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Topic: al brisco killing it on a fender 400 pedal steel |
Mark Perrodin
From:
Tucson Arizona, USA
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Paul Wade
From:
mundelein,ill
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Posted 11 Apr 2020 2:00 pm brisco killing it on a fender 400 |
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That was out standing . al is great player
That blows my mind on a fender 400. Never heard a fender 400 sound like that. What was he playing thru
P.w |
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gary pierce
From:
Rossville TN
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Posted 11 Apr 2020 2:09 pm
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| It looked like an S-6 with 2 pedals. |
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Mark Perrodin
From:
Tucson Arizona, USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2020 3:16 pm 400
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it's a long scale fender 400 8 string guitar with
4 pedals. might be the same 400 that he bought
new. he has a video that covers bakersfield style
playing that features this guitar. i think it's e9 with-
out the chromatics. great tone and touch. |
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Ivan Posa
From:
Hamilton, New Zealand
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Posted 11 Apr 2020 3:59 pm
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| Al is a great guy and a very very fine player. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Mark Perrodin
From:
Tucson Arizona, USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2020 4:49 pm 400
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| wonder if he still has that bassman too. |
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Larry Bressington
From:
Nebraska
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Posted 11 Apr 2020 6:10 pm
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| Fantastic work indeed, great band layout too, mighty fine show! |
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Quentin Hickey
From:
Nova Scotia, Canada
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Posted 11 Apr 2020 9:08 pm
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Yes Al can get down!  |
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Rick McNamara
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 13 Apr 2020 2:02 pm Al Briscoe on a Fender PSG
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Hey Mark,
What a great job Al did on the song. A lot of emotion in his playing and some really sweet sound as well. He could do a Poster for Fender PSG! Thanks for posting Mark!👠|
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John Goux
From:
California, USA
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Posted 15 Apr 2020 9:16 pm
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Perfect!
J |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2020 5:33 am
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Al is a great player as we all know.. I can't see why its a mystery to some about the great sound he was getting.. He is a fine player with good hands playing a wonderful sounding steel guitar,,, The Fender 400 sounds like a good high quality pedal steel.. Thats what it is,,,
Too many guys think they sound like Sneaky Pete's guitar which was an anamoly.. His signature sound was very highly processed,, A spectacular sound, and well thought out of course, but not indicative of the sound of most Fender cable steels.. They sound like pedal steel guitars.. EQ them, amp them, set them up for what you want, but they can sounds as mainstream or as "out there" as any other steel ever built...
When Fender cable steels were in common use, a LOT of records were being made that had trebly, thin whiny, "fendery" steel tone,,, That is NOT how a Fender steel has to sound if its not wanted..
Matter of fact, I had 4 Fender cable steels over the decades, and would often get pissed at them because they sounded to mainstream to my ears, and I wanted Pete's sound or Lew Houston's and couldn't get it.... bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Michael Sawyer
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2020 8:03 am
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I like that old Fender tone.
I reckon that's why I have 2 |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2020 8:06 am
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Love that video....and my Fender cable steels! 
_________________
Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Bill Miller
From:
Gaspe, Quebec, Canada
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Posted 16 Apr 2020 8:13 am
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| Wonderful rendition Al! Cool threads too. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 16 Apr 2020 10:28 am
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Bob is right, a Fender can sound "plinky", or it can sound smooth and sweet. The "plinky" is easy, but the smooth and sweet takes some skill. I've never heard a bad sounding guitar, and I've heard a lot of them in my (almost) 60 years of playing. Bad sounds almost always come from the player. Players who can't get a good sound tend to "fight" the instrument, and usually don't have the knowledge and skill to make anything sound good. This quote pretty much sums it up:
| Tom Brumley wrote: |
| You can either play the darn thing, or your can't. |
`
Last edited by Donny Hinson on 6 Jun 2020 4:55 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Michael Greer
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Posted 16 Apr 2020 1:55 pm
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| Fantastic playing Al.....that's what steel guitar should sound like |
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 17 Apr 2020 11:36 am
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Yes Sir!! What a great performance. Lot of love in there. Hello Al wherever you are
Roy
_________________
Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel |
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Al Brisco
From:
Colborne, ON Canada
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Posted 21 Apr 2020 5:41 am Together Again - some Details
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First, I want to Thank everyone for their kind comments.
Regarding the YouTube video of Together Again (with Freddy Vette & His Rhinestone Cowboys).
Yes, it is my original Fender 400 which I bought used from Ken Davidson in 1964 for $350.00.
