New HSGA Tune - Aloha Oe - Jeff Au Hoy

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 26 Jan 2007 6:24 am

He doesn't record tunes that often, but when he does they're amazing.

Jeff just sent us a recording of the classic "Aloha Oe". This version sounds like the new "Gold Standard" to me. Jeff plays all the instruments on the cut.

Aloha Oe - Jeff Au Hoy

Mike D · Post by **Mike D** » 26 Jan 2007 6:50 am

Could have been recorded 60 years ago! (and that's a compliment BTW

)

George Rout · Post by **George Rout** » 26 Jan 2007 7:43 am

Jeff, that is nothing short of mesmerizing!!! It reminds me of when I was taking lessons in 1948 in Halifax and one of the teachers used to play the Rickenbacker for us students. It brings goose bumps. It's fantabulous.... George

Jeff Au Hoy · Post by **Jeff Au Hoy** » 26 Jan 2007 8:17 am

Thanks for posting this, Gerald. Thanks for the compliments, George and Mike. I felt I had to record a reverby version of Aloha 'Oe at least once in my lifetime-- all my heroes on vinyl keep whispering to me, "C'mon kid, everybody's doing it..."

Hehe but seriously... I bought my Dad a Vox DA5 as an early Christmas present since he needed a portable keyboard amp to carol with his church group. I finally borrowed it from yesterday to test it out with my steel. I wanted to hear how it records. Dang, it's a great amp. I might ask Dad if he'd like to trade it for my Mini Cube.

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 26 Jan 2007 8:24 am

...bought my Dad a Vox DA5 as an early Christmas present ..... I finally borrowed it from yesterday to test it out with my steel. I wanted to hear how it records. Dang, it's a great amp.

The DA5 is my travel amp - actually I performed in concert with it two weeks ago (mic'ed) and it was awesome. I sold my Roland Microcube to buy the DA5. My son sold his Microcube and did the same.

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 26 Jan 2007 8:42 am

Aloha Oe is one of those tunes that I never get tired of hearing or playing, and you do a superb job on it Jeff.

Would you mind sharing with us how you set your tone controls on both the guitar and amp? You always seem to get such a nice fat tone that doesn't have any harshness or flubbiness, and are able to get a vintage-y sound with any amp.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 26 Jan 2007 8:43 am

That was a terrific long-scale frypan sound, there is just nothing like it, and you sure did it justice Jeff, excellent.
Regards BILL

Derrick Mau · Post by **Derrick Mau** » 26 Jan 2007 10:18 am

Hey Bill,

And that was done without using D'Addario Electric Chromes

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 26 Jan 2007 10:26 am

JEFF: It goes without saying that your performance is definitely one of the best I've ever heard. I especially enjoyed your unorthodox single string runs! Really a nice touch...

If it's not a trade secret, might you share with your admiring fans, exactly what equipment was used here to make those beautiful tones. PLEASE!

THANK YOU and keep up the really great playing.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 26 Jan 2007 11:23 am

You got me that time BUD

John D. Carter · Post by **John D. Carter** » 26 Jan 2007 11:24 am

Very Nice! How could anyone claim that they need more than 6 strings to make first-class music?

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 26 Jan 2007 11:31 am

That's a good point John

mickd · Post by **mickd** » 26 Jan 2007 11:57 am

I like Jeff's 'Moonglow' too

Al Terhune · Post by **Al Terhune** » 26 Jan 2007 1:46 pm

John D. Carter wrote:Very Nice! How could anyone claim that they need more than 6 strings to make first-class music?

Very true. Also another example showing it doesn't matter what amp or guitar is used (though I know a classic guitar was played here). When you're a great player, it will show through any amp or guitar. Just set the volume at a reasonable level and adjust the tone controls. Well done, Jeff. I always love it when you show the white boys how to do it. Just don't try playing hillbilly music...leave us something we can call our own.

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 26 Jan 2007 1:53 pm

Hate to break it to you Al but I hear tell that Jeff is also an expert bluegrass banjo picker....

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 26 Jan 2007 1:56 pm

Very, very nice Jeff...you certainly have that smooth beautiful Hawaiian "touch" which many of us haoles can only dream about ! The steel guitar in Hawai'i is alive and well with folks like yourself, Bobby, Casey, Alan, Derrick, Herbert, Paul, Kamaka, to name but a few who are preserving what I personally feel is the most beautiful, peaceful, melodious music, (and/or musical sound), to be found anywhere on earth.

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 26 Jan 2007 2:44 pm

Jeff, that's just beeeyootyful!
So smooth and sweet . .

RA

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 26 Jan 2007 3:41 pm

OUTSTANDING JEFF.

DITTO EVERYTHING GEORGE SAID.

