Any Dobro players (Lap style, ala Bluegrass) in der haus?

[jimfog]

My latest adventure.

I play a ton of slide, and have recorded scads of ersatz "dobro-eque" parts, but never owned a for real and for true DOBRO.

Got one on the way. Scheerhorn/Wechter Ickes model. Nice.




Please feel free to share any tips, suggestions, warnings, etc. I played lap steel a while back, so I DO have any idea of what I'm in for.

Should be fun........and a good addition to the arsenal for backing singer/songwriters and sessions.

 

[Greg V.]

Hi Jim,

Congrats on the new dobro and I loved the Rob Ickes video, awesome player! While i don't consider myself a true dobro player, I've enjoyed playing my Tut Taylor Virginian model, but have since sold it. Check out the Dunlop "Lap Dawg" bars, they're more affordable version of Scheerhorns and very good tone/sustain, plus great balance and speed for pulloffs etc. Enjoy the new guit-fiddle!

 

[Member 995]

I used to have a Goldtone Paul Beard that I liked a lot. Eventually, I got tired of the dobro sound and moved over to lap steel, which I still gig with quite a bit. Lots of fun and a good skill to have if you accompany others or do sessions.

 

[musicofanatic5]

Yeah, big surprise, me. I have a Ondres Holobek, from the birthplace of resophonia: Czechs-ville. I is my A#1 favorite inst for backing singer/songwriter types (which is my A#1 favorite type o' gig)! I just worked up a hip arrangement of Something (in the way she moves); maybe I'll havta film it and try to figure out how to post it.

Figuring out how to play in keys other than G (widout a capo!) is fun: D falls well, A (major and minor) too. E minor is "relatively" easy (ha!), Emajor is lotsa fun, as is F. Have you ever played bluegrass banjo, Jim? Really gives one a leg up, if so. Get those right hand rolls down.

Get Ickes's two volume instr vid; just get it!!! Jimmy Heffernan's mat'ls is good too. Oh, yeah: get a manly bar from Ron Tipton or Scheerhorn, also. None of that light-weight Stevens (unless yer sticking to Bro Oswald style) or Shubb product.

Pickup? Schertler/Scheerhorn Basik. I like my AT-831b lav condenser on mic a lot, too.

 

[jimfog]

Thanks, guys.

Jon.......not much Banjuer experience, but I do play a lot of fingerstyle guitar, with thumbpick. Will need to work on the rolls. Haven't dug finger picks in the past, though......so that'll be a challenge. I usually just wail away and let my fingers fly where they will. The RH technique for reso seems a bit more precise and disciplined, even when they dig in. (although Ickes kind of torques it up pretty good in that vid I posted)

I'm pretty good with tunings and playing various keys. All my slide work is in standard or open G, mostly, no matter the key.

Anyone checked out these materials?

http://www.lessonswithtroy.com/dobro_lessons/home.php

The samples look good, and I'm attracted to the more "modular" aspect of how he sells and packages them. While I need SOME basics, I would get pretty frustrated by the "This is a bar....this how you tune......this is your finger....." nature of some beginner stuff.

The Ickes comes with a Schertler/Scheerhorn Basik, which is groovy.

 

[jimfog]

Wow. Now, this right here will bring a tear to a glass eye.

 

[dobro]

That last is by Greg Booth - he's tuned EBDGBD I think, low to high. He's a great player from Alaska, currently tours with the Kathy Kallick band out of California.

Troy seems to be a good guy - very enthusiastic about the instrument, and I've seen a lot of his lesson previews, but never one of the full lessons. I've never heard anything bad about them, and they seem well done. He's also continually trying to improve his presentation. Definitely worth a try I'd say.

I actually got into a jam session last November with both Greg and Troy at the same time...we have a large get-together of reso players every fall the past few years (see http://www.resosummit.com/resosummit2010.html - it always sells out within one day every year! It's actually put on by Rob Ickes BTW.).

