Long Black Limo MP3 reviewed..my response

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 21 Oct 2002 6:25 am

keep in mind, this post is from Oct 2002...

Thanks all very much who listened over the weekend and commented on the MP3 of Long Black Limousine.

Every comment is grately appreciated.

Let me talk about TAB first, no I don't have TAB, yes I can write it..but will I find the time anytime soon..? quite honestly I don't see it happening anytime soon.Sorry for that.

The MIX:
I have in fact remixed the tune with the link at the end of this message.

I recorded everything direct to the Boss BR8 workstation. I was to lazy to use my 32 year old Guild Acoustic for rhythm, The Tele' was there , I was there, so it seemed natural just to pick it up and use it. The effects were too wet but I knew that going in. The rhythm and Lead ( 6 string )were too loud, I agree, and the Steel was not loud enough..I did mix in the headphones which is a huge NO NO..but I don't have near fields yet, soon I hope. The drums,taken from the general midi on my laptop are mediocre at best but still were to out front , to loud and to wet.

Now the playing, thanks for the nice responses to the Tele' solo, I am very comfortable playing the Tele as I have not put that baby down for my entire music life, It's kinda like the son I don't have. The Steel, well , I walked away for about 12 years and started back about 1 year ago. I did play on a SB ProIII for many years in the 70's and 80's. The recorded Steel is a Carter D10 with the E66 on the E9th and a 10:1 on the C6.

The 3 things I need the most work on are pitch, pitch and pitch. Volume swells are getting better but this should all get better I hope with more saddle time. But you all should have heard this 6 months ago..yipes..I also have to work on keeping the bar straight across the frets as that makes for some interesting notes when a slight slant occurs.( does out of tune big time come to mind here? )

I do plan to experiment with different tuning techniques as well.

Hearing different views on mixing and playing are extremely helpful and all were I feel very positive and have given me some needed insight .

Anyway, to all that took the time to listen and comment,many by direct EMAIL as well, this was like a free university weekend. Big Thanks.

How can it get better than that ?
It can't..

Thanks to b0b for the forum..

here's the link to the new remix, MP3 96KB about 3 meg.
Long Black Limousine

Oh yes one final thought, The Bass is a Fender 62RI Stack Knob JBASS and let me just say this, I could live a very enjoyable life just playing this baby thru a Hartke or SWR system with no problem what-so-ever.

t[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 06 December 2004 at 02:34 AM.]

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 21 Oct 2002 7:17 am

THERE U GO!!
Ok, now with the remix, yeah, I can hear the tuning a tad dicey at the 10th fret, especially pedals down. So, I stand corrected.

But you know what, now I hear the "sparkle" (for lack of better description) in the tone of your Carter now that the gtrs. are back which I thought was lacking in the 1st mix, but that was a taste thing I didn't feel worth mentioning.
ENJOYABLE, Tony! Thanx!

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 21 Oct 2002 8:51 am

Tony, I just listened to your recording of Long Black Limosine and I want to compliment you on your excellant rendition of this song. The tone, chord transition, and interpretation was professional in everyway and I would classify it a "keeper".

I also like the mix and balance and I wouldn't change anything, but, of course no two musicians or engineers would ever agree on the "knob twisting" as that is in the "ear of the beholder" and there is no real "right or wrong" on that!

Tony, you need not concern yourself with the quality or progression of your steel guitar playing ability....I have heard players doing this for a living that couldn't equal your talent! www.genejones.com [This message was edited by Gene Jones on 21 October 2002 at 09:57 AM.]

Tom Ward · Post by **Tom Ward** » 21 Oct 2002 9:20 am

Great job Tony!

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 21 Oct 2002 9:52 am

There; what Gene said.

Terry Wendt · Post by **Terry Wendt** » 21 Oct 2002 10:02 am

Nice work Tony

I love to listen to steel guitar! Isn't it all just heavenly

Variety is the spice of life!
Keep Pickin TP

Terry Wendt

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 21 Oct 2002 11:01 am

Tony; thanks to the world's sorriest mp3 installation, it took me until today to open your file. I must say I concur wholeheartedly with Gene's assessment. I liked the work and would want to hear more.
There are many kinds of fruit in the market and I like the taste of each and everyone of them. Same goes for my musical preferences as well.

Every time some one mentions a name like the new thread on Johnny Siebert, or one on Roy Wiggins or one on Roy Ayers, I say yeah, that's a favorite of mine. I suppose I have a lot of favorites but no harm in that, eh ??
It's good music to my ears and that's all that matters to me !!

Regards, Paul

Jim Whitaker · Post by **Jim Whitaker** » 21 Oct 2002 11:37 am

Tony you have totally depressed me!! If this is your playing after one year then I need to get my chain saw out.
I thought it was great tone with a very nice rendition of one of my alltime favorites.
Well It's time to get some bar oil so I can put my Carter out of her misery.

Jim

great job!

------------------
JIM
"Carter SD10" "73" MSA S10, "74" LTD & NASHVILLE 400, Profex II "55" Esquire, "63 Epiphone, "63" Precision,
"71" Jazz

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 21 Oct 2002 12:12 pm

Jim, no not after one year, after a one year return from a 12 year layoff..does that make sense ? I played a ton in the 70's and 80's, actually I carried a ton..A D10 Sho-Bud and a Twin Reverb ..I layed myself off around 89 , sold the Steel, and about last Oct dove back in. So in all fairness although the return has been a year, the knowledge or whatever you may call it, experience ..blah blah blah ,goes back a ways.

