How can Jerry Byrd Play So Quiet?

Mark Davis · From: Bakersfield, Ca

How on earth does Jerry Byrd keep out all the sounds other than just pure beautiful sweet music. I dont hear any picks, a bar sliding, bar chatter,string noise in fact its so smooth sometimes he sounds like a synth!

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

When you find the answer to that question, PLEASE let me know.

carl

Rick Collins · From: Claremont , CA USA

He's Jerry Byrd. That's the only explanation.

Rick

George Keoki Lake · From: Edmonton, AB., Canada

Dedication and hundreds upon hundreds of hours practicing perfection. I doubt there'll ever be another quite like him in the foreseeable future. We are a very fortunate generation .... right ?

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Jerry's selection of "strings" I believe, has a lot to do with the lack of string noise. Having personally used his olden days string set-up, I encounter no noise whatsoever. Back then, he used to use three standard guitar, Black Diamond 2nd strings for strings #1,#2 and #3; and unwound third string for his #4 and then two or three flat wound strings for the bass strings. That is a partial explanation.
Of course, "the hands" of Jerry Byrd is rest of the equation, right?
Yes! We've been blessed to hear such a musical genius during our lifetime. He always has been and remains my mentor to this day.
I don't know what string guages he uses at this time.

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

Also,he uses what most modern steel players would consider a mellow - even dark tone.This further reduces clatter and racket.And don't forget impeccable volume pedal technique which is where a lot of that theremin-like purity comes from. -MJ-

Mark Davis · From: Bakersfield, Ca

Too much fun huh? Yes the theremin-like sounds he gets are amazing. Cold Cold heart has those in it wow what a genius steel player Jerry is.

Paul Graupp · From: Macon Ga USA

Ray Montee: Somewhere in the back of my head, I had a memory of Jerry using three
Black Diamond seconds for his first three
strings. It had been there for so long I
couldn't be sure if it was fact or fiction. I
never mentioned it to anyone because I felt
I might look foolish. Thanks for making this day a good one!! By the way, I just sent
Jerry my copy of a 1963 Fretts with him on the cover. I'd kept it all these years thinking I had somehow offended him by writing about his non-acceptance of pedals.
The only good thing to come of that was Jerry's article in Fetts. I thought he should
have it. Again, many Thanks!! Regards, Paul

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Paul,

Jerry indeed used 3 "seconds" for strings 1, 2 and 3 on his C6 tuned steels. Plus a plain 4th string. It was this that permitted him to play on strings 1 and 2, OR 2 and 3 with the exact same "timber" to that fabulous sound of his. If you will listen closely to his album "Hi Fi Guitar", there is NO way anyone could get that sound without stringing the guitar as he did it.

If you backward slant on strings 1 and 2 it never sounds right unless both strings are "seconds".

I NEVER knew this for years. A dear friend of mine (Mr Garland Nash), in Atlanta told me this many years ago. Years later, Wayne Tanner (world's JB expert), and JB confirmed it to me.

I just wonder how many people who are JB fans did NOT know this.

carl

Bob Kagy · From: Lafayette, CO USA

I'll be the first - to admit I didn't know about the 3 2nd's. I've admired Jerry's playing for decades and tried to imitate his sound in many ways.

Also the flat wound lower strings are new info to me. I experimented with flat-wounds back in the 50's (remember the Mapes brand?) but couldn't get much out of them even though I really liked the way it eliminated most of the bar sounds.

My way of playing quieter was to use the Black Rajah bars and tortoise shell fingerpicks. But the overhead of keeping the wear grooves polished out of them got to be bothersome.

Thanks for the info Ray, Carl, Paul.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Isn't the Forum a wonderful place to visit?

If I've truly helped you guys, then I'm most pleased to have done so.

Today, I too, have learned a number of valuable and different things....right here on the Forum.

Thanks to b0b.......

Bill Rickles · From: POWAY,CA USA

Mark, Paul, Carl, Ray, you got me started down memory lane. I was stationed at Schofield barracks in Hawaii in 1954-55. I was trying to learn to play on an old National lap steel. I was using a Jerry Byrd
instruction course, and if my memory is right the tuning was c7th. Anyhow, Jerry called out for regular guitar strings on the first three strings. I wish I had kept that book. I did not play the steel any more until about two years ago. Now 47 years later I am learning again using (guess what) Jerry Byrd's instruction book and a Jerry Byrd Excel d8 guitar. This man is the greatest. He just keeps on going and going. I will try to keep his memory alive for my grandchildren.
Thanks for all your comments.
Bill

Jack Byrd · From: Kalamazoo, Michigan

I sent this string to my brother and received a reply in the mail this past weekend. I think some will be surprised with what he said. Here goes.

"All of the conjecture on what strings I used all of that - I don't even remeber - but mostly I used whatever strings I could get back then because, whereas, they can now be purchased in any gauge number, back then I had to buy a whole set of Spanish guitar strings and use what I could and give the rest away. So - I used various gauges - later- after I hounded the string manufacturers to death at the music trade shows(NAMM) to sell strings individually by guage number for steel guitar, it was then much better. The two main companies that made strings then (for Gibson; Black Diamond et al) were Mapes and Squier."

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