As you can guess by my user name, dobro is my main instrument....I don't check in that much here at TGP, but if you've got any specific questions, drop me a PM. I also am a moderator over at reso-nation.org, FWIW.

The Wechter-Scheerhorns are great guitars, you've made a good choice for a starter IMO. I hope you have a ton of fun with it!

 

[zombywoof]

No Dobro (I do own a 1931/32 National Duolian though) or bluegrass but an old Valco/National Oahu Tonemaster lap steel and the blues. I played slide for decades going from acoustic to electric and then back to acoustic. I tried getting back into electric but it was not happening. Then someone suggested giving the lap steel a try. Used ones were easy to find and cheap enough so I figured what the heck. I was hooked. Not having a clue what I was doing I ended up using a thumpick and often play with two slides - a bottleneck on my first finger and a Will Ray Stealth Slide on my ring finger.

 

[jimfog]

That last is by Greg Booth - he's tuned EBDGBD I think, low to high. He's a great player from Alaska, currently tours with the Kathy Kallick band out of California.

Troy seems to be a good guy - very enthusiastic about the instrument, and I've seen a lot of his lesson previews, but never one of the full lessons. I've never heard anything bad about them, and they seem well done. He's also continually trying to improve his presentation. Definitely worth a try I'd say.

I actually got into a jam session last November with both Greg and Troy at the same time...we have a large get-together of reso players every fall the past few years (see http://www.resosummit.com/resosummit2010.html - it always sells out within one day every year! It's actually put on by Rob Ickes BTW.).

As you can guess by my user name, dobro is my main instrument....I don't check in that much here at TGP, but if you've got any specific questions, drop me a PM. I also am a moderator over at reso-nation.org, FWIW.

The Wechter-Scheerhorns are great guitars, you've made a good choice for a starter IMO. I hope you have a ton of fun with it!

Lee,

Thanks for the great info.

Booth plays with Kathy K, huh? She has a knack for great players. I know Sally Van Meter was with her, as well.

Just got the 'Bro.......I'll be able to dig into it real soon.

BTW....are there any instructional materials you might suggest, other than the stuff from Troy?

cheers!

- Jim

 

[dobro]

Yeah, Sally's great - she's one of my all-time favorite players. I think Greg's son plays bass in that Kathy K's band as well.

As far as teaching material goes, I don't know. Since you've got some lap steel and guitar experience, I'm guessing you know music and have a good ear for changes, intervals and such. I'd look for more technique-oriented material - stuff that emphasizes playing cleanly. Rob Ickes' videos may do that. If you're looking for licks, Jim Heffernan has some videos that cover licks that I've heard good things about.

I might suggest taking a private lesson to get started without bad habits and learning the basics that apply to the dobro - bar control, "noise control", maybe rolls...that sort of thing, then just go after it on your own. For instructors, since you seem to be in Philly, I'd highly recommend Mike Auldridge down in Silver Spring MD. Jimmy Heffernan is in NJ, so that's a good possibility for you as well. Both those guys are top players and good instructors...and are willing to teach folks at any level.

http://www.jimmyheffernan.net
http://www.mikeauldridge.com

Tell 'em I sent you!

Sally is a great teacher as well, but she's in Colorado, and I'm not sure if she does private lessons these days or not - she's currently going to film school. Another teacher I would recommend is Mike Witcher, but he's in Nashville.

HTH...

 

[musicofanatic5]

Yeah, Sally's great - she's one of my all-time favorite players. I think Greg's son plays bass in that Kathy K's band as well.

As far as teaching material goes, I don't know. Since you've got some lap steel and guitar experience, I'm guessing you know music and have a good ear for changes, intervals and such. I'd look for more technique-oriented material - stuff that emphasizes playing cleanly. Rob Ickes' videos may do that. If you're looking for licks, Jim Heffernan has some videos that cover licks that I've heard good things about.

