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From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 12/25/2016: 14:56:57
Sonny,
I love your slow playing like on Windy City and have a couple of questions for you about it. What album of yours would you recommend to me to listen to in order to hear the most of it? I have heard it called tremolo style, is that what you would call it?For anyone that wants to learn it, are there any guiding principles of it that you would suggest keeping in mind. From what I have seen, there is not that much instruction on it and it is a beautiful way to play. How did you start using this?
Not meaning to put you to work, but we had a great morning with a big Christmas breakfast,(home fries with onions, home made bread, OJ, coffee, scrambled eggs, sausage, and green peppers and onions cooked with Louisiana sunshine sauce), gifts, and family and I am now coming out of it and starting to think banjo again. Hope your Christmas was as good.
thanks,
ken
TheChief - Posted - 12/26/2016: 09:53:00
Ken;
I've been playing that stuff since the early 50's. Why? Out of necessity because we only had three people, Mandolin, Guitar, and Banjo and it got rather monotonous to have the mandolin play everything, all the instrumental breaks on slower songs. Which, of course, as fate would have it, we made a good living from that type song. By 1953 I was already interested in pedal Steel guitar and while working in Detroit and hanging out some with Buddy Emmons who was quite possibly the greatest Steel player of all time...I learned a lot by just watching and listening. I learned The Waltz You Saved For Me and Indian Love Call...and put those ideas to work on our slower songs. It worked to perfection. Everything evolved from that, along with my interest in Piano, Electric Guitar etc. I learned so much from Grady Martin, and Ray Edenton.
I don't have any idea as to what people call that style of playing, I just think it's pretty and it works. I thought Rudy Lyles and Alan Shelton heard that stuff too but neither had the opportunity to really get into it...especially Rudy.
I hope you didn't eat all that you described...Man that's real country cooking and absolutely the best. There's a place here in Nashville, among many I suppose, The Loveless Cafe that serves about the best country food one could ever hope for. That's about the only COUNTRY thing left here. 
s
TheChief - Posted - 12/26/2016: 10:01:16
Ken...as far as learning to play that style, I can only suggest listening and duplicating what you hear. Listen to old 60's country records and pay attention to the background they are playing. Find those notes on the banjo. Pretty soon you will be hearing your own notes. That's when it really becomes fun. If I can help you in any way don't hesitate to ask. If I can, I will.
s
From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 12/26/2016: 10:19:03
Sonny,
Thanks for your reply and your time. I will look as you said.
As far as the cooking, my mom and my Aunt Lorene (both Ozark girls) taught me to cook out of a black cast iron skillet.
Ken
rbfour5 - Posted - 12/26/2016: 10:24:43
A colleague and good friend of mine, lives near Fairview and has said that the next time I am down that way, we have to eat at The Loveless Cafe. He's a good guy, good taste and a good bluegrass bass player- so he must know what he is talking about! He is originally from the Cincinnati area, played in a couple of groups "Coal Train" and another which escapes me now. He played electric bass, said he watched JD Brock playing with you all and thought "Who said an electric bass won't work in bluegrass". Tim Hensley played banjo; Terry Johnson played mandolin; Dan Bohl on bass; etc. Dan said they prided themselves doing Osborne Brothers songs, as not many bands were covering your tunes. Great bluegrass years playing in the style of the best in the business.
Anyway- sorry to digress. But I definitely will try The Loveless Cafe the next time I am down that way.
chuckv97 - Posted - 12/26/2016: 17:22:07
"Dan said they prided themselves doing Osborne Brothers songs, as not many bands were covering your tunes." .....That's probably cuz nobody could get it right,,they were difficult to copy, I'd say.
rbfour5 - Posted - 12/26/2016: 20:39:00
You are absolutely correct Chuck- Sonny and Bobby were/ are difficult to copy and get it right. But "Coal Train" did it right. I think that's why they were so popular around the Cincy area.
When I was still playing, I tried, and I tried to copy Sonny's playing. Some things sounded pretty good, but I would never say that I could emulate his sound. It was a difficult lesson for me, but once I accepted it I was happy being me playing similar to Sonny. There was something freeing about being content in my ability and my tone. And it made playing a Sonny Osborne tune/ lick or some of the most sweet back up banjo ever played (by Sonny) much more enjoyable. My motto became: "Sonny Osborne- often copied, but never equaled."
