Hello fellow players,
A player who asked to remain anonymous
sent me this email.
sent me this email.
Bobbe,
You mention tone many times in your
newsletters and I am amazed at how many people miss the point. They
confuse tone and pitch thinking they are one and the same when
actually they are two different dimensions of sound.
newsletters and I am amazed at how many people miss the point. They
confuse tone and pitch thinking they are one and the same when
actually they are two different dimensions of sound.
Let me explain tone the way most people
comprehend it. Elvis had a good sounding voice. The tone of his
recorded voice is very pleasing to the ear, especially to female
ears. Gilbert Gottfried has bad tone. Gilbert could sing any Elvis
song in tune and still sound like fingernails on chalkboard.
comprehend it. Elvis had a good sounding voice. The tone of his
recorded voice is very pleasing to the ear, especially to female
ears. Gilbert Gottfried has bad tone. Gilbert could sing any Elvis
song in tune and still sound like fingernails on chalkboard.
Now contrast that to pitch. Leann
Rimes has excellent pitch. She sings notes that are exact matches of
what you’d get playing a piano. She sings the “keys” as we say
in the studios of Nashville. Roseanne Barr has terrible pitch. We
say she sings the “cracks” meaning she hits somewhere between the
piano keys. She has a key all of her own and it’s unknown to the
rest of the world. She sings “off key”.
Rimes has excellent pitch. She sings notes that are exact matches of
what you’d get playing a piano. She sings the “keys” as we say
in the studios of Nashville. Roseanne Barr has terrible pitch. We
say she sings the “cracks” meaning she hits somewhere between the
piano keys. She has a key all of her own and it’s unknown to the
rest of the world. She sings “off key”.
When we talk about the tone of a steel
guitar we’re talking about the quality of the timbre and how
pleasing the sound is to the ear.
guitar we’re talking about the quality of the timbre and how
pleasing the sound is to the ear.
When we tell someone a certain steel
guitar doesn’t have good tone and they tell us to get a tuner and
tune the thing, I know they don’t have a clue about the difference
between tone and pitch.
guitar doesn’t have good tone and they tell us to get a tuner and
tune the thing, I know they don’t have a clue about the difference
between tone and pitch.
If a guitar is out of tune it is easily
corrected by tuning. If a guitar doesn’t have a good tone, no
amount of tuning will correct it. If you think this will help clue
in some of the clueless, go ahead and print it. Just don’t use my
name.
corrected by tuning. If a guitar doesn’t have a good tone, no
amount of tuning will correct it. If you think this will help clue
in some of the clueless, go ahead and print it. Just don’t use my
name.
Well my reply to these comments is
somewhat unnecessary as you’ve taken care of it yourself the way
you explained it.
somewhat unnecessary as you’ve taken care of it yourself the way
you explained it.
I’ll go into it a little deeper.
Gilbert Gottfried not only has bad tone, but his pitch is bad also.
However he could do it and have you laughing about all the way
through.
Gilbert Gottfried not only has bad tone, but his pitch is bad also.
However he could do it and have you laughing about all the way
through.
When we talk about steel guitar tone we
are talking about the beauty in the sound of the note and how
pleasing the sound is to the ear. Like you say, if the guitar is out
of tune, it is easily corrected by tuning. I f the guitar has bad
tone, it’s true that no amount of tuning will correct it. No
amount of adjusting the tuning will help the tone of a steel guitar.
are talking about the beauty in the sound of the note and how
pleasing the sound is to the ear. Like you say, if the guitar is out
of tune, it is easily corrected by tuning. I f the guitar has bad
tone, it’s true that no amount of tuning will correct it. No
amount of adjusting the tuning will help the tone of a steel guitar.
Country music to me is Hank Williams,
Faron Young, George Morgan and so many of these great singers from
the late forties into the mid sixties. The standard that kicked off
the great days of country music was Hank Williams himself. We just
lost the last member of Hank’s band a short time ago and this
gentleman, Don Helms, was a steel guitar player and quite a legend
himself.
Faron Young, George Morgan and so many of these great singers from
the late forties into the mid sixties. The standard that kicked off
the great days of country music was Hank Williams himself. We just
lost the last member of Hank’s band a short time ago and this
gentleman, Don Helms, was a steel guitar player and quite a legend
himself.
Don used to come to my store here in
Hendersonville several times a month during his last days of life.
We would talk for hours about some of the last legends of country
music. I would ask him about the road travel in those days during
the late forties and into the early fifties.
Hendersonville several times a month during his last days of life.
We would talk for hours about some of the last legends of country
music. I would ask him about the road travel in those days during
the late forties and into the early fifties.
Because of his life on the road and as
involved as he was with other legends like Patsy Cline, Ray Price and
so on, he never seemed to run out of great stories. I loved Don like
the steel guitar brother that he was.
involved as he was with other legends like Patsy Cline, Ray Price and
so on, he never seemed to run out of great stories. I loved Don like
the steel guitar brother that he was.
