Junior Brown's Guit-Steel

[Fresh_Start]

I didn't know what this thing he's playing was called until I looked him up on AllMusic.com - never saw one before:
Highway Patrol

It's a pedal steel with a sort-of-Tele grafted onto it.  This one's called "Big Red" and is the second generation.  I'm intrigued by the pickup placement on the guitar part - the "middle" pup is much closer to the bridge than the neck.

It's really too bad that Junior can't play worth a damn though  
Rock Medley

He's not going to any hair-band auditions, but he sure has fun.  BTW the nice lady playing rhythm guitar is his wife.

Happy New Year!

Chip

[G._Hoffman]

It's a pedal steel with a sort-of-Tele grafted onto it.

Just a slight semantic correction - it's a lap steel, not a pedal steel.



Gabriel

[sluckey]

THANKS Chip.

[PRR]

Jamieson "Junior" Brown (born June 12, 1952, Kirksville, Indiana) is an American country guitarist and singer from Cottonwood, Arizona.

In 1985 Junