Mike Neer's website

Sat May 24, 2014 12:19 pm

Anyone seen this website? Loads of interesting stuff in there..
http://www.mikeneer.com/

Thu Jun 19, 2014 9:49 pm

I've been through every month on the lap steel and there is some very interesting stuff there. Some of it is over my head though.

Sun Jun 29, 2014 1:53 pm

Henry - Have you tried Buddy Emmons "Four Wheel Drive" yet. Doing it on my George Boards C6 but it's a pity he didn't do the whole thing.

Mick

Tue Jul 01, 2014 2:06 am

mick hearn wrote:Henry - Have you tried Buddy Emmons "Four Wheel Drive" yet. Doing it on my George Boards C6 but it's a pity he didn't do the whole thing.

Mick

Well, that solo is actually on pedal steel and the rest of it is just not possible on a lap steel, or even a pedal steel by us mere mortals. :twisted:

Tue Jul 01, 2014 9:19 pm

Sorry to disagree Basil, I have a video clip of Emmons playing 4 Wheel Drive on a twin neck non pedal guitar. He can only have been in his early 20's or even late teens at the time.

The man was just so gifted, but also one of the hardest working practisers ever.

Wed Jul 02, 2014 6:26 am

I would just as soon watch the late, great Herby Wallace version.... he had the balls (at this time of life!) to do it live!!!

How was it possible for a man with his physical attributes to play such wonderful steel???

Wed Jul 02, 2014 8:27 am

Herby was devastated when the stroke that he suffered a few years back prohibited his speed picking. I had lunch with him about 7 years ago, and he was so frustrated. He said that he played better when he was a kid, and certainly Herby was a child prodigy. Interestingly his idols and main influences were Buddy Emmons and Tom Morrell. Herby maintained that Buddy is the best to ever play the instrument and always will be. He said that if he could play 4 Wheel Drive a quarter as good as Buddy played it, he would be a happy man.

I think the guitar that I have the clip of Buddy playing 4WD is either a Fender or Bigsby twin neck. I have so many DVDs, but this particular one is of Emmons, Day, Brumley, Green, Ben Keith. Chalker, Rugg, Myrick, Morrell and the like all playing back in the day. (Early to late 60's). My friend put it together for me from numerous film clips that he had accumulated from various US TV shows and cine clips taken by fans.

Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:16 pm

Basil put his finger on it: "...or even on a pedal steel by us mere mortals". Buddy is of course from the Andromeda Galaxy and is actually 10,000 years old. Surprising what you can achieve with a bit of seat time!

Wed Jul 02, 2014 5:03 pm

I wouldn't dissagre with you Ken, but the best know version by Buddy Emmons would be the one from his album Amazing Steel Guitar.
Most of us would have this one:-
http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Steel-Gui ... B000002ZB9

This is the track I referred to from that compilation..