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Topic: Don Helms - Walkin' After Midnight |
Steve Blacow
From:
England
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Posted 28 Jun 2007 11:57 am |
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Hi All, Am new here (but have lurked around for a number of years).
Please, can anyone tell me the tuning Don Helms used on this tune by Patsy Cline? In particular, the intro and solo!
Also, what gave him that "slightly overdriven" tone? Was it just guitar & amp along with magic touch or am I missing something special?
Cheers, Stevie B |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 28 Jun 2007 2:16 pm
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Don Helms probably played his Gibson Console Grande with the following two tunings:
Outside neck-
1. G#
2. E
3. C#
4. B
5. G#
6. E
7. C#
8. A
(Don calls this tuning an E6)
Inside neck -
1. E
2. C#
3. A
4. F#
5. D#
6. B
7. A
8. F#
(Don calls this tuning a B13)
Almost all of Don's classic leads were done on the E6; he used the B13 for fills.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 29 Jun 2007 3:24 am
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| I thought that track was Jerry Byrd ? |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 29 Jun 2007 4:17 am
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| Nope, Don Helms was indeed the steeler. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 29 Jun 2007 8:29 am
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| Quote: |
| what gave him that "slightly overdriven" tone? Was it just guitar & amp along with magic touch or am I missing something special? |
Mostly it's the amp. Amps of this era (circa 1960) were fairly low power tube amps. They were easily overdriven by "tube compression" which produces a real sweet tone, not harsh like distortion, but a more pleasing, natural overdriven tone. You won't get that tone from a solid state amp, in my opinion. I don't know what particular amp Don Helms was using in this era, but I would guess it was a Gibson or a Fender, no reverb, probably less than 60 watts.
There was some discussion about old amps in the recent Sleepwalk post here.
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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Mike Black
From:
New Mexico, USA
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Posted 29 Jun 2007 9:42 am
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xzxz
Last edited by Mike Black on 13 May 2011 6:31 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Mike Black
From:
New Mexico, USA
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Posted 29 Jun 2007 10:33 am
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zzz
Last edited by Mike Black on 13 May 2011 6:31 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Steve Blacow
From:
England
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Posted 1 Jul 2007 1:41 am
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| Thanks guys. I sat and worked it out last night. Great stuff and not nearly as hard as it sounds. |
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Ben Rubright
From:
Punta Gorda, Florida, USA
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Posted 1 Jul 2007 5:59 am
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Hi Brad:
I followed your link to Patsy's Four Star recordings showing the musicians that played on the various sessions. Her first session of June 1, 1955, shows Don Helms as the steel player. It is clear from listening to 'Hiding Out' and 'A church, A Courtroom,....' that the steeler has pedals. As it turns out, Justin Tubb also had a recording session on the same day at the same studio. The musicians listed in his Decca Box Set are the same with two differences, Dale Potter as the 2nd fiddler for Justin and Bob Foster on steel instead of Don Helms. It is clear that when I listen to Justin's recordings of that day, it is the SAME steeler as on Patsy's recordings. I don't believe that Don Helms played pedal steel that early in the 'pedal era' so is it not more probable that it was Bob Foster instead of Don? I don't mean to infer that you are responsible for the accuracy of the session information, I am just looking for what you and other forumites think. Thanks so much for the links. Obviously, I care about such historical trivia. |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 1 Jul 2007 9:43 am
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So, Jerry Byrd is pictured with her in the studios in 1963 but not listed on any of her recordings ?
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