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Topic: New HSGA tune - Sand - Bill Leff |
Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 26 Nov 2007 5:17 pm |
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| Man, I just can't get enough of that tune and everytime I hear someone's rendition I'm inspired. That Stringmaster sounds beautiful too. |
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Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 1:24 am
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I love Bill's playing of SAND. His playing style seems quite refreshing.
Why is that Yankee bass player thumping away in the foreground? It's quite distracting to the tune. |
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Bill Leff
From:
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 7:28 am
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Thanks for the kind words guys. I'm also a big fan of that song and love most all of the versions I've heard. I tend to play it a little jazzier than some. I enjoy the more "dreamy" versions as well.
That track was a "throwaway" recording we made on the bass player's Edirol handheld a few years ago. He'd just gotten it and we left it on during the rehearsal, using the unit's built-in mics. Unfortunately, it was left close to the bass amp so the recording came out bass-heavy. |
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Todd Weger
From:
Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 7:53 am Very nice, Bill
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Bill -- you play that song very well, and I really enjoy your feel. If the bassist weren't playing 'four-on-the-floor' the entire time, but rather played on just the one and three, it would have been just about right.
When I play steel with my trio, our guitarist (who's very, very good on guitar) plays bass, and when we started out playing Hawaiian, he played a lot of that four-on-the-floor style. It made things sound a bit too frantic. Because he was off instrument (he's say "waaaaay off"), playing on all beats helped him know where to walk it. Playing with 'space' just didn't feel right to him. When he finally started getting more comfortable though, and did start playing with more space, and let the ukulele carry the rhythm on all four beats, the change was pretty dramatic in feel and "aloha-ness." 
Nice work! Does your band play out much doing Hawaiian? Where do you play?
_________________
Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, E13, A6); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Custom-made 25" aluminum cast "fry pan" with vintage Ricky p'up (C6); 1938 Epiphone Electar (A6); 1953 Oahu Tonemaster; assorted ukuleles; upright bass |
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Bill Leff
From:
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 9:10 am
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Hi Todd:
That recording is from a project that just lasted a few months several years ago, and was mostly just about getting together to play the steel guitar instrumental standards like Sand, How Do Ya Do, etc. We played one short gig and that was that. Unfortunately there isn't much of a market for steel guitar instrumental music in these parts.
The bass player was a guy who played rock but had a desire to play Hawaiian-style music, and wasn't really versed in the style. The rhythm guitarist was also in the learning phase, having never really played much besides standard barre chord grips. |
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Howard Tate
From:
Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 5:08 pm
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| I enjoyed the steel so much I sort of blocked everything else out. I thought it was beautiful. You're really a fine player. |
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Steve Gorman
From:
Gilroy California
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 6:31 pm
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Bill, that was really nice - I thouroghly enjoyed listening to the gorgeous tone and your tasteful playing. I'm just over the hill from you  in Gilroy and sometimes Los Banos. There _are_ some of us steelers out here. My daughter lives in Santa Cruz so I do get over there sometimes. Keep us posted where we might be able to hear you play sometime. And keep up the great playing. |
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Todd Weger
From:
Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 7:03 am Guitar and amp?
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Bill, what was your guitar and amp setup for that recording? Someone mentioned Stringmaster, but what year and scale was it? Also, what type of amp are you playing through on this recording? It sounds really good.
Of course, I, as well as many others, feel that about 80% of good tone is in the hands of the player. You have a very nice touch and tone.
_________________
Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, E13, A6); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Custom-made 25" aluminum cast "fry pan" with vintage Ricky p'up (C6); 1938 Epiphone Electar (A6); 1953 Oahu Tonemaster; assorted ukuleles; upright bass |
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Bill Leff
From:
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 7:57 am
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Hi Todd:
The Stringmaster is a D8 22.5" scale. Not sure of the date it was made (no markings under the tuning pans as I would have expected) but it's a later one as it has the black Tolex case. The amp was a Fender Deluxe Reverb.
Thanks again for the nice words fellas. |
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J Fletcher
From:
London,Ont,Canada
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 8:49 am
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| Very nice playing. Wish I could do that! Guess I may as well be the one to ask....what is the tuning you used on that song? Thanks...Jerry |
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Bill Leff
From:
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 1:01 pm
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Jerry:
I use B11 tuning as follows (low to high):
B-F#-B-D#-F#-A-C#-E |
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