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Topic: Robert Randolph plays PSG or Lap (both)? |
Todd Weger
From:
Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 10 Aug 2001 5:31 am |
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Hey -- I've been listening to some cuts of Robert Randolph, both from his website (http://www.robertrandolph.net/main/in2.htm) and with The Word CD. The guy plays with an incredible intensity that's quite infectious.
I'm curious though. It sounds like he's playing lapsteel, because I NEVER here any of the usual pedal steel bends and licks associated with PSG. I'm hearing fantastic single note lines and arpeggios, witha a tone that's definitely more slide-guitar/lapsteel than PSG. In everything I read however, they talk about Robert playing PSG. Is he just not using the pedals that much? Or, is it just another case of a mis-informed public who call anything played sideways with a steel bar "pedal" steel guitar?
Anyway, this guy is GREAT!
TJW
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Todd James Weger/RD/RTD
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (Amaj9, C6, A6); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (E13, C6) through an old Super Reverb or Deluxe; Melobar SLS lapsteel (open G); Chandler RH-4 Koa semi-hollow lapsteel (A6)
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Gene Jones
From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
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Posted 10 Aug 2001 6:10 am
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My Arhoolie CD from 1997 has material from Willie Eason, Sonny Treadway, Glenn Lee, Henry Nelson, and Aubrey Ghent, on both lap and pedal steels, but there is very little "traditional" pedals as you would play on E9. Robert Randolph may be an exception, but the Sacred Steel sound is unique.
Gene |
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Jim Smith
From:
Midlothian, TX, USA
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Posted 10 Aug 2001 6:19 am
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Robert plays a purple 13 string Fessenden pedal steel guitar. I believe he started on lap steel but only plays pedal steel now. I've heard that he has another brand of steel but prefers the sound of the Fessenden, as do I. 
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Jim Smith jimsmith94@home.com
-=Dekley D-12 10&12=-
-=Fessenden Ext. E9/U-13 8&8=-
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Paul Crawford
From:
Orlando, Fl
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Posted 10 Aug 2001 6:30 am
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Todd: All of the Sacred Steelers I know started out with lap steel and many stay there. Ghent and his cousin Elton Noble are examples of excellent lap steel players with little interest in pedals.
Everything you've heard from Robert is on his pedal steel. The is much more like Alvino Rey than Buddy Emmons. Each pedal steel player has developed, for all intents, in isolation even from other Sacred Steel players, and just about every one of them has their own tuning. These tunings are derived from lap steel tunings, (a lot of open E and E7th based tunings), but I've yet to met anyone that is using a 6th based tuning. The pedals are then used to retune into a chord. For example, Chuck Campbell said he has his Minor Pedal, his Maj 7th Pedal, and his 6th Pedal, each going into a full tuning. The way it's set up, you can combine them as well, say the minor and the 7th pedal for a m7th chord.
Most of the top players have moved to 12 and 13 strings, not with a Universal tuning, but with an extended E based tuning. The way that is explained is they've all "discovered" each other the last few years and most keep in nearly daily phone contact. They've traded tunings a note groupings, and the big pedal steel tunings have everyone's tuning embedded somewhere in there. Chuck let me play his 13 string and pointed out that here is Calvin's 6 string tuning; then here is Ghent's 8 string tuning; then over here is a part of a traditional E9th tuning. So they use tunings, which are primarily single string based almost the way we define chord grips. In turn, except for the top players like Big Ben, or Chuck Campbell, it's more strum based chords than picking grips.
I hope this makes some sense to you. It's a completely different, and pretty intuitive approach to tunings and string usage. The pedal steel players probably do share more techniques with lap steel players than with country pedal steel players, most notably a whole lot of open string work. That's one of the reasons this is such an exciting group of folks to learn from, they have a lot to teach us and are very eager students of our approaches as well.[This message was edited by Paul C on 11 August 2001 at 12:52 AM.] |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 10 Aug 2001 8:22 am
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I've seen RR play three times in the last 5 weeks and I'm glad that this thread popped up.
From what I have seen Robert is an animated player and ENTERTAINER. He moves his bar around A LOT. He uses pedal and levers althohgh not to the extent of traditional playing. Since he dances,jumps up,stands up, stomps his feet,and does high kicks, it is not easy to constantly mash pedals or move levers. For this reason, I would think this is why he relies on left hand movement and dexterity as opposed to feet and knees.
You really have to see him in action.... |
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Sage
From:
Boulder, Colorado
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Posted 10 Aug 2001 9:29 am
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As far as I know, all of the recorded music by Robert Randolph was done on either an MSA (the early examples) or his Fessenden. He played a Carter on the VH1 spot. As Paul mentioned, he like most others started on a lapsteel. On "The Word", Luther Dickenson plays a lot of guitar, and quite a bit of it slide style so it takes some work to pick out who is who on some cuts.
In answer to the question- "Does he play a PSG or Lap or both- the answer is both.
In fact, he asked to play my lapsteel, and is doing so out on the Word tour. Robert's PSG work is not featured on all of the songs, so he plays "lap" for the ones that feature Luther. Robert and I met in Florida. He liked the look and sound of my guitar and said that he wanted a lapsteel that he could strap on quickly in the middle of a song and move around on the stage with.
I am seriously grateful for this. More than I can say.
So I put a regular fretboard on it, a strap, and a body bar to keep it out from him the right distance. We tried it a couple of different ways, and he likes it angled outward on the left- ergonomically it makes the bar lay straighter in the hand that way. Now I am putting together the first Robert Randolph model Dance steel. Holy smokes- I'd better get back to work!
T. Sage Harmos http://www.harmosmusic.com [This message was edited by Sage on 10 August 2001 at 10:38 AM.] [This message was edited by Sage on 10 August 2001 at 12:26 PM.] |
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Paul Crawford
From:
Orlando, Fl
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Posted 10 Aug 2001 12:54 pm
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Very Cool Sage: I was unaware that Robert was also playing lap steel. This is GREAT news since it gives the kids with new interest a logical introduction point. I can't wait to see pictures. Let us know as soon as they are ready!
Thanks again for the update. PC |
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