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Topic: Why do all the hipsters play Williams? |
Tim Sheinman
From:
Brighton, UK
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 2:50 am |
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BJ Cole, Greg Leisz, Eric Heywood, Tim Marcus...
It seems that Williams appeals to a certain type of somewhat progressive/alternative player.
Is this because they are a Mid-Western builder and so are not associated with Nashville? The clean, modern look, something technical? Any thoughts.
Tim |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 3:51 am
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Because they are well built,and great sounding,And nice people!!
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 4:45 am Re: Why do all the hipsters play Williams?
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| Tim Sheinman wrote: |
| It seems that Williams appeals to a certain type of somewhat progressive/alternative player. |
I bought mine for its traditional look and feel, engineering excellence and classic sound. I'm not sure what a hipster is. I'm 68 next birthday.
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 6:44 am
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Why do all the hipsters play Williams?
Because they're hoping that a little bit of that famous "Minnesota Nice" will rub off on 'em? |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 8:05 am
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You betcha, by golly boy. 
Erv |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 8:28 am
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| Add West-Coast Jam-Band Master, Barry Sless, to the list of Williams players. |
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Tim Sheinman
From:
Brighton, UK
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 9:34 am
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Nice. My wife is from St Paul, so I picked up a new ext.12 from them in November.
To the point- this is all fair enough, but I didn't ask 'why do only hipsters play Williams'
That would be nuts.
I think we need to hear from some self-proclaimed hipsters about the guitars they play.
I'm talking about the beard stroking, Aphex Twin listening, bring your typewriters to the high-line crowd.
If you are one of them, what do you play and why? |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 10:38 am
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My impression is that Williams makes a pretty light steel that is very suitable for players that do a lot of flying. Bill is very easy to work with. Some of the players you mentioned are extremely busy and have very particular professional needs. Williams also makes a 12 string guitar. Many builders do not.
BJ Cole used to play a Kline steel and switched to Williams when Joe Kline stopped building. He told me that he found that the Williams steels totally suited him.
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Bob |
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Dick Wood
From:
Springtown Texas, USA
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 10:44 am
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Thanks for the nice compliment Tim
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Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night. |
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Tim Sheinman
From:
Brighton, UK
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 11:15 am
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| Bob Hoffnar wrote: |
My impression is that Williams makes a pretty light steel that is very suitable for players that do a lot of flying. Bill is very easy to work with. Some of the players you mentioned are extremely busy and have very particular professional needs. Williams also makes a 12 string guitar. Many builders do not.
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Good point. My Williams is incredibly light compared to my old ShoBud and Bill sorted out an unusual 12 string copedant with no issues at all. |
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 11:32 am
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| Tim Sheinman wrote: |
| I'm talking about the beard stroking, Aphex Twin listening, bring your typewriters to the high-line crowd. |
Speaking of Aphex Twin... maybe we have to put Rains on the list?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjuSa3_CerU
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Craig Stock
From:
Westfield, NJ USA
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 2:29 pm
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Lucky Oceans also plays a Williams, and no one travels as far as him (Australia)
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Regards, Craig
I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet.
Today is tomorrow's Good ol' days |
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Olli Haavisto
From:
Jarvenpaa,Finland
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 2:52 pm
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BJ Cole still plays his Kline actively as well as his Williams.
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Olli Haavisto
Finland |
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Tim Sheinman
From:
Brighton, UK
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 2:56 pm
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| Olli Haavisto wrote: |
| BJ Cole still plays his Kline actively as well as his Williams. |
He plays his Kline actively? OK,I mean, he's sitting...
How active can it get? |
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Daniel Neill
From:
Ontario, Canada living in Newfoundland, Canada
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 3:11 pm
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So you're saying you think there a correlation between the "type" of person and the brand of pedal steel guitar they play?
There's plenty of people out there who would probably fit your hipster definition playing Sho-Buds and Show-Pros and old MSAs too.
_________________
Ethnomusicologist researching PSG makers and players--1958 Supro 6 string, Melelani 8 string, 1973 Sho-Bud Professional D-10 updated by Marrs and Surratt in 2003--Gretsch drums, Zildjian cymbals, Ludwig Bronze 6.5x14 snare, 1987 BMW R80RT |
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Paul Sutherland
From:
Placerville, California
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 3:53 pm
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Williams steels are light, but the flight case that comes with them increases the weight substantially. My keyless s10 weighed over 50 pounds in the case. Kinda defeats the purpose for a fly gig steel.