Sonny- Thanks for all the great memories of trying to emulate your playing!
TheChief - Posted - 12/27/2016: 08:26:50
Lordy...I thank you for those complimentary words. I'm not sure I deserve all that, but as I've said in the past...I have arthritis and I don't deserve that either...That's funny, True and funny..
Thank you...
s
Rawhide Creek - Posted - 12/27/2016: 13:06:49
Sonny, there is some discussion in another thread about a bridge shown on a banjo you are holding in a photograph:
banjohangout.org/photo/220577
Can you give us an idea of when the photo was taken and who made the bridge?
fgodbey - Posted - 12/27/2016: 13:57:11
quote:
Originally posted by chuckv97
"Dan said they prided themselves doing Osborne Brothers songs, as not many bands were covering your tunes." .....That's probably cuz nobody could get it right,,they were difficult to copy, I'd say.
Sonny, I remember one Sunday afternoon at Frontier Ranch back in the mid-/late-1960s when a band from the area opened the show & did a bunch of your material. When they left the stage y'all came out & you said something like, "That was interesting... now here's how those songs are supposed to sound!" Does that ring a bell with you? Seems like yesterday to me!
TheChief - Posted - 12/28/2016: 10:19:29
The First compensated bridge.
Billy Hamilton, a mandolin player who lived in Cincinnati and was going to college there at the time...as I remember. I explained to him what I thought would solve the constant "out of tune" sound which is present in all banjos. The third string being sharp on the fourth fret...so why not make a bridge with a curve so the third string would be, in effect, longer which would make the string note correct. The next time we played THE KEN MILL bar in Cincinnati, Billy shows up with several bridges he had made for me. (I still have a few of them) They worked like a charm but I was so used to that string noting sharp It really became a distraction and that bothered me. But one other thing caused me to stop using the bridge. The tension was changed and the thing would fall forward. About the tenth time that happened was one too many. The picture you saw was quite possibly the RB3 Gibson banjo, which incidentally was the original Rocky Top banjo. At the time of that picture I was probably working with Vega on a Sonny O model and I was playing a Vega.
Seems as though I remember seeing a picture of Earl with a tiny piece of fret wire in his fingerboard about an eighth of an inch in back of the fourth fret?
Didn't someone take the idea and come out with a big splash on this great idea of a compensated bridge? Seems as though Wynn and I had a pretty good laugh about it.
Oh well...and life goes on.
s
TheChief - Posted - 12/28/2016: 10:43:11
Frank I do remember that happening. I can't remember who the band was but wasn't that about 1968 right after Rocky Top came out?
I could name three or four groups who did it..but what good would that do. To me, it's very unprofessional. You just don't do BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY if Bill Monroe is on the show. Matter of opinion I guess.
s
Edited by - TheChief on 12/28/2016 10:43:45
steve davis - Posted - 12/28/2016: 10:51:40
The compensated bridge falling forced me to come up with turning the feet inward for stability.
fgodbey - Posted - 12/28/2016: 15:08:21
quote:
Originally posted by TheChief
Frank I do remember that happening. I can't remember who the band was but wasn't that about 1968 right after Rocky Top came out?
I could name three or four groups who did it..but what good would that do. To me, it's very unprofessional. You just don't do BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY if Bill Monroe is on the show. Matter of opinion I guess.
s
Sonny, 1968 sounds about right. We moved to Georgia that winter, so Frontier Ranch was off our route for several years. Oh yeah, couldn't agree more... very unprofessional, plus they just set themselves up to be compared to the original & that's never a winning proposition!
Happy New Year! Russ & Ruth & I actually have a gig this weekend... might break even!
--Best, Frank
El Dobro - Posted - 12/28/2016: 18:45:48
quote:
Originally posted by TheChief
Seems as though I remember seeing a picture of Earl with a tiny piece of fret wire in his fingerboard about an eighth of an inch in back of the fourth fret?
s
Yep, I've seen that, too. I'm still looking for the Earl with his Vega Granada photo.
rbfour5 - Posted - 12/28/2016: 18:53:08
quote:
Originally posted by TheChief
The First compensated bridge.
