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Topic: Baldwin Amps and Willie |
Jim Saunders
From:
Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
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Posted 27 Dec 2023 7:30 am |
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Back in the 60's I worked part time for a Houston music store, Bert Lynn Music. The store was a dealer for the new Baldwin guitars and amps. Interestingly the late Paul Buskirk, who co-wrote Night Life with Willie, also worked there. And on the recent TV show of Willie's 90th birthday, I noticed Willie's amp on stage was a Baldwin I think Paul sold Willie the Baldwin amp back then
and Willie still uses it along with his ageless Martin classic guitar, "Trigger".
This post is just a bit of trivia, but I am amazed that Willie still uses that old Baldwin with so many newer choices. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 27 Dec 2023 9:47 am
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I forgot where I read it, but there is a story somewhere about Willie and his Baldwins. Maybe I'll run across it again some time.
Amazing how some artists are locked in to a certain guitar, amp etc.
I noticed his sons are using the old Magnatone amps. Whatever works I guess. |
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Jim Saunders
From:
Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
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Posted 27 Dec 2023 9:55 am Hey There
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| I recall some old videos of Willie's early Nashville days where he is playing a Baldwin guitar. |
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Jim Saunders
From:
Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
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Posted 27 Dec 2023 11:27 am Hey There
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| The Magnatone amps are still available. I saw them listed at Sweetwater Music and they are not at all cheap. |
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 27 Dec 2023 12:14 pm
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I think Willie's devotion to Baldwin amps mainly has to do with the rare Baldwin Prismatone pickup that he had mounted on Trigger after his Baldwin guitar was stepped on by a drunk. The preamp for that pickup is mounted in the guitar and gets it's power from the main amp through a special guitar cable. That's the way he's done it since the late 60's and it isn't likely to change!
Here's an interesting article if you can stand the constantly loading ads:
https://guitar.com/features/interviews/story-of-willie-nelsons-trigger-most-famous-acoustic-guitar/ |
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 27 Dec 2023 12:49 pm Re: Hey There
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| Jim Saunders wrote: |
| The Magnatone amps are still available. I saw them listed at Sweetwater Music and they are not at all cheap. |
The new Magnatone amps have nothing to do with the old ones. Different company, different circuits, different sounds. |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2023 12:47 pm Re: Baldwin Amps and Willie
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| Jim Saunders wrote: |
| Back in the 60's I worked part time for a Houston music store, Bert Lynn Music. |
Jim, were you familiar with Parker Music in Houston?
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=392177&highlight=parker+music
| Jim Saunders wrote: |
| I recall some old videos of Willie's early Nashville days where he is playing a Baldwin guitar. |
Like this one?
 |
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Glenn Suchan
From:
Austin, Texas
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Posted 31 Dec 2023 8:28 pm Willie’s Baldwin Amp
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As was said earlier in this thread, Willie’s amp and pickup are the key to “Trigger’s” amplified sound. With that said, and from personal experience (courtesy of Poody Locke), I can tell you Willie’s Baldwin amp does NOT help the sound of a pedal steel guitar. 😂
Keep on pickin’!
Glenn
_________________
Steelin' for Jesus |
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Charlie Hansen
From:
Halifax, NS Canada and Various Southern Towns.
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Posted 2 Jan 2024 6:32 pm
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I had one of those Baldwin amps back in the 60s. I still have a Baldwin 700 series bass from 1967.
_________________
I don't know much but what I know I know very well.
Carter S-10 3X5, Peavey Nashville 112, plus Regal dobro and too many other instruments to mention.
Bluegrass Island CFCY FM 95.1 Charlottetown, PE, Canada, on the web at cfcy.fm.
A Touch Of Texas CIOE FM 97.5 Sackville, NS, Canada,
on the web at cioe975.ca. |
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Pete McAvity
From:
St. Louis, Missouri USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2024 6:08 am
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If memory serves, I think he has two of those Baldwin amps, and no one is allowed near them but Willie & his tech.
_________________
Excel Superb D10, Kline U12, Sarno Black Box, Goodrich L120, Boss DD5, Baby Bloomer, 1965 Super Reverb chopped to a head, feeding a mystery PA cab w/ a K130.
They say "thats how it goes". I say "that ain't the way it stays!" |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 16 Jan 2024 7:55 am Re: Willie’s Baldwin Amp
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| Glenn Suchan wrote: |
As was said earlier in this thread, Willie’s amp and pickup are the key to “Trigger’s” amplified sound. With that said, and from personal experience (courtesy of Poody Locke), I can tell you Willie’s Baldwin amp does NOT help the sound of a pedal steel guitar.
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I agree. I think Willie’s tone has a lot more to do with his guitar than with his amp.  |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2024 11:13 am
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A lot of it is Willie's picking attack. It's like the pickup can't absorb the pressure of initial attack, but a nano second later the note blossoms. Notice if he picks soft, the note is clear, but if he picks hard, there is a natural compression.
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LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Harlow Dobro |
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Tim Harr
From:
Dunlap, Illinois
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Posted 16 Jan 2024 6:02 pm
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The pickup in Trigger is a Baldwin "Prismatone" pickup. Jerry Reed also used this same pickup. The "Prismatone" is a match to the Baldwin amp. Probably explains why the long term combination.
More on that here: https://web.ics.purdue.edu/~scherer/prismatone.htm
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Tim Harr
Mullen G2 D-10 (9p/5k)
Retired, US Army Band (Steel/Dobro/Guitar)
Kemper Profiler / LW 89 |
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Ron Funk
From:
Ballwin, Missouri
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Glenn Suchan
From:
Austin, Texas
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Posted 20 Jan 2024 8:33 pm
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| Pete McAvity wrote: |
| If memory serves, I think he has two of those Baldwin amps, and no one is allowed near them but Willie & his tech. |
Yeah, Pete. I thought the same thing when Poodie invited me to use Willie’s amp.
The situation was; I was playing in Kevin Fowler’s band and we were sharing a show with Willie Nelson at Auditorium Shores, in Austin. We (the band) were going directly in the front of house mixing board (we used no amps on stage). The late Poodie Locke, Willie’s road manager and golfing Buddy came up to me when we were doing a sound check and asked where my amp was. When I told him we were going direct to the board he said, something to the effect of, “Steel guitars don’t sound good going direct. Plug into Willie’s amp”. I said I didn’t think Willie would appreciate my use of his amp. Poodie said, “It’s okay. Go ahead and use it.”
I played our set using Willie’s amp and I cringed the whole time. Maybe, if I had a Baldwin “Prismatone” pickup like Willie has in Trigger it would have sounded better. 😂
Keep on pickin’!
Glenn
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Steelin' for Jesus |
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