NIce steel intro from a classic sounding record

[Greg Cutshaw]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WbkBdP66aU

Took me a few minutes to figure this one out. There's hundreds of these cool steel riffs on misc. 45's from the 60's on.

[Dennis Belt]

Yeah, that’s great steel playing, right there. I’m gonna steal some of that if I can. Thanks for posting!

[Greg Cutshaw]

I copied this riff but extended it out a bit in the beginning. Like the original I used the Pedal 2,3 combo and the E to F knee lever. Recorded using my Tone X pedal factory Twin Reverb preset. This is really hard to play clean! All notes are palm blocked:

My Version

[Rick Campbell]

Reckon who that is doing the playing?

RC

[Greg Cutshaw]

Dave Mathes
Real Name:
David Wayne Mathes
Profile:
1960s-1980s engineer and producer from Steubenville, Ohio, active in Nashville, Tennessee.
Often associated with the publisher House Of David (2) / House Of David Music.

Dave began his musical journey at age four in Akron, Ohio, and spent most of his time traveling as lead guitarist, bass and steel player with the Imperials. He worked thousands of sessions and concerts as a guitarist, and recording engineer. His "Sounds of the Saved Soul" album is still a gospel radio favorite. His engineering for the nation's largest advertising agencies, included television and radio commercials for Sears, Luck's Foods, Heil-Quaker, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Mr. Transmission, Jim Sasser for Senator, Goo Goo Candy Bars, Sweet Sue Chicken and the now famous Coca-Cola Commercial "It's the Real Thing" by Dottie West. Over 300 songs are recorded through his publishing companies; NRS Records, Sweet Singer Music-BMI and Sing Sweeter Music-ASCAP. Dave was also known for having worked at Globe Recording Studio, Inc..
April 23, 1933 - January 30, 2008

Maybe Dave Mathes himself?

[Rick Campbell]

I don't know why, but I've got a feeling that this might be Walter Haynes on steel guitar.

RC

[Marc Muller]

I don't know if it's the tone of the guitars, the amps, the tape or the players, but the recorded tone of these steels from the 60s/70s is just amazing. The clarity, bite and fullness is just wonderful. I can't seem to get anywhere near it, even with all my nice gear and practice.

[Dale Rottacker]

I copied this riff but extended it out a bit in the beginning. Like the original I used the Pedal 2,3 combo and the E to F knee lever. Recorded using my Tone X pedal factory Twin Reverb preset. This is really hard to play clean! All notes are palm blocked:

My Version

You always sound great Greg, but your tone here might be the best I've heard. Loved it ... What guitar were you using?

[Greg Cutshaw]

Thanks Dale! It's the Excel Robostar:

https://www.gregcutshaw.com/Excel%20Rob ... ostar.html

[Dennis Belt]

Greg, that sounds great! You set a high bar.

[Rick Campbell]

I don't know if it's the tone of the guitars, the amps, the tape or the players, but the recorded tone of these steels from the 60s/70s is just amazing. The clarity, bite and fullness is just wonderful. I can't seem to get anywhere near it, even with all my nice gear and practice.

I wonder about that too. The Nashville industry music has certainly changed and the way they present the steel guitar in the mix is certainly different. i guess we have more gadgets for steel guitar than ever.... maybe we've got too much? I listen to the Conway music of the 70's and John Hughey's steel sound is just great. I think better than the later sounds.... some way, It just stood out. One thing is that it wasn't distracted by the excessive use of drums. I guess the recording engineers and producers are different now. Also, the recording practice where there's so many overdubbs seems to lose some of the life and magic that the recordings had when all the players were in the studio at once. I don't do many sessions anymore, for this reason. It seems that almost all the calls are for me to overdubb..... More often than not, they don't have a producer to tell me where they want me to play, or what they want. The engineer says " just play all the way through and we'll use what we want". That just doesn't work for me. The other players do the same thing and it turns into a cluster of too busy playing.

RC

[Bob Carlucci]

I don't know if it's the tone of the guitars, the amps, the tape or the players, but the recorded tone of these steels from the 60s/70s is just amazing. The clarity, bite and fullness is just wonderful. I can't seem to get anywhere near it, even with all my nice gear and practice.

Agreed Marc... Maybe the superior tonal qualities of a black vinyl disc with grooves cut into it??.. Every time I hear Tom playing that old Fender 1000 through a Fender amp on "Together Again", I wonder if all the technology improvements were of any benefit at all.. I personally don't think so.. I think a plain old pedal steel guitar through a volume pedal, with a carbon pot ,into a tube amp, recorded and processed with ANALOG technology is the secret... Today everything sounds alike, so much of the individuality and personality has been lost because everything is "over engineered".. Thats the way I see it anyway... bob

[Greg Cutshaw]

This stuff is endless especially when some of the smaller labels let the steel player go wild. These songs feature Kenny Biggs with what sound a lot like LLoyd Green from 1961 with a lot fo the Little Darlin' sound and possibly Pete Wade on guitar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ebCxvx ... rt_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Dk7s9 ... rt_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8QzcNM ... jIssIGZWqc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk4tgKQ ... rt_radio=1

[Rick Campbell]

I would have thought that was Lloyd. There was so much good music in those days. Steel guitar was so out in front in the mix. Nashville seemed to really be proud of steel guitar and the steel players.

RC

[Brad Bechtel]

Even with the clicks and pops, that's a great record with some excellent steel playing! Thanks for sharing.