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Topic: Questions on Little Roy Wiggins' gear |
Malcolm Leonard
From:
Rhode Island, USA
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Posted 7 Aug 2005 9:38 pm |
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While with Eddy Arnold,what amps(s) and what model pickup(s) did he use?
Thanks,
Malcolm |
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 7 Aug 2005 10:44 pm
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Little Roy played a Gibson Console Grande of that era! I never really noticed his Amp. in those days, but; I would guess it was probably a Gibson also! As for P/U's, I would assume they were stock from that era! I don't think there was as much searching for “that~sound” in those good-old days! People bought an instrument for what is was, not for what they could make out of it!
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“Big John” Bechtel
’04 SD–10 Black Derby w/3 & 5 & Pad
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15” Eminence
web site
[This message was edited by John Bechtel on 08 August 2005 at 07:28 PM.] |
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Malcolm Leonard
From:
Rhode Island, USA
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Posted 8 Aug 2005 3:02 am
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Hi John,
Did those Gibson consoles use humbuckers similar (or same)as a Gibson Les Paul,or were they specially wound for steel voicing?
Thanks,
Malcolm |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 8 Aug 2005 5:17 am
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| Roy also had a panda. After Arnold he became a Vox rep and played a Vox Steel and used a Vox amp. This was comparitively a short time and he returned to the Congrand and a Gibson amp; or at least he played the Gibson amp the two times I saw him after returning to the congrand. He played the congrand at Scottys conv but I could not see the amp. I was told he used the peavey house amp that virtually all used. CC |
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George Manno
From:
chicago
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Posted 8 Aug 2005 5:29 am
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The pickups in the VOX were re-worked by Dan Armstrong who has a small shop set up in New Yo4rk. The reason I know this is Hank Goodday who was also a Vox steel user had the same set up, and Danny re-worked the pickups for Hank.
George |
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 8 Aug 2005 6:23 pm
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Back in those days, I was a teenager (about 17 or 1 and not a very outgoing person! I didn't mingle or ask questions, I just watched and listened and soaked in all I could handle at the time! I wasn't even very aware of all the different tunings available, although I think he used an E7 primarily, at that time. I never got to know Roy until from ’67, until he left Nashville and moved to Gatlinburg.
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“Big John” Bechtel
’04 SD–10 Black Derby w/3 & 5 & Pad
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15” Eminence
web site
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 8 Aug 2005 8:56 pm
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CC,
When I saw Roy playing at Scotty's about 16 years ago he was using a little vintage Gibson amp if I remember right.
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Bob
My Website
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Stephan Miller
From:
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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Posted 8 Aug 2005 9:00 pm
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Malcolm-- Gibson consoles started using humbuckers (the 4-8-4 pickups) in 1956, well after Eddy Arnold's big string of hits with Little Roy. Gibson's early consoles had the Charlie Christian p/ups, and after WWII both the oval or "racetrack", and P-90 p/ups were used. All of these were wound specifically for steel guitar. Seems a good bet that for most of the Arnold hits, Wiggins was playing Console Grandes with either the oblong P-90s or the "racetracks".
BTW, Jason Lollar makes repros of both of those pickups, as well as the CCs. Beyond that, a good photo of Little Roy at the guitar would help. |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 9 Aug 2005 3:35 am
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| Roy used E7 and would run the B up to C# for Anytime etc. I have many photos of Roy that I'll snail to anyone who will post on forum.Inlater yrs Roy did go to E13 which ran him crazy having to gap pick and was about to give up on it when all of a sudden everything fell in place and he liked E13 after all. cc |
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George Rout
From:
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 11 Aug 2005 2:39 pm
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My 1953 Gibson Console Grande certainly doesn't have humbuckers.
That reminds me of something back in those days.....You could take the old telephone and set it on top of the pick ups and call somebody, and your guitar amplifier was the forerunner of today's telephone amplifier!!!!
Did anybody ever have a radio station (usually a shortwave) come blasting through the amplifier on its own? That used to be somewhat common.
George the Peach Picker http://thepeachpickers.com/
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Malcolm Leonard
From:
Rhode Island, USA
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Posted 18 Aug 2005 7:44 pm
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I received a prompt reply to an e-mail to Jason with the happy news that he could,indeed supply just what I am looking for in a pickup.
Thanks to all who helped me with this question here!
