JERRY BYRD's FENDER STEEL GUITAR...................

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

For those of you all wrapped up in JERRY BYRD's former Fender steel guitar.....there's an excellent clip of him playing said guitar on the BOBBY LORD Television show. It's the You Tube clip with a very young Connie Smith "Once a Day" and "Then & Only Then".

Just tho't you might enjoy it.

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN5XDwsj0TI

Gerald Byrd.........

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

Thanks for the link. That Connie Smith sure was a cutie, wasn't she? Oh, yes, and Jerry was great as always.
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Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Howard, I can see the magic rubbed off on you right away. I won't say it must've been a spiritual experience for your fingers, but it must've been something.

Too bad they cut off the Chinese folk song.' My favorite part. "Now from the ridiculous to the sublime...."
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Chris Scruggs · From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Would that Chinese folk song be "Tu-Ning"? Wink

Speaking of "Tu-Ning", is Byrd playing E9 in this clip with Miss Connie?

Chris

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

That is the guitar Fender should have made instead of the FS-52, in my opinion. Thanks for sharing!
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C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

A bit of trivia that some may not know about that guitar. And I admit I do not know the complete story (as others may), but it goes something like this.

Jerry as most know, always played Rickenbacher steel guitars with an occassional stint on National resophonic steel guitars.

This was never more evident than in the "camp" of the Fender folks. So at a NAMM show one year, The Fender people asked Jerry why he did not play a Fender. Well if anyone knows Jerry, when you ask him a question, get ready to duck. Because he never held back telling exactly how he felt.

And he let them have it "right between the nose" Very Happy

And in essence as best I recall, "When you learn how to build a guitar, I will play it!" After the heat and anguish of the moment subsided, the "Fender folk" asked him to explain what it was that he did not like about a Fender.

Well Jerry went on to say words to the effect, "I like to play in Db* a lot, and them damn keys so close to the nut get in my way!"

Now take a close look at the last picture of that guitar pictured above; and notice that Fender took what appears to be a 10-key head and only put 8 keys in it when they built this guitar. So as to move the keys further to the left (as viewed from the playing position) to placate Jerry's complaint.

Sadly however, the sound was still a Fender sound and Jerry's sound in his head came out of a Rickenbacher, so Jerry did not keep it long. This scenario is similar to what Buddy Emmons said; after he went back to his Emmons; AFTER playing his first Sierra for several years; "I loved the Sierra and the bass response was awesome; but I had a sound in my head that only the Emmons could get; so I went back."

c.

* Note: There is an amazing array of chords that can be produced at the first fret on a C6 tuning using pull offs and hammer ons. Here are a few:

1. Uncover the first string for a C minor or F7th with the 7th on top, for two of 'em.

2. Uncover the 2nd string and you have C major 7th or E minor for two more.

3. Uncover the 4th string (by doing what Jerry often did, by sliding the bar way forward), and you have D9th.

4. Uncover the 5th string as in #3 and you have an F7th with the 7th on the bottom.

5. Tip the bar on strings 1 and 2 and you have a C augmented; or a major third on the 2nd and 3rd strings.

It is amazing just how many times he used these manuevers. In fact His first recording included "Steelin' the Blues", which made use of one of the above as its signature "lick".

Thus why Jerry said, "I like to play in Db...".
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Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Thanx for the rhuminations, Carl. Alway's good to hear what Jerry had to say, on anything. I too, like the tuners away or down from the nut.

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Here's Jody playing the guitar at a PSGA show....

and here's a letter from Forrest White.....

Letter from Forrest White

Music Man, Inc

From the desk of Forrest White August 8, 1989

This memo will confirm that you have the only instrument that was custom made from scratch to the specifications of a musician, during my period at Fender Electric Instrument Co 1954-1967.

The steel was made for my dear long time friend Mr. Jerry Byrd. Jerry is the "King" of the conventional steel guitar with no pedals.

Jerry used this guitar to make his album "Satin Strings" and there is supposed to be an article in the "Guitar Player" magazine later on telling the story of the instrument.

Jerry used the guitar on the Bobby Lord show on Nashville TV.

Chet Atkins liked the guitar so well that he borrowed it and later sent it to me after Jerry moved to the Hawaiian Islands.

This guitar is from my personal collection and I guess you must know that I hated to part with it. You have a valuable and personally cherished guitar. Please be careful with it.

Sincerely,

Forrest White

Garry Vanderlinde · From: CA

Man, that youtube clip is so amazing…shut your eyes and listen to it… Surprised

Hearing Jerry sound like a pedal guitar on his non-pedal like only he could do. Cool

Wouldn't that be his diatonic tuning?

I think they invented pedals so mortal man could copy his licks and slants Razz

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Some time back in time, there was quite a discussion here on the FORUM about a Fender guitar that was rumored to be 'for sale'. I believe someone was considering its purchase.
It was stated that after Jerry had gotten rid of it, returned it to Fender or SOLD it to someone name General or Colonel 'somebody'......that it had appeared for sale on Craig's List or somewhere?
I spoke to Jerry about this and he emphatically declared that whole story to be hogwash. He splained that he didn't know ANYONE by that title or name and therefore it didn't happen and the story was untrue.
Would someone care to detail just how his 'special Fender' got into the hands of someone on the HSGA program and in fact, WHO, the lucky person is that now owns it. What did it sell for 'new' and when more recently purchased?
This has likely been touched upon earlier but I must've been at work or outside playing or whatever.
There is an interesting story there that should be told and I can't believe that I'm the ONLY ONE that hasn't been privy to it. Please share.......

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Ray,......here's a link that should explain everything......and within this link, there are other links to previous discussions......

BTW, this steel was on ebay a couple of times.....Craig's list didn't exist at that time....

I bought this guitar from Nick Maniscalco.......

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/009123.html

I had brought this guitar to both the PSGA show and the HSGC.....both times it was played (L.T. & Jody) and people were able to see it up close.....and play it.....I think Jerry might have liked that.....

Marco Schouten · From: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

I had a chance to buy this guitar in 2000, but the asking price was quite high, if I remember correctly, it was somewhere near $ 10,000.
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JCH SD-10 with BL XR-16 pickup, Sho-Bud Volume Pedal, Evidence Audio Lyric HG cables, Quilter Steelaire combo

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Fortunately for me,.....it was nowhere around that amount........

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