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Topic: Marty Robbins' guitar |
Ron Victoria
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 31 Oct 2008 4:28 pm |
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What do you think about this? Did it come with one pedal or custom made?
Link to auction on eBay.
ron |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 31 Oct 2008 5:09 pm
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| Had to have been added. There have been umpteen of these on Ebay, each with a nebulous story as to how the pedal got there. |
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Eddie Cunningham
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 31 Oct 2008 5:33 pm Definitely a "Shot" addition !!
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| That is a Shot Jackson add on pedal probably done in 1954 or 55 !! The pedal looks just like the ones Shot made for my Fender Stringmaster in 1954 . Shot did that to a lot of steels before he came out with the "ShoBud" . Eddie "C" ( the old non-pedal -no reverb , out of work geezer ) |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 2 Nov 2008 1:53 pm
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That's the guitar James used on the Marty Robbins "Song of the Islands" album..
The pedal MUST have been added AFTER December 1957 IMHO, as it's not in use anywhere on the album.
Song Of the Islands (December 30, 1957)
CL 1087 - mono,
CS 9425 - stereo
Song Of the Islands (C. King)
Don't Sing Aloha When I Go (W. Smith, B. Black, & Moret)
Beyond the Reef (Pitman)
Crying Steel Guitar Waltz (S. Long)
My Isle Of Golden Dreams (Kahn & Blaufass)
Now Is the Hour (Kaihan, C. Scott, & D. Stewart)
Sweet Leilani (H. Owens)
Down Where the Trade Winds Blow (H. Owens)
Constancy (J. Noble & Berger)
Island Echoes (Kessell)
Moonland (Byrd)
Aloha Oe (Liliukalani)
ALSO In the video at 1:10 he uses the pedal to get the usual 1-4-1 change, which would confirm that the pedal WAS on the guitar in 1959.
Had it been on the guitar for the recording of in particular "Don't Sing Aloha When I Go" it would definitely have been utilised for the intro/solo and fills, as the inversions the steel plays involve slants.
My Guess at the top neck's tuning :-
G#
E
C#
B .. C#
G#...A
E
D
B
The song's in E and he's playing at the 12th fret, the top note of his solo riff is a G# and he plays the E-A- change at the 12th fret.
Because the holes in the tuner pan are for the pulls on the 4th and 5th strings, it would seem that's the setup..
_________________
Steelies do it without fretting
CLICK THIS to view my tone bars and buy——>
Last edited by basilh on 5 Nov 2008 6:08 am; edited 2 times in total |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 2 Nov 2008 2:21 pm
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Could it be that Jerry Byrd had some input on this album, not as a player but writer and production assistant/dialogue coach ?
Jerry DID play on the subsequent album "Hawaii's Calling Me" and also the Drifter TV Series at that time..
He wrote some of the songs on the album and obviously coached Marty in the Hawaiian Pronunciation
The Sea and Me (J. Byrd)
Kuu-Ipo-Lani (My Sweetheart, Lani) (J. Byrd)
Drowsy Waters (Wailana) (J. Byrd)
Hawaiian Bells (J. Byrd)
Blue Sand (J. Byrd)
Although I doubt if JB approved of the credit to Wailana. |
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Eddie Cunningham
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 2 Nov 2008 2:48 pm Jerry and the "pedal"
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| If Jerry "B" was involved with those Marty recordings maybe he told J. Farmer not to use the pedal because "it didn't sound Hawaiian " ?? I believe Basil has the correct tuning and pedal setup from what I can see and hear !! Does anybody know when they started using the "split" E to A pedals ??? I had to rebuild my "Shot" pedals when the "split" came out but I don't recall the year ??? Eddie "C" |
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Chris Scruggs
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 2 Nov 2008 5:09 pm
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Notice how the pedal neck only has six strings and the tuners don't correspond to the appropriate slots in the nut. The two strings moved by the pedal are on strings 4 and 5. This must be because 4 and 5 have the greatest distance from tuning post to nut and the lengthened string distance would cut down on the amount of string breakage. That Shot Jackson was pretty clever for a Dobro player! 
Basil,
The youtube.com clip shown on the auction is from the Technicolor Grand Ole Opry television show produced by Al Gannaway. It was filmed in late 1956 and early 1957, so he must have had it done before then.
Perhaps he just "laid off" the pedal on the Hawaiian record because "that new sound" wasn't called for on an island record?
A very cool guitar,
Chris |
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Ben Rubright
From:
Punta Gorda, Florida, USA
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Posted 3 Nov 2008 4:27 pm
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| The "Song of the Islands" album was released after his "The Song of Robbins" album and James certainly used the pedal on TSOR album.....but who knows if the albums were released in the order that they were recorded. I have the Marty Robbins box set and as soon as I return home from California, I will look up the recording dates and post them (if someone doesn't beat me to it). |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 3 Nov 2008 4:36 pm
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N/A
Last edited by basilh on 5 Nov 2008 6:05 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Kevin Greenberg
From:
Lakewood, CA
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Posted 3 Nov 2008 10:30 pm James Farmer steel
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Somebody buy it! Before it falls into the wrong hands!  |
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Ben Rubright
From:
Punta Gorda, Florida, USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2008 5:49 am
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"The Song of Robbins" recorded on Jan 10, 1957.
"Song of the Islands" recorded on Oct 03, 1957.
I suspect that he just did not use the pedal on the Islands LP. He obviously was an accomplished non-pedal player. |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 5 Nov 2008 6:00 am
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| N/A |
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Blake Wilson
From:
Boulder CO, USA
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Posted 6 Nov 2008 9:33 am
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basilh,
Thanks for bring up Marty's "Songs of the Islands" LP. I just picked up a mono LP of this record after reading your post (serendipity!) for just a couple dollars at my local used record shop. Great LP, with prominent steel guitar.
They also have his "Hawaii's Calling Me" LP. Is that worth picking up as well?
Regards,
Blake |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 6 Nov 2008 12:36 pm
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Blake, the Hawaii's Calling Me album features some of the best examples of Jerry Byrd's Hawaiian Style playing, and whilst it's all done using the foot volume pedal to moderate the attack,(Which may dismay some traditionalists) the playing is so in tune and complimentary to the vocals. The overall mix is excellent and the production first class.
A "MUST" album for any steel player IMHO |
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joe long
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 6 Nov 2008 6:47 pm
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| James Farmer was one of my early hero's and Marty was my favorite singer. Several years ago I purchased the Marty Robbins Box Set from Bear Music. It is a tresure chest of great country music. I believe that I read that Shot Jackson was James Farmer's hero. If you listen you will hear a lot of Jackson influence on Farmer's playing. |
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Garry Vanderlinde
From:
CA
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Posted 6 Nov 2008 7:57 pm
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Basil...is that Hawaii Calls with Jerry Byrd recording available anywhere that you know of? What exactly is the name of it? Would you think of posting it if it is not? Well...for "Educational purposes" of course. g
BTW...your posting of the Marty and Jerry video is totally awesome! Thank you so much  |
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Jussi Huhtakangas
From:
Helsinki, Finland
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Posted 7 Nov 2008 12:44 am
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| Bear Family has released a great DVD, Marty Robbins @ Town Hall Party ( late 50's ). James Farmer is right up there with this particular steel. |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 7 Nov 2008 1:43 am
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Garry, the double album can be "previewed" here click
But just for "Educational Purposes.
The tracks 1 through 12 are "Song of the Islands", and from 13 onwards are "Hawaii's Calling Me" |
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Garry Vanderlinde
From:
CA
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Posted 7 Nov 2008 3:45 pm
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Many Thanks Basil!
I am now more educated |
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