Mooney style players?

Darrell Criswell · From: Maryland, USA

Has anyone seen a steel guitar player who tries to play pretty much exclusively mooney style steel. I know many people try to copy Mooney's style when playing the songs he played on. I have read previous threads about this and it seems many people, despite liking Mooney's playing, feel it is the opposite of what they have been taught and try to achieve. I know Al Briscoe has a video of Mooney style but he doesn't sound quite the same to me. Mike Headrick is another great admirer to Moon's and he does sound similar. Thanks!

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

The late Frank Arnett could play like Ralph. Here’s a link to a record he made. I think he even does a Ralph Mooney original instrumental. Frank played the short scale Fender 1000. My research tells me that Frank used the Ralph Mooney tuning on his Fender and often subbed for Ralph at Wynn Stewart’s club in Las Vegas during the ‘60’s...and it’s been suggested that Frank may have had a little bit of influence on Ralph’s playing. Enjoy!
https://m.soundcloud.com/pstanley13/sets/frank-arnett-model-t?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3sfaPplRQH8sbXvZx2OAn9VNeZ-T7RvtxmtlWQ22rWDGB3ZHjpUw7qSq4_aem_39kmsZ5GmhwJzWMrwdqCzQ

_________________
Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps

J Fletcher · From: London,Ont,Canada

Love that Frank Arnett ! Reminds me a lot of mid 60's Lloyd Green more so than Mooney , at least on the first 2 cuts . Thanks for posting that link .

Mike R Johnson · From: Portland , Oregon

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

Frank was a super player. I met him through working on antique radios. He was also a producer and had a record label. He was a super nice guy.

RC

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

yeeikes!!..Wow that guy was great!... Like Moon on steroids, with a good dose of early Lloyd mixed in... That "late model" 1000 sounded great as well. Just shows how there were no limitations using those old Fenders with 8 strings and cables,if you were a good player.. that guy was playing some really great stuff.. bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!

no gear list for me.. you don't have the time......

Ethan Shaw · From: Texas, USA

Mooney is my biggest influence as far as country pedal steel goes. As far as I know, I'm the only one out there that uses his copedant. I made a video explaining it: https://youtu.be/m2U1Wb7fR-A . These days, most of my gigs are western Swing, but in my old band, the Moonhangers, it was Mooney-style all day. And I've been getting to do more E9 stuff recently with some of the bands around central Texas.

George Duncan Sypert · From: Colo Spgs, Co, USA

RALPH MOONEY - The Sound of Country Music ("Cocaine & Rhinestones" Podcast Season 1 / Episode 14)

Very good info about the Great Ralph Mooney, time lines on where,when and with who. When he wrote Crazy Arms and who recorded it first, how Price got ahold of it, and when he recorded it,etc.

Ralph Mooney was a genius with what he played and how he played it.

I was young when all of this happened but I remember most of it. Take a listen, and you will be informed.

Kenny Davis · From: Great State of Oklahoma

As much as I love Ralph Mooney and appreciate his playing, I think Frank was on another level. I was just starting to learn to play when he was in Oklahoma City and I got to be around him some. Now that several years have passed and had a chance to listen to both of them, Frank just seemed to take the "Bakersfield" style in different directions. Take time to listen to the album Dave posted!

Dave also mentions that Frank might have had an influence on Ralph, and I wouldn't doubt it. I've got some great recordings of Frank playing with Bob Woods band in 1971 in a club in Okarche Oklahoma that would knock you off your feet.

I talked to him over the phone shortly before he passed away. Seems to have mellowed quite a bit in his old age. He sent me a CD he had recorded in his studio.
_________________
Best lyric in a country song: "...One more, Moon..."

Darrell Criswell · From: Maryland, USA

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

An acquaintance of mine, who spent a lot of time with Fuzzy Owen, said that Fuzzy claims to have had an influence Ralph Mooney as well. I think Fuzzy pre dates Ralph in the Bakersfield scene...not sure though. I wasn't there! LOL!

