Jimmy Day and the Day setup

Jim Hussey · From: Reno, Nevada - USA

So I’m a new member and this is my first post.

I play the Day system because that was the setup on my first guitar. When I got far enough along to understand the difference, I stayed with the Day system because the setup seemed more logical to me. Specifically, the knee lever that flats the Es moves the same direction I would move the bar to flat a half tone and the same is true with the E to F lever.

So I’m wondering if Jimmy actually thought it through that way? Did anyone ever talk to him about this? Did Jimmy produce any instructional material that addresses the way he “thought steel”?

Thanks
Jim Hussey

Russ Wever · From: Kansas City

Jim,
Welcome to the for-um.
That's an interesting 'take' on knee lever placement.
As a 'Day' set-up player, I've also noticed the same notion about the direction of knee-lever movement in conjunction with whether they're raising or lowering.
However, Knee Levers were not yet around when (Emmons and) Day came up with the ways they layed out those pedals.
~Russ

[This message was edited by Russ Wever on 04 August 2005 at 11:30 PM.]

Doyle Mitchell · From: Loraine, Texas

Hi Jim, welcome to the forum and a world of info. Jimmy could play either set up very well without any problem, He told me he preferred the Day st up because it felt more natural to him. He could set down at my steel with the Emmons set up and never have any problem at all, in fact you could not tell any difference in his playing at all. As for the instructional material, no, he never put any out that I know of, I tried to talk him into putting some of his licks on tab but he was not interested in doing so, he said there was already some really great teachers out there with great material and he did not care to get involved in that end of the music business. I have a few licks that he tabbed out on a piece of papper after a gig one night sitting at the 223 truckstop , but other than that, I know of nothing unless someone else has similar tabs he did for them. Again, welcome to the forum, Doyle

Doyle Mitchell · From: Loraine, Texas

I forgot to tell you, if your looking for some Day type licks, Herb Stiener in Austin has a lot of instructioal material in which he has nailed or very closly nailed a lot of Jimmy's licks. I compared them to some of those Jimmy tabbed me and some are note for note.Others are very close the same . Come on in with your web address Herb, I dont have it in front of me at the present.

bruce fischer · From: florissant, mo. 63031 USA

jimmy had two instruction books (tabbed out songs)out a few years before he died. i dont know if his wife or anyone still has them for sale? bruce

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sho-bud super pro II. blue darlin' VI

Mark Herrick · From: Bakersfield, CA

I bought those same booklets back around '97-'98.

Maybe Herb Steiner might know more about it.

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

Mark
I saw some tab Jimmy did back in the early 90's but it never got to book form that I know of. That's not to say it didn't, just that I'm not aware of the tab in that form and Marilyn never mentioned any.

Doyle
Thanks for the plug. I've got some great Jimmy Day stuff in my "20 Johnny Bush Intros, Turnarounds, and Solos" course. Also Buddy Emmons, Weldon Myrick, and Dicky Overbey stuff. Cost is $22. Click on my website link below, go to "Products For Sale," then "Instructional Material," then scroll down. PayPal or checks will do it.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Oddly...and take this from a complete rookie..I much prefer Day pedals with Emmons knees. THAT seems more logical to me. But I don't really play country, so that may make a difference.

Doyle Mitchell · From: Loraine, Texas

Herb, you have some great stuff there,keep up the good work. I moved back to west Texas in 94, that was about the last time I saw jimmy in person and he did not have any tab at that time, do you know when his tab came out? And also , does Marilyn still live in Buda?

Lyle Clary · From: Decatur, Illinois, KC9VCB

Welcome to the forum. You will be amazed at the wealth of knowledge that is at your fingers on the keyboard, Jim.
Doyle, Jimmy Day was not the only one who could sit down to either set-up. The first time I ever met Russ Wever he sat down at an Emmons set-up and played some fantastic stuff. Maybe we all ought to have two guitars with two different setups so we could also become proficient on both.

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1969 ZB Custom D10, BMI S10, 1981 Peavy Musician Mark III, 15 Inch Black Widow, custom enclosure

Jim Hussey · From: Reno, Nevada - USA

Russ:
It’s obvious now, but it never dawned on me that knee levers came along after the pedals were laid out. But, you gotta admit it was a good thought.

Doyle:
Thanks for the feedback. If Jimmy was comfortable playing either setup, all the more reason I would like to know more about how his head worked. More than learning licks, I really like to understand what’s being played and why. I probably spend more time than I should thinking this stuff through, but for some reason I’m convinced there is reason and logic to playing pedal steel.

Herb:
Thanks for the link, I’ll be hitting your site next.

Everyone:
Thanks for the welcome, there truly is a wealth of knowledge here.

Jim

Doyle Mitchell · From: Loraine, Texas

Jim, I am sure reason and logic comes in there also, but feeling natural has to be in there too. I am left handed living in a right hand world. So pedals that feel more comfortable to me may be very awesome to others. Especially on the knee levers. When I was very young in school it was the belief to try to make leftys do everything right handed, no one seemed to understand that left was as natural to us as right is to a right hand person. I had never heard of a left hand steel until recently or I would have started out with one. If any of my k levers are backwards it is because that is what feels best to me personally. That would be a intresting topic to post, how many leftys are playing right handed??

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Doyle, you might search for a 'lefties' topic; I think it's been covered before.
I've got a lefty friend who plays righty.
I don't think it uncommon, just what you get used to.

bruce fischer · From: florissant, mo. 63031 USA

i just got out my two jimmy day instruction books. they are copywritten 1966, arranged by jimmy day. j&m productions, p.o. box 381, buda, texas. 78610. im not sure what year he had them in st. louis. hope this clarifies the discussion. bruce
as far as i know, marilyn still lives in buda, tx. herb would know for sure.

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sho-bud super pro II. blue darlin' VI

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

As others have said, the floor pedal setups came along before knee levers were around. IMHO, the idea of a lever moving in the same direction as it's pitch change is pretty meaningless. My advice is to think about the music, the sound, and your technique, and not the mechanics that are going on underneath.

Lyle Clary · From: Decatur, Illinois, KC9VCB

Doyle, if memory serves, Lloyd Green is left handed and Curly Chalker was. Enough said?

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1969 ZB Custom D10, BMI S10, 1981 Peavy Musician Mark III, 15 Inch Black Widow, custom enclosure

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

bruce, thanks for the clarification. I did see some of the tab sheets but didn't remember if they'd been published in book form or not.

Yes, Marilyn still lives in Buda, that's her family's home town.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Doyle Mitchell · From: Loraine, Texas

Thanks for that info Lyle, I did not know that nor have I ever heard it.There is probably a lot more leftys playing righty than one might expect.I have often thought about having a left hander made for me but I have made it this long and it would probably feel just as backwards as when I first started. One thing that came of it is the fact I can now do a lot of things right handed, including shooting my shotgun that I used to do lefty. Thanks again.

Mark Herrick · From: Bakersfield, CA

Bruce and Herb,
Those are the same booklets I have. Typewritten, xeroxed and bound with a plastic spine and clear cover. I don't remember where I first heard about them (probably on the Forum) but I got Jimmy's phone number somewhere and ordered them directly from him.

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