Backforty Bunkhouse Newsletter - Joe Baker Home Page

Bobbe’s Tips
Hello fellow players,
One of the great aspects of my job here at Steel Guitar Nashville is that I get to stay in close touch with the elite of our craft. Pete
Finney, steel guitarist formerly with Patty Loveless and Reba McEntire just came in to buy another Hilton volume pedal.
It‘s always so good to see Pete. As most of you know, he was working with Reba when everyone except Pete was killed in the plane
crash coming out of San Diego, California sixteen years ago. A lot of talent was lost that day. I personally had several friends on that
flight. It was pilot error and should never have happened. Pete is now working with Joe Nichols. Joe is not only an incredible singer,
but a very brilliant human being with an incredible sense of humor.
While talking to Pete Finney, I asked him if he had to do any outside shows during this tremendously hot summer we are having. He
busted out laughing and said they hadn‘t played an inside job that was air conditioned in months. This brought up memories of me
working with Lynn Anderson doing the dusty hot rodeos in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Iowa, not to forget about New Mexico and
Arizona.
So about all I can say is you guys that are still playing this circuit throughout the south and southwest, I‘m glad it‘s you and not me
because I‘ve turned into a big sissy that loves air conditioning. I don‘t know why, but I wouldn‘t get on one of these tours with an act
like Johnny Paycheck, Claude Gray, Doug Bowman or whoever, because if I did, the air conditioning in the bus would be sure to go
out. But that‘s the life of a steel guitar player in this world. I‘ve done it in the past, but I sure like working the studio better than the
road.
Supplying you guys with the things you need for steel guitar is a very important part of what I like to do so let me know what you need
and I‘ll try to have it in stock for you. Remember, I‘m here for you.
We just got a Dekley steel guitar in that is in very good condition, plays and sounds much better than it looks like it should. It is the
small version, which I highly prefer. These guitars are very high quality and many of them were factory built before they ceased production
due to a death of one of the partners and the other partner going into storage for awhile.
These guitars are still used by such players as Smiley Roberts and many other great players. We priced this guitar where it is a great
value for a D-10. This guitar can be had for only $1880. Check our website for a picture.
A new employee at the store, Vic Lawson, came to work at Steel Guitar Nashville from working with Josh Turner so he can stay cool
this summer. Randy Beavers has been out for several weeks and just came in to get a few packs of Cobra Coil strings and is headed
back out with Leann Womack for more summer touring. You‘ll have to look long, hard and far to find a better player than young
Randy.
But meanwhile, I‘ll be watching my favorite actors on television, Bradford Dillman, Richard Reeves, Ed Nelson, Gerald Mohr, Ray
Danton, Isaac Stanton Jolly, Denver Pyle, Jack Elam, Bob Steel, Robert Wilkie and Ron Soble. These are my favorite actors because
most of them are in the classic westerns of yesteryear and are big stars in the industry, but unknown out of the industry.
Sort of like steel players. Ask the average person on the street who Buddy Emmons, Bud Isaacs, Joachin Murphy or Jerry Byrd are
and you won‘t get an answer. But these actors I just named you would know very well if you saw them. Most have appeared on such
programs as Maverick, Gene Autry, Lawman, Gunsmoke and Have Gun Will Travel.
If you would like to know more about what these guys have done, just Google their names. Possibly Jack Elam is the most famous of
this bunch. Bob Steel of course, was a western star on his own. Ron Soble has done most of the Clint Eastwood movies with a good
part in Joe Kidd. I don‘t think Richard Reeves has missed playing the bad guy in a western movie yet. I sure do draw a strong comparison
between these actors and the life of a steel guitar player. I think steel players have made more money than a lot of these
Hollywood actors overall.
After the death of I. S. Jolly, famous cowboy villain, his family during an interview stated that he hardly ever made over $100 a T.V.
show. You might say that was a lot of money in the forties and fifties, but remember prices to live in Hollywood are a lot higher than
they are in Nashville.
Buddy Emmons might have been leaning toward wanting to do some Hollywood cowboy acting and after he shot himself while practicing
his quick draw, he probably decided that it was safer to play steel guitar. Buddy doesn‘t need a gun and I don‘t need a table
saw.
See our monthly specials at www.steelguitar.net/monthlyspecials.html
Your buddy,
Bobbe
www.steelguitar.net
sales@steelguitar.net
www.youtube.com/bobbeseymour
www.myspace.com/bobbeseymour
Steel Guitar Nashville
123 Mid Town Court
Hendersonville, TN. 37075
(615) 822-5555
Open 9AM – 4PM Monday – Friday
Closed Saturday and Sunday
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