Telecaster

  • Thread starter Thread starter shagfu
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I was more a fan of Rose Maddox, Mary Kaye gave
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HaHa! I don't beleive it. A Rose Maddox fan! Damn, are you a western swing fan
philboyd studge? Sounds like you been around the block. I bought the first strat and single showman amp in Sacramento, 1961. Wish I had them now. Hey, know anything about the showman. Always loved that vibrato with th "whishhhing" JBL! That steel speaker ring was ingenious! Oh, btw way, there was a club here for 50 yrs called the
"Detour Inn" It was named after the song. The writer owned the club, I heard. I think Rose played there a lot. Also, there was Bob Wills club, "Wills Point" down the street from my house. Tiny Moore had a music store here and played a lot around here too.
There were quite a few "legends" that retired or just plain lived here. Got to see alot of them over the years. The "Western Swing Society" is based here too. Ever hear of Truet Cunningham" God bless him, only guy I've ever seen that carries on the tradition to this day. He's great.
fitz:)
 
Except for Spade Cooley, western swing had died out So. Cal. by the mid '50's and the local bands mostly played Hank and Lefty covers. Rose was still working with her brothers and shifting to a rockabilly thing but keeping the visual comedy thing they used to do. God could those Maddox brothers drink. Mary Kaye I recall as being a more Hollywood type of act, yet you can't overstate how big an influence on people like me someone like her was. To see girl like that on TV leading a band and playing guitar......that was big.

To get an idea of what the LA western swing sound was like in it's heyday I think there are recordings from transcriptions the old radio shows 'Hollywood Hoedown' and the earlier 'Golden State Blue Monday Jamboree.' Btw, the jamboree had a novelty act called 'The Beverly Hillbillies' that was outline for the TV show.
 
Western swing has some great assets. It's fun to play, more than 3 chords, opens up a pandora's box of possibilities for song writing and seemingly creeping back into vogue.
Clive
 
another truely unique thing about the telecaster is the neck. I swear the fingerboard is flatter than Texas. So it is uncanny how easy it is to use a slide or even bare finger delibberate scales. I dont suppose it directly effects the tone outside of the fact that it takes little to no finger pressure to gracefully slip to the next fret.
 
Hello Clive, so are you a fan of western swing, or player of? Personally, I love it. I try to tell younger players about it. Ha! If they only knew. Or tried to play it. Ain't as easy as it sounds, is it. Especially the higher tempo numbers. The city I live in has a rich tradition and lots of older players of that genre, but no one seems to be interested in it to much. Except the members of the society, which has been here a long time. They still have meets and play. But I haven't been to one in quite a while. I think there are CD's available of the members playing. I'll have to check on that. Wouldn't mind having them. So you think its coming back into vogue huh? Cool. Anyway, cheers
fitz:)
 
Rick and Clive,

If you don't do anything else, find every recording you can of Milton Brown and his musical Brownies which featured Bob Dunn on steel (actually his first steel was a Martin with a telephone coil in it) and was the first use of an amplified guitar in Country/Western/Swing field. Some of the licks are amazing, too bad Milton died in a car wreck in 1935.
 
Holy crap, I've got one in my collection somewhere. Or on a record of Western Swing Hits. Oh, yea, I think spade, Wills, Jimmy Brient(wheeeeew!), and some female accordian player was on there too. I'll look around. Thanks philboyd. Say, is that your real name?:cool: Just curious. Do you know anything about Eldon Shamblin? Lord, I've tried for years to figure out those inversions he used. He even played a strat at one time, I think. A green one with the plastic cover on the back. At least thats what I remember. Might be a pic on an album or something I saw. Who knows? Anyway, thanks for the clue. Wow, yea I remember the name"musical Brownies" Seems they were pretty hot. Course, my memory isn't. But steel players. I love em all! specially Emmons. I played with a hot steel player for about 5 yrs. Name is Chris Ivy. He was great. Still around here I believe. Damn I miss those days. They were FUN!

God could those Maddox brothers drink.
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HAHAHAHAHAHA! Thats funny, I seem to remember that a lot of the western swing society meets were abound with people that could. Me included:D
fitz
 
hello again, do you mind sharing a litte background on yourself philboyd? You sound very informed in this field. Must come from your experiences. I'd sure be interested in it. Thanks
fitz:)
 
That's Jimmy Bryant and wheew is right. I think he is the quintessential tele player. I have never heard anyone faster not even Eddie Van Halen or Albert Lee.