Seems as though I remember seeing a picture of Earl with a tiny piece of fret wire in his fingerboard about an eighth of an inch in back of the fourth fret?
Didn't someone take the idea and come out with a big splash on this great idea of a compensated bridge? Seems as though Wynn and I had a pretty good laugh about it.
Oh well...and life goes on.
s
There is a close up picture of Earl's finger board with a nail/ brad just behind the fourth fret in Jim Mills "Gibson Mastertone" book.
TheChief - Posted - 12/29/2016: 09:29:31
Steve Davis;
I thought of doing just that but then thought better of it. Reason being, my banjo sounded pretty good as it was. By changing the tension, which caused it to fall to begin with, would somehow alter the tone etc. of the banjo. Anyhow I was really used to the sound and just thought better of it.
Sometime later I discussed this with Earl and he agreed that it was more trouble than it was worth. It just always bothered me that a banjo would note sharp, but then I thought, it had been rather good to me and that if it pleased the banjo to be that way....so be it! (How stupid is that) 
Oh well...
OLD HOG IS JUST FUNNIN' WITH YOU!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
S
rbergesch - Posted - 12/31/2016: 14:03:15
Happy New Year to all the banjo-heads on this thread! Have a great pickin' 2017.
markbyrum - Posted - 12/31/2016: 15:01:52
Sonny:
I saw you guys on KY PBS the other day when they ran the Osborne Brothers Story. It's a good show. Hope you have a Happy New Year; may your 2017 by far exceed your 2016!
chuckv97 - Posted - 12/31/2016: 17:43:49
Happy New Year!
TheChief - Posted - 01/02/2017: 20:15:37
Rainy night in Nashville
s
HPNomad - Posted - 01/03/2017: 00:20:45
I'd trade rain for this wind we've been getting. Blows so hard that I can almost be carried away.
TheChief - Posted - 01/06/2017: 10:40:00
How about snow Corey?
s
DG-banjo - Posted - 01/06/2017: 11:36:55
East Tn, getting our first snow of the year.... Speaking of that, always loved Sonnys banjo work on the "First fall of Snow", Hillbilly fever album..
HPNomad - Posted - 01/06/2017: 13:40:02
Snow? What's snow. It hasn't snowed in Japan since 2013.
Also since we're talking about it,In my opinion I think their version on the Bear Family collection (not sure of the exact album though) does a better job of demonstrating Bobby's vocal strength.
I think this is the right video youtube.com/watch?v=1oZS77hZi0k
Edited by - HPNomad on 01/06/2017 13:45:53
TheChief - Posted - 01/06/2017: 17:39:53
UGLY TUNERS
Edited by - TheChief on 01/06/2017 17:45:06
El Dobro - Posted - 01/06/2017: 18:22:50
Hey Sonny, what ever happened to Jimmy Brown Jr.? He had a very distinct voice on the MGM recordings.
HPNomad - Posted - 01/07/2017: 00:34:34
Ugly is right Sonny, a face only a mother could love.
DG-banjo - Posted - 01/07/2017: 04:21:42
Those tuners may be ugly, but they are the absolute best I have ever used.. I think I have had my set for 12+ years... zero issues with them.
TheChief - Posted - 01/07/2017: 09:51:06
I never worried about how they looked. They work perfectly and you never need to re adjust nor re tune. Once installed and set, they stayed right there. But, they don't look so hot! TRUE!
Jimmy Brown's real name is John Slagle Jr. Last I heard he moved back to Newport TN. and I lost track of him. I did hear from his son a few months ago but when I tried to answer, the address was wrong.
He did some good things with us in the late 50's. Fair and Tender Ladies, The Black Sheep Returned To The Fold, The First Fall Of Snow, and several more. (MGM)
Dan'l, I had forgotten just how long you have had them. I retired in 2005 and you surely had them before that.
Yesterday was a day I won't forget. Jan. 6 1924 was Earl's birthday. Jan.6 2007 was my stroke day. Thank you Lord, it was just a brush with the big one, a warning.
~
s
Sonny Osborne Banjo Co.