Before I left my hometown on the east
coast in the early fifties, I talked to Don about his cars, motels he
had to stay in, other band members and sometimes even Hank himself.
Don always made the story interesting and full of humor.
coast in the early fifties, I talked to Don about his cars, motels he
had to stay in, other band members and sometimes even Hank himself.
Don always made the story interesting and full of humor.
I told him about stories I had heard
from Pete Wade’s father and sister. Pete’s sister Shirley told
us about her brother Pete that is now a very famous Nashville
musician, racing his ’56 Oldsmobile against Don’s 55 Cadillac.
Don said Pete’s Oldsmobile may have been a little faster, but the
Cadillac had the Olds beat for comfort and still had tremendous
power.
from Pete Wade’s father and sister. Pete’s sister Shirley told
us about her brother Pete that is now a very famous Nashville
musician, racing his ’56 Oldsmobile against Don’s 55 Cadillac.
Don said Pete’s Oldsmobile may have been a little faster, but the
Cadillac had the Olds beat for comfort and still had tremendous
power.
I told Don, I said, “Don, I can see
you and Pete out there racing in my mind and having a time doing it.”
you and Pete out there racing in my mind and having a time doing it.”
Don said it’s a shame Hank couldn’t
have lived just a little longer because the Cadillac’s got a little
faster after that first one he had. Hank’s car was a powder blue
’52 convertible. These cars are a little rich for my blood now,
however for $40,000 to $80,000, you should be able to pick one up.
have lived just a little longer because the Cadillac’s got a little
faster after that first one he had. Hank’s car was a powder blue
’52 convertible. These cars are a little rich for my blood now,
however for $40,000 to $80,000, you should be able to pick one up.
Don related to me that the first year
of the really good Cadillac’s was 1953. It was the first year of
the 12 volt battery system, first year for GM air conditioning and a
good boost in horsepower because of the 331 cubic inch V-8 which took
the car from 190 to 210 brake horsepower.
of the really good Cadillac’s was 1953. It was the first year of
the 12 volt battery system, first year for GM air conditioning and a
good boost in horsepower because of the 331 cubic inch V-8 which took
the car from 190 to 210 brake horsepower.
The cars were very dependable depending
on the wiring. The Fleetwood model was by far the most luxurious.
Don had a late model ’55 Coupe DeVille. As long as you could keep
liquids in the Cadillac like STP, octane booster and Marvel Mystery
Oil, the car would pretty well go forever. And a bottle of Jack
Daniels in the trunk never hurt anything as Hank was known to do.
on the wiring. The Fleetwood model was by far the most luxurious.
Don had a late model ’55 Coupe DeVille. As long as you could keep
liquids in the Cadillac like STP, octane booster and Marvel Mystery
Oil, the car would pretty well go forever. And a bottle of Jack
Daniels in the trunk never hurt anything as Hank was known to do.
Don told me many times that the only
reason Hank kept him in the band was to keep him drinking. Don was
quite a character and I’m sure his stint playing steel with Ray
Price along with the thousands of miles he did with Hank Sr. was what
made him the highly loved steel player that he was.
reason Hank kept him in the band was to keep him drinking. Don was
quite a character and I’m sure his stint playing steel with Ray
Price along with the thousands of miles he did with Hank Sr. was what
made him the highly loved steel player that he was.
The old Cadillac could get 13.7 miles
per gallon on those old two lane highways on a good day as long as
there weren’t too many towns to go through.
per gallon on those old two lane highways on a good day as long as
there weren’t too many towns to go through.
I asked, “How did you sleep in that
car on long trips Don?”
car on long trips Don?”
Don said it was about the only place he
could sleep after he’d been on the road so many years. He said if
he could buy one now, convertible or four door, he’d park it behind
his house and use it for an extra room.
could sleep after he’d been on the road so many years. He said if
he could buy one now, convertible or four door, he’d park it behind
his house and use it for an extra room.
Don said he saw the papers on Hank’s
Cadillac which is now owned by Hank Jr. and saw that Hank paid $5200
for the car, plus insurance and financing. He got a bank loan for
$3818. and agreed to pay $212 per month for 18 months.
Cadillac which is now owned by Hank Jr. and saw that Hank paid $5200
for the car, plus insurance and financing. He got a bank loan for
$3818. and agreed to pay $212 per month for 18 months.
Because this newsletter is so long
right now, I’m going to cut it off. However if you want to hear
more about it, let me know.
right now, I’m going to cut it off. However if you want to hear
more about it, let me know.
Check out our monthly specials at
http://www.steelguitar.net/monthlyspecials.html
and we’ll try to save you a lot of money.
http://www.steelguitar.net/monthlyspecials.html
and we’ll try to save you a lot of money.
Your buddy,
Bobbe
Steel Guitar Nashville
123 Mid Town Court
Hendersonville, TN. 37075
(615) 822-5555
Open 9AM – 4PM Monday – Friday
Closed Saturday and Sunday