Alvino Rey's Strings

Mitch Druckman · Post by **Mitch Druckman** » 24 Feb 2010 8:27 pm

If you watch this video of Alvino Rey playing St. Louis Blues, you will notice that his strings appear very flexible. When he presses down the bar the strings really appear to bend.

Did he use extremely light gauge strings? Was this common back then? Do players today use such soft strings?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPd9cxqK ... re=related

It is very clear during his break starting at 2:33

Todd Clinesmith · Post by **Todd Clinesmith** » 24 Feb 2010 8:53 pm

They do look light . I always thought players back then had pretty beefed up gauges. Sounds like his steel was slightly out of tune, or he was pushing it out ?
Todd

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 24 Feb 2010 9:08 pm

Alvino used a very large diameter Bar to get his long substains of his chords. The Bar probably pressed his strings down further.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 24 Feb 2010 10:08 pm

Keep in mind that Alvino and the band and the singer were all miming to a pre-recorded track, as was (and still is) the norm in movies. He was not playing those sounds live. I know that doesn't relate to the string tension question, but I think it's important to know that what we see in the video is not always what we hear in the audio.

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 25 Feb 2010 1:46 am

Alvino cut most of his guitars in half and added about a foot to the lenth of the guitar. Maybe this made the strgs more flexible? cc

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 25 Feb 2010 8:44 am

He's playing a Gibson Electraharp, a very early pedal steel. Early pedal steels broke strings a lot, so maybe that's why he's using lighter strings?

Josh Cho · Post by **Josh Cho** » 25 Feb 2010 11:43 am

Mitch,

Thanks so much for bringing in the link to this video, previously it had been lost on Youtube, and the original poster on YT had actually put up a video begging for someone to put it back up.

As for the string flex, the scale of his strange guitar is definitely a factor.

Thanks again,

Josh

Eddie Cunningham · Post by **Eddie Cunningham** » 25 Feb 2010 12:51 pm

I read somewhere that Alvino used to tuned to Eb and E was on his first fret so he could sweep to and use his vibrato on "open" E !! That could cause his strings to be a little slacker . I like lighter gauge strings = a little loose , gives a better tone IMHO !!! Eddie "C"

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 25 Feb 2010 1:59 pm

After listening to the Movie Clip, is there any doubt where Speedy West picked up his Do-Waw,s and Bar Chatter styles ? Just about all us Old Timers got playing ideas from Alvino !

Mitch Druckman · Post by **Mitch Druckman** » 25 Feb 2010 2:39 pm

Alvino cut most of his guitars in half and added about a foot to the lenth of the guitar. Maybe this made the strgs more flexible? cc

I can't picture this clearly enough to see how it might effect the loosness of the strings. Let me see if I have the math right...

If his guitar was originally a 24" scale model and he cut it in half, that brings it down to 12". Then if he adds another foot isn't he right back to 24"??

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 25 Feb 2010 2:47 pm

...is there any doubt where Speedy West picked up his Do-Waw,s and Bar Chatter styles ?

That's exactly what I was thinking! Alvino played "Speedy's bar chatter" before Speedy did!

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 25 Feb 2010 5:35 pm

Mitch Druckman wrote:
Alvino cut most of his guitars in half and added about a foot to the lenth of the guitar. Maybe this made the strgs more flexible? cc
I can't picture this clearly enough to see how it might effect the loosness of the strings. Let me see if I have the math right...

If his guitar was originally a 24" scale model and he cut it in half, that brings it down to 12". Then if he adds another foot isn't he right back to 24"??

If he cut the guitar in half and added a foot in the middle, the guitar is now one foot longer.

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 25 Feb 2010 7:26 pm

Making the scale longer would make the strings tighter, not looser.

Mitch Druckman · Post by **Mitch Druckman** » 25 Feb 2010 7:34 pm

"If he cut the guitar in half and added a foot in the middle, the guitar is now one foot longer."

I knew I was missing something. Thanks for clarifying.

In that case he's playing an instrument with a scale length 2 inches longer than a Fender Bass. If that is true, I can see the bar pressure really stretching a regular light gauge set of strings. That could be what's going on. I love the idea that Alvino Rey was playing a custom 36" scale instrument. Is that really true?

Eric Stumpf · Post by **Eric Stumpf** » 26 Feb 2010 3:17 am

......and before Alvino was slammin' the bar and cranking the tone control, Roy Smeck was milking the Heck out of those novelties....

Eddie Cunningham · Post by **Eddie Cunningham** » 26 Feb 2010 9:43 am

My info was that Alvino cut and added 2 inches to the middle of his steels to attain the longer fret board and tune to Eb . Alvino was a recording artist and his chords were always perfectly in tune . Roy Smeck was a stage Vaudeville showman and put on a good show but on what few recordings I've heard he was way out of tune most of the time !! Roy S. was not a "recording artist" !!! IMHO !!! Eddie "C"

Eric Stumpf · Post by **Eric Stumpf** » 26 Feb 2010 11:17 am

Hey Eddie...not saying Alvino wasn't a god because he WAS a god and is one of my heroes. Roy Smeck was a different kind of a musician and one of the most prolific recording artists of the last century. His productive career spanned 3 generations and he played it all from wacky pop tunes to beautiful jazz. He was also a multi-instrumentalist respected highly for his uke, standard guitar and tenor banjo playing. In his 70's and 80's he gave lessons to hundreds of students and was a kind and patient gentleman. I think if you had access to the hundreds of Smeck recordings that I've collected over the years and could hear his "straight" stuff, you wouldn't be critical of the man.

Eddie Cunningham · Post by **Eddie Cunningham** » 26 Feb 2010 2:35 pm

Eric , I'm very sorry you took offense !! I never really heard much of Roy Smecks recordings and never saw him in person !! I know he was very well known as a vaudeville stage performer and a great guitar , uke and tenor banjo player but what little I have heard of his steel playing never impressed me !! I guess I compare every older player to Jerry Byrd but everyone has their own style and I'm sure he had a large following of fans !! I guess we should never knock anyone and I am sorry !!! Lesson learned !! Eddie "C"

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 26 Feb 2010 8:36 pm

When Jerry Byrd learned to play the Steel Guitar, who inspired him ? did he have any Mentors ?. We all learned our style of playing by listening and observing others or taking lessons from somebody.

Eddie Cunningham · Post by **Eddie Cunningham** » 27 Feb 2010 8:20 am

In Jerrys life book he mentions how much he enjoyed Dick McIntires and David Keliis playing , both Hawaiian style musicians . I'm sure Ray M. = (J.B.F.C. ) would have more info on Jerry !!?? I would think that everyone has someone whos playing they admired !! I guess we are drifting off topic ??? Eddie "C"

The Steel Guitar Forum

Alvino Rey's Strings

Alvino Rey's Strings

Thanks for the link!

String Length

Alvino Rey & Roy Smeck

Hey Eric !!

Jerrys Mentors ??