Arkansas Traveler, Stratosphere Boogie, oh yeah.
 
Good god I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that cares or likes that stuff. I thought I was alone on this planet. And btw middleman, thanks for the spellcheck, its been a long time since I even looked at that album. I have a couple of 45's by him somewhere too.
Anyway, my keyboard player turned me on to him in the late 60's. After that, there were no guitarists that turned me on. Oh, maybe John Lee Hooker.:D Just kiddin. Still like him regardless. I'd trade my soul to the devil for his voice though. You know, there was one. Met him in a club here in Sac. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODAAAAAAAANG! His name is Bill Conners. Played with chick corea on the "Return to Forever" album. Lord almighty. I didn't know it was possible to play that fast. And I don't mean licks. No tele though.
fitz
 
Dang, this is the first forum I have found for guitarists, that has people posting who seem to have somthing that the other guitar forums don't. That is an interest in music other than pop or rock. And they don't flame you for showin how old you are either. thanks
fitz:)
 
Rick
I think Conners took over after the departure of Al Dimeola. Al was an amazing player himself back when he was in Return to Forever and stuck to the electric geetar. He played les pauls with dimarzios in 'em. I remember it well since there wasn't much available in the 70's for replacement pickups.
The original lineup had Stanley Clarke on bass and that mofo could slap 'em something fierce!!!! That was the first time I saw an Alembic bass and it was really something!

Anyone remember Roy Buchanan??
He could really make a tele whine in his day!
He just couldn't stay out of trouble! I think he died in prison in the late 80's or something. I wish I could have seen him live.

Joel
 
Hello Joel, your the first person that has ever responded about Conners. Any idea what happened to him? I heard a rumor that he died in a car accident. Never heard any more music from him. I watched him play in a local club with a band called the Spiral Staircase. Monster players. 6 weeks I was there every night. Couldn't believe what I was hearing. He turned me on to things I still work on. He was a great guitarist and musician. Maybe still is, I don't know. But yea, Roy and Al were some of my fav's also. I had too many. Ha! But Conners was toooooo good. He let me come over to listen to stuff and he would sit and play to Django records note for note in his motel room. I think he was 21 at the time. I thought it was impossible. Thanks for the info.
fitz:)
 
Fitz,
I can't comment on the wider world but here in Australia bands like the "Feral Swing Kats" have done a Western swing that really does them credit. Especially the close harmonies with a really tight sound.
Yep it is spreading here.
Clive
 
Damn! You guys are starting to talk about my guitar HEROES! Did I get lost and make a wrong turn somewhere? :D

Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West made some incredible music together. Bryant was so fast and CLEAN! I just love his tone--probably some little tweed Fender. Boy, did he make some music. Awesome! There are two CD re-releases featuring this pair--Stratosphere Boogie and one other i can't think of right now. Worth buying if you're a Tele freak.

Then there's Roy Buchanan. His first two albums, Roy Buchanan and Roy Buchanan Second Album(?) are clinics on what can be wrung out of a Tele and a Fender amp. 'The Messiah Will Come Again' is possibly the moodiest guitar instrumental ever recorded. Scary actually.

Danny Gatton should be brought up here. He leaves me speechless, he's so good. I'll leave it at that.

Arlen Roth plays some great Tele stuff on his album "Toolin' Around" and no discussion of the Tele would be complete without a nod to Steve Cropper. How about the Helecasters? Brent Mason? Theres a bunch of others too.

When I hear all these guys play and think of how Leo Fender designed the Telecaster without even being a guitar player, I shake my head in wonder. His little electric breadboard sure created some marvelous music.
 