As I was listening to the first part, there was a quality of playing that was "Jules Ah See" like.

This quality of playing is the playing that moves people, stirs them, and brings out passion.

Of course the highest compliment that I can possibly give persons is that they sound like Jules Ah See. He moves me and Jeff, you move me.

This is not to say that you need to play like someone else, because you do have your own creative style such as your single note runs, that is also very impressive.

But it is still that Hawaiian touch.

Aloha,

Don

Warren Slavin · Post by **Warren Slavin** » 26 Jan 2007 4:20 pm

Another excellent performance Jeff -- I still would like you to
make a CD for us all -- I'm sure it will be a best seller.
Maika'i.

Warren

Warren Slavin · Post by **Warren Slavin** » 26 Jan 2007 4:23 pm

Sorry Jeff -- I spelled you name wrong -- I just corrected it !

Warren

Jesse Pearson · Post by **Jesse Pearson** » 26 Jan 2007 5:12 pm

Jeff, great job. Sounds kinda touristy/JB a little to me, must be the reverb? I hope you put out an album and tab book to go with the CD one of these days, you'd sell alot of copies to steel players that's for sure. Is this your A6 tuning, haven't tried to record copy it yet? Gerald, thanks for posting this.

Jesse Pearson · Post by **Jesse Pearson** » 27 Jan 2007 9:12 am

Jeff, I would like to cast a vote for you in the HMA. I know you do recordings for some of the groups you work with and was wondering if there is a CD out there that would qualify for this years voting. I haven't heard anyone out there that comes close to your sound and feel. I thought your uke sounded very good on this recording and the mix was very good as well. If you do ever put out a tab book, it would be cool if it was in score format since you play all these other instruments so well. I really like the old timey vibe the best, sounds like you've nailed it.

Jeff Au Hoy · Post by **Jeff Au Hoy** » 27 Jan 2007 10:52 am

Jesse, if you thought that sounded touristy you should hear the alternate version I did with bird calls, a celeste, and a washtub of dishwater! Haha, nah. You're right though, it's reverby as hell.

I appreciate the compliments and perhaps maybe if I can take myself more seriously I'll record a CD someday. These home projects have been just for fun to see if I can get certain sounds I like down "on tape". It's a chance to get to know my recording toys (the mike, the amp, the board). Getting a tone that I like live is hard enough...getting it down on tape is another story!

Bill and Ray, I sorta had to sit down and think about how I approach setting up the guitar and amp. I think the way I basically do it is this:
1. With the tone and volume on the steel all the way open, I make the amp as trebly sounding as it can go before sounding harsh. At this point you can still hear a lot of pick and bar noise, but it's still a useable tone. With a volume pedal you might be able to use it for country stuff?
2. Next, I close the tone control on the steel until it's complete mud. Then I gradually open it until it's just out of the mud and I can hear that "pop" in the attack.
3. Lastly, I check it by playing a straight-bar triad somewhere down on the 2nd or 3rd fret. If I can't hear good separation in the individual notes of the chords, then I'm still too far in the mud.

The tone I like is what my dear friend and fellow steel player Hale Akaka refers to as "parking cone".

One of the things that Bobby Ingano taught me early on was to be very careful with the midrange. He explained that midrange will easily kill the "old sound". If I have a midrange control, I use the least amount as possible (often times cutting it). I dial in just enough midrange to balance the volume of harmonics with picked notes, and then cut it down a little less from there.

Anyway, that's the way I like it.

Jesse, I did this in A6.

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 27 Jan 2007 10:56 am

Plez tell us more about where the wires went; from g'tar to amp; from amp to WHAT? From there to where?

You know, the behind the scenes techy stuff that we old folks know little about. Others too, might find it interesting.

Jeff Au Hoy · Post by **Jeff Au Hoy** » 27 Jan 2007 11:13 am

Ah... okay. The Rick A-25 went directly by 1/4" to the Vox DA5 amp, set on the "CRUNCH 2" setting. Gain and master volume at about 10 o'clock. Tone control on the amp at about 12 o'clock. No reverb or any other effects.
This was miked by a Shure dynamic PG58 (budget vocal mike) about 6 inches away (tried close-miking this time), directly into the Yamaha AW1600 digital multitrack recorder, the most expensive toy I've ever bought myself. Ok not counting my Volvo 240 wagon. Hah.
On mixdown I applied one of the stock effects ("stage reverb")to the whole mix.

The Steel Guitar Forum

New HSGA Tune - Aloha Oe - Jeff Au Hoy

New HSGA Tune - Aloha Oe - Jeff Au Hoy

A might fine job!

Jeff Ah Hoy -- Aloha O'e

Jeff Au Hoy -- Aloha O'e

But what BOARD did you use?