Sneaky Pete "Spittin' Image"

Russ Tkac · Posted 7 Jan 2010 7:52 pm

Pete passed away three years ago today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzgDzTmegr0

He was quite a player.

Russ

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

This is amazing stuff - video of Sneaky is really rare, and you get an idea of how much two-foot work he did when you watch this (not a ton of bar movement on some sections of tunes with lots of changes).

Hit "related videos" - the whole German gig is posted, but not all on the same page.

Sorta puts a lid on the "limitations" of cable-pull Fenders.... Whoa!

On one tune (maybe more) you can see him flip the toggle for his fuzz - sure wish I'd ben able to get the schematic of that and trace out all the wiring in his guitar. The tones are amazing. And loud (I sat right in front of or next to his stage spot a few times and couldn't hear for days!)
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

What a player...what a guy. As unique as they come.
I miss him.

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

I like his playing. He reminds me of Julian Tharpe, NOT in comparison with what he plays notewise, but in the absolute ability to cover everything needed within the music. Each of them could play with just a bass player and a drummer and you would have all the rhythm, chords and solos and fills and it would be to a degree where you would never miss the underarm guitar player. 8 strings vs. 14 strings makes Pete even more impressive! He was a one of a kind!

That seems like a mighty big bar he is slinging around!!

Ben Jones · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

yeah that bar is HUGE.

Its really hard to describe Sneakys playing and how i feel about it. Its not such a tangible thing with him. he just has this sound and vibe that I really dig. one of a kind for sure.

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

On the song Sleepy Lagoon from The Legend & The Legacy album he makes his steel sound like a regular electric guitar with a vibrato. There are two lead players in the credits: Albert Lee and Bob Metzger, but I still think it is him.

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

Yep. And then there's this one....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDfqEmBNqbM&feature=related

Check out the intro,fills and solo/outro to one of my favorite tunes by The Band. Super melodic rock steel. Listen up Jeff Beck...

Pete also plays this whole tune as an instrumental on his last solo CD.

Ben Jones · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Is that Greg Harris on guitar...he looks like he's about 15. Laughing

_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Olaf van Roggen · From: The Netherlands

Yes,Stu I had the fortune to meet them in this line up,Greg Harris,Skip Battin,Jim Goodall and of course Sneaky Pete.
I must have been about 15 and wrote a letter to Sneaky Pete,when i saw him I showed the one he answered,talked to him and i stayed close to him...

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

... with the illustrious Jimbo on drums, shortly after the making of Jon Wayne Texas Funeral.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

That's cool, it looks like he's using his road case for a pack seat. I've never seen that before but it's a pretty good idea. I liked that video, I just wish the singer hadn't hogged most of the song and there'd been a nice long solo by Pete in the middle of it.......JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Errr - a singer "hogging" a song...with words?

I always thought that was sorta the idea of the words. Silly me. Whoa!

Anyone else notice *FOUR* cables coming off Sneaky's guitar? that's one thing I always wanted to take a close look at - the electronics.

There are two 1/4" coming off the end that look to be tied together; another 1/4" on the back side...and then what looks like a low-impedance direct line coming right out of the center of the right end.

I'm thinking that the cannon jack may have been hooked up to some of the switches he had on the metal plate on the top/front of the guitar - maybe controls for the Roland Space Echo he was using at this time. I've noticed the two on the end before and think they may be tied to the "blend" knob and feed each amp - but I've never noticed the one on the *back*.

Gonna drive me nuts all day!!
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Ben Jones · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

I like his pac a seat

Greg Simmons · From: where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave

I have been remiss in remembering Sneaky Pete this week...

my humble little page:

http://www.29citylimits.net/sneaky

Thank you Peter Kleinow for your creativity expressed in music and visual arts Cool

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<i>ï¿½Head full of this kaleidoscope of brain-freight, Heart full of something simple and slowï¿½</i>
-Mark Heard

Russ Tkac · Posted 10 Jan 2010 12:44 pm

Star of the Show is a great song and a great example of Sneaky at his best. Smile

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lf2CNbcj5Q&feature=related

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

...great to see my old friend greg harris........

1985 would have put greg in his mid 30's...a talented picker/singer/writer!

Chuck McGill · From: An hour from Memphis and 2 from Nashville, R.I.P.

Pete was such an influence on me to play pedal steel.
He was such a great player and missed.

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

That video of "Star of the Show" is great stuff. Pete plays country-style as well as anyone, but how 'bout that lick at 1:53? Whoa!

Whenever I hear him play I feel like setting up a steel with his tuning and locking myself in the woodshed!

Olaf van Roggen · From: The Netherlands

Is there any steel player known who tried to copy Sneaky's sound with adding anything to get close to his sound ?
Did he ever had any students?
His style is so unique and recognizable and yet so popular.
At a friend's house someone played a Stevie Wonder cd.,all of a sudden I thought I heard him,and it was really him.
Rusty Young around the same time had his organ sound which in the beginning i never liked.
he too as quite a unique sound but different..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_j-MxKALFU

Dennis Olearchik · From: Newtown, PA

Olaf, thanks for posting that link! I haven't heard that song since that album was first released. Luv Sneaky's playing and Stevie's singing. And what a cool song arrangement.

I hear some of Sneaky's sound and playing in some of Bruce Kaphan's work (who is another one of my all-time favorite musicians).

Thanks again Very Happy

Olaf van Roggen · From: The Netherlands

Your welcome,Dennis as I am a real country and country rock lover I love to get surprised by music i wouldn't normally listen to at home.
Altough I like Stevie Wonder,I don't have any of his music at home.
The other day I heard a folk singer i only knew by name and she had pedal steel on a song which I think is also Sneaky Pete....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI_8ArJgDgc

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