Here's Fuzzy copying Ralph Mooney licks when he was filling in after Mooney left and before they found Norm...not as smooth as Ralph but seems to have a handle on the style.
https://youtu.be/5u0DDz2NGY0?si=rGwfzf3smS2amxr5

DZ
_________________
Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps

J Fletcher · From: London,Ont,Canada

Here's Norm doing his version of Mooney . On the back neck too .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PCL9W54QVw

Darrell Criswell · From: Maryland, USA

scott murray · From: Asheville, NC

too loud... what's that? Cool

as for Norm on the back neck, it's tuned E9. Curly Chalker had his on the back neck too and I believe Moon kept both his necks tuned E9 for many years
_________________
1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster

Gary Hoetker · From: California, USA

Fuzzy Owen was a fine player. No offense meant but after watching the video posted I have a hard time believing he had much of an influence on Mooney.

J Fletcher · From: London,Ont,Canada

I figured Norm Hamlett was playing E9 on the back neck , wondered if that was a Bakersfield thing as Mooney's guitar was also set up like that

Brendan Mitchell · From: Melbourne Australia

Great stuff! I'm hearing Tom Brumley as well. This guy was obviously as good as any around at that time, this is the first I have heard of him.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Just gave this a second time around,, absolute Monster player.
I agree 100% with what Brendan said..As good as anyone around at the time. I'll add to that.

And better than most.

The sound of the later, short scale 1000 is all Fender. Not as unique a sound as the earlier long scale string breakers, but still very unique and lovely in its own right.. I always hear guys saying the Fenders were "limited", and "lacked sustain", to which I say, bullcrap. They are limited because guys abandoned them for the latest and greatest tech. I heard ZERO limitations on the instrument used in Frank Arnetts work!... He is now one of my favorite players, and until a week or so ago, I am ashamed to admit I never even knew he existed... How a guy like this was never one of the best known steel guitarists of his era I just don't understand.. He should be right up there with the best of the best when it comes to name recognition. Just goes to show that extreme talent does not always bring extreme fame. There is some luck involved... bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!

no gear list for me.. you don't have the time......

Michael Sawyer · From: North Carolina, USA

Ralph Mooney was not the first steel player i ever heard,but he was the first one that made wish i could play one.It was 75 or 76,Lonesome,Ornry,and Mean.
I have 3 pedal steels ,a Mullen and 2 old Fenders that I just can't bring myself to let go of....

Terry Wood · From: Lebanon, MO

Years ago I met a young Steel Guitarist in Santa Fe New Mexico, that played or sounded more like Ralph Mooney than anyone else that I ever heard play in my almost 50 years of playing Steel Guitar. Also, I knew Ralph Mooney and I always dug his style. He was unique and different and original. He was a heck of a Great Guy too. I sure liked him and his music. That young man in Santa Fe New Mexico was named John. I can't remember his last name. He actually played a Sho-Bud that looked identical to Ralph's at that time. It was an older Sho-Bud model, not the later ones that Ralph Mooney played. I tried to find that young Steel Guitarist but never could locate him. I think he was originally from the state of Idaho. He was just playing in a Happy Hour Band in the Ramada Inn. He was working with a husband and wife team on that job.

Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

I seen Mooney live with Waylon and the sound was fine. Dicky Overby at the ISGC St Louis and again sound was great. While I'm ok with Ralph and his contribution to music I never understood why some steel players are hooked on his tone and style. I far prefer Overby, Chalker, Emmons, Hughey and Lloyd Green. I was a Waylon fan from the beginning but my steel tastes go to the others. My music collection reflects the same. Different strokes I guess.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Gary Hoetker · From: California, USA

Terry Christofferson certainly comes close to playing and sounding like Mooney. Jay McDonald is right there too. So is Jerry Brightman. Buck knew. After all, they were Buckaroos and deserve immense respect.

Dan Behringer · From: Jerseyville, Illinois

When I think of Ralph Mooney, I’ve often wondered what it would have been like to be a aspiring young steel player in 1959 and hearing that new Buck Owens record on the radio for the first time. Never mind the fact that it was the first time someone used the high G# or pulled their E string. That sound, the style, and his whole approach to music was out of this world new. I’m sure I would have needed CPR to survive that.

Dave Magram · From: San Jose, California, USA

Here's a new young guy on the scene, Jesse Personeni, here doing a pretty good job playing the Ralph Mooney style with The Malpass Brothers on:
"I Wish I Could Fall In Love Today"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEIk47lVE1I

- Dave

Forum Index > Steel Players	Goto page 1, 2 Next	Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic