New Fessy: Sights 'n' Sounds

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 8 Mar 2003 7:37 pm

Well, it seems like everyone else is getting new guitars and showing them off, so I guess I'll do the same.

It's a two-tone mica -- cherry on the aprons and birdseye on top. I think it turned out pretty nice and, like all of Jerry's guitars, plays like a dream and doesn't sound too shabby either.

This is it
<IMG height=350 width=400 src="http://www.larrybell.org/NewFessy2.jpg">

This is what it sounds like (mp3 file 1.7Mb)
Ashokan Farewell

The picture is not very good. I'll have more on my website soon.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps[Edited for Picture Size][This message was edited by Joey Ace on 09 March 2003 at 01:04 PM.]

Mike Kowalik · Post by **Mike Kowalik** » 8 Mar 2003 9:05 pm

Larry..very nice combination on the mica....I really like it...I also listened to your mp.3 and think that guitar sounds great.It will bring you many hours of enjoyment!

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 8 Mar 2003 9:47 pm

Larry:
Great job on a great piece of music. Have always thought that song would lay nice on a steel. Don't think we can give all the credit for the "tone" to Jerrys' guitar tho!

, but it does sound good and has great looks as well.

Congratulations and many happy hours of playing it!

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David Reeves · Post by **David Reeves** » 8 Mar 2003 9:54 pm

Very nice Larry.
Excellent music / nice PSG

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"Stump" Reeves

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 9 Mar 2003 4:54 am

Wonderful tones on a nice tune. How did you record the PSG. I very much liked the way some times it really sounded like a bright crisp guitar with clearly ringing tones and harmonics, other times it had a hawaiian lapsteel tone. And nice smooth mid chord pedal / lever work too.

Dan Dowd · Post by **Dan Dowd** » 9 Mar 2003 5:47 am

Larry, your song sounds great and the steel looks the same. See you in Grand Rapids next month. Hope you put that song on your show.[This message was edited by Dan Dowd on 09 March 2003 at 05:48 AM.]

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 9 Mar 2003 9:27 am

NICE AXE. I'M ENVIOUS. Uh...what happened to the other Fess 12 you had?

Drew

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[This message was edited by Drew Howard on 09 March 2003 at 09:56 AM.]

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 9 Mar 2003 10:51 am

Larry, gorgeous guitar, gorgeous playing. What's that pickup. It looks the same as the one on my Fessy S12U, but since I got it used I never found out what it is.

That's the song in Ken Burn's Civil War series isn't it? I worked out the first part once on a Dobro and it sounded really sweet, but I didn't know the rest of it. Where'd you find it?

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 9 Mar 2003 1:02 pm

That's a beautiful arrangement of a great tune, Larry! I also hope you include it in your Grand Rapids set.

Pretty guitar too.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 9 Mar 2003 1:52 pm

Larry,

Love it

Great job!

May Jesus bring you much joy always,

carl

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 9 Mar 2003 2:08 pm

Nice looking axe, bud! And a great arrangement of AF. That one lies very well on steel, eh? Great job! Hope to see you this year some time! Mark

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Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 9 Mar 2003 7:30 pm

Thanks for all the kind words, gang, and to all who sent EMail.

David Donald: It was recorded directly (no amp) using a Boss GT-6, which has a digital S/PDIF output. Guitar to Hilton Pedal to GT-6 to digital input on soundcard. Recorded using Sonar 2.0 using Band-in-a-Box backup (upright bass, a little guitar and piano, hi-hat / kick / side stick, and just a hint of strings in a couple of places). Thanks for asking.

Dan/Joey: Yes, both the guitar and the tune will be included in my set Sunday 4/6 at the Grand Rapids show.

Dave Doggett: It's a BL-712. Definitely NOT my choice of pickup. I just EMailed Jerry Wallace and plan on trying his single coil TrueTone pickup. The 712 is brittle to my ears. You can EQ out some of it, but I don't think that pickup is a good match for Jerry's guitars -- especially with a Hilton pedal. I just played the tune from memory. I watched the documentary all the way through at least twice, so the song has been in my head for YEARS. Yes, it would be a wonderful Dobro song, but I didn't get a new Dobro.

Mark, my ole pal: Melody line lays great on E9, but coming up with a solo or alternate melody that fits the tune/feel and the progression is more of a challenge. As a matter of fact, I had never played the tune or thought about a solo before the yesterday.

Again, thanks to all who listened and especially those who took the time to write. I've only had the guitar three days and it's really growing on me. I still love my push-pull but this one sings with an equally beautiful but distinctive voice. I can't wait to hear how it sounds through my two 1970 Standels.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 09 March 2003 at 07:42 PM.]

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 9 Mar 2003 9:37 pm

No kidding on the improv, Larry, somewhere around here I've got a tape of AF with me throwing Dobro, Mando, 6 string and baritone guitars in the pile... I think it's better served with a simpler approach. Such a beautiful tune! And run get yourself some of Jerry's Truetones- I think you'll be thrilled. Check out my rantings right next door. Great playing, dude!

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Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 10 Mar 2003 4:37 am

Larry. A beautiful guitar and song.
How many knees. Great job on
the track. Thanks[This message was edited by Chuck McGill on 10 March 2003 at 04:39 AM.]

