Musician's hats

[TheGuitarFairy]

Personally ... Gate's the shit.

In Paris late 90s w/ Eddie Kirkland, Gatemouth was in audience. On break he asked to sit in (but only if he could play MY guitar) He played rest of show w/ us. He left his hat at the table ; )

Halloween dressed as Eddie (he was not psyched about this) Wish I still had that shirt.

Getting a lesson from Don Helms (Hank Williams BABY ; )

 

[Hurricane Jack]

^^^ One note and you know it's Albert ^^^

Albert, like a lot of those guys from that generation, was really protective of "his" style and we all know Stevie worshipped Albert. FF to that Austin City Limits show with BB, Albert and Stevie.
Stevie's taking a ride and off stage a little, Albert is watching Stevie .. while filing his nails ; ) Showbiz.

By the early - mid 1990's business was going good & we finally had some breathing room, so we made a couple of 2-3 day trips down to see the Fabulous Thunderbirds. It was long past the era when just about anyone might be expected to sit in. Stevie had died tragically & Albert had just recently passed. But it was a good time. Jimmie was still around & Kim still had hair.

 

[TheGuitarFairy]

That had to be fun, I haven't been out to Texas in a long time. I love Jimmie's playing and have seen him solo a few times. Kid Bangham, who replaced Jimmie in the Thunderbirds, lives not far from me and has hired me on <steel> a few times. He's actually a pretty good singer and towards end of the night we'd put the blewz down and play a bunch of honky tonk stuff that he'd sing on.

 

[Peacoat]

^^^ One note and you know it's Albert ^^^

Albert, like a lot of those guys from that generation, was really protective of "his" style and we all know Stevie worshipped Albert. FF to that Austin City Limits show with BB, Albert and Stevie.
Stevie's taking a ride and off stage a little, Albert is watching Stevie .. while filing his nails ; ) Showbiz.

Yes, Albert had a distinctive sound, probably, in part, because he played left handed and upside down (E and A strings on the bottom).

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Yes, Albert had a distinctive sound, probably, in part, because he played left handed and upside down (E and A strings on the bottom).

I'm not left handed & I couldn't play a note upside down. And I've never owned a flyin' vee but I attribute unique sounds & tones capable from electric guitars to pickups & necks.

 

[Peacoat]

Well, if pick ups and necks were mostly responsible for tone, then all guitarists who played the same guitar would sound basically the same. But they don't. Eric Clapton is mostly known for his work on the Strat, but he gets that distinctive Clapton sound out of it that most Strat players will never master.

Freddie King had a distinctive tone on his Les Paul and 345. Did he use lighter strings, or turn the bass down and the treble and the midrange up? Or perhaps both? The only time I ever talked to him, I neglected to ask him. I did ask him about the amps he used in the early days. He said he used a Gibson amp and then a Fender, "The kind you plug in the top." Perhaps a tweed Bassman or an early black face?

And my favorite slide player, Duane Allman. His tone on slide was equaled only by Jesse Edwin Davis, whom he patterned his slide playing after. Once Duane learned to use open tuning for slide, the door was unlocked.

And the prime example is BB King. There are thousands of 355 players out there using the same equipment as BB, but none can come close to his tone. He can play one note, and we all know.

So there is a lot more to tone than the pick ups and necks on the guitar, but those two are a huge part of the tone available to the player.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Well, if pick ups and necks were mostly responsible for tone, then all guitarists who played the same guitar would sound basically the same. But they don't. Eric Clapton is mostly known for his work on the Strat, but he gets that distinctive Clapton sound out of it that most Strat players will never master.

Freddie King had a distinctive tone on his Les Paul and 345. Did he use lighter strings, or turn the bass down and the treble and the midrange up? Or perhaps both? The only time I ever talked to him, I neglected to ask him. I did ask him about the amps he used in the early days. He said he used a Gibson amp and then a Fender, "The kind you plug in the top." Perhaps a tweed Bassman or an early black face?

And my favorite slide player, Duane Allman. His tone on slide was equaled only by Jesse Edwin Davis, whom he patterned his slide playing after. Once Duane learned to use open tuning for slide, the door was unlocked.

And the prime example is BB King. There are thousands of 355 players out there using the same equipment as BB, but none can come close to his tone. He can play one note, and we all know.

So there is a lot more to tone than the pick ups and necks on the guitar, but those two are a huge part of the tone available to the player.

My point was playing upside down can be learned. All the lefties who learned to play right handed guitars upside down like Albert King, Hendrix, etc were self taught. Just like scales, cords & notes can be learned when using a capo. Many things are responsible for the sound produced. Sorry it was brought up.

 

[RossRYoung]

Drawing hats is kinda fun, although this one took too darn long

 

[TheGuitarFairy]

Drawing hats is kinda fun, although this one took too darn long
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NOW we're talkin'

 

[Lance Allen]

I remember hearing Stevie Ray Vaughan play for the first time. I was watching MTV and they were actually playing a music video. The song was Crossfire off his In Step album. I loved how he totally owned his instrument. Not only could he destroy the guitar, but he had a look. SRV was a Texas boy and dressed it with his own unique twist. He always wore a hat. Sometimes a flat cap and I’ve seen some photos of him in a beret. I thought it would be fun to see what hat folks thought he is wearing on his In Step album cover. I believe these photos are from the same photo shoot. (I’m having a hard time adding photos)

 

[Lance Allen]

 

[BobHufford]

I thought it would be fun to see what hat folks thought he is wearing on his In Step album cover.

If I had to guess I would say that it was a Texas Hatters custom. OK ... not much of a guess.

http://shoptexashatters.com/stevierayvaughan.aspx

 

[hatophile]

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I like the Eastwood poncho and hat thing he's got going on.

 

[Zombie_61]

If I had to guess I would say that it was a Texas Hatters custom. OK ... not much of a guess.

http://shoptexashatters.com/stevierayvaughan.aspx

Y'know, you might be right.

 

[BobHufford]

The Grand Army Band Gettysburg, PA. Original unpublished photo by Mumper circa 1890's. From The Gettysburg Museum of History Archives.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Ziggy:

 

[Jacora]

Jeff Tweedy (Wilco)

 

[TheGuitarFairy]

Ziggy:

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This was the "Thin White Duke" years I think ; )
Was just reading the other day that this hat is a Herbert Johnson.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

This was the "Thin White Duke" years I think ; )
Was just reading the other day that this hat is a Herbert Johnson.

Ziiggy Stardust was retired after only a couple of years, but it’s how I think of him. He was an original.

 

[TheGuitarFairy]

And apparently a real gentleman!

A good friend was bandleader for The Blue Man Group when they took a more straight ahead RnR show on tour, opening for Bowie in the early 2000s I believe? My pal has told me Bowie was very friendly and super positive ... he also told me watching David sing, from the wings every night, was mind blowing as he was a)singing through a cheap Shure Sm57 and that b)he at points would sing from over a foot away from the mic, that's how powerful his voice could be!

This is a GREAT interview ... Charlie Rose may be a dinosaur but I still reach for the remote at 11pm ready to turn him on. He was a master.