PrestonRice
Joined: Oct 05, 2012
Posts: 1725
Austin, Texas
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Posted on Oct 30 2013 08:32 PM
I'm curious to hear examples of steel guitar being used as a lead instrument in surf music, and how one would accomplish this.
I've messed around with the idea, but the issue I'm finding is that while the Steel guitar tends to sound a lot harsher than a Spanish guitar, Reverb tends to react differently to it. On a spanish guitar, it completely changes the sound going into the amp, whereas spring reverb only seems to lengthen and prolong, while slightly mellowing, the notes played on a steel guitar. A cool sound for sure, and very, very useful in many types of music, but quite what I'm looking for.
Any tips?
— IMO.
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wooza
Joined: Apr 24, 2006
Posts: 1618
Ithaca, NY
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Posted on Oct 30 2013 09:15 PM
It can be done: Check it!
This song is an obvious Pipeline ripoff... but a great one! Killer slide tricks and just a badass tune overall.
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PrestonRice
Joined: Oct 05, 2012
Posts: 1725
Austin, Texas
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Posted on Oct 30 2013 09:25 PM
Thanks! That was very cool... Moving towards a late fifties approach at some points, while retaining the cool harsh drip... I wonder how that was done.
Do we know if those guys are still around?
— IMO.
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wooza
Joined: Apr 24, 2006
Posts: 1618
Ithaca, NY
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Posted on Oct 30 2013 10:00 PM
I don't think so. As far as I remember this was a highschool band for a bunch of kids who ended up moving on to different and more famous projects down the road. Still a great little snapshot though!
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PrestonRice
Joined: Oct 05, 2012
Posts: 1725
Austin, Texas
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Posted on Oct 30 2013 10:04 PM
I just meant the members, not the band itself. Definitely cool.
Anyone here play steel? I know Jake sold a Champ Steel a while back, but that doesn't mean anything... Especially with Jake...
— IMO.
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Kawentzmann
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1062
Berlin, Germany
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Posted on Oct 31 2013 12:19 AM
Also Merrell Fankhauser’s Impacts. And didn’t Dave Myers & The Surf-Tones have a steel here and there? A couple of coutry-esque instros on 90s european bootleg comps, if you will.
— The Exotic Guitar of Kahuna Kawentzmann
You can get the boy out of the Keynes era, but you can’t get the Keynes era out of the boy.
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simoncoil
Joined: Sep 28, 2012
Posts: 926
Berlin, Germany
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Posted on Oct 31 2013 04:04 AM
The Cocktail Preachers made steel guitar an essential part of their sound, check it out:
— Los Apollos - cinematic surf music trio (Berlin)
"Postcards from the Scrapyard" Vol. 1, 2 & 3 NOW available on various platforms!
"Chaos at the Lobster Lounge" available as LP and download on Surf Cookie Records!
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togergo
Joined: Jan 23, 2012
Posts: 282
Budapest
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Posted on Oct 31 2013 07:15 AM
Mermen use sometimes
— original compositions (low-level demo stuff /out of tune, etc) myStuff not my best, but i don't like to be in a musician community without anything to show
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BJB
Joined: Jul 28, 2008
Posts: 413
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Posted on Oct 31 2013 03:04 PM
Dave Sherman a.k.a. Sherman LeRoi of the Hillbilly Soul Surfers also uses a pedal steel in some of his surf instrumentals. He is also uses a Guitorgan but that's another topic. Dave also has played bass in The Halibuts, and Pete Curry has played drums in Dave's band:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hillbilly-Soul-Surfers/214800168543926
— If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19340
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Oct 31 2013 08:46 PM
The Cocktail Preacher's covering Gutterball:
— Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me
"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19340
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Oct 31 2013 08:47 PM
Didn't Phantom Frank do a bunch of steel guitar stuff after his RSI?
— Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me
"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea
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StevieMartini
Joined: Mar 01, 2006
Posts: 490
Chicago
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Posted on Nov 01 2013 10:20 AM
Check out the Blue Hawaiians they use it often and very well too!
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CrazyAces
Joined: Jul 31, 2012
Posts: 4053
Nashville, TN.
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Posted on Nov 01 2013 10:43 AM
Slightly off topic, but as a bottleneck and half rate (at best) lap steel player I was blown away when Hunter from Storm Surge Of Reverb turned me on to Kazi Aniruddha and his use of lap steel to mimic the female lead vocal in Indian music.
Made me start writing something immediately to merge 60's instro with slide/bollywood style, wish me luck on execution tough, LOL.
Jim Hoke with The Martian Denny Orchestra plays an old Fender steel to good effect as well.
— http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic
Last edited: Nov 01, 2013 10:44:03
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