| Author |
Topic: Gabby Pahinui tone? |
Mike Anderson
From:
British Columbia, Canada
|
Posted 10 May 2011 4:16 pm |
|
Hi all, newbie here waiting for his first-ever lap steel to arrive. One of my inspirations is Gabby, and not just because of his style (love the way he'll unexpectedly throw in a Western-swingy phrase into the middle of a trad Hawaiian song!), but in large part because of his tone.
Wondering if anyone out there knows what might have been in his approach/equipment that gives such a mellow, sweet tone? Not a lot of overtones in there, very pure. Really something unique there.
Are we talking amp or mic? I'm sure it isn't that the recordings are "old", as voices etc all have plenty of transients, plenty top end. Bar type maybe? Just rolling off the tone control, or board EQ? I'm thinking for my part I'm going to have to try out a Tribo-Tone bar - just learned about them today from this forum (my personal motherlode, thanks all!), and the testimonials make it sound like it'll help me get the tone I'm looking for.
Any pointers or just plain shootin' the breeze is welcome, so thanks in advance. |
|
|
 |
Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
|
Posted 10 May 2011 5:05 pm
|
|
Which one in your avatar is you, Mike?  Welcome to the wonderful world of steel, both of you.
Gabby usually played Fenders in his later career, so that's primarily what you hear on the Panini recordings, and what he always had when I saw him in the 70s. And a regular bullet bar. I'm interested in hearing more about other possible gear and such too. Good first post!
BTW, I'm still in my happy childhood! |
|
|
|
Mike Anderson
From:
British Columbia, Canada
|
Posted 10 May 2011 7:07 pm
|
|
| Ron Whitfield wrote: |
Which one in your avatar is you, Mike? Welcome to the wonderful world of steel, both of you.
Gabby usually played Fenders in his later career, so that's primarily what you hear on the Panini recordings, and what he always had when I saw him in the 70s. And a regular bullet bar. I'm interested in hearing more about other possible gear and such too. Good first post!
BTW, I'm still in my happy childhood! |
Hi Ron, thanks for the reply. So you actually live in the islands, eh lucky dog? My first visit was 1968, had the good fortune to have my mom's sister living in Kailua for decades. My wife is American so the dream of moving there is very real. Thanks for the greets - the shorter guy is my son Oliver, who loves the ocean, so no worries there. 
I have the "Brown Album", two Sons of Hawaii (Music of Old Hawaii and Folk Music of Hawaii), and the Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band. Today I found out about volume 2 of the Hawaiian Band from this forum and ordered it on Amazon. Every time I come here I learn something inspiring!
I knew about the Fenders - wonder if he played anything different earlier...here's a thread about his tone from long ago - did a search today but only found it just now with Google: http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/007261.html.
Now I'm wondering if that great steel on my Sons of Hawaii albums is "Feet" Rogers! Any idea?
Mahalo,
Mike. |
|
|
|
Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
|
Posted 10 May 2011 11:01 pm
|
|
There aren't many pictures of him playing steel. Here is an early one with a frypan.
Not many recorded examples of his steel work either. I've never seen an authoritative list.
 |
|
|
|
Mike Neer
From:
NJ
|
Posted 11 May 2011 3:41 am
|
|
I was also inspired by Gabby's playing to pick up the steel. It was Yellow Roses and Chloe from Ry Cooder's Chicken Skin Music that got me. He seemed to have a very light touch, at least on those recordings. He was a very soulful musician.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
|
|
|
Mike Anderson
From:
British Columbia, Canada
|
Posted 11 May 2011 7:37 am
|
|
Thanks for that pic Mitch - it's a keeper, cute too!
Mike, I did see a post by you somewhere in my searches about you being inspired by Chicken Skin Music, which I used to own back in the day. I bought it particularly because I wanted to hear the stuff with the Hawaiian guys (no idea who they were at that point).
I now realize I am hearing "Feet" Rogers on the Sons of Hawaii disks - that's what happens when your only source is an unlabelled CD your brother burned from vinyl he found at a thrift store. As I say - great tone! So it now seems that the Maile Serenaders are the source to hear Gabby play steel, apart from the Ry album and the Hawaiian Band (he is credited with steel on that)...better go get 'em!
Thanks again guys. Totally unrelated note: just found out last night that The One Rose (that's left in my heart) was written by Lani McIntire. I know that song from ages back covered by Leon Redbone, with Leon McAuliffe on steel! It's a wunnerful world... |
|
|
|
