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Author Topic:  West Coast" style compared to "Nashville
Gary Meyer

 

From:
Sacramento, California, USA
Post  Posted 16 Jan 2005 4:50 pm    
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Several times now I've come across reference to the "west coast" style. Does anyone wnat to compare or contrast this style with the"nashville" style? Thanks.
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Ken Lang


From:
Simi Valley, Ca
Post  Posted 16 Jan 2005 5:15 pm    
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I think those styles were defined years ago; as in Buck and Hag for the West coast style and Nashville strings for the Nashvile sound. Mis-spelling intended.

I don't think there is much difference today.
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Bob Hickish


From:
Port Ludlow, Washington, USA, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 16 Jan 2005 5:18 pm    
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Gary
"west coast" style Is a lot of pedal work
Tom Brumley ( steeler for Buck Owens )
was / is famous for it ! also Jeff Neuman
has a course on the subject / stile -
Don't know if this explains it but when you
hear it you know it .
Bob
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Gene Jones

 

From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
Post  Posted 16 Jan 2005 5:26 pm    
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*

[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 18 January 2005 at 12:31 PM.]

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Charlie Moore


From:
Deville, Louisiana, USA
Post  Posted 16 Jan 2005 5:26 pm    
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Gary,to go along with what the other guy's said they or some played right over the pickup with the right hand and gave it that Mooney,fuzzy Owen's sound we called the West Coast style,....Charlie......
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 16 Jan 2005 6:19 pm    
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To me, the "West Coast" sound is all about simplicity..."sangin' and twangin'". It's very open (no heavy bass, rhythm guitar, violins, or bumping piano rhythms), and the emphasis is on twang, with lots of counterpoint single-note stuff going right along with the melody line. (You might say the "West Coast" sound made the Telecaster what it is.) The lead and steel are quite busy, but everything else is sparse and simple. Steel and lead are clean, bright, and right "up front" with the singer, not subdued as they often were in Nashville.

Leading stylists probably were Owens and (early) Haggard, along with Johnny and Joannie Mosby, Tommy Collins, Wynn Stewart, and a few others.
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Fred Jack

 

From:
Bastrop, Texas 78602
Post  Posted 16 Jan 2005 8:50 pm    
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I think of W.C. sound as something even farther back than Hag or Buck.Like Tex Williams,Spade C.,HankPenny and pickers such as Noel Boggs,Juakin(?)Murphey,Jimmy Bryant,Jay Dee and Tom Brumley and many others.Their music,in my opinion ,had more drive to it.There were many great pickers on the west coast and I think they had more freedom in the studio.I think it was established in the 40's.
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Robbie Daniels

 

From:
Casper, Wyoming, USA
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2005 9:44 am    
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You got it Fred. I cut my teeeth on steel in the San Francisco area and you can include the great Vance Terry in there.
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John Bechtel


From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2005 11:05 am    
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I played around L.A. back during 1970 and before I left to come back to Nashville, I auditioned at a club in San Bernadino and they told me my style was 15yrs. behind the times. So, don't l©©k for a West Coast Opinion! Ho~Ho!

------------------
“Big John” Bechtel
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John Daugherty


From:
Rolla, Missouri, USA
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2005 12:57 pm    
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I give credit to my friend Ralph Mooney who played the sounds that made Buck Owens, Wynn Stewart and others sound so great.
Ralph played a unique style that set him apart from the crowd. During the late 50s and early 60s, Ralph played steel on the large percentage of records cut on the west coast.
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Bobby Lee


From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2005 1:12 pm    
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Compare the sound of Fender pedal steels to Sho-Buds. That's part of the difference.
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Bob Hickish


From:
Port Ludlow, Washington, USA, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2005 8:48 pm    
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I may be all wet here guys ! but seeing it
from the Steel picker point of view - As I remember
it ! it was the steel that made the the West coast sound
popular - Gene Jones give us all a treat with his
recording of "Pedal Patter" -- That's what I remember
as the west coast sound -- Maybe Gene will post it here again -
I may be wrong but that's what I recall !!
Regards Bob
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Jim Phelps

 

