If you ever wondered...that is the absolute correct way to mic a banjo in the recording studio. And that appears to be the correct mic to use for the best sound.
Bobby and Rhonda VincentAND THE RAGE were each nominated for a Grammy this year. (separate categories of course) Bobby is for Bluegrass album of the year and Rhonda and The Rage for Bluegrass video of the year. Very Impressive.
I've been conversing quite a lot recently with old friend Geoff Stelling...of course you all know he is the driving force behind Stelling Banjo Co. (Driving force translates to "Brains")
Geoff made a banjo for me in 1979...The Sonflower. I had gotten my Granada on New Years day of 1978 and would not fly with it, nor take it out of the USA and I told Geoff I would play The Stelling at those times. Geoff agreed and presented me with the banjo October-November of 1979. I took it to Germany, and Sweden and it performed beautifully. The Utube Sweden medley was recorded with that banjo. Couldn't ask for a better sounding, playing, and looking instrument. That would be March of 1980 or near.
That arrangement was not fair to Geoff, I knew it, and he knew it. I returned the banjo to Geoff, and gentleman that he is, he paid me for my brief endorsement and that was it. However, I really liked that banjo and have wondered where it wound up. I had several people tell me, over the years, that they had "that banjo." However, I had heard in a roundabout way that it was in San Diego, California but I didn't know for sure until this week. Geoff Stelling verified the fact that my banjo, Sonflower #1228 was sold to Wayne Rice, San Diego, California.
Wayne Rice, disc jockey on KSON, player, and friend has had it all this time. It has a good home. I've wished a thousand times that I had kept it, but I didn't. Stupidity goes with youth sometimes...HELLO..I mean I was only 43 years old when that deal went down.....!!
Glad it had a good home. It seems to me that most good banjos have a life story of their own.
I've given up the notion that there is a 'best' banjo in the world; there are "good" banjos, "very good" banjos, "outstanding" banjos, and ( fortunately I don't see many of these ,) some that are "not so good". I can even say some good things about banjos that people consider to be "starter" banjos. Those ' Goodtimes', for example, play a lot easier and sound better than the Kay I had 55 years ago.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and stories on this thread; I love reading it.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All, and especially to banjo people everywhere.
Sonny, We have talked about it before on this thread but you pulled just wonderful tone on that banjo. Your playing on it is my favorite of all time. I wish you still had that banjo. ken
I appreciate your kind words Ken. That Stelling banjo, #1228...was indeed special. I wish I had kept it but giving it back seemed to be the right thing to do. I wasn't playing it enough, as per our agreement, to do the banjo nor company justice. That historic trip old #1228 made with me to Germany and Sweden were remarkable, to say the least. Listening back to it now, some 38 years later, it sounded mighty good.
For the record, that banjo was all stock, straight from the factory to me. No alterations were made as in some cases. (tone ring, rim, neck, etc) I did make one slight change, I tightened the head!
Wayne Rice has given it a good home though and I'm happy to finally know for a fact where it went. For those of you who doesn't know, Wayne is a disc jockey on KSON, San Diego for 41 years now, also serves on the board of the IBMA trust fund...an organization which was created to help Bluegrass musicians in their time of need.
Dee where did you get that? First time I have heard anything Live from WWVA of The OB with Red. Quality is pretty good too. If you have it on MP3 or whatever, I'll gladly pay you for a copy. P O box 647 Hendersonville, Tn. 37077.
Dean...that is in fact the flathead 1934 Gibson RB3 which Aaron McDaris plays now with Rhonda V. Good banjo, and using a 3 Star Rogers skin head. (Before plastic heads) Of course you know that is the original Rocky Top banjo.
CHRISTMAS TIME IS WELL ON THE WAY. MY HOPE FOR YOU IS TO BE SAFE. GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO US!
I found it sometime back somewhere on the internet. I'll put a CD of the mp3 in the mail tomorrow. Merry Christmas. A very small gift for all you've given us.
I have always loved the tone of your Granada, and who wouldn't! But there is something about your old RB-3 that just sets something off inside me. It's just a great banjo. Aaron has a piece of history to perform with, and he can do it justice too.
Thanks for sharing with all of us here on this forum; for the years of great music that will continue into the future.