Thanks guys for the fine comments, I'm honored to be in such exceptional company here..

Who woulda' thunk back there in the 70's that there would be Steel Guitar Forum waitin for us here in the 2000 time zone !

tp

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 21 Oct 2002 12:23 pm

Tony:

My speakers at home aren't working, but I sneaked onto the forum at work and clicked on the link to "Long Black Limousine." Great tone, clean picking, and nice progressions. Keep at it.

Roy

Jim Whitaker · Post by **Jim Whitaker** » 21 Oct 2002 2:42 pm

Thanks for clearing that up for me Tony. Not only a slow learner on Steel but seems like I am slow learner reading also.
It didn't matter though I had already put my saw up for the winter!! lol

Jim

------------------
JIM
"Carter SD10" "73" MSA S10, "74" LTD & NASHVILLE 400, Profex II "55" Esquire, "63 Epiphone, "63" Precision,
"71" Jazz

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 21 Oct 2002 2:50 pm

Good Jim, I wouldn't want you to ruin a perfectly good saw blade on an Aluminum end casting !

A 55 Esquire..uhmmm...Sounds like a fine little piece of history in your hands..

tp

Jim Whitaker · Post by **Jim Whitaker** » 21 Oct 2002 5:04 pm

Yea it's a nice Ax. It was my dads & will be my son's as soon as he is responsible eough to take care of it!!

jim

------------------
JIM
"Carter SD10" "73" MSA S10, "74" LTD & NASHVILLE 400, Profex II "55" Esquire, "63 Epiphone, "63" Precision,
"71" Jazz

Reggie Duncan · Post by **Reggie Duncan** » 21 Oct 2002 9:50 pm

Very enjoyable, Tony! Great work and thanks for sharing!

Vernon Hester · Post by **Vernon Hester** » 22 Oct 2002 1:16 am

Great work Tony,Like to stop by next time I'm up that way and see your setup.
Vern

John P. Phillips · Post by **John P. Phillips** » 22 Oct 2002 4:56 am

Hey Tony, re; the new mix, "MUCHO GRANDE" !!!!!

------------------
"Let's go STEEL something"
If it feels good, do it. If it feels COUNTRY, do it twice
jpp

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 22 Oct 2002 7:38 am

Real Nice Tony !

thanx for sharing
keep it up !

------------------
Steel what?

Skip T · Post by **Skip T** » 5 Dec 2004 7:59 am

Very nice tune. Anyone have the TAB ready yet ? Skip

Gere Mullican · Post by **Gere Mullican** » 5 Dec 2004 8:40 am

Tony, that was great. I wish I had some way to record myself here like you did. I recorded the "Limo" in a live setting about 1980 but the sound was not good at all. I still listen to it now and then to get a good laugh. Yours is very, very good. I had to do a "save target as.." to get the full song and I will listen to it many times. I hop you don't mind that I saved it. Thanks
Gere

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 5 Dec 2004 2:22 pm

Tony.....One word, very nice, oops that were two. If you ain't there yet, you's very close. Maybe one day I'll get to hear you live( maybe at Saluda).

Bill

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 5 Dec 2004 3:25 pm

Nice! You have a very gentle touch, there...kinda "Jimmy Dayish", if you know what I mean. Nice Tele work, too. You show a good imagination and style.

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 5 Dec 2004 5:26 pm

Tony, you da man.

Tasty, in tune and lots of feeling.

Rick

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 5 Dec 2004 6:10 pm

Tony: Just a question.
You sent me Long Black Lemo.. about April of last year (2003). In it, you had the great balance of the current mix. Did you remix it for the first version you posted here with the steel not as loud?

By the way folks, Tony has another song called Pickin on the E's that includes a little more telly work.

I have plans for Tony to do some work for me on a project that has been delayed for various reasons but will come to pass eventually. Tony's a great picker as I'm sure you will agree.

Ken Lang
Willowgate Music

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 6 Dec 2004 2:08 am

Yipes ..Thanks guys..talk about bringing back the past !

I recorded this tune probably mid to late 2002 on my Boss BR-8..DIRECT..using on board patches that I wrote specifically for the Steel, and Tele'. This was at a time when I making my way back to playing again..still workin' on that part. I should have quit while I was ahead..I am the poster child for " A little more knowledge makes one very dangerous"..

The BR-8 was ( is) a very simple life recorder..you play the best you can, you record, you EQ a little bit..then you send the final result over to the PC for CD burnin'..results ? .not bad..maybe leaning toward pretty darn good.

Ken, yes it's possible that a couple of versions of "MIX" exist as the BR-8 does not have any Mastering tools..so when I transferred to the PC as a .wav I was mixing on the fly..

And now, of course technolgy has far surpassed our greatest ambitions and we have mastering tools on our Multi-trackers which means we now spend more time trying to "master" out bad notes instead of just playin' it right in the first place !

Long Black Limo..great tune, always one of my favorites. Got to see Buddy play it several times in the mid 70's..

my verison is a little pitchy to say the least..but thats the Bars fault, not mine..

The recorder I use now is the Yamaha AW2816, 16 track, 24 bit on board everything, way more than a human requires..my pro engineer pal out in sunny CA. calls it a mid 80's $30,000 recording studio in a 2002 14" square plastic case !

happy monday..
t[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 06 December 2004 at 02:17 AM.]