Master of Telecaster

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 7 Jun 2016 9:45 pm

Oh man... How'd we leave Don out?
Thanks for the reality check, Clyde...

Jan Viljoen · Post by **Jan Viljoen** » 7 Jun 2016 10:16 pm

Hi Blokes, this is a good thread and should be expanded.

Checkout a young boy playing with Danny Gatton.
His name, Joe Bonamassa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLB900atJFs

Jan Viljoen · Post by **Jan Viljoen** » 7 Jun 2016 11:26 pm

If I may add this video, here is Joe Bonamassa demonstrating the Tele and he plays nice country licks as well, ia cool double stops.

I like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dfm_Bi7Tlw

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 8 Jun 2016 2:41 am

Skip Edwards wrote:Oh man... How'd we leave Don out?
Thanks for the reality check, Clyde...

Skip, it wasn't really a matter of leaving out the likes of Don Rich, because it really wasn't intended by the OP to be a comprehensive listing of master(s) of
the Telecaster - but the thread was hijacked in that direction because how many posts can you write about John 5 playing a version of Sugarfoot Rag with the gain cranked way up?

As I wrote earlier there is an entire forum dedicated to the instrument, maybe multiple forums. There is a Facebook page dedicated to great players of this guitar.It also hasn't been limited so far here to country Tele pickers so there are a bunch of players we have yet to include for example: Roy Nichols, Marty Stuart, Kenny Vaughan, John Jorgenson, Will Ray, Jerry Donahue, Robbie Robertson, Muddy Waters, Albert Collins (the original "Master of the Telecaster"), Bill Frisell, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Arlen Roth...and the list goes on. Our brilliant young local jazz prodigy who grew up here in Santa Rosa, Julian Lage, has been playing a lot of Tele over the past several years. I saw him play it live recently and I would say he's pretty much mastered the s.o.b.!

And speaking of Nashville Tele players - if you guys aren't hip to Guthrie Trapp then you need to get on the program. I would put Guthrie in my top 5 living electric guitar players. Phenomenal! And Trey Hensley who is touring as a duo with Rob Ickes. They play acoustic on tour, but will plug in when playing around Nashville or for some tunes in the studio. Trey is only 25 and is jaw dropping good on a Telecaster.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 8 Jun 2016 10:26 am

My four favorite Tele players:

Redd Volkert
Duke Levine
Ted Greene
Amos Garrett

Okay, five favorites .... on probably nobody else's list is Jim Messina. I love the Tele tone he got on Loggins and Messina's records and his solos were pointed, smart and brief but perfectly complemented the song.

Dale Foreman · Post by **Dale Foreman** » 8 Jun 2016 12:10 pm

Well while we are on great guitar players, let's not forget Jerry Reed, Glen Campbell and although he doesn't play a telecaster, Australia's Tommy Emmanuel!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdx2svBySuM

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 8 Jun 2016 12:15 pm

I like all your guys as well Andy, of course - and I'm particularly big on Amos Garrett. Though my knowledge of Duke Levine is pretty limited.

Jimmy Messina is way up there for me. He's another one of those guys that you hear a tune and after only a half dozen notes I know who its.

And where would we be without Keith Richards? Give the man his due.

And there are guys who haven't played their whole career as a Tele for their main axe, they are more readily identified with a Strat or a Les Paul but early on they were known for the Tele. Think Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page.

Other guys who have done some amazing stuff on Teles through history, either as their main instrument or as part of their repetoire:

Mike Bloomfield
Steve Cropper
Steve Morse
Prince
Andy Summers

A couple of the more contemporary masters of the Tele:

Tom Morello
Jim Campilongo

Jim Campilongo has played with Bobby Black in the past and it reminds me of a conversation I had with Bobby at our first ever Lap/Non-Pedal steel gathering last month at Gryphon Strings in Palo Alto, California. There are all the players who are outstanding but they don't have the national or international name recognition. We have one here in Sonoma County that I'm sure some of our members know, Gary Vogenson. Bobby and I were talking about a restaurant gig he did a few years back in nearby Petaluma with Gary - they were just brilliant together. Gary was a young protege back in the day of Bloomfield when Mike lived around San Francisco. And Gary and Bobby are both part of the long roster of players who have been members of the New Riders.

