Gutting.

Archie Nicol R.I.P. · Post by **Archie Nicol R.I.P.** » 3 Jan 2008 5:58 pm

I recently downloaded some tracks from Bobby Hicks' album, `Texas Crapshooter`. I bought the album on vinyl in '77/8? Just listened to `Goodbye Liza Jane` which features Buddy Emmons on steel. He uses the old Curly technique of `Gutting`. I don't think I have seen any mention of this style since I joined the SGF in 2004. I'm sure many of us still use it.
Any views, folks?

Arch.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 3 Jan 2008 6:54 pm

"Gutting" and "quaking" have been mentioned, but not very often.

Seems most steelers here would rather try to buy a steel or gadget that does everything (rather than learn a new playing technique).

Brian McGaughey · Post by **Brian McGaughey** » 3 Jan 2008 8:41 pm

Archie,

I just downloaded Bobby Hick's "Goodbye Liza Jane" from the Texas Crapshooter record. Either I'm ignorant of what "gutting" really sounds like or perhaps it's another song on that LP that features that technique. I hear Buddy's harmonized signature lines played with the electric six string prior to Buddy's solo, then his solo, but where's the "gutting"?

Any examples would be fun to hear. I've messed around with this a little...just enough to be dangerous!

Don Brown, Sr. · Post by **Don Brown, Sr.** » 3 Jan 2008 10:00 pm

Gutting I always thought was done with the volume pedal. Only form I know of.

Joe Drivdahl · Post by **Joe Drivdahl** » 3 Jan 2008 11:40 pm

Donnie,
What is this gutting and quaking you speak of? I've heard the terms, but never really knew what they meant. I have never been much of a gadget man myself so I wouldn't try to electronically simulate these styles even if I knew what they were exactly.

Joe

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 3 Jan 2008 11:43 pm

Can someone explain what it is?

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 3 Jan 2008 11:54 pm

Gutting is when you hit a note or chord forte, as it were, and then you rapidly decrease the volume pedal, down to about no volume at all. A rapid decrescendo effect.
It's an organ thing, as well.

Brian McGaughey · Post by **Brian McGaughey** » 3 Jan 2008 11:56 pm

It's a sound that's gotten by the exagerated backward use of the volume pedal. The pedal is in the full on position when the note is picked and then
immediately rocked to the nearly but not full off position. Curly Chalker perfected it and may have discovered it, too.

Hopefully someone experienced will chime in here soon. I'm still curious to hear an example. I've not heard Curly do it.

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 4 Jan 2008 12:32 am

Sounds interesting but I don't think I've ever heard it before.

Archie Nicol R.I.P. · Post by **Archie Nicol R.I.P.** » 4 Jan 2008 4:46 am

On `Goodbye Liza Jane` you can hear it during the steel back-up to the guitar solo between 1:25-1:37.

From elsewhere on the forum:

"Chalker was mentioned. His 'gutting' technique that manually compressed the sound is an example. He would start near wide open and then choke it down after the initial peak and even out through the duration of the note, much like a compressor."

Arch.

Brian McGaughey · Post by **Brian McGaughey** » 4 Jan 2008 5:38 am

Thanks Archie, you're right. I had to unplug my left computer speaker to loose the 6 string ride, then I heard it used in the back up to the solo like you said.

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 4 Jan 2008 6:18 am

David Wright is really good at it. It adds a lot of excitement to your playing if done right.

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 4 Jan 2008 8:29 am

I thought Chalker's trademark "quaking" is the slower exaggerated movement of the bar above and below the fret you are playing, primarily on fat C neck chords. It sounds a lot like a trumpet section trilling in a big band.

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 4 Jan 2008 8:31 am

Archie, I use "gutting" alot in my playing, especially on big chords on Jazzy stuff. I first saw the technique in the very shop you first met me in 1978. One of the Hammond Organ teachers used it on the Organ's volume pedal, and I tried it on steel way before I knew what it was called.

Micky Byrne United Kingdom

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 4 Jan 2008 9:09 am

That's like Buck Grantham, Micky. He didn't realize he was a pick blocker until someone told him how good he was at it.

BTW: It would be great of an expert gutter --is that what they're called?

-- would demo this on YouTube for us.

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 4 Jan 2008 9:22 am

Hi Ron, I'm moving house over a 3 week period from Jan 11th, and I'm not too familiar with how to post a youtube video on here, but I'll get a pal to show me how and perhaps show a few "Gutting" moves

.....perhaps someone may get there before me, so I can listen myself. I've loved it when I've hear it in the past, it's so percussive. We can always learn techniques off other instruments can't we?? The good Hammond players are pretty much masters on that technique.

Micky Byrne

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 4 Jan 2008 9:39 am

John Hughey was best I ever heard at what I call Gutting or reverse Gutting licks. Off pick a chord quick on and off as you slide to another inversion of the chord.

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 4 Jan 2008 9:56 am

Here is an example of gutting. I think this sound came from the great jazz organ trio styles of the 50's & 60's. B-3 players like Bill Doggett, Dave "Baby" Cortez, Jimmy McGriff, "Brother" Jack McGriff and Jimmy Smith along with the guitarists that worked these trios: Howard Roberts, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, George Benson, Pat Martino and Wes Montgomery were all big influences on the new C-6th sounds of Emmons, Day and Chalker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5SrTin1 ... re=related

Joe Drivdahl · Post by **Joe Drivdahl** » 4 Jan 2008 11:34 am

The Tennessee Waltz Polka. Did Chalker even use an E9 tuning?

Love the jazz, but am not hearing the gutting if gutting is picking with volume wide open and taking it out. Maybe I just don't know what I am listening for.

--- Edit ---

Ok I found some other Curly stuff that sounds E9th-ish but he's using his rear neck. Maybe it was tuned E9?

Joe

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 4 Jan 2008 11:48 am

The first time I heard that term,was in a bio someone was doing on Curly,He was talking about the huge volume [swells]Curly would do,I think at the time Curly was playing through two Peavy session 400's.DYKBC.

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 4 Jan 2008 12:51 pm

There's gutting all through that video. It's what makes those chords so driving. And he was a great E9 player too. His C neck was in front,away from him and his E neck was the rear one.

Joe Drivdahl · Post by **Joe Drivdahl** » 4 Jan 2008 1:11 pm

Ok. I hear it now. I see what you mean. Its almost like he's starting with very little volume and driving in real fast.

jd

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 4 Jan 2008 1:13 pm

Robert, thanks for that.....great percussive picking from Curly. Regards his E9/th I think I have an old LP by Gordon Lightfoot, and Curly's all E9/th on that.

Micky Byrne

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 4 Jan 2008 2:36 pm

Here's the song from 0:36 to 1:40. It starts with twin guitars then later an Emmons solo then from about 0:52 to 1:05 (on the sample, 1:28 to 1:40 on the original entire song) you can hear some gutted comping. This is one of my favorite fiddle albums!

Hear It!

Greg

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 4 Jan 2008 9:31 pm

If my memory is right tonite.. E does an intro on one of the Swing Shift cd's I think it was Tuxedo Junction that is a perfect example of gutting.

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