HSGA Convention Fort Collins 2018 Observations

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

Another HSGA convention is over and done. It was an awesome three days for steel guitar fans, We had Bobby Ingano and Alexis Torentino as the featured artists. Jeff AuHoy was there along with a younger guy everyone called "Django Joe" who was was playing solid rhythm guitar backup on a '30's Epiphone Archtop. I was doing sound and we never once put a microphone on it as it cut through the mix well enough to be heard clearly in the back of the room. Well they designed them to use in orchestras unamplified back then, so they knew what they were doing.

Alexis came through the HSGA scholarship program and was officially dubed a "professional" musician by the board. She played a featured set with Bobby and put on a beginning C6 workshop.

Trends this year included people playing Fry Pan guitars through little Roland Stereo Cube amps that we ran through the PA with microphones. The backline amps were used more for backing players on guitar or uke or in one case violin this year.

A hula group from China came over and danced for us. They brought Mr. Wong who is in his 80's and played a double neck guitar that has one neck on top and the other on the bottom so to change necks, you flip over the guitar.

Chris was there from Madison. He did a workshop on early Hawaiian music playing 78's on a vintage Victor Gramaphone. For me as a sound guy, it was a first to mic up a gramaphone. (I used a Shure SM 57 in case you wondered) Chris backed a guy whose name I'm forgetting who played an actual Bigsby D-8 from the '50's. That guitar had some major mojo just sitting there. And it sounded as good as it looked.

Chris played Weisenborn as well as a gypsy jazz guitar for his set. And another Chris, Chris Kennison played a Weissenborn built by local luthier Bob Moore. Bob brought a new Weissenborn that was built from some kind of ancient wood that has been dug from underground after many thousands of years. Luckily, not fossilized. I didn't get to play it sadly.

Bobby did an advanced C6 workshop where he gave some good tone tips and took questions from the audience. It was hands on. I didn't have a C6 guitar with me, so I borrowed Jim Newbury's bakelite Rick. A bad move on my part. Now I want one, darn it! Jim had his eight string Clinesmith fry pan. It got a lot of attention.

Rick Aleio and his hippie band performed Saturday morning giving us a good dose of his own style of Talk-Story and tenor fry pan steel.

Another good sign is that there were younger people getting interested in steel guitar and Hawaiian music. There was a brother/sister duo who played with a local hula troupe. The sister gave up dancing to sing. She's ten and her brother I think is a year or two older. Something about seeing this girl carrying on the tradition brought tears to my eyes and choked me up a little.

I didn't have a C6 guitar with me, but I did bring my '47 National New Yorker that Bobby said was just like his first steel. I play it in E, but got to play a few songs with the "Big Kids" at the Saturday night jam after packing up the stage. Next year I'm going to perform. It's written here, so hold me to it!

There was so much more, but I've only slept five hours and I just wanted to share. Mahalo to everyone involved!

John Limbach · From: Billings, Montana, USA

Thanks Paul, that was a great summary but you had to hear it to believe it. We'd be lost without you on the board.

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

Thanks, John for the compliment. My take on sound is that I should be invisible and the audience should have the best musical experience I can provide.

I think Chris Kennison got some pictures of Mr. Wong's steel. They might be on Facebook or the HSGA site.

Now I get to work on my playing for the next year so I can do a set and not suck!

Rick Aiello · From: Berryville, VA USA

Could have been the best convention ... at least in the top 3 .... I've ever been too.

Here is Jeff Au Hoy playing my "tenor pan" ... at Thurs nite's jam. What a treat !!!

https://youtu.be/qHQESjv0W6I

There was so much going on ... my brain is still filtering through it all ...

But wherever the action was ... Joseph Zayac wasn't far away .. his rhythm quitar playing and singing was "from another time period" Mr. Green

Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

It sounded really good Rick !!

Levi Gemmell · From: New Zealand

I second the emotions of the others, thanks for the cool summary of all the action going down at this year's convention, Paul!

Rick, that little clip of Jeff is fantastic - and what a sound out of your tenor pan! Smile

Earlier in the year when I visited Honolulu, I was fortunate to meet Joseph hanging out at La Mariana where Bobby Ingano plays each week. He was a very friendly guy who invited me to see him play the next night but I was unable to make it. I think its just awesome that these great Hawaiian players are able to make it over and join the fun at the HSGA conventions.

I hope some more videos from this year's convention come out of the woodwork soon!!
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John Allison S-8
JB Frypan S-8
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1966 Fender Super Reverb

Rick Aiello · From: Berryville, VA USA

Mike Neer · From: NJ

That clip was as sweet as sugar cane. Wow. Sublime toneâ€” was Jeff playing through your amp, too, Rick?
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Rick Aiello · From: Berryville, VA USA

No ... those guys played thru Roland Mobile Cubes ....

David Matzenik · From: Cairns, on the Coral Sea

OK It sounds great, but I wanna see the hula girls! Very Happy

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Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

Kirk Francis · From: Laupahoehoe

Kay Das · From: Los Angeles CA

Mic'ing a lap steel guitar through a small box amplifier such as the Roland Microcube gives a magically olde worlde soft tone and some Hawaiian players have already realized this.

I possess one and I can attest to the soft tone this arrangement provides. I have also recently purchased a Vox DA5 small cube which is similar in dimension to the Roland and this gives an even better sound both mic'ed and un-mic'ed and an even larger range of tones and effects.

Kay

Garry Vanderlinde · From: CA

Jim Newberry · From: Seattle, Upper Left America

David Matzenik · From: Cairns, on the Coral Sea

John Limbach · From: Billings, Montana, USA

Try www.hsga.org for videos of the 2018 festival as well as the HSGA Facebook page. Lots of videos there too.

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