The Steel Guitar Forum

I grew up listening to Buck Owens and The
Buckaroo's....At age nine I was taken by the
guitar sounds of Don & Buck, and totally by the beautiful steel guitar with Tom Brumley in charge. I sure there are many greater, but he sure fit the Buckaroo's agenda in my
opinion....


Alan

There may be faster players, and players who play nine 6-note chords per measure, but I've yet to hear anyone I consider to be any *better* a player than Tom.

Tom is like certain blues guitarists---he knows how to take a few notes and say more with them in the middle eight than the next guy could say if he played all day...

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GFI S-12 extended E9

I have a copy of "Pacific Steel Company", a compilation steel guitar album. Brumley is absolutely flawless and plays some of the best steel I have ever heard!

When you have an entire STYLE with your name on it, I would say you were GREAT. Tom is GREAT!

CLASSIC

Great thing about Tom is; when he plays the strings...all the notes ring evenly...he makes it sound like a perfectly in tune Choir.
Ricky

I'm thinkin' he was the best commercial country player outside the Nashville clique while with Buck, and gave Rick Nelson a very unique sound. First steel player I ever saw that would actually look directly into the camera while playing his solo!!! That was cool!!!

Yeah, all this and a great bloke too. Don't forget that.

I loved Tom's playing behind Buck! His tone fit the gig superbly, and his steel "barked", and demanded attention.

Anybody hear him play on the Chris Isaak album San Francisco Days the track called Except The New Girl. Great tone and choice of notes. Yes there`s only one TOM BRUMLEY.

He's a stylist and has his own sound. He is truely one of the greats! When in Branson, I always make it a point to go see his show.

Tom Brumleys playing was superb back in the 'old days' and his playing is probably still that way. Many steel guitarist were introduced to the instrument thanks to his fine playing and we all owe him a lot for his part in putting the Pedal Steel guitar in all those great Buck Owens tunes, not to mention the Rick Nelson stuff he did. Keep it up Tom!!

Ernie Pollock http://www.hereintown.net/~shobud75

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AMEN to all the above!!

The first time I met Tom, his name was Tommy Brumley, and we both had hair. WOW that's been a while. I have always said that my favorite steel player is the one that I am listening to, and I have listened plenty to Tom. On a scale of 1 to 100 Tom is 110. Touch, Tone, Ear, and those many of you that know him, already know that there isn't a better person on earth.
Whenever I can, when we are in Branson, I go see Tom's show and listen to his flawless playing. When they get to the part of the show that features Tom's steel guitar playing, on all of those hit records, I never fail to get goose bumps.
Those of you that might think Tom does not play fast, get a copy of his Tom Cattin album,(Pedal Patter) try doing that one. Ahh you say Eflat,he must have cut that with a D tuning and they sped up the tape. Nope Buck always had the band tuned to Eflat.
T.Bs. playing, and sound, is as good as it gets. I wish some of the steel guitar greats (who choose not to post on this forum any longer for various reasons) still posted on here so you could see how Tom is thought of by his peers. I love Tom Brumley, and I am proud to call him my friend. Ronnie

I also must agree with all the above comments about Tom’s playing. There are many ways to judge a musician. In the area of studio work, one of the areas I always look at is “taste”. In other words, “did they play what needed to be played, when it needed to be played?” Most of the studio players have this ability, or they would not be studio players. The three that always stand out in my mind (and please understand the list is long, but these people always jump to the forefront when I think about the subject) would be Buddy Emmons, Lloyd Green…and Tom Brumley.

It really doesn’t make any difference who they are playing with, they just seem to know what to do, and when to do it. It is an amazing ability that I wish I had!!

B. Bailey Brown

I don't think his tone is as good as when he played a ZB. I love that thin twang he used to get.

One thing about this classic picker from out here on the LEFT COAST...... He played like HIMSELF and not like all of the Nashville steel men. His original sound....is at times a refeshing break from all of the "sound a likes" so prevelant today.

