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Topic: Pic of 1956 NMA Steel Players-anyone recognize themselves ? |
Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 28 Apr 2013 1:25 am |
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My late friend Bill Pruitt is in this pictures playing his quad neck Fender. Look at all of these cool steels...you tell me those werent the "good old days" !! I really know very little about this annual event..I think it was a contest and was held in California. I thought perhaps some of you on the forum might actually be in these pics, or at least would enjoy seeing them. My friend Joe Naylor of steelseats.com was also a friend/student/teacher of Bill Pruitt Music studios at about the same time that I was also, so he might be able to comment and add some information on this event. I got these pics from Bills widow who has a scrapbook of Bills teaching/playing days...stong, fond memories !! |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 28 Apr 2013 1:27 am
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another picture. sorry the pics are so small..wish I could make them larger
Look at all of the youth playing steel and all of those wonderful old Fender and Rickenbacker steels. I hope you enjoy these pics and maybe recognize yourself or a friend !
I once owned that 4 necker Fender...paid Bill $150 for it back in 1969 and then traded back to him in 1970 when I bought a Fender 400 from him...just had to have those pedals !
Last edited by Larry Lenhart on 28 Apr 2013 6:58 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Chris Templeton
From:
The Green Mountain State
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Joe Naylor
From:
Avondale, Arizona, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2013 8:56 am
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Chris - Most all used volume pedals. Bill would say many times, "Step on the Gas Boy that why you have control so you can dround um out" then he would smile and say "everybody wants to hear the steel" - he also had a thing about not having cords or pedals in photos. Never did know why but he simply said they were ugly. I remember holding a pedal behind my back in a photo and someone thinking I was a one armed steel player.
Larry - these were some of the OLDER students in '56 - I started in '54 taking from Joe Mays - Bill took over in '55. I am pretty sure I played in that in Tulsa - I will do some scrap book lookin
I am fairly sure that was the end of March in '56 and the day I got my double neck Rickenbacker that weighed 8 more pounds than I did - it was also on my 8th birthday - we did solos in the morning and afternoon and then groups in the evening - you might find a photo like that too - I think we had those same White pants and Black short sleeve shirts.
The on in Tulsa was like that I just remember my Mom worrying about the White pants and an 8 year old - but one of the old men (must have been at least 30  )spilled mustard all over his pants and his wife ran all over Tulsa and got back just in time for the group deal that evening. I am fairly sure that Leon McAuliffe was the judge for the contest.
I remember getting a trophy from Leon and he was 9 feet tall - when I met him when I was 22 he srank down to just under 6' tall - but he remembered me for one reason.
I met him back stage in Wichita (through a DJ friend of mine) and told him we met when I was 8 in Tulsa at a steel guitar contest. I was sure he would not remember me. He quickly said were you the kid that got the Rickenbacker for his birthday? I said yes, he went on to say he had told that story many times over the years. Then he said, you played Steel Guitar Rag and Panhandle Rag in that order. (he laughed and said) the only time I heard them all day because everyone was afraid to play either in front of me I guess. But not you - you did know any better you just went for it - he also said he gave me a standing ovation but you did not see it because you bowed - did not look up and got off the stage.
Now I just wonder how many steel players has gotten a Standing Ovation from Leon ????
Good memories and I have lots more with Bill and the boys (actually they were men and I was the little boy then)
Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com
_________________
Joe Naylor, Avondale, AZ (Phoenix) Announcer/Emcee owner www.steelseat.com *** OFFERING SEATS AND Effects cases with or without legs and other stuff ****** -Desert Rose Guitar S-10, Life Member of the Arizona Carport Pickers Assoc., Southwest Steel Guitar Assoc., Texas Steel Guitar Assoc., GA Steel Guitar Assoc., KS Steel Guitar Assoc. (Asleep at the Steel) tag line willed to me by a close late friend RIP |
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Rick Stratton
From:
Tujunga, California, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2013 9:47 am
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Great shots Larry!
Hope these look better.
Great story Joe!
That's got to be a cherished memory! |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 28 Apr 2013 11:44 am
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| Thanks Rick for enlarging them...I am just a dummie when it comes to that stuff I guess. Those were great stories Joe...thanks for posting those. I also have pics of Bill and his bands over the years...I love looking at pics of old bands...I love to see the guitars, steels, amps and even the dress style of some of the older bands...that would be a good thread to start, where members of the forum could display 40s, 50s 60s pics of their bands they played with. |
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Chris Templeton
From:
The Green Mountain State
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Posted 28 Apr 2013 12:20 pm
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When I played in Hawaii and Japan, I played my Jerry Byrd Frypan standing up with a three legged stand made for me by Ray Knapp, who has since passed on.
He would "borrow" parts from Matson shipping containers to make his stands.
I found that if I used the volume pedal for needed times, like a solo, it saved some wear and tear on my body and probably some chiropractic bills.
(quick story) Ray used to work, playing steel on one of the cruise ships and I used to visit with him when he docked on Kauai,
One time I visited him on the boat and he got too much sun and all the exposed skin came off. e looked like a leopard..
He had Jerry Byrd's Trotmore 8 string guitar. Ray was quite a character.
Eay also worked at The Old Lahina Luau.
Jerry gave him this big old car and Ray used to go beach combing and his car trunk was filled with stuff he'd found at the beach.
I laugh thinking about him rooming with an anorexic model on Maui.
He was from Ohio.
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Excel 3/4 Pedal With An 8 String Hawaiian Neck, Sierra Tapper (10 string with a raised fretboard to fret with fingers), Single neck Fessenden 3/5
"The Tapper" : https://christophertempleton.bandcamp.com/album/the-tapper
Soundcloud Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/bluespruce8: |
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Joe Naylor
From:
Avondale, Arizona, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2013 3:20 pm
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After checking that one was CA and I went to the one in '56 in Tulsa with Joe Mays - and found that I met Bill at the one in Tulsa that year - I think about the next year or 2 Bill took over so I was off a year or two. What I had talked about was in Tulsa and I think they called it the IMA - International Music Association - you got me looking through so old stuff now Larry -
I think it would be great to have some of the old photos too - from others - we see some from time to time.
Joe
_________________
Joe Naylor, Avondale, AZ (Phoenix) Announcer/Emcee owner www.steelseat.com *** OFFERING SEATS AND Effects cases with or without legs and other stuff ****** -Desert Rose Guitar S-10, Life Member of the Arizona Carport Pickers Assoc., Southwest Steel Guitar Assoc., Texas Steel Guitar Assoc., GA Steel Guitar Assoc., KS Steel Guitar Assoc. (Asleep at the Steel) tag line willed to me by a close late friend RIP |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 10 Feb 2017 5:54 pm
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Bringing this topic up again since its been a few years and maybe some people can add to the conversation. I love to look at pictures of steels, guitars, amps from the 50s and 60s era, so if you have some scrapbooks of such pics, dig them out and post them please ! 
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Zum Encore, Remington D8 non pedal, Hallmark Mosrite clone, Gretsch 6120 DSW, Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet Two 90,1976 Ibanez L5, Eastman archtop, Taylor Dreadnaught, Telonics pedal, Squire Tele, Squire Strat, Fender Tonemaster, Gold Tone 5 string banjo, Little Wonder tenor banjo, 3 Roland cubes 30s and 80, Carvin combo bass amp |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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