The Steel Guitar Forum

This forum has just become waayyy too quiet guys! I know it's HOT everywhere, but I'm getting a second wind and I think it's time we got something going for the fall right now!

Here's the idea. Everybody who wants to get more involved in the Reso and Lap steel brotherhood - sit down in your living room and make a home movie playing your favorite Steel/Slide lick or tune, nothing fancy just kick it out. Nice thing is you get as many "takes" as you want. Include any bar trick or whatever and talk the tune through if you want. Introduce yourself and what you like to play music wise.

Send me the master because it's going to be 3rd generation by the time a copy is made with the other tapes. Then instead of a news letter, I'll send a free copy in October and another one in January to everyone who wants to be involved. Let's us get to know each other and play for other guys who'll appreciate some steel. I think we'll all learn from it and it's almost as much fun as a jam without having to travel a thousand miles.

....what do you think??

I like the idea. The problem is that my camcorder has real POOR audio quality and many players might not even have one.

How about an audio club like the PSG guys use to do. With todays CD burners it would be pretty easy to do. Just send a CD, tape or email an mp3 file - put them together, normalize, and burn. Once a CD is full - mail them out.

I have Sound Forge and a CD burner and would be willing to help.

We can do that too.

I like the video because you can see techniques and meet the players. Video isn't the best quality in sound but for home spun I feel it get's the idea across.

We have many new players who have heard lot's of steel but watching teaches. 8mm is a better format to start with, the VHS by 3rd generation will be a bit rough but so what, this is just for fun.

Ted, I'm usually the last one to be a naysayer but I tried this over a year ago ... offered to make a non-pedal instructional video with any forumite's footage submitted at my own time and expense and distribute it free to all who sent a tape and b0b could then sell additional dubs as a forum fundraiser. b0b was behind the idea but it turned out to be a colossal waste of time. I never received even one tape from forumites but I did receive a fair amount of flames and e-mails telling me to forget it. I've been there, Ted, and I'm here to tell you my experience says this is a dead-end road. <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 11 August 2001 at 12:02 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ted
Be glad to send a tape, but can you figure out the best way to record the sound not using the camcorder mic?
I hooked up and played through my Tascam recorder (using it as a mixer), but there is a considerable amount of hum on playback. Maybe my cables aren't shielded enough.
I do a fair amount of video duplication for my relatives & friends. I use a video amplifier which boosts the signal and makes better quality copies, especially in the 3rd generation copies. Without it, the results are ghosty & grainy.
Although if you have the capabilities of using the computer for making movies, I'm sure the results would be good. Myself, I'm just getting into this area with the help of a few formites.
Joe<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Joe Delaronde on 11 August 2001 at 01:42 PM.]</p></FONT>

I hear you Andy, but I have faith in the non-pedal'ers, this is more of a - fun if you want to, thing. I know the Melobar guys are nothing but terrific and I get tapes and emails all the time of them playing that I think other players would get a kick out of. That's why I want to go simple video and very living room spun ONLY. No stage stuff, so we are all just showing how our woodshedding is coming along. Reason to practice this week. But if a guy doesn't want to be a part of it, so be it.

The video amplifier is a good idea, I think dad had one somewhere around here.

Ted

Sounds like a good idea. I'll send something.Where shall I send it? And what video format should it be?I ask that because I have Hi-8 equipment myself,or I could put it on regular VHS. -MJ-

Okay, Ted. If you're willing I'll give it another try. Let me know if you need graphics/titles for your edit and I'll be glad to do 'em. what's your time deadline to get video clips and what formats can you deal with?

Now you're talking Andy! Just deal with the people that are decent and ignore the couple of bad eggs.

Well on format I'm just thinking simple 8mm or VHS guys, Let's try one and I'll send it out as a news letter and if it needs better quality etc. I'll bump it over to any of you guys that want to improve it. Let's just give it a trial run end of September and I'll mail them out to the people I know and any forumite who wants one.

Ted Smith
Melobar Guitars
9175 Butte Rd
Sweet, ID. 83670

How about simply, "Hi my name is.... and I live in the ....area, like to play....show some toys off and play a lick or two.

I'm about to dust off my camcorder. Is the project still on????<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 25 August 2001 at 08:25 PM.]</p></FONT>

Yep, first videos coming in.

Ted I've always liked your energy and spirit about slide music! I'll get into this too.
Think we could ask friends or the Video class at the local HS or Jr Coll to do this for practice. Did that back in Alabama, it worked out great for everybody. Ask em about the sound.
Your demo video came out just fine for this preview/sharing purpose.
What a great idea Ted. I'll put the Melobro and Melobar both on there!