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Topic: Standing with an old Rickenbacher? |
Al Terhune
From:
Newcastle, WA
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Posted 9 Jun 2009 8:14 pm |
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Recently picked up an 8-string prewar Silver Hawaiian, and it evidently has a factory strap button. I've noticed this on other Ricks. Was it common to use a strap and stand while playing these guys? Anybody do that with theirs now?
_________________
Al
My equipment:
One heck of a Wife
The ghost of a red Doberman
Several pairs of reading glasses strewn about |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 10 Jun 2009 6:48 am
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I don't believe I've ever seen a photo of someone playing one of those guitars standing up, and I've been collecting steel guitarist photos for a while. That particular Rickenbacker body shape doesn't fit that well with standing, in my opinion.
(Note I'm talking about standing and using a strap, not using a stand or legs.)
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 10 Jun 2009 7:30 am
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Get a stand for it.
A stand with legs is best __ similar to the one Maurice Anderson uses.
The only thing I dislike about pedal guitars is the sitting position of the player.
Standing will facilitate a better presentation to an audience. |
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Ron Simpson
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 10 Jun 2009 8:48 am
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| The only photos I've seen of someone playing a "lap steel" on a strap are in a book about the Grand Ol' Opry. James Summey (aka Cousin Jody)is shown playing an early Gibson EH 125 guitar, which is one piece of mahagony from head to tail. Cousin Jody came to the Opry with Roy Acuff's group. He was both a musician and a comedian who performed in costume. The other photo shows an unidentified steel player in Lonzo and Oscars group. This instrument appears to be a Gibson also. |
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Jack Klein
From:
Alpena, MI, USA
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Posted 10 Jun 2009 9:13 am steeler
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| that guy was LUTHER! thats all I can tell you. Jack |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Ron Simpson
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 10 Jun 2009 12:35 pm
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Brad,
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must surely be worth a million.
Thanks a million,
Ron |
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Al Terhune
From:
Newcastle, WA
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Posted 10 Jun 2009 12:39 pm
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Brad, that's a classic clip. It sure is close to the body, but Cousin Jody seems to work it like it's a part of him. I don't play live much any more, and I usually like to sit when I do play (at my age -- choosing between standing and sitting is pretty easy, and Rick, what you say is true about standing being a better presentation, although Jerry Lee Lewis and Robert Randolph might disagree), but having a lap that's got a button on it already would make it more tempting to do it dobro-style standing. I was just curious as to whether Rickenbacher did that for a while and then realized nobody was utilizing the strap button. Was it stock for a number of years? Was it a requested piece?
_________________
Al
My equipment:
One heck of a Wife
The ghost of a red Doberman
Several pairs of reading glasses strewn about |
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Tom Gray
From:
Decatur, GA
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Posted 10 Jun 2009 7:31 pm
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Look at Summey's bar grip. He lost the first two fingers of his left hand in the early 1950s, but it didn't stop him. He learned to hold the bar between his thumb and ring finger and mute behind it with the pinky.
Seems like I've seen a picture of the Hawaiian player Andy Iona standing with a frypan on a strap. |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 10 Jun 2009 9:13 pm
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Just one thing puzzles me about Sumney's playing...
where is the cord from the guitar to the amp ? I don't think he was using a wireless transmitter, or was he ? Gads, I wish I had that kind of confidence on the steel. He's no slouch ! Fun stuff and well done.  |
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Russ Wever
From:
Kansas City
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Posted 10 Jun 2009 11:12 pm
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| Quote: |
Just one thing puzzles me about Sumney's playing...
where is the cord from the guitar to the amp ? |
Notice the cord coiled in Cousin
Jodys right hand when he comes
out, then the kindly fiddler in
the checkered shirt, behind Cousin
Jody, appearently retrieves the
cord and plugs it in as Cousin
Jody announces the song title.
~Russ |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 11 Jun 2009 8:08 am
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| Your eyes must be sharper than mine...they did that so smoothly, I still can't detect it ! |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 12 Jun 2009 10:47 am
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One of our best modern players (Gary Morse) is best known for playing pedal steel but he's also very accomplished at playing an old Gibson lap steel standing up with a strap on. If you ever see him in a live show he'll probably do it at one point or another. A real super player.........JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 12 Jun 2009 10:17 pm
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I actually met “Luther” or whoever at Sunset Park, Oxford, Pa. with Lonzo and Oscar years ago (Late 50's) and he was a fine player, using a Gibson and sitting. I even remember he was tuned to C6! I even remember an instrumental he played, but. I can't remember the title! It may have been Texas Playboy Rag(?) I do remember I went home that day and learned to play his version, whatever the title was! btw: I think his trademark was a Derby~Hat also.
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<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster
Last edited by John Bechtel on 12 Jun 2009 10:29 pm; edited 4 times in total |
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Al Terhune
From:
Newcastle, WA
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Posted 12 Jun 2009 10:21 pm
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John, isn't it interesting what our memories retain?
_________________
Al
My equipment:
One heck of a Wife
The ghost of a red Doberman
Several pairs of reading glasses strewn about |
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Billy Gilbert
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 13 Jun 2009 5:11 pm Cousin Jody
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I saw Clell playing either a reso or a lap steel on the old black and white Eddy Arnold TV show. He called it his "bread board". He had it on an elastic strap and could shove it down toward the floor and it would bounce back up like a yoyo. He never seemed to miss a beat when he did that.  |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 14 Jun 2009 8:29 am
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| George Keoki Lake wrote: |
Just one thing puzzles me about Sumney's playing...
where is the cord from the guitar to the amp ? |
I think it's in his overalls somewhere.......  |
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