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Topic: Sneaky Pete Kleinow's Fender 400 |
Kevin Swan
From:
Medina, Ohio
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Posted 10 Apr 2024 10:07 am |
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On my dozenth or so trip to Cleveland's Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame I spied this rugged beauty. That baby saw some shows, met some roadies, probably fell down flights of stairs and off trucks. Wonder if that was the only "road" steel he played. Previous poster said he'd seen Pete play a blonde-bodied Fender too.
(My out-of-town musician buddy in for the eclipse from Wisconsin said, "You only took ONE picture?" Yeah, the rest I think I'd already seen.)
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"Just because you're not a drummer doesn't mean you don't have to keep time." Thelonious Monk |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2024 10:28 am
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The guitar you posted is "mostly" blond. 
Erv |
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K Maul
From:
Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL
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Posted 10 Apr 2024 11:45 am
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I was there a few years ago and saw it. I love everything about this instrument. Note it is described as a “steel-pedal guitar”! WHY does this persist! How did it even get started and HOW can we stop it?? If I had a buck for every time I’ve heard “steel-pedal” I’d have more money than I ever made playing music!! Haha
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Kevin Maul: Airline, Beard, Clinesmith, Decophonic, Evans, Excel, Fender, Fluger, Gibson, Hilton, Ibanez, Justice, K+K, Live Strings, MOYO, National, Oahu, Peterson, Quilter, Rickenbacher, Sho~Bud, Supro, TC, Ultimate, VHT, Williams, X-otic, Yamaha, ZKing. |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 10 Apr 2024 11:54 am
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| Yes, that was Pete’s only guitar. He may have owned others, but that was the one he always played. He refinished - or I should say redecorated - it a few times, once with pink and black lace, calling it a “Kreamo Kustom”. |
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John Larson
From:
Pennsyltucky, USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2024 11:58 am
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What effects did he have built into the guitar?
_________________
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Give praise to the Lord with the harp, chant unto Him with the ten-stringed psaltery. Sing unto Him a new song, chant well unto Him with jubilation. For the word of the Lord is true, and all His works are in faithfulness. The Lord loveth mercy and judgement; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
- Psalm 33:1-5 |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 10 Apr 2024 12:11 pm
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| Not exactly sure, but definitely some kind of fuzz |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 10 Apr 2024 12:16 pm
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Did Pete do all the custom work on the guitar? It would fit with what little I know about him.
re: steel-pedal and other such stuff, I saw a video from high-end, respected music shop (I won't bother mentioning names) where the talking head calls a PSG a steel pedal. A professional musical instrument (mostly guitar) salesman. I don't care much about the name or about people not knowing much about the instrument but I can't possibly respect a professional who knows so little within his 'field of expertise'. |
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K Maul
From:
Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL
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Posted 10 Apr 2024 1:20 pm
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We must nip it….nip it in the BUD(pun intended)
Pete also had a phase shifter in the guitar, not sure what else. He had a Boss Chorus pedal mounted underneath to hit with his knee and also echo of some kind.
_________________
Kevin Maul: Airline, Beard, Clinesmith, Decophonic, Evans, Excel, Fender, Fluger, Gibson, Hilton, Ibanez, Justice, K+K, Live Strings, MOYO, National, Oahu, Peterson, Quilter, Rickenbacher, Sho~Bud, Supro, TC, Ultimate, VHT, Williams, X-otic, Yamaha, ZKing. |
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Andrew Frost
From:
Toronto, Ontario
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Posted 10 Apr 2024 6:08 pm
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...regarding 'steel-pedal' I think its because putting the adjective after the object, as in pedal steel is somewhat counter intuitive, so steel pedal gets said more than it should.
It is amazing and concerning how many self proclaimed 'producers' will use this term, or even referring to pedal steel as 'slide'. This isn't a problem in and of itself but it sure does illuminate aspects of their experience, or lack thereof. |
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John Larson
From:
Pennsyltucky, USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2024 6:39 pm
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| K Maul wrote: |
We must nip it….nip it in the BUD(pun intended)
Pete also had a phase shifter in the guitar, not sure what else. He had a Boss Chorus pedal mounted underneath to hit with his knee and also echo of some kind. |
I'm trying to think what I've heard that could feasibly be put into the steel.
Fuzz - Christine's Tune (Burritos)
Phaser - Take It Easy/Our Lady of the Well (Jackson Browne)
I know I've heard Leslie and echoplex as well on some stuff. One of the Linda Ronstadt or Joni Mitchell songs had a pretty interesting modulation effect on it can't remember which though. I doubt he had those built into the steel though. Did he use envelope filter/auto Wah at all?
_________________
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Give praise to the Lord with the harp, chant unto Him with the ten-stringed psaltery. Sing unto Him a new song, chant well unto Him with jubilation. For the word of the Lord is true, and all His works are in faithfulness. The Lord loveth mercy and judgement; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
- Psalm 33:1-5 |
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K Maul
From:
Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL
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Posted 10 Apr 2024 7:17 pm
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He used envelope filter for sure. That may have been built in. Things changed over the years. In 1969 he had outboard effects only and did use Leslie in the studio plus Echoplex because he didn’t like amp Reverb. Not sure when he had the effects put into the guitar.
