New Tune HSGA - Mike Fried - WOW!

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 27 Nov 2005 9:18 am

Forumite, Nashville denizen and HSGA member Mike Fried just sent me this incredibly beautiful tune yesterday... WOW!!!

Nuages - Mike Fried

Mike plays the classic Django Reinhardt compostion Nuages on a DC16 Rickenbacker non-pedal in B11 tuning.

Mike has quite a musical pedigree. Here is what he wrote me:
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
Hi Gerald,
Thanks for the kind words of encouragement! My "short" bio is that I've been playing pedal steel guitar for country artist Gary Allan for the last nine years, and played for Wylie and the Wild West for four years prior to that. I lived in Los Angeles most of my life and moved to Nashville seven years ago.

I've been collecting lap steels for a few years but only started playing them seriously a couple of years ago. My electric collection now includes the DC 16 I used on this tune, a '53 Bronson/Rick BD6, a '51 National Tri-Plex, a '65 Rick Electro E120 (I think that's the model), a '47 Supro, a great-sounding taper-shaped Magnatone, and a seven-string Tradewind "frying pan".

I've been working on this recording project at home when I'm not on the road, and hope to have it done within a couple of months. I'll send another sample from it shortly. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

More tunes Mike!!

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association

[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 27 November 2005 at 09:18 AM.]

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 27 Nov 2005 10:18 am

Wow.

The bossa nova will rise again, with an island flavor.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 27 Nov 2005 11:38 am

As long as I've known Mike, probably over 25 years, he's picked his a$$ off. This recording is no exception. Beautiful tone, great note choice, perfect intonation. I want the album when it debuts.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 27 Nov 2005 11:40 am

Absolutly beautiful, this will be a favorite for sure.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum SD12U, Carter D10 8/8, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3, DD-3, Fender Steel King, Understanding wife. http://www.Charmedmusic.com

[This message was edited by Howard Tate on 27 November 2005 at 06:11 PM.]

Stephan Miller · Post by **Stephan Miller** » 27 Nov 2005 3:35 pm

Wonderful playing, and fantastic tone, Mike! I hope you send us more, but either way I want that CD.

(One small correction that might be made-- the website's spelling of Mike's B11 tuning has the 2nd and 3rd strings reversed.)

Very cool to be hearing more Django around here also...

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 27 Nov 2005 3:55 pm

WOW is right!

Drew

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Drew Howard - website - Fessenden guitars, 70's Fender Twin, etc.

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 27 Nov 2005 5:12 pm

Wonderful tune!

Don McClellan · Post by **Don McClellan** » 27 Nov 2005 6:22 pm

Very sweet. Don

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 27 Nov 2005 6:42 pm

Just beautiful.....

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 27 Nov 2005 9:02 pm

Beautiful tone! NICE!

Craig Prior · Post by **Craig Prior** » 28 Nov 2005 8:03 am

Hot damn...!!

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 28 Nov 2005 12:49 pm

Beautiful song and beautifully done Mike!
Does this look like your guitar?

Mike Fried · Post by **Mike Fried** » 28 Nov 2005 8:31 pm

Thank you all so much for your kind words! Praise from one's peers means so much... It's a real shot in the arm to get this project completed. I'll be making it available on my website, www.mike-fried.com (soon to undergo a much-needed facelift).

My DC16 (I'm guessing at the actual model number) is identical to the one in Roy's picture, except it has the chrome flip-up headstock covers and different fretboard markers. It's a pawnshop prize of about ten years ago and its tone never ceases to amaze me...

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 29 Nov 2005 9:41 am

Beautiful tone.....and a delicate touch.

It's so nice to hear someone "play" the steel the way it was meant to be played. Very listenable music; excellent execution.

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 29 Nov 2005 10:57 am

Suh-WEEEET! Very nice. I don't suppose there's any chance you'd want to move to Florida to join a hapa-haole Hawaiian band, is there?

Very nice feel, touch, tone and musicality.

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Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, A6, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Regal resonator (C6)

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 29 Nov 2005 11:13 am

Hey Todd???

I thought you offered me that gig! Thanks a lot pal! I quit my job, sell the house and give the dogs to my parole officer.

So now what? I'm sitting here like a schmuck in a "Cracker Barrel" on I-75. Do I just go back?

[All Cracker Barrel restaurants now have WI-FI. Stop in, surf and enjoy a patty melt today! - CB #234 Berea, KY]
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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association
[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 29 November 2005 at 11:35 AM.]

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 29 Nov 2005 11:26 am

The chrome flip-tops were once on Roy's guitar as the fittings are still there. Someone must have taken them off before Roy acquired it. From your description Mike, I have the identical guitar as the one you have, but there the similarity ceases....I KNOW that gorgeous tone has got to be somewhere on my guitar, but where ?

[This message was edited by George Keoki Lake on 29 November 2005 at 11:27 AM.]

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 29 Nov 2005 12:05 pm

Mr.Keoki,

Just for clarification, I do not own the
Rick pictured in my above post. I searched out that pic not being familiar with the model. Mike sure does it justice!

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 30 Nov 2005 8:35 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Hey Todd???
I thought you offered me that gig! Thanks a lot pal! I quit my job, sell the house and give the dogs to my parole officer. So now what? I'm sitting here like a schmuck in a "Cracker Barrel" on I-75. Do I just go back? [All Cracker Barrel restaurants now have WI-FI. Stop in, surf and enjoy a patty melt today! - CB #234 Berea, KY]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I especially like the Cracker Barrel wi-fi ad on the end of it!

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Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, A6, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Regal resonator (C6)

Mike Fried · Post by **Mike Fried** » 30 Nov 2005 4:30 pm

Re. the tone of my DC16: I've found that finding the "sweet spot" for the guitar's volume control for the particular amp I'm using is critical, as is the volume setting of the amp itself (and of course mic placement). I've never played a Rick that I thought sounded good "straight up", unless it was plugged into a very low-gain amp input or a volume pedal. Also critical, I set the pickup height according to Rick Aiello's instructions and got great results with that. I may be preaching to the choir here, but these are the only variables I can think of that could set my tone apart from anyone else's...

Dan Sawyer · Post by **Dan Sawyer** » 30 Nov 2005 6:56 pm

Mike, great work! I'm curious, is the DC-16 made of metal or wood?

Mike Fried · Post by **Mike Fried** » 30 Nov 2005 8:13 pm

Thanks, Dan. The DC16 is hollow cast metal, and will put your legs to sleep if left on your lap too long. I put mine on a z-frame keyboard stand and shim up under the necks to level it. I think the sheer mass of the instrument contributes a lot to its sound.