The Ventures Steel Player on Youtube

Wade Branch · Post by **Wade Branch** » 9 Jul 2007 10:11 am

I just stumbled upon this and thought you guys might enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD4rqYOx9PY

Jani Peter Sandvik · Post by **Jani Peter Sandvik** » 9 Jul 2007 12:47 pm

whoaaaaaaa

i have always loved the ventures but never knew this

Dave Harmonson · Post by **Dave Harmonson** » 9 Jul 2007 1:44 pm

It's great to hear Nokie. We miss him up here around Seattle. Spent many late nights jamming with him trying to steal those licks. Nokie, you're still my fave.

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 9 Jul 2007 3:04 pm

This is great, I see Skunk is a member of the "three finger pick" club also.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 9 Jul 2007 3:36 pm

Great. I used to play that back in the 60's when I was playing lead.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 9 Jul 2007 3:46 pm

Fabulous. Thats what steel playing is all about.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 9 Jul 2007 4:30 pm

Way cool, thanks for the link. I'm a big Ventures fan, and never saw this one. They are probably the most under-rated rock band in history, IMO, which probably explains why they are bafflingly still not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 9 Jul 2007 6:05 pm

Dave. Your so right about them not being in the RRHOF. Sort of like Julian Tharpe not in the SGHOF.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 9 Jul 2007 6:48 pm

Great video. Did anyone else have problems with the subtitles??

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 9 Jul 2007 9:50 pm

Yeah, I couldn't understand a word they said.

Don Sulesky · Post by **Don Sulesky** » 10 Jul 2007 3:43 am

Great arrangement.
I remember Shunk when he was writing for Guitar Player magazine. I believe he attended Boston Univ. and played both guitar and steel around the area then. I'm a big fan of the Ventures and have there records and play some of their tunes to this day.
Don

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 10 Jul 2007 4:23 am

I was fortunate to pick with Nokie Edwards for one night in Silver City Montana. He's not only a terrific picker, but a nice down home type person.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 15 Jul 2007 7:11 am

Red Rhodes and Sneaky Pete play on various Ventures tracks in the '60s

Tom Jordan · Post by **Tom Jordan** » 15 Jul 2007 11:11 am

Boy, that looked like they were having fun. Great version of sleep walk and I like the "un-tamed" steel work.

Curious, what is the guitar that the lead player is using? I see that he apparently has the Bigsby B/G bender on it...maybe for the nights they work without steel?

Thanks for sharing.

Tom

Olaf van Roggen · Post by **Olaf van Roggen** » 15 Jul 2007 12:14 pm

....Well Lee,you have to read the subtitles from right to left,great difference though...Anyone knows why they called him "The Skunk"??
One of my all time favourite pop steel solo's is Skunk's on "Steely Dan's "Brooklyn".

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 15 Jul 2007 3:02 pm

I notice they've given up their Mosrite lipstick-pick-up guitars ! During the 60s they were Mosrite's main advertisement.

Randal Smith · Post by **Randal Smith** » 15 Jul 2007 3:07 pm

Had the pleasure of shaking hands with Nokie Edwards last night (at a Brent Mason clinic, no less!). A real gentleman, as well as a fabulous player. I need to pull out some of my old Ventures albums and relearn some of their stuff. It was always fun to play.

Wally Taylor · Post by **Wally Taylor** » 18 Jul 2007 1:10 pm

I for one am both surprised and saddened to hear that the Ventures are NOT in the RRHOF! They were the best of the best and my heros in my youth. I think I have every record/album they ever made. They probably sold more guitars to every star struck muscian back in the 60's and 70's than any other group. It did not matter if you liked country or rock, if you played or wanted to play guitar, you liked the Ventures. Guess it is true, life just isn't fair.
Wally

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 18 Jul 2007 1:34 pm

Wally Taylor wrote:... the Ventures ...were the best of the best and my heros in my youth.

... second only to the Spotnicks.

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 18 Jul 2007 2:17 pm

The guitar Nokie Edwards is playing had a Bigsby Palm Pedal on it which I might have very well modified. You'll notice that the "G" lever is shorter than the "B" lever. In 1977 or so I was working afternoons in a music store (Nash's) in Inglewood, California. One afternoon our guitar teacher (Al Bruno) brought a friend of his (Nokie Edwards) to the store as we stocked Bigsby Palm Pedals and Nokie wanted one installed on an old Telecaster of his. He wanted 4 levers though so I disassembled one unit and put the two levers from it onto another unit so all four levers were on one frame. It couldn't be adjusted so each lever could be used easily so I cut off the 1st, 3rd, & 4th levers to varying lengths and staggered the heights until it was possible to use them. They raised the 1st four strings a whole tone each. Nokie was/is a very nice person and one helluva guitarist. If you'll notice he mostly uses a thumbpick and fingers except when he toured with the Ventures. It was mostly flatpick on that stuff. I guess he took off the other two levers and is only using two now which makes more sense and it's much easier. I'm glad he took 'em off that old Telecaster as it was an ancient guitar and should be left alone......JH in Va.

Dave Harmonson · Post by **Dave Harmonson** » 18 Jul 2007 5:07 pm

That's really neat to hear your comments Jerry. I know we're off the steel guitar topic a little bit, But Nokie was a huge influence on me. I know that old Telecaster well. When I first met Nokie it was metal flake red. That was 1972. I got a Parsons/White bender 1n 1976 and Nokie played it a few times and it was just after that when he had you install that 4 lever palm pedal. I remember that set up well. As far as leaving that old guitar alone, it was too late for that. He had a friend burn off the metal flake red and char streaks into the natural wood. I never saw him play that guitar on the video, it may have been a guitar he borrowed. He is the most prolific player I've ever known. I remember him playing at an after hours jam one time with just him and a bass man and drummer and play instrumentals for 3 hours straight. Simply amazing stuff, and as mentioned a true gentleman. Good joke teller, too. You can look him up on his web site and check out that The Ventures was only a small part of what he's done. I could go on and on, but just wanted to mention that this man really influenced me big time as a player and with his whole demeanor.

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