_________________
Kevin Maul: Airline, Beard, Clinesmith, Decophonic, Evans, Excel, Fender, Fluger, Gibson, Hilton, Ibanez, Justice, K+K, Live Strings, MOYO, National, Oahu, Peterson, Quilter, Rickenbacher, Sho~Bud, Supro, TC, Ultimate, VHT, Williams, X-otic, Yamaha, ZKing. |
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Chris Templeton
From:
The Green Mountain State
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Mark Perrodin
From:
Tucson Arizona, USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2024 6:35 pm sneaky
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same guitar |
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Mark Perrodin
From:
Tucson Arizona, USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2024 6:39 pm sneaky
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 11 Apr 2024 8:11 pm
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From an old 2011 thread concerning Pete's effects:
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| According to an old Steel Guitarist mag. interview from 1979, Pete used a fuzz tone that he designed himself. He stated that it had a mellow tone and a special circuit that clipped the signal to his specs. That was all the info he shared with the interviewer. |
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 12 Apr 2024 8:31 am
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| Andrew Frost wrote: |
...regarding 'steel-pedal' I think its because putting the adjective after the object, as in pedal steel is somewhat counter intuitive, so steel pedal gets said more than it should.
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Minor quibble: "pedal" and "steel" are grammatically both adjectives modifying "guitar". Only the order "pedal steel" makes sense--there are "steel guitars" with and without pedals, so: What kind of steel guitar is it? A pedal steel guitar. |
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K Maul
From:
Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL
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Posted 12 Apr 2024 6:39 pm
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| Brint Hannay wrote: |
…there are "steel guitars" with and without pedals, so: What kind of steel guitar is it? A pedal steel guitar. |
YES YES YES!!! EXACTLY!
_________________
Kevin Maul: Airline, Beard, Clinesmith, Decophonic, Evans, Excel, Fender, Fluger, Gibson, Hilton, Ibanez, Justice, K+K, Live Strings, MOYO, National, Oahu, Peterson, Quilter, Rickenbacher, Sho~Bud, Supro, TC, Ultimate, VHT, Williams, X-otic, Yamaha, ZKing. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 13 Apr 2024 12:04 am
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I echo my admiration for Pete. A true original - often imitated, never duplicated. I had my young, green, wannabe blues guitar guy mind blown when I saw him with the Burritos opening up for the Byrds in 1969. And Clarence with the Byrds on the same show, equally mind blowing.
Yeah, it's pedal steel guitar, with 'pedal' modifying the noun steel guitar and 'steel' modifying the noun guitar. But we're never gonna convince people saying steel pedal or steel pedal guitar to change their ways. I've corrected many, many people, but they just look at me funny and keep on saying the wrong thing.  |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 13 Apr 2024 1:32 am
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| John Larson wrote: |
| What effects did he have built into the guitar? |
When we opened for the Burrito Bros in 1980 Pete's Fender 400 had a built-in Univox Super Fuzz that had been modified by Red Rhodes. He was also using an external Echoplex unit at that time. |
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Bob Shilling
From:
Berkeley, CA, USA
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Posted 13 Apr 2024 10:13 am
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| Quote: |
| Yeah, it's pedal steel guitar, with 'pedal' modifying the noun steel guitar and 'steel' modifying the noun guitar. But we're never gonna convince people saying steel pedal or steel pedal guitar to change their ways. I've corrected many, many people, but they just look at me funny and keep on saying the wrong thing. Oh Well |
It's annoying, but I can live with "steel pedal." But, even after explaining the difference, people still ask me about my "slide guitar." 
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Bob Shilling, Berkeley, CA--MSA S10, "Classic" |
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Andrew Goulet
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Posted 19 Apr 2024 7:05 pm
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I've read that Sneaky didn't use reverb, but a delay to add some space. Where's Jim Sliff? I think he's the resident Sneaky expert around here.
Sidenote...look at the size of that bar in these photos! Is it just me, or is that thing HUGE?
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Marlen S12 and a ZT Club |
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K Maul
From:
Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL
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Posted 19 Apr 2024 8:10 pm
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| Andrew Goulet wrote: |
I've read that Sneaky didn't use reverb, but a delay to add some space. Where's Jim Sliff? I think he's the resident Sneaky expert around here.
Sidenote...look at the size of that bar in these photos! Is it just me, or is that thing HUGE? |
Andrew, I guess you didn’t see that Jim passed away a few months ago. He had a wealth of knowledge about many things and I miss his presence here.
Yes Pete preferred delay over amp Reverb even though there is some studio Reverb on a few of his tracks.
That bar of his WAS gigantic. It was made in an aerospace lab.
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Kevin Maul: Airline, Beard, Clinesmith, Decophonic, Evans, Excel, Fender, Fluger, Gibson, Hilton, Ibanez, Justice, K+K, Live Strings, MOYO, National, Oahu, Peterson, Quilter, Rickenbacher, Sho~Bud, Supro, TC, Ultimate, VHT, Williams, X-otic, Yamaha, ZKing. |
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Andrew Goulet
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Posted 19 Apr 2024 9:38 pm
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Oh no! I didn't know! My condolences to his family and friends. I really enjoyed reading Jim's posts. They helped me understand how to wrangle a Fender steel as a newbie, and introduced me to new musical ideas.
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Marlen S12 and a ZT Club |
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John Larson
From:
Pennsyltucky, USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2024 5:59 am
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| Andrew Goulet wrote: |
Sidenote...look at the size of that bar in these photos! Is it just me, or is that thing HUGE? |
It looks like at least a 1 inch diameter...
There are some real good shots of it in the vid clip for the Burrito's classic "Christine's Tune"
I wish we knew the design of that fuzz. When he kicks that on it takes it to the stratosphere.
Everytime I listen to this something else pops. Gram and Chris's tight tight harmonies or Chris Ethridge's bumping bass.
_________________
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Give praise to the Lord with the harp, chant unto Him with the ten-stringed psaltery. Sing unto Him a new song, chant well unto Him with jubilation. For the word of the Lord is true, and all His works are in faithfulness. The Lord loveth mercy and judgement; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
- Psalm 33:1-5 |
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