I might suggest taking a private lesson to get started without bad habits and learning the basics that apply to the dobro - bar control, "noise control", maybe rolls...that sort of thing, then just go after it on your own. For instructors, since you seem to be in Philly, I'd highly recommend Mike Auldridge down in Silver Spring MD. Jimmy Heffernan is in NJ, so that's a good possibility for you as well. Both those guys are top players and good instructors...and are willing to teach folks at any level.

http://www.jimmyheffernan.net
http://www.mikeauldridge.com

Tell 'em I sent you!

Sally is a great teacher as well, but she's in Colorado, and I'm not sure if she does private lessons these days or not - she's currently going to film school. Another teacher I would recommend is Mike Witcher, but he's in Nashville.

HTH...

Yeah, go see Heffernan in NJ; one of the top respected educators in reso-dom. If you ever find yourself in Lyons, Co. there's about seven great dobroists (perhaps I exagerate, but not much!) in Sally vM's neighborhood.

 

[84superchamp]

congrats on the new dobro jim! i assume it's a square neck?

i've always wondered what the big diff is between the "economy" dobros (samick, johnson) and the expensive ones like you bought (Beard, Wechter).

 

[jimfog]

Yeah, go see Heffernan in NJ; one of the top respected educators in reso-dom.

Good lord.....he's less than a 1/2 hour away! I assumed he would be up by NYC, like every-damn-body else in NJ.

Very cool. I'll contact him immediately.

Just spent some time with the Ickes 'Bro.......and I'm really, really impressed. Just extremely sweet and deep sounding. I think I lucked out.

Already I'm finding some byways and options that I couldn't do while playing straight slide guitar......especially low and middle string work and slants. Also, chord fragments you can grab seem to lay out a little more accessibly, even at first glance. Nice.

Thanks!

 

[jimfog]

Here's a live version of a tune from the CD that REALLY blew my mind about the emotive possibilities of the Dobro. I wish I'd followed my heart and picked up the instrument, back then.

T-Bone Burnett's self-titled disc from MCA.

Jerry Douglas, of course.

Need I say more?

 

[openG]

This thread needs pictures !!!...

 

[jimfog]

Well.......first lesson tomorrow with Jimmy Heffernan. Very much looking forward to it.

One drag, so far......

I do a lot of my practicing late at night, and this thing is just so damned LOUD!! Between sleeping wife and neighbors upstairs, I need to find a way to mute it a wee bit, even if it won't sound great.......just to get some "finger time" in.

Any ideas?

 

[dobro]

Cool...

Do tell Hef I said hello...

As far as a mute, we had a recent thread over at Reso-Nation on that subject, but I don't remember any great ideas...it comes up from time to time - the best thing would be to get a lapsteel and play it unplugged...that's pretty quiet. You could place a towel over the bridge, under the hand rest for muting. Maybe play without picks. But none of these are great...you lose a lot of the tone and don't get the practice you need to properly work on your picking hand. IMO.

How about earplugs for the neighbors?? ;-)

 

[jimfog]

Hey,

Great guy. Jimmy zeroed in on exactly what I need help with (well, other than EVERYTHING).

Everything makes sense.....just will take some work. But Pull-offs (done correctly) are kicking my ass. Ugggh. I hate to blame the equipment, but I COULD do them with his Scheerhorn bar, and absolutely can't with my generic Stevens. Don't think I want to spend all that on a bar right now, but I will at least try a Lap Dawg.

Thanks for the recommendation, guys.

 

[dobro]

The Lap Dawg is a very good substitute for a Scheerhorn bar, and quite a bargain in the bar world...at least they were last time I bought one. I do think you'd like the Scheerhorn/Lap Dawg/Tipton much better than a Stevens. I used a Stevens for 10 years before I switched to a Scheerhorn back in the 90s...my playing improved 100% overnight - honestly!

Glad you had a good session with Jimmy!

 

[Member 995]

I like the Shubb SP2 a lot. The pointy side is great for pull-offs. The chrome plating is much better than the Steven bar I had. Scheerhorn is really, really nice, but so expensive!