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 10 Mar 2003 8:28 am

It's 8 and 8, Chuck, with all 8 reachable at the same time. staggered LKL, LKR, and RKL

Here's a picture of the undercarriage
<IMG height=225 width=400 src="http://www.larrybell.org/NewFessy3.jpg">

and another from the front / lower angle
<IMG height=255 width=390 src="http://www.larrybell.org/NewFessy.jpg">

Thanks for asking.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 10 March 2003 at 08:44 AM.]

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 10 Mar 2003 12:56 pm

Yee doggies, look at all them pull rods on that one neck. It's enough to give a 12-stringer goose bumps. But Larry, I'm still not clear on how you reach those staggered levers. Do you have to scooch forward and back on your seat, or what? And is that with pedals down or not? I think it was Earnest Bovine who once said something like "there's only so many ways I can shift my butt."

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 10 Mar 2003 2:13 pm

I've used 7 or 8 levers on a single neck for more than 20 years, Dave. I think I have the hang of it. It's the basic Crawford Cluster idea. Jimmie convinced me it could be done when I played a show with him years ago and I had Bruce Zumsteg build my Zum that I played from 1980-2000 that way. Some are easier to reach than others -- that's where I put the stuff I use the most. The LKL toward the front of the guitar and the staggered RKL are the changes I use the least and I put them in the positions that are hardest to reach.

In my normal seating position (a bit further back than most and with my right side slightly closer to the guitar) I go left for F's, right for E to D on 8 on the left knee. If I shift slightly back, the staggered LKR (raises on 1,2, and 7) is right there. If I move my left side slightly closer to the guitar I can hit the front LKL, which is G#s to Gs. Both my LKL levers are often combined with the A pedal, so that works out well. The staggered RKL is the only one that is a bit more of a chore to reach, but it's not too bad either. Most of the time, I'm using what I consider the 5 'bread 'n' butter levers', which require very little effort to navigate. I guess I'm a pretty good butt shifter.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 10 Mar 2003 2:41 pm

Just wanted to add my appreciation for the beautiful work on that tune, Larry. I have messed with it too since the first time I heard it (it even lays pretty easy on the fiddle for a mega-hack like myself).

David Doggett--the writer and performer of this, Jay Ungar, is quoted calling this a "Scottish lament written by a Jewish guy from the Bronx." Search for his recordings and I'm sure you can find it (or a compilation of the Ken Burns series).

Congrats on the new axe Larry. I too am about to try a Jerry Wallace TrueTone.

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 10 Mar 2003 4:25 pm

If anybody would like a BIAB track of this song, give me a shout. Key of D, 3 choruses, middle chorus with melody.

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Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 10 Mar 2003 5:12 pm

And you're certainly welcome to mine as well.
Key of G -- just like on the mp3
Gentlemen (and ladies): choose your keys

FWIW

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 10 Mar 2003 7:58 pm

Masterful!

I watched that Ken Burns Doc so many times when I was without a TV that it wore out a VCR player. It was the music as much as anything. If you have any more that were on that series, I'd sure like to hear them.

Perhaps off the cuff. If so, your TIMING and your TONE CENTER shine through in totality. Your "saves" and volume control are about perfect. I'll bet it's hard to see your bar move when you use "vibrato". I asked BC once what the proper amount to use was, and he answered "none".

I've been looping it for an hour while taking care of my daily harrassment chores, and I can almost see old Stonewall Jackson in delirium calling for AP Hill, or Sherman's boys doing what they did best..

I guess it's that "Old Sho~Bud Sound" so many try to get.. ( ROTFLMFAO).

I brightened it up and added a couple cups of reverb.

Thanks for posting that.

And, by the way,

Nice Guitar.

EJL

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 10 Mar 2003 8:11 pm

Eric,
You're too kind.
re: the Sho-Bud thing -- it's not an accident. I think it's a great combination of Bud and ZB -- but then that's where Jerry cut his teeth.

I tried more verb myself and nixed it because it got mushy. I might've overdone the bottom end because I'm fighting that damned BL-712 pickup. I wish Jerry Wallace would return my EMail.

Thanks again for the nice comments.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

James Quackenbush · Post by **James Quackenbush** » 11 Mar 2003 5:32 am

Larry,
Great looking steel !!....Congratulatons, and use it in good health !!...I really like the mica combo you choose...Very nice indeed...Jim

Bill Moore (RIP) · Post by **Bill Moore (RIP)** » 11 Mar 2003 3:11 pm

Beautiful playing, Larry, wonderful tone, great feeling and emotion in this tune. I'm looking forward to hearing this LIVE in Grand Rapids.

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 11 Mar 2003 3:44 pm

Larry. Just one small complaint. Not only can I not get the melody out of my head, I can't seem to turn off the loop. It's been a couple hours now, and when I try to get out of my basement, my ragged old Sho Bud stops me dead in my tracks, and I run through it again.

Seriously though, It brings me back to a point in my "east coast" playing where <l>the melody is the line you go for, whether it's up, down, or in the middle. Then you go for an alternate instrumental "ride". We here in "Big Poodle", from what I've heard, tend to forget that. I can't overstate what a great job you did on that.

I'm not at the point where I plug in my boom box and make .rams or .mp3s, but I've just never had occaison to want to. I'll have to do it. I've got all the programs and a hellacious hillbilly mainframe.

Thanks again.

With playing like that, I don't know why you have a day job. You could be making at least 400$ a week. Ditch the synthetic organic chemistry before you make something that accidentally screws up your fingers..