I also must agree with all the above comments about Tom’s playing. There are many ways to judge a musician. In the area of studio work, one of the areas I always look at is “taste”. In other words, “did they play what needed to be played, when it needed to be played?” Most of the studio players have this ability, or they would not be studio players. The three that always stand out in my mind (and please understand the list is long, but these people always jump to the forefront when I think about the subject) would be Buddy Emmons, Lloyd Green…and Tom Brumley.

It really doesn’t make any difference who they are playing with, they just seem to know what to do, and when to do it. It is an amazing ability that I wish I had!!

B. Bailey Brown

Kevin,

I will tell you a story, and I will try and keep it short. I only met Tom once in my life. Years ago I was playing one of the old “Marlborough Talent Search” shows that used to go around the country. I walked into a club in San Antonio, TX and dropped my guitar and amp over on the side of the stage. There was this other steel player setting up his rig right next to me. I set up my steel about the same time he did and flipped it over. This guy looked over and said, “Oh wow, a Blanton! That is a nice guitar. How do you like it?”. I said, “Well, I love it!” About that time he stuck out his hand and said, “Oh, by the way my name is Tom Brumley.” I was totally blow away, and thinking to myself “THE Tom Brumley??!!”. It turned out it was THE Tom Brumley. I will tell you he was one of the most truly genuine human beings I have ever met. A nicer gentleman you would never want to know! He happened to be sitting in with his son’s band that night. His son was a Bass player with a band out of Austin, TX, and a good one at that. They won the competition. I think my band came in 3rd.

Tom played before I did, but I noticed when I was on stage he watched the band…and me. Now THAT will make your brow break out in a sweat!! The other thing I remember about that night was that Tom said, “You know, it would make things a lot more simple if we used the same amp. I have one of the new Peavey Nashville LTD’s, and you have a Session 400. Would you mind using my amp?” I said, “Yea Tom, it will work for me! Can I twist the knobs?” he said, “”Do what you need to do!”

He was playing a single neck ZB on a double frame if I remember correctly. His tone was IMMACULATE, the Peavey amp was great…and steel guitar really didn’t get any better. It was just one of those magic nights that you only have a couple of times in a life time. I actually played fairly well, but Tom played a lot better! It was really a lot of fun.

B. Bailey Brown

I dont ever recall Tom getting a thin twang tone! Thank God!

Tom's a wonderful player with a lot of good stuff. I have the same 1st pedal as he does which raises the 7th string F# to G# and raises the 10th string to C#. I've used it for around 7 or 8 years now and can't live without it. I don't understand why more people don't use this on the floor in the P1 position to the left of the A pedal (Emmons's setup). If you listen to a lot of Tom's stuff he uses this pedal a lot.

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney tuning.

Bailey, thanks for the story. Very memorable. My two favorite all time tones on steel guitar is Tom Brumley on his ZB, and Red Rodes on his Sho-Bud. I love Tom Brumley's
ZB tone.

Tom's "refined ZB tone" on the rick nelson recordings is like unto perfection. Funnily, though his modern Mullen and Anapeg tones on his "In Time" CD are just as pleasing to my ear. But it was that ZB that damn near made me quit playing it hurt so good...

Ronnie Miller... I couldn't say it better myself.. I'd like to add a story about the hair... I met Tom in the late 50's.. So Cal.. He had hair .. I was thin.. A few years ago " somewhere" a bunch of us was B.S'n and I said " I knew Tom when he had hair!" Tom replied " I knew Fred when he was thin!" Ray.. I do hear some Mooney in his playing.. maybe I just want to but I really think its there. Tom is a really GREAT person and I am so happy to claim him as a good friend for 40-45 years! As for pickers.. they don't play any better than Tom nor do they need to! Regards, Fred

Tom Brumley was one of my inspirations to play the steel. As a kid, I wore out the 'Live at Carnegie Hall' LP trying to play like Tom Brumley...well I tried! I remember going with my father to watch him with Buck Owens at the Winnipeg Arena...what a band and concert! I'd like to meet him one day. Just a comment, not a negative, but I prefer Tom's old ZB tone just as I prefer Lloyd Green's old Sho Bud sound...again, certainly not a negative, simply a personal preference and comment.

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