How to get a Pedal Steel Guitar around in Saigon

[Andy DePaule]

How to get a Pedal Steel Guitar around in Saigon. The issue is it weighs so much and second I live on one of the narrow streets that in places is only 4 feet wide.
That requires most people in this city to use motor bikes or scooters.
I was getting real tired of using taxi's to get to my gigs as well as having to drag my steel all the way out to the main road to find a taxi.
Last time I went back to the USA I bought a trailer hitch and ball because they don't have them here.
Returned and bought a dolly and had the wheels replaced with air tires. Got the trailer hitch welded onto the dolly and the ball mounted on the back of the bike.
Now getting around is a breeze. And oh so easy on my bad back. Gonna get an extension on the bottom foot of the dolly so I can carry my Amp sometimes too.
When I arrive at the gig I just unsnap the hitch and use the dolly to take the steel inside the club. No more bad back ache...

[Andy DePaule]

La Habana, Saigon, Viet Nam.
It a Cuban place owned by a Chinese lady named Jane.






The band that night;
Johnny Guitar on Guitar. From Australia & Greece
Thomas, Acoustic Guitar and singing. From East Germany
Steve, Acoustic Guitar and singing. From the UK
Curtis King, Sax & Trumpet. From the USA
Bob on Drums playing the box, From the UK
Band members change from week to week here.
Me on Steel, The best steel player in Viet Nam, the only steel player in Viet Nam, as my son said, also the worst steel player in Viet Nam. Got it all covered here.

[Stu Schulman]

Andy,Truly Amazing!

[George McLellan]

Is that "33" (ba-me-ba)in the glass? lol

Geo

[Jim Cohen]

Clever!

[Andy DePaule]

I can see it's been a while for you.
It was 33 (Ba muoi ba) in the 1960's and 70's.
What with inflation I guess it's now 333 (Ba so ba)
But the beer is the same.
Actually these days you can get just about any kind of beer from anywhere in the world here now.
Getting to be a very international city here now in some ways.
Still very much 3rd world in a lot of other ways.
But the women are still stunning and that is one of the things that keeps this old China Hand here so long.

[Bob Hoffnar]

Brilliant system ! You are a lucky man.. I spent some time there in the 90's and absolutely loved it. I gathered up enough stories and adventures to last a lifetime in about a month !

Have you checked out the Vietnamese instrument called a "Dan bow" ?

[George McLellan]

I was there from Jan 66' to May of 67', but in the Highlands. That was some nasty tasting beer but about the only kind that was available till the later part of 66'.

Geo

[Erv Niehaus]

Good old Yankee ingenuity!

[Frank Agliata]

Now where else could you possibly read a story like that? Thanks for sharing that!

[Andy DePaule]

Thanks all...
As for Bob, yes Dan Bao is my favorite instrument here.
I think all steel players would love the sound which often is almost like a steeler who is amazing in harmonics.
It can be found on youtube for anybody who wants to hear something new and great.

[Alan Bidmade]

Brilliant!

[Sonny Jenkins]

what is that about,,,necessity?,,,mother?,,,invention?,,,the motto of my life,,,"WHATEVER IT TAKES"

If that's a picture of "Jane" on the wall I might be in for "play for play" at that gig,,,,IF my age would allow it,,,LOL!!!!!

[steve takacs]

Very clever move there, Andy, just don't drive too quickly. I would assume you get a few looks from the locals driving that extension around.

Thanks for the photos; the band looks it is having a barrel of fun. Stevet

[Andy DePaule]

Hi Sonny,
I have no idea who the lady in the painting is.
Certainly not Jane, though for her age she is a very nice looking lady and treats the band very nice, always taking pictures to post on facebook and sending us drinks.
It really is one of those really fun gigs.

[Damir Besic]

great pictures and story...enjoyed every word, and every picture...thanks

[Andy DePaule]

Thanks Damir,
I always like seeing the guitars you have for sale.
How ever do you get such nice used gems.
Not looking to buy just now but that page is for steelers what Playboy centerfolds used to be for others.
Best wishes,
Andy

[Andy DePaule]

For anybody who wants to know why we use motorbikes here check out the funny but real videos of Saigon traffic;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKLWZjBu2iQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08OpjYn1BlY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4phFYiMGCIY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z2QpfGxXaw

[Dan Robinson]

Roll on highway, roll on crew
Roll on momma like I asked you to do
And roll on pedal-steel two-wheeler roll on.

Andy, that is outstanding! And it looks like a fun gig.

[Andy DePaule]

Good one Dan... You should be a song writer.

[Damir Besic]

Thanks Damir,
I always like seeing the guitars you have for sale.
How ever do you get such nice used gems.
Not looking to buy just now but that page is for steelers what Playboy centerfolds used to be for others.
Best wishes,
Andy

thank you my friend ..would love to see some more pictures from Saigon .. in the early 90's I used to travel all over the Europe, hardly ever took any pictures, and now I'm sorry... I guess I took it for granted, and though I would always be traveling the world like that, and even tho all those memories are still alive in my memory, I have no pictures to look at

[Andy DePaule]

Hi George,
I also arrived here Christmas eve 1965 and did two back to back tours until 1967.
I was in the south around Saigon area III and Tay Ninh up at the end of the Ho Chi Minh trail.... Also did time in the delta with an ARVN unit.
Yes that 33 beer was also bad down there too.
If you've never returned you might think about putting those things in your sleep to bed for good. A return trip does amazing things for the soul to see how well things have turned out.
It's a very different place now in many many ways.
Best wishes,
Andy

[Will Houston]

Great pics, they tell the story. Thanks Andy

[Sandy Inglis]

I was recently in Vietnam and saw this:


Do you know what it is called?
It only had 1 string!
Sandy

[Hook Moore]