelers out there? I love Freddie Roulette's playing and wish I could hear some other wild blues played on lapsteel.

Hop Wilson was from Houston and had a few records out.He was always a bit out of tune but no more than most primitave blues players on any other instrument.The most interesting thing to me was how he played a Stringmaster triple neck - but instead of using the regular legs,he used to put it on a cheap folding card table along with his cigarettes,ashtray,a bottle of whiskey and a glass.Now dat's da blooze.I used to live up in Oakland in the early 70s and used to read where L.C.Robinson was playing at the local blues clubs - but I never did get out to see him.I believe he died around 1975 or so.He also played guitar,harmonica and blues fiddle.He may also have a few records out.There's another guy around L.A. named Sonny Rhodes who wears a turban onstage and plays kind of like B.B.King licks on a lap steel and sings pretty good blues as well.Of all the black blues lap players I've heard,Freddy Roulette was by far the most musically accomplished,in tune etc.There are probably several guys out of that Florida gospel scene who will end up giving Freddy a run for his money-and then some. -MJ-

Michael,
Do you have any idea what tunings Hop was using on that triple neck?

On "Rockin' at the Coconut Top" and "Chicken Stuff" it sounds like a simple major tuning of some sort - I don't hear any extensions. Apart from that observation,I have no idea.I bought a Hop Wilson CD at the Monterey Blues Festival a few years ago called "Houston Ghetto Blues" on the Bullseye Blues label(BB 9538).The liner notes make no mention of his tunings,though.It seems to be a reissue of some earlier Rounder sides. It probably contains a lot - if not most of his recorded work including his tune "My Baby Got A Black Cat Bone" which was covered by Robert Cray some years back. If you like this sort of thing,I suggest you check out "Black Ace". He had one LP on Arhoolie - originally recorded circa 1960 - it may be available on CD - I'm not sure.He was also from Houston and he played a fingerpicked/alternating bass style which is very complete and very musical(and in tune).He sounds a bit like Robert Johnson with his shuffle change-ups,falsetto vocal cadences etc,except he's playing a chrome National tricone squareneck in traditional overhand lap style in modal D and G tunings.He's definitely worth hearing. -MJ-

Michael,
Thanks for the information. I've thought about getting a Black Ace CD one of these days. I think I've got one of his songs on a slide compilation tape I bought years ago. I don't remember seeing his CD though when I look at the local stores. When I have the time I'll try and track it down.
Keith

L.C. Robinson recorded two excellent albums on the ABC Bluesway label . They're worth seeking out.

The only transcriptions I've ever seen of Hop Wilson's stuff indicated that it was a regular open E tuning (which of course proves nothing, but it sounds right to me...)
I'd also like to second the recommendation for Black Ace... probably my favorite acoustic blues record (there is only one, a mixture of a few tracks recorded in the 30s and the rest recorded at his home in the 60s).
Finally, I only recently discovered Sonny Rhodes, and *love* his slide playing (some of his records are on regular guitar).
Anyone know his tuning? I'm guessing an open E type again, although at least one track on the CD I have is on a G-tuned dobro (oops, I mean lap-style resonator guitar... )
Nick

So if Hop Wilson was playing a regular E major tuning on an 8 string neck was he just stringing it like a 6 string or did he extend it to 8 strings?

I'm almost tempted to take off two strings on my front neck and just leave it as a standard E major. I've tried Darick Campbell's E13th: B E D E G# B C# E

It's a fun tuning, but it does take some adjusting to. I'm still trying to find my way around it.

Again thank you eveyone for the good info.

Keith

Keep an eye out for the new Sonny Rhodes cd that comes out in a few weeks.

Hi Nick!

I caught Sonny Rhodes' set last month at the Winnipeg Folk festival, where he was introduced as "one of the surviving masters of the (sic) pedal steel guitar". He then played pretty standard Texas blues solely on 6-string, fretted electric- no slide until the last couple of songs which he played on a custom- made, black velvet covered lap steel.

I sat in the front row for an afternoon slide guitar workshop featuring Sunny, Colin Linden from Toronto, a girl from Edmonton (who played mostly Delta-style & showed tremendous potential) & a pretty decent dobroist from Vancouver. Sunny played slower licks more resemblant of BB than his solo performance on the main stage.

I asked him about his tuning & he confirmed it was open "E" major.

Pat Elazar- National Chicagoan s-6; Sho-Bud Frypan s-8; Johnson spider resonator.