And there are the unsung Tele heroes playing for tips backing singers in bars on Broadway in Nashville - when I have been there some of these guys have been incredible.

My son's guitar teacher here a number of years ago was a fantastic player who is mainly a Tele guy named Dave Carlson. He was with a Bay Area band in the '70s and '80s named The Tazmanian Devils. They were popular and sold quite a few records but just never quite made it to the big time, they were right on the cusp. I've listened to Dave play and I think, "holy crap - why isn't this guy big time famous?"

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 8 Jun 2016 12:24 pm

Dale Foreman wrote:Well while we are on great guitar players, let's not forget Jerry Reed, Glen Campbell and although he doesn't play a telecaster, Australia's Tommy Emmanuel!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdx2svBySuM

Your post came in Dale while I was typing my last one but I have to chuckle - now we've gone from great Tele players to great any kind of guitar players!

I saw Tommy live for the first time last month and I really enjoyed it. The main reason I went this time though he comes around San Francisco every year is he had Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley as the opener, and they came out and played with him on a couple tunes at the end. Smokin'!

But why stop there? How about some video links of Tony Rice, Bryan Sutton, Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, Chet Atkins, George Benson, Joe Pass and speaking of Sugarfoot Rag (which was the subject of the original post with John 5 as the player, if anyone remembers at this point), Hank Garland?

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 8 Jun 2016 12:50 pm

Jan Viljoen wrote:If I may add this video, here is Joe Bonamassa demonstrating the Tele and he plays nice country licks as well, ia cool double stops.

I like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dfm_Bi7Tlw

Jan, no question that Joe has chops up the ying yang, but here in the U.S. the guy has become way over exposed, which isn't easy to do in this day and age when one is an instrumental specialist. But if one pays much attention to guitar music, Joe seems to be everywhere.

I don't have an opinion one way or the other, but there are folks I have spoken with, to quote some lyrics from Michael Franks that the great Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee put on the map in 1970s, who sort of view him as "a white boy lost in the blues."

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 8 Jun 2016 12:59 pm

Scotty Anderson also plays the holy crap out of a Tele ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcBCQLz9CMU

Dale Foreman · Post by **Dale Foreman** » 8 Jun 2016 4:34 pm

This post could go on for a while! I'm sure we've missed a few so y'all chime in here!

Dale Foreman · Post by **Dale Foreman** » 8 Jun 2016 4:37 pm

Mark Eaton wrote:
Dale Foreman wrote:Well while we are on great guitar players, let's not forget Jerry Reed, Glen Campbell and although he doesn't play a telecaster, Australia's Tommy Emmanuel!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdx2svBySuM
Your post came in Dale while I was typing my last one but I have to chuckle - now we've gone from great Tele players to great any kind of guitar players!

I saw Tommy live for the first time last month and I really enjoyed it. The main reason I went this time though he comes around San Francisco every year is he had Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley as the opener, and they came out and played with him on a couple tunes at the end. Smokin'!

But why stop there? How about some video links of Tony Rice, Bryan Sutton, Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, Chet Atkins, George Benson, Joe Pass and speaking of Sugarfoot Rag (which was the subject of the original post with John 5 as the player, if anyone remembers at this point), Hank Garland?

You are right, why stop here? How many great players out there we will never hear of!

John Rosett · Post by **John Rosett** » 8 Jun 2016 9:16 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RxceN0cyRk

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 9 Jun 2016 2:15 am

or this guy....

https://www.facebook.com/10001011475731 ... 684575021/

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 9 Jun 2016 6:19 am

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 9 Jun 2016 7:15 am

I know it's unhip to say, but call me a Strat guy!

