Al Marcus'
Steel Guitar Web page
page 5
We lived in Northern California in the 1960's. I used to teach guitar in Santa Rosa and Petaluma. Here is an ad from a show in 1964. Saturdays Children was a a big Folk Group act in 1964. There was a huge crowd there at the Veterans' Memorial Building and my band played for the Dancing. I played my guitar and Electra-Harp. I had some top musicians in the band.
In the 1970's we lived in Arizona, Where I worked for Maricopa county from 70' to 73'. I was playing some country music at the time. I was the oldest fellow in the band! Pete and Ray. the Bass and lead. were brothers. You wouldn't think it, they were so different. I learned a lot about playing country music from them. A couple of real nice guys and very talented. I was playing a Fender pedal steel. I had just sold my MSA D12 and took the Fender in trade. Later I had a D10 PP Emmons. Great sound. We played at the Yucca club for about 2 years, 3 nights a week.
I had a taylor topper wig on so the guys wouldn't throw me out of the band for being over 30. lol. I was about 50.
Here's an ad in the paper.
I'm playing an Emmons D10 with 6 pedals and 1 knee working both necks. We were on KPHO Ch 5 in Phoenix and they couldn't give us a copy of the video but we did get a copy of the audio. It wasn't balanced but barely listenable. We Played Real Country of the 70's which was pretty good in those days. On the TV we did "I can't stop loving you" on E9 (I went up real high in John Hughey land) and "Make the world go away" on C6 (pop jazz chords) I used only 2 pedals on the E9 and 4 pedals on the C6. The 1 knee I flatted the C to B on C6 and flatted the E's to D# on the E9 neck.
I must say that at the time, I loved the sound of my PP Emmons, but I didn't like to tune it or adjust it. This was a student model yet with wood necks. These guys were real good and the bass player really sang great too.The guys never saw me without my Wig. I just wore it on playing jobs during that time, just to fit in with the other guys. this was the band on TV.
If you Jeff Newman fans notice, my right hand is as he suggests, up high and pick more with the sides of the picks. It has always been natural for me to do it that way. To each his own, eh? Here I am going into the teacher mode again.
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