From:
Mexico City, Mexico
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2005 9:17 pm    
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West-Coaster (Washington, Oregon, N. California) and proud of it.
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Dan Tyack

 

From:
Olympia, WA USA
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2005 9:46 pm    
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To me 'west coast steel style' means Ralph Mooney.
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Pete Grant

 

From:
Auburn, CA, USA
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2005 9:59 pm    
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Yep, Ralph Mooney. And Jay Dee Maness.
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Michael Johnstone


From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2005 10:44 pm    
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Don't forget Tom Brumley and Leo LeBlanc.
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Rick Schmidt


From:
Prescott AZ, USA
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2005 11:29 pm    
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Sneaky Pete and Ed Black

[This message was edited by Rick Schmidt on 17 January 2005 at 11:30 PM.]

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Jerry Hayes


From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2005 5:10 am    
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Someone said "Lots of C6 pedal pulls by guys like Mooney"?? How 'bout "No C6 at all by anyone out there".....Having lived in SoCal for 45 years before moving to Virginia 19 years ago I remember it all so well. Hearing Mooney on the radio when I was in high school just destroyed me! That was the most wonderful thing I'd ever heard on recordings since Scotty Moore's "Mystery Train" with Elvis Presley. To me the west Coast sound is straight E9 with the treble way up, the reverb on 7 or 8, the bass knob turned down, and a whole lotta pedal movement including the E to F# (C pedal) without the B raising with it. Ol' Moon's the master and creator of this style and still the best at it. Tom Brumley is a very close second. He added his own flair to it but Ralph IMHO had a brighter, bubbly, sound which didn't sound like anyone else out there. The West Coast sound was also on Waylon Jennings records after he hired Moon and gave him an edge other artists didn't have. I know some players don't like it but I believe Jerry Garcia's work on "Teach Your Children" was a prime example of West Coast Steel Guitar, Bright, simple, lot's of pedal work....JH

------------------
Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

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Theresa Galbraith

 

From:
Goodlettsville,Tn. USA
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2005 5:38 am    
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Mr.Mooney!
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Gene Jones

 

From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2005 5:58 am    
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*

[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 18 January 2005 at 12:30 PM.]

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Gene Jones

 

From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2005 9:28 am    
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Ricky Littleton


From:
Steely-Eyed Missile Man from Cocoa Beach, Florida USA
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2005 9:57 am    
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Ok, now I'm confused.

Every piece of documentation I've ever seen of Mooney's tuning was an E9 WITHOUT the high F# and D# strings.

He used all the "regular" E9 pedal changes EXCEPT he pull(s) 1 string at a time, and does not raise the high B to C# with the E-F# change.

His front neck tuning is a G and is played like a dobro.

Somebody check me if I'm wrong, but the Mooney sound is E9 with loads of snappy pedal-work!!!

Ricky...

------------------
Emmons LeGrande - 8x4
Session 400 Ltd, Peterson VS-II Tuner
Dan-Echo, E-Bow, Ibanez Distortion, Boss Comp./Sustain, Ibanez Auto-Wah, PX4 Pandoras Box


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Gene Jones

 

From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2005 10:10 am    
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*

[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 18 January 2005 at 12:28 PM.]

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Ricky Littleton


From:
Steely-Eyed Missile Man from Cocoa Beach, Florida USA
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2005 10:20 am    
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Gene:

No malice or anything intended, nor was there a challenge. I just stated what I had seen, and in no way did I ever indicate the things I've read were gospel. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I just said I was confused.

If there's something I've overlooked, I would like to have my thoughts straight. I thought this was an open discussion.

I apologize for "questioning" you but that was NEVER my intent. I was simply joining in the discussion and threw in my "take".

I hope you will accept this apology.

Ricky...

------------------
Emmons LeGrande - 8x4
Session 400 Ltd, Peterson VS-II Tuner
Dan-Echo, E-Bow, Ibanez Distortion, Boss Comp./Sustain, Ibanez Auto-Wah, PX4 Pandoras Box


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Jerry Hayes


From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2005 10:24 am    
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Ralph is even credited with adding the high G# string to the tuning.....JH

------------------
Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

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