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It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. |
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Jerry Horch
From:
Alva, Florida, USA
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 4:36 pm Williams
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They look great.who wants to play something ugly.
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Franklin D10 /Walker Sterio Steel JBL's /DigiTech Quad4/ Korg Toneworks/ Dobro DM 1000 / Santa Cruz Guitar VA |
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 4:59 pm
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| Tim Sheinman wrote: |
I think we need to hear from some self-proclaimed hipsters about the guitars they play.
I'm talking about the beard stroking, Aphex Twin listening, bring your typewriters to the high-line crowd.
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Hmmm..........I'm square enough to be unaware that some hipsters are self-proclaimed. I thought "hipster" had negative connotations.
I also figgered "Aphex Twin" was an amplifier until Google bailed me out. Oh, wait--maybe he named himself after an amplifier? Highly hip if he did. I didn't dig that deeply.
What does "bring your typewriters to the high-line" mean to a Yank? |
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Tim Sheinman
From:
Brighton, UK
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 5:11 pm
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| Daniel Neill wrote: |
So you're saying you think there a correlation between the "type" of person and the brand of pedal steel guitar they play?
There's plenty of people out there who would probably fit your hipster definition playing Sho-Buds and Show-Pros and old MSAs too. |
...And I want to hear from them!
If we were talking about regular guitars, this sort of association between players and instruments is obvious due to things like player models, i.e. fans of SRV play his branded strat.
Do I think a more subtle form of player branding exists in the steel world? Absolutely. Just think about Franklin guitars.
In England, the influence of BJ Cole on younger London players is obvious - three of the most progressive players play Williams (which are hard to get hold of) and two others play Universals. |
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Tim Sheinman
From:
Brighton, UK
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 5:15 pm
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| Mitch Drumm wrote: |
What does "bring your typewriters to the high-line" mean to a Yank? |
This is actually American in origin and relates to a popular meme derived from the reddit post - 'spotted on the highline'. The Highline is the garden bridge in New York.
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 5:50 pm
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| Tim Sheinman wrote: |
| In England, the influence of BJ Cole on younger London players is obvious - three of the most progressive players play Williams (which are hard to get hold of) and two others play Universals. |
And I think it's a similar thing with other players being influenced by Greg Liesz (being maybe the most-recorded session player in the non-country genres). If he played a Red Baron student model, I would probably want one... and I'm not even a hipster. I just respect his approach which is so consistently on-point for whatever environment he's been thrown into. The man 'gets' how to serve the song.
So does Paul Franklin so, uh... I want his guitar too. And Tommy White's Mullen. And Buck Reid's JCH, and...
Last edited by Tucker Jackson on 19 Jan 2019 5:56 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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J R Rose
From:
Keota, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 5:54 pm
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Too many big words and too many slang words for this old country boy. What was the question again? J.R.
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NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose |
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 19 Jan 2019 6:35 pm
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I've had two Williams guitars, the first was a keyless and weighed little more than my Les Paul Custom.  The second was keyed and weighed only a little more. If I hadn't pretty much quit playing a few years ago, I would still have that blue one.
(edit) I am not a "hipster", I'm just an old fogey steel hack.
You didn't mention Wally Murphy, the last I knew he was still playing Williams guitars, and boy does he play them. If they stand up to his playing, they have to be great guitars.
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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, a restored MSA Classic SS, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Also a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored Rose S10, named the "Blue Bird". Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also have a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks, and a showroom condition Sho-Bud Super Pro.
Last edited by Darvin Willhoite on 20 Jan 2019 6:12 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 20 Jan 2019 3:53 am
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If you're looking for any kind of correlation, it might be worth looking at keylessness. The reason I looked at Williams in the first place is because they are one of the few that offer a keyless uni 12. The other contenders were BMI (not aesthetically pleasing to me although they obviously play just fine), MSA (out of my price range) and Excel (which I also have).
So maybe some of these forward-looking players also favour keyless instruments. All credit to Williams for embracing the concept despite being a very traditional manufacturer in other respects.
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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