Sierra Lap Steel for Blues?

Robert Sands · From: New Jersey, USA

I have a question for those of you familiar with the sound of the Sierra Lap Steel. Would you say it would be a good choice for Blues. I have an MSA Super Slide (8 string) and I find it to have more of a modern sound - good for country but not my first choice for Blues. I'm thinking about buying a 6 string Sierra and keeping it in Open D. Not with the George L pickup but with the DiMarzio Humbucker. That pickup can be used in split coil and it's supposed to be like a hot Tele sound. Great for Blues I'm thinking. I also have an old Supro Jet Airliner with the String Thru pickup which is nice for Blues. Just want to know if the Sierra would be a good choice as well. Or is it similar in tone to my Super Slide.

Mark Eaton · Posted 9 May 2018 11:54 am

I would think right off that a Sierra tends more toward the sound of the SuperSlide (I have a D-8 SS) but if you were to add the Sierra, I think you could play blues on it as well as anything else. But in the modern world between amp choices/setting and endless effects pedals you can make an awful lot of changes to the sound of an existing guitar in your stash.

Think of popular standard electric guitars: Some incredible blues by the greatest ever to pick up an electric guitar have been played on Fender Teles and Strats, along with Gibson Les Pauls and ES-335s. Four styles of guitar with different flavors.

I can't say I've ever come across anyone who ever said, "you know - if Buddy Guy got rid of that Strat and switched to a Les Paul, he would sound much better playing the blues."

I couldn't find anything studio quality but here is an audience video of a 54 second portion of Darick Campbell of The Campbell Brothers playing what for him has become a signature tune on his 8 string Sierra, Sam Cooke's classic A Change is Gonna Come. Technically it comes under "R & B/Soul" but it is of course drawn out of the same well as straight blues.

But the player colors it the way they want, right? Darick is a big wah pedal guy so this of course influences the overall sound of the tune, but it's worth checking out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP6GwbL-CUM
_________________
Mark

Robert Sands · From: New Jersey, USA

Thanks Mark. Agree with all you said. Any steel can be used for many styles. Just that sometimes you pick up an instrument and after just a few moments with it you could find yourself saying - Damn, this would make a real nice blues ax or Hawaiian or country. Sometimes an instrument just has the tone that lends itself to a certain sound or genre. I was just wondering if the Sierra had that certain mojo for Blues. Maybe it doesn't. I was always fascinated with it - the piece of metal running thru it and just the mass of the thing. Just seems like a really cool piece. Would love to try some blues licks on it and see how it reacts. I guess I would have to buy one to find that out. But willing to listen to any who has played one.

Bob Stone · From: Gainesville, FL, USA

Hi,

Check out Darick Campbell with the Campbell Brothers--they are all over YouTube. What he plays is essentially blues in terms of tone, improvisation and melodic treatments. After playing Fenders for years, he settled on Sierras. His current Sierra is fitted with a Dimarzio pickup, but he used the George L for years.

Here's a link for starters:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1NBH0sMdig

Mark Eaton · Posted 14 May 2018 2:29 pm

Hey Bob, thanks for linking a full video of Darick playing his Sierra on A Change Is Gonna Come.

Though I guess you didn't bother to read my post above, or rather should I say: "Is there an echo in here?" Winking

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Mark

Bob Stone · From: Gainesville, FL, USA

Hi Mark and Robert,

Mark, I didn't read your post until after I sent mine, so I'm a little embarrassed. That said, I am not sure just when Darick started using the DiMarzio, but I don't think it has been more than two or three years. Many of those videos on YouTube may feature the George L pickup.

I have two Sierras, one of which has the five-position George L. The single coil position has half the resistance (and power) of the full humbucker. I few years ago I asked Darick about his five-position George L, and to my surprise, he said he nearly always used the full humbucker position. That was before I had my Sierras. After I bought mine, I understood--the single coil is half the power.

I have never played through the DiMarzio pickup, so have no opinion. But Darick was able to get the tone you hear on some (most or all?) of the YouTube videos with the George L humbucker.

You can download a recording of "A Change" here. This is definitely the George L pickup. https://www.amazon.com/A-Change-Is-Gonna-Come/dp/B0082HRDBM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526388251&sr=8-1&keywords=campbell+brothers+a+change+is+gonna+come

As noted above, there is a whole spectrum of blues guitar tone. I usually don't play blues with distortion/overdrive, but when I have, the Sierra sounded great. A good overdrive pedal should give plenty of flexibility in shaping tone. Ditto for wah pedals. As far as I know, Darick uses a Boss V Wah. It offers a lot of tone shaping controls.

Bottom line: In my opinion, the Sierra is an excellent choice for blues.

I will be seeing Chuck Campbell Wed. and Thurs. and will ask him about Darick's setup and maybe talk to Darick on the phone, too. If I learn anything I'll post here.

All the best,

Bob

Robert Banhagel · From: Ohio, USA

anyone playing them???

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