(And I am getting a handle on Siempre- finally! Not to your level, but it's my take anyway...lol)
Merry Christmas Sonny, We just finished an morning with 7 people at the house (2 kids 15 & 10) where we had a breakfast of home fries, homemade bread (bread machine), Oj, coffee, patty sausage, scrambled eggs & onions and green peppers cooked in Louisiana hot sause. then opened presents and then played a game called catch phrase. A great morning. Hope yours was good also. Merry Christmas, ken
2018 is well on it's way....17 wasn't all that bad, considering, few problems here and there. Hurricanes, tornados, fires, floods, murders, robberies, looting in Houston, kidnapping, political corruption, thousands homeless after fires and Harvey destruction, LOOTING in Houston...snow, snow, snow and more snow in Northern USA. ACTUALLY, 17 was pretty bad. Hope 18 is better... Wishing that for all of you...all of US.
AND IF THAT ISN'T NOT BAD ENOUGH, CURLY SECHLER HAS PASSED FROM THIS LIFE...HE WAS 98. CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT ISN'T MAC WISEMAN THE ONLY ONE LEFT OF THE ORIGINAL FOGGY MOUNTAIN BOYS?
Wishing you a happy new year and just glad I don't do what i used to do and wake up feeling bad.
here is a New Year song (starts at the 1:00 mark) that I think is pretty. sounds like this girl has some Scotch blood in her. Hope you enjoy it. For a happy and healthy new year.
It just keeps getting worse....HAIRL HENSLEY, WSM employ and GRAND OLE OPRY announcer for years, 32 I think...I believe he came in 1972...Bluegrass lover and great friend. I'm sorry to hear of his passing.
RIP Earl. He sure changed my world, that’s for sure. Sonny, what would you say is your favorite Earl solo, either a break to a song or one of his own tunes?
Single song breaks would be original MercuryNo Mother or Dad and Why Don't You Tell Me So.
Instrumentals...Original MercuryFoggy Mtn. Breakdown and Columbia cut of Flint Hill Special.
Background. Second fiddle break, original Mercury recording of I'll Never Shed Another Tear and Mercury cut of I'll Never Love Another. Also, and you won't understand this..but the fiddle break on Bill Monroe's original Columbia recording of Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong going from D to G.
He had a touch on the Banjo and Guitar, a feel for the song, and the music in general, that very few (if any) ever equal. It was natural for him and in my opinion can't be taught. It's there in the beginning. I mentioned this to him on several occasions and he would just look as if to say, "I just do what I do." I'm glad I lived to see it. Thank you Lord.
All of’em the best, but Sonny, you’ve got me headscratching on the “Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong” backup. I found two different versions on YouTube, one with only a short fiddle break - I think in the key of D. But I can’t hear anything different other than Earl’s usual great backup. (maybe the original recording isn’t on YouTube). Must be something you first heard when you were young ?
It's there for sure. Always has been, always will be. It's just two notes but it means a lot to that song. As in everything else you read here, strictly my opinion.
Is it the C#, C walk down into the G? That kinda stands out to me. It reminds me of something I heard Earl say during an interview once. “The beauty of simplicity will never be surpassed.”
You might think that isn't an important part of the song, but I do. If you listen to the chord and roll he uses before the 4th string slide...the phrasing is so good...so good. Try doing that with the same phrasing. It's nothing extraordinarily great, but it just adds so much to the mood of that song, and matches Chubby's fiddle. It's the small things that doesn't sound like much but are so important. If you are dusting something and leave a spot or two, it doesn't look like you did a complete job. But if you WANT to do it right, you'll get all the dust off.
I understand if you think I'm not playing with a full deck, but that was always my approach to banjo playing.
I recently bought a used 2005 maple chief, and just have to say it is the best-sounding, best playing banjo I have ever owned or played. I liked it so much that I just bought another chief. A 2006 walnut engraved bean blossom model, and it is every good as the maple chief. Ive had Yates, pre-war/recent gibsons, old goldstars, etc, and these chief banjos imho are the best. Thanks Sonny!
I think this thread actually began between 1999 and 2005 (app)...Stan Robins, if you still follow this I'm sure you will know the more accurate date...If I'm not mistaken you were one of the first.
It's lasted a long time and has been my pleasure to have been associated with it for the entire time. It was born with the purchase of a Chief banjo
I need to do some fact finding before going and further.
Geoff Stelling verified the fact that my banjo, Sonflower #1228 was sold to Wayne Rice, San Diego, California.