PO Box 647
Hendersonville,TN.37075
chiefbanjo@comcast.net
sonnyosborne.com
615-824-0096
IN GOD WE TRUST
Edited by - TheChief on 01/07/2017 10:02:32
From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 01/07/2017: 09:58:11
Sonny,
I was hoping you were at banjothon today but the roads in look a little tricky in spots as I look at Tennesse DOT.
ken
stringman711 - Posted - 01/07/2017: 16:00:23
The ugly's are the best. The set on my old banjo has been on there since at least 2004. once set, you never have to touch them.
chuckv97 - Posted - 01/07/2017: 16:39:11
I liked the looks of Louise's chrome cover from her floor polisher better......😎
Edited by - chuckv97 on 01/07/2017 16:41:43
DG-banjo - Posted - 01/07/2017: 17:13:45
That's correct Sonny, it was before you retired.. I got them in 2004, and have used them since then... at that time I was probably playing around 80-100 shows a year. Sonny knows this, I never once had to do any type of maintenance, and a quick guess that would be zero maintenance to date at probably 600-800+ shows.. you put those tuners on, set them and that is it... I could care less how ugly they are, because when you are on stage and expected to stay in tune, you want whatever tuners will do that and do that with ease... The uglys did for me and still do... Adding to that, you can just do things with those tuners you can't do with others... Thanks for putting them out there chief, you had a great idea when you came up with those! On a side note, it's been a cold day in East TN, took my little boy out to play in the snow, but not for long!
From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 01/09/2017: 14:03:13
Sonny,
What instrument were you playing on the song Will You Meet Me Over Yonder? The instrument sounded much softer.
Thanks,
Ken
HPNomad - Posted - 01/09/2017: 17:09:46
Sounds to me like a resonator banjo (no- not that kind). Think of a banjo with a cone like a dobro. I think that's what it sonds like to me.
rbfour5 - Posted - 01/09/2017: 17:17:27
Is this Sonny's "Guit-jo"?
schaumannk - Posted - 01/09/2017: 21:13:30
quote:
Originally posted by HPNomad
Snow? What's snow. It hasn't snowed in Japan since 2013.
Also since we're talking about it,In my opinion I think their version on the Bear Family collection (not sure of the exact album though) does a better job of demonstrating Bobby's vocal strength.
I think this is the right video youtube.com/watch?v=1oZS77hZi0k
If you miss the snow, come on up to Misawa. There is always plenty here.
TheChief - Posted - 01/10/2017: 11:21:02
The instrument you are referring to which I played during the 60's, other than the banjo...was a dobrobanjo..made by the Dobro company. I played it on several songs on that religious song album, "Favorite Hymns" and I used it on several other recordings during the 60's. I really enjoyed playing it because of the slides, and the overall playability. Not very loud but the tone was outstanding. Shobud, a steel guitar company owned and started by Shot Jackson and Buddy Emmons...wired special pickups which allowed me to play it through an amp. I also had them cut the body away so it would be possible to reach the higher frets.
I bought it from Josh Graves who played Dobro for Flatt and Scruggs.
s
TheChief - Posted - 01/10/2017: 11:22:45
Kirt..Did you live in Utah in the late 90's?
s
TheChief - Posted - 01/10/2017: 11:40:11
Hey Dean...The Guitjo is a copy of the French classical guitar..."Maccaferri"... It is the cutaway Guitar body with a five string banjo neck. I had two of them and to my knowledge those are the only two of their kind. I enjoyed playing it for it's uniqueness, but the dobrobanjo played better...and if pressed I would have to say that I would rather play it.
s
TheChief - Posted - 01/10/2017: 11:44:41
Lincoln..I still have the original Guitjo, but I don't have the Dobrobanjo. In fact, I just bought one from the Gold Tone Company. The Jury is still out on it. I'll keep you posted.
s
gibson49classic - Posted - 01/10/2017: 11:49:50
I just heard a live festival tape of you playing "Home on the Range." What a great tune for banjo! I've been working on it this morning. I bet the dojo would be a great instrument for that tune.
apherigo - Posted - 01/10/2017: 12:16:56
The Guitjo is great for playing on a quite evening in the living room... a little easier on the ears for mixed company :)
TheChief - Posted - 01/10/2017: 21:21:17
In fact, Aaron has the Guitjo number 2. Beautiful instrument.
s
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