HAHAHAHAHAHHAAHA!!!! Alright Crawdad, this is fucking great. Like I said, I didn't think anyone was out there who liked this stuff. Every damn forum I opened my mouth on about this just slammed me. Felt dead. I was really beginning to wonder if my tastes were so wierd that I might as well live on an island by myself. Either that or I really was too damn old to stick my neck out!!:D Course, my wife says I am wierd.
Anyway gents, thanks a mill for making an old fart feel alive again. YEEEEEEEAAAAAAA
I'm alive afterall!
fitz:D
 
Me again, damn, you know I've never even bought a fucking CD. Thats how much I closed myself off from the music world. You guys have allowed me to think that maybe
its not so bad after all:D Tomorrow, I'm gonna go out and try and find some CD's of these guys and listen to it all over again. I've got a shit load of records I haven't listened to in years. Gonna dig em out of the attic, roll some fatties, and have myself a little party. Yea. Thats what I'm gonna do. Tell me more. Come on, don't stop now or I'm gonna have to kick you ass!!!:D
fitz:eek: :eek: :eek:
 
RICK FITZPATRICK said:
Holy crap, I've got one in my collection somewhere. Or on a record of Western Swing Hits. Oh, yea, I think spade, Wills, Jimmy Brient(wheeeeew!), and some female accordian player was on there too. I'll look around. Thanks philboyd. Say, is that your real name?:cool: Just curious. Do you know anything about Eldon Shamblin? Lord, I've tried for years to figure out those inversions he used. He even played a strat at one time, I think. A green one with the plastic cover on the back. At least thats what I remember. Might be a pic on an album or something I saw. Who knows? Anyway, thanks for the clue. Wow, yea I remember the name"musical Brownies" Seems they were pretty hot. Course, my memory isn't. But steel players. I love em all! specially Emmons. I played with a hot steel player for about 5 yrs. Name is Chris Ivy. He was great. Still around here I believe. Damn I miss those days. They were FUN!


HAHAHAHAHAHA! Thats funny, I seem to remember that a lot of the western swing society meets were abound with people that could. Me included:D
fitz
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God I love the internet. I was just thinking of who my favorite Telecaster player/s were and for me and because I knew him in the '70's was James Burton. He was always the perfect sideman, understated yet blow you away when you asked him to show off. A close second was Roy Nichols.

Roll tape back to 1976. I was opening for Emmy Lou Harris at the Palomino in North Hollywood and word was out the Roy was going be there to see Emmy and watch James play. This was when she had John Ware on drums, Hank DiVito on steel, Rodney Crowell, Emory Gordy on bass, Jame Burton on guitar, and Glen D. Hardin on piano. For my sets I had my steel player on bass and Valerie (the girl I was singing with) and had Emory, John and Hank sit in. If I didn't have photos to remind me I'd never believe I did any of this kind of stuff.

All day the talk was 'what's James gonna do?'. They were firiends but there was some competitive sprit between them. So many names in the crowd that night and the fire marshall and Tommy Thomas stories are too much to get into.

Anyway, first set they tear the place up, as usual, but Roy's not there yet. Second set Roy's there and they save 'Shop Around' for last and Emmy tells James to have some fun. This was the song where he does some licks with the Tele behind the head (something you can't do on a strat...they slip all over the place). James played a solo that couldn't have lasted anything less than a half hour.........never repeating himself. It was amazing.

Another great Tele player you don't hear much about that sat in with us back then was Duncan Cameron who's still with Sawyer Brown I think. He played a real early Tele through a tweed Deluxe with a 15 in it. He got a great tone out of it.......bent that neck all over the place to get steel sounds too.

Back to why I love the internet. I was just looking up stuff on Roy Nichols and in his bio, guess who he used with before Merle?
The Maddox Brothers and Rose...........Damn! Do things go in circles or what? I was a smarter kid then I thought.
 
My fav Tele player would have to Roy Buchanan. The Tonemeister.
 
Roll tape back to 1976. I was opening for Emmy Lou Harris at the Palomino in North Hollywood and word was out the Roy
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Hello phylboyd, I saw that same lineup at the Auburn county fairgrounds, in 1976. James was astounding. One of the best shows I have ever seen. I don't go to concerts any more though. But I am still wondering who you are. I know you won't tell me, so I guess I'll have to figure it out other ways:D Were you on that tour with Emmy Lou? Cause the palamino gig must have been shortly before or after the show I saw. Anyway, if there's ANYTHING you would like to share, I am all ears. Thank you for sharing that with us. And your right. "God I love the internet" Me too!


If I didn't have photos to remind me I'd never believe I did any of this kind
of stuff.
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I'd kill to see those.:D
fitz
 
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