Under The Influence of Love, On the E9

[ZakTF]

Cheers, Uncle Roy!

[Donny Johnston]

That's how a steel should sound, excellent. Donny.

[ZakTF]

Cheers, Donny!

[Ken Byng]

Nice job!

[ZakTF]

Cheers, Ken!

[Gary James Peters]

Got a very convincing 'Moon' sound there!! I learnt to play the steel listening to that Buck Owens album (which I still have on vinyl from 1959 when my Mum bought it) with my ShoBud Maverick...3 pedals, 1 knee lever. It didn't sound as good as you Mullen that's for sure.

Did you know that Ralph Mooney, when he was young, often slept under his pedal steel (!!) so that he could look up at its inner workings (rather than the stars). Kinda weird, but true...anyway it worked for him...and how!

Gary

[Gary James Peters]

Just to add one thing...Richard (Zebedee) is right about attack and effective blocking, which is not always present in some player's armoury, but the thing is, I'm pretty certain that Ralph Mooney back in the late 50's would have been using palm blocking and not the pick blocking that dominates contemporary playing. In my view a player should try and master both, and the fact that many don't suggests that palm blocking might become a dying if not extinct art, which would be a shame. The difference is crstal clear in Paul Franklin's playing when he does his Bakersfield thing: his use of pick blocking means that, while he can play a Moon solo note for note no problem, it doesn't sound at all like Moon. When I learnt the steel (listening to Mooney) I learnt palm blocking, then I realised (plus peer pressure) that I had to get pick blocking together, now I find I'm having to re-learn my old palm blocking skills when I want to get a certain sound, and, yes, attack. Just my perspective of course.

[ZakTF]

Thanks, Gary! And I might have to try sleeping under the steel too one day haha!

I think you're right about Mooney palm blocking, and it can be seen in the Waylon youtube videos. I learnt the bare basics of pick blocking to be able to play those quicker mooney solos, but I do wonder if it would have been better to just invest more time in mastering palm blocking.

It's interesting you mention the Paul Franklin bakersfield stuff, because I've also noticed how different he sounds to Mooney. I thought it was largely down to how much slap back delay Mooney always seemed to have on his guitar sound.

[Gary James Peters]

Yes, you're right Zak, there are lots of other contributory factors that result in the differences between Mooney and Franklin, but blocking technique is undoubtedly one of them...only one, for sure. I did see Mooney play once (with Buck Owens actually), his style was pretty different by then (late 80's) but still great. My friend John Ely (sometimes in Asleep at the Wheel) met Mooney a few times. He said he had no idea how or why his early work was such a big influence on so many steel players (and guitarists like Ry Cooder for instance)...a very modest man evidently.

G

G