Tammy's steel player's guitar in 1969???

Tom Quinn · Posted 17 May 2009 4:42 pm

Great Hee Haw! tonight on RFD teevee. Shot in 1969, it had Sonny James and Tammy Wynette as guests. Both had their own bands, and Tammy's steel player was picking a guitar that was not an Emmons or a Sho-Bud. It looked for all the world like an MCI or something like that! But not in '69... go figure.

Anyone know about this guitar?

Thanks!

Tq
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I need an Emmons!

Mike Sweeney · From: Nashville,TN,USA

Tom,

That was Sonny Curtis playing a ZB Custom. At that time Tammy was using George Jones's band.
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Michael Douchette · From: Gallatin, TN (deceased)

Her player at that time was Sonny Curtis; he was before me. Sonny has played Clark's, and I believe his own custom build. Without seeing the video, though, I can't begin to guess what it might be.

EDIT: Mikey got in as I was typing, so there you go!
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Tom Quinn · Posted 17 May 2009 6:51 pm

Thanks! Hadn't thought of a ZB... :- )
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Fred Justice · From: Mesa, Arizona

I didn't catch the show but most likely it was his red Clark Custom, he was the distributor for those guitars made by Jim Clark in Owasso Oklahoma at that time.
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Tommy Minniear · From: Logansport, Indiana

It didn't register when Mike posted about it being a ZB, but now that Fred has pointed it out, I do remember that Sonny Curtis played a Clark. I saw him with the Clark & Tammy (& George Jones)at Buck Lake Ranch in Angola, Indiana back in 1970.

Tom Quinn · Posted 18 May 2009 5:15 am

The guitar wasn't red as I recall. It sure didn't register as a ZB either...
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Mike Sweeney · From: Nashville,TN,USA

I stand corrected. It was a Clark. But it wasn't red on my t.v. My mistake and I knew better. But, From a distance and the right angle the logo's look similar. Rolling Eyes

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Fred Justice · From: Mesa, Arizona

Tom and Mike, I guess its kinda orangie red, or tobacco brown even. I've got a picture of it and Sonny here somewhere I'll look for.
Although I've played his Clark a few times I can't remember the true color. Sad

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Mike Sweeney · From: Nashville,TN,USA

It looked like a mahagony brown to me but I didn't pay real close attention. I did notice J.D.'s satin rosewood Emmons though.
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Zumsteel steel guitars, Telonics and Peavey amplifiers, GHS strings.

Tommy Minniear · From: Logansport, Indiana

http://sonnycurtis.net/

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Not to split hairs, but Sonny played ZB's before he played Clarks. There are several videos on Youtube with him on his ZB, and others with his Clarks.

Mike Sweeney · From: Nashville,TN,USA

I have a picture from 1965 of George Jones and The Jones Boys with Sonny standing behind a wrap around Emmons stereo guitar. The bass player was Johnny Paycheck. Very interesting. Rolling Eyes

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Zumsteel steel guitars, Telonics and Peavey amplifiers, GHS strings.

Connie Mack · From: phoenicia, new york

hey mike,
you can't tell us about a picture like that and not share with the rest of the class?
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82'sho-bud u-12, frankendekely u-12, bride of frankendekley u-12, a whole mess of other instruments...finger still messed up but getting better...

Steve Blazek · From: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

Connie, check out you tube George Jones signing Love Bug to see that guitar and Paycheck.

Tom Quinn · Posted 18 May 2009 5:38 pm

Okay, it must have been this guitar:

My memory banks tell me I met Sonny back around 1981 in Columbus Ohio. I was hugely impressed to meet him. I was visiting my old hometown Willoughby and rolled through Columbus to see OSU my (flunked out X @) alama mater... -L-

Tq
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I need an Emmons!

Joe Goldmark · From: San Francisco, CA 94131

One of my favorite "get it on" solos is by Sonny on George Jones' duet of "Milwaukee Here We Come."

Joe

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Thats a ZB.

Connie Mack · From: phoenicia, new york

thaks steve. that was great.

funny how much paycheck was muggin' for the camera.
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82'sho-bud u-12, frankendekely u-12, bride of frankendekley u-12, a whole mess of other instruments...finger still messed up but getting better...

Roger Edgington · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

Wow Tommy!

Buck Lake Ranch. Haven't heard that name in years. That's a place I played a time or 2 when I was just a kid(16-17)living in OHIO.

Roger

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Sonny's Emmons was #3, which I believe is the only "stereo" Emmons still left in that condition, and is now in the possession of Mssr. Cass, being restored for Ron Lashley Jr. It has the problems that several of the very early wraparounds have/had, due to the Emmons Co. still figuring out the correct ways of doing things back then.
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Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

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