The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi, what copedent / Tuning is Jimmy Day using here ? The add on Changer on the Keyhead of this Fender looks like it is activated by one pedal and it works on strings 4 and 5.

Tuning ???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igWV68jI-U0

Yeah, it looks like something is moving around the tuners of 4 and 5. But when he starts the solo, key of F, it looks like he is on the 13th fret, picking strings 1,2,3, tuned to E B G#, pedaled up to E C# A. That would mean that the pedal(s) is pulling strings 2 and 3. I can't tell...

Fred, it's not Jimmy Day on this one, but Jack Evins. He filled in for Jimmy around that time for few months. You can't tell it from that clip but the front of the guitar reads "Jack "Curly" Evins".

The singer working with Ray looked familiar; does anyone know who he is?

------------------

Tommy,that's Van Howard singing with the Chief...he has a new CD out with Buddy Emmons and Hank Singer on it...Google his name and I'll bet you can find it.

------------------
http://home.comcast.net/~steves_garage

I believe Tommy Jackson is one of the fiddle players, does anyone know who the other one is? He looks familiar....JH in Va.

------------------
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

I definitely hear both a 6th and a 9th in the tuning, so I'd say E6/9.

Jerry, you're right...that's Tommy Jackson (my favorite fiddler), and the other fiddler might be George McCormick.

Nope, it's Dale Potter!

I think Donny nailed it. The tuning JD used.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 13 December 2006 at 09:37 AM.]</p></FONT>

Here's another take of the same song and same band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS0q7RBHd3A&mode=related&search=

Ok, Thanks everyone. Now, how would this E6/9 be setup with a pedal(s) ?

I'm not sure about that tuning, but I'm pretty convinced that Jimmy Day had "Isaacs E9" on his Wright Custom, as did Buddy Emmons on his Bigsby at the same time. It was from hi-lo:
E
B
G#
F#
D
B
G#
E

There were two pedals; A pedal pulled the high B to C# and G# to A. B pedal pulled D to E, B to C# and G# to A.

Yes, the other fiddle is Dale Potter. Jody.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Jody Sanders on 14 December 2006 at 02:27 PM.]</p></FONT>

I remember using that tuning on my D8 in 1938, but with only 8 strings I didn't have the low E as I put a C# in between the high E and B. It was pretty new in those days....al

E
C#
B
G#
F#
D
B
G#
E6 top 4, E9 bottom 4 E7, Bminor 6, Emaj,C# minor all on one tuning. No pedals but by puttin on the A and B pedals, it is almost like E9 today.......

------------------
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Al Marcus on 14 December 2006 at 08:14 PM.]</p></FONT>

NOW THAT my friends...is the most killer steel guitar tone I have ever heard...I love that sound...to me...THAT IS STEEL GUITAR !

Ernest you wrote "Yeah, it looks like something is moving around the tuners of 4 and 5. But when he starts the solo, key of F, it looks like he is on the 13th fret, picking strings 1,2,3, tuned to E B G#, pedaled up to E C# A. That would mean that the pedal(s) is pulling strings 2 and 3. I can't tell..."

I know, it looks that way to me also, I just can't figure out how the 4 and 5 Plunger would line up with what I'm seeing and hearing.

I've seen "Jack Curly Evins" on the front of the steel in a number of those clips, but I was not sure if he was playing, or someone else was playing his steel. In these other clips it does sound like it had a pedal mod on that Fender. Great sound !<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Fred Bova on 16 December 2006 at 11:06 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ok it was Jack Evins.
Could this be it ?

E6 Tuning High to low; G# E C# B G# E C# B

How many noticed in the youtube video that Jussi's link brought up... a couple of pretty well known members of another GOO stars band visable just over Ray's left shoulder??
bh

Of course one is the Big E, but who is the fellow with the guitar beside Buddy doing a lot of applauding and who are the guitarist and bassist in the shot showing Tommy Jackson and Dale Potter?

The lady sitting in the purple dress barely visible in the right corner is singer June Webb.

The guitarist in the white shirt next to Big E is Johnny Johnston. He played rhythm with everybody in the 50's and 60's.

The guitarist behind the fiddles looks to me like a very young Pete Wade. I couldn't make out the bass player from this clip, but it could be Buddy Killen, as he played with Ray on his recordings at that time.

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

OK, here's what I know about early after-market pedal attachments, such as the ones done to Fender Steels by Shot Jackson. Due to the pressure on the strings being pushed upward by the mechanism under the guitar and into the tuning~well, the 2nd. tuning-key was still too close to the nut for the proper leverage/tension when raising the pitch of the string, so; strings #2 & #3 were wrapped onto keys #3 & #4. So, for the E9-8-str. tuning: (f#)~G#~B~D~F#~[G#]~~E, #1, #2, #3, #4 keys were strung and tuned: 1~E, 2~F#, 3~[G#/A], #4~[B/C#]. That's why it looked like strings #3 & #4 were being raised, when in reality it was actually strings #2 & #3. Actually, the plunger pushed upward on the strings half way between their tuning-key and the nut. If the string being Raised was on key #2, it would break very quickly, due to the tension on the short distance between the key and the nut! Notice also that Day had a high f# on key #8. That high string was use used in the chorus of Crazy Arms. When Sonny Burnett worked with Webb Pierce, he had his high f# in the 4th.position instead of the wound F#. Gosh, I'm becoming a very old fossel!
------------------
“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
Current Equipment
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by John Bechtel on 20 December 2006 at 10:59 PM.]</p></FONT>

Here's more early Jimmy Day:

w/ Jim Reeves, what do you reckon is the guitar Jimmy is playing in this cut? My guess is an early Sho Bud prototype: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gwTV-LxAj0&mode=related&search=

...and here w/ Reeves playing a Wright Custom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4iLQmw_z7E&mode=related&search=

...and here w/ Ray Price playing Buddy Emmons' Bigsby: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IyWDVG3f3M&mode=related&search=

I hate to sideline threads like this but there are so many talented fellows here I thought I would ask.

The song is in the key of F and looking at the chords that Ray is playing it looks like he plays an unbarred F chord then an F7 with the pinky, then a B chord should follow, but I cannot tell what fingering he is using for the B chord. Is it a B13 or a B11 that he is playing? Or I am out in left field here?

Thanks!

M.

It's a Bb chord that follows F ( you probably meant that but just wrote B ), he's using his index finger to barre strings 4,3,2 on the third fret, it gives you the 5th, root and 3rd of the Bb chord. <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Jussi Huhtakangas on 21 December 2006 at 05:50 AM.]</p></FONT>

Jussi

Thanks!

M.