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 9 Jun 2016 7:58 am

Mike Neer wrote:I know it's unhip to say, but call me a Strat guy!

They have treatment centers, and medication for that, if you ever want to be "hip".

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 9 Jun 2016 8:39 am

As long as we're being all-inclusive, here's my contribution to the hijack. $:\$
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists ... s-20111123

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 9 Jun 2016 9:56 am

bonamassa leaves me cold!
mark, thanks for mentioning roy nichols, who actually had a unique style.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 9 Jun 2016 10:02 am

Yes Roy Nichols!

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 9 Jun 2016 10:51 am

Well,,,since this thread has taken this direction, we can't leave out a Canadian guy that used to come to the Texas Jamboree,,,he was all the "steelers" fav,,,,Steve Piticco,,,,,smokin' hot!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV-I3hUgCZY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUJgfBkV1jA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM2i5yJSSvM

and Steve is as nice a guy as you'd ever want to meet,,,very humble!

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 10 Jun 2016 10:24 am

No question Steve Pittico can do some serious chicken pickin' - but the announcer in the first video introduced him as THE master of the Telecaster. It would be more correct to say A master of the Telecaster.

And speaking of Roy Nichols, with all the stuff on YouTube these days, there is a huge shortage of Roy Nichols videos. You just have to listen to the albums. What's interesting is that there are many guys teaching Roy Nichols techniques in videos.

As far as full on chicken pickin' I can really take only so much in say a 24 hour period, and one of the things so great about Nichols with the Strangers is that he played in such a variety of styles, and as Chris Ivey wrote, he had his own unique style.

Here is a cool video, only 39 seconds long, and the second part is Roy not on a Telecaster, but a Les Paul:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li_Kpk_ ... bkBPTLHNnC

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 10 Jun 2016 11:15 am

Add me to the list of off topic contributors, since it's already derailed anyway. Sorry Sonny.

The original topic being J5, I give him his due on picking, but I'll always remember him as a part of the MM band...certainly not my bag o beans.

Anyhow, can't believe no one has mentioned Tele slinger, picker, bender Jimmy Olander. Great player.

I always enjoyed his playing on the Proof's in the Pickin' [Ballad of Conley and Billy] that Jimmy wrote and the Diamond Rio band recorded. Just one example in the context of a song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS7-DqkSxKQ

There are other examples of his instrumental work online as well.

Chris Sattler · Post by **Chris Sattler** » 11 Jun 2016 2:11 am

Dale Foreman wrote:Well while we are on great guitar players, let's not forget Jerry Reed, Glen Campbell and although he doesn't play a telecaster, Australia's Tommy Emmanuel!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdx2svBySuM

Tommy started out as an electric guitarist and indeed does play a telecaster. I'll give you just one guess... is he good at it?????? You bet he is.

His early albums feature mainly electric guitar, and in fact he is shown on the cover of his 1987 LP "Up from Downunder" with his beat up tele. Also the cover of "Determination" and "Dare to be Different" show him with is Tele. He later worked up acoustic versions of many of these songs and now includes them in his shows.

He played with a band in Sydney, Australia, called Goldrush but couldn't get the job as guitarist there because his brother Phil was the guitarist so Tommy had to play drums. One guess... was he any good at drums??? Oh yeah he was great. Phil is also an exceptional player but I think lacks the ambition of Tommy.

I will also include Scotty Anderson as a great tele player.

Steve Pawlak · Post by **Steve Pawlak** » 29 Aug 2016 1:58 pm

As the post started about John 5:
Obviously the guy can flat play and explores a very diverse universe of music
Thanks for mentioning him
Most of the guys the thread morphed to are either dead or dying:
Not that there's anything wrong with that

The Steel Guitar Forum

Master of Telecaster

Great guitar olayers

Re: Great guitar olayers

Guitar players

Re: Great guitar olayers

Re: Tommy Emmanuel.