It is stock, however the pickup is wired directly to the jack, bypassing the Tone & Volume controls. I added a knee lever to lower the E's. Standard E9th tuning, omitting the Chromatics.
Crazy things can happen when you are playing live!!!
In this video I was using two steel guitars with two volume pedals & cables with one amp (Nashville 112). I was rushing between songs to plug in the Fender....& guess what...I plugged it into the #2 Input (which is 6 db lower than the #1 Input), & consequently was 'running out of gas' (sustain), so I was fighting the sound all through the song.
Oh, to do it again properly.
Thanks again,
Al Brisco
_________________
Al Brisco
http://www.steelguitarcanada.com
Serving Steelers with Experience, Expertise, & Selection Since 1979 |
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Dustin Rigsby
From:
Parts Unknown, Ohio
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Posted 22 Apr 2020 11:32 am Re: Together Again - some Details
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| Al Brisco wrote: |
First, I want to Thank everyone for their kind comments.
Regarding the YouTube video of Together Again (with Freddy Vette & His Rhinestone Cowboys).
Yes, it is my original Fender 400 which I bought used from Ken Davidson in 1964 for $350.00.
It is stock, however the pickup is wired directly to the jack, bypassing the Tone & Volume controls. I added a knee lever to lower the E's. Standard E9th tuning, omitting the Chromatics.
Crazy things can happen when you are playing live!!!
In this video I was using two steel guitars with two volume pedals & cables with one amp (Nashville 112). I was rushing between songs to plug in the Fender....& guess what...I plugged it into the #2 Input (which is 6 db lower than the #1 Input), & consequently was 'running out of gas' (sustain), so I was fighting the sound all through the song.
Oh, to do it again properly.
Thanks again,
Al Brisco |
Sounded mighty proper to me, Al. If memory serves me correctly, Tom recorded “Together Again†on a Fender guitar.
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D.S. Rigsby |
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Al Brisco
From:
Colborne, ON Canada
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Posted 22 Apr 2020 1:13 pm Together Again - some Details
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Hi Dustin,
Thanks again for your positive comments.
Yes, when Buck Owens contacted Tom Brumley & urgently requested he fly to Bakersfield to due a session, & didn't need to bring his own guitar (Z-B), as Buck had a Fender endorsement.
Upon arriving for the session they looked for & found the Fender 1000 that Jay McDonald had been using & which was sabotaged due to being fired by Buck... (strings cut, nails driven in the top, rods bent, etc.). Don Rich assisted Tom with installing new strings, & getting two foot pedals working, all under pressure as the clock was ticking on the session.
The result was the recording of "Together Again" with Tom playing his classic fill & break, which has become one of pedal steel's most significant recordings!
_________________
Al Brisco
http://www.steelguitarcanada.com
Serving Steelers with Experience, Expertise, & Selection Since 1979 |
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John Goux
From:
California, USA
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Posted 26 Apr 2020 4:19 pm
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Hey Al. Love the story about Tom Brumley.
Question:
I assumed, since ZB was located on the West Coast, that Tom’s association with that company began with his move to Bakersfield to play with Buck. Was Tom a ZB player before he moved out?
Did Tom use that 1000 for any amount of time, or was it just for that classic recording session?
John |
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Al Brisco
From:
Colborne, ON Canada
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Posted 27 Apr 2020 6:47 am Together Again - some Details
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Hi John,
I asked Tom Brumley's wife for some clarification on his joining the Buckaroos....here is her reply.
"Yes, we were living in Texas at the time Buck called Tom. He was playing his Fender 1000 that he had bought while in Army in Germany. I'll try and send a picture of that.
And you're correct on the story about Buck telling him he had a steel for him to use and not to bring his own. It was also a Fender 1000. I'll see if I can find a picture of it too.
Zane introduced Tom to the ZB while performing somewhere and Tom and he started playing them (I'm not sure about the date) probably around 1964 or 65. Then he and some friends bought the ZB Guitar Co in 1969."
This is as close as I can get to the real story.
Best Regards & Stay Safe!
Al Brisco
_________________
Al Brisco
http://www.steelguitarcanada.com
Serving Steelers with Experience, Expertise, & Selection Since 1979 |
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Mark Perrodin
From:
Tucson Arizona, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2020 7:20 am al
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Al,
thanks for doing the detective work and for sharing the pictures.
it would be great if there was a searchable section on the forum
to share vintage photos like these. historically valuable for sure.
thank you! |
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