Malcolm |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 18 Aug 2005 10:08 pm
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I tho't Roy Wiggins used a C# min tuning for "That's My Texarkansas Baby"?
I used to have police radio calls break into my old Fender Bassman 15" and 4 x 10's. Once while doing our KGW-TV live program, we had an FM-Radio station going full blast out of my amp.......much to the consternation of the TV Engineer in charge. |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 19 Aug 2005 2:27 am
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| Ray, as I said above Roy would run the B uo to C# for certain songs including Txark baby. |
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John Pelz
From:
Kettering, Ohio, USA
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Posted 19 Aug 2005 5:12 am
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| I have many photos of Roy that I'll snail to anyone who will post on forum. |
Here you go, CC. I'll get more of them posted later. 
 |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 19 Aug 2005 6:45 am
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| Great john. I hope the rest come out as good as this one. CC |
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John Pelz
From:
Kettering, Ohio, USA
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 19 Aug 2005 4:18 pm
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| I had an Eddy Arnold song book I sent for when Eddy was first at the Opry, and I remember a picture in it with Roy playing a single neck guitar on a stand. He was wearing a derby type hat in the picture also. The songbook also had Lonzo &Oscar pix in it, and they were referred to as "the comedy team" |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 19 Aug 2005 6:44 pm
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| In the Vox pic the musicians are fred carter, pete wade, hoss linneman, and vic willis. |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 19 Aug 2005 6:47 pm
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| Roy usually played the little gibson 6 strg on a stand. Uou will enjoy another pic of Roy with a rope around his neck playing the gibson in Cal w/ eddy. |
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Roy Ayres
From:
Riverview, Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 21 Aug 2005 4:35 pm
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Here's a picture taken before Gibson ever thought of a "Grande Console." This is the axe Little Roy used in recording "Please, Mommy, Please" and "Each Minute Seems A Million Years."
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Edited to say that , as I recall, he had a Gibson amp -- gray cover -- 12" speaker -- large letter "G" in front of speaker. The reason I remember is that they played my home town in Mississippi a few months after this picture was taken, and the local band I was playing with opened for them. Just before the curtain opened, my amp went on the fritz, and Little Roy let me use his amp.
Incidentally, that's Speedy McNatt on fiddle and Gabe Tucker on bass.
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Visit my Web Site at RoysFootprints.com
Browse my Photo Album and be sure to sign my Guest Book.
[This message was edited by Roy Ayres on 21 August 2005 at 05:55 PM.] |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 22 Aug 2005 3:30 am
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| Bill, Roys post of the pic above is the one I referred to earlier. I don't know why I said taken in Ca as I had no idea where the pic was taken. Must have been trying to hunt and peck type and think at the same time which I was literaly fantastic at 50 yrs ago.Thanks Roy for the correct info. CC |
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Roy Ayres
From:
Riverview, Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 22 Aug 2005 7:26 am
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CC,
I have no idea where the picture was taken. As I recall, I got a copy of it when they played an outdoor show in Pascagoula, Mississippi when I was in my early teens. Little Roy was still playing the 6-string Gibson lap steel (on that same rope, I believe) when they played the gig where he loaned me his amp.
(All of this has got to be correct, since I am ony 75 and my memory is as sharp as a . . . . what-ch-a-call-it.)
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Visit my Web Site at RoysFootprints.com
Browse my Photo Album and be sure to sign my Guest Book.
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 25 Aug 2005 6:21 am
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George Rout wrote: "Did anybody ever have a radio station (usually a shortwave) come blasting through the amplifier on its own? That used to be somewhat common".
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Back in the early fifties I was on a c/w radio show. I had a home made amp which had a lot of power for the time. Anyway, the show was underway when, as the announcer was talking, my amp put forth a commercial coming from another radio station! How that frequency hit my amp at that particular time is still a mystery. I was not very popular with station management that day !  |
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 30 Aug 2005 7:12 pm
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Back in ’77/’78 while I was working the Opry with Stonewall Jackson, Shot Jackson presented Little Roy with a Custom~Built Double-Neck 8-str. Sho~Bud!
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“Big John” Bechtel
’04 SD–10 Black Derby w/3 & 5 & Pad
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15” Eminence
web site
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 31 Aug 2005 2:46 am
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| Roy sent a pic of him and the Bud to us members of the fan club. I'll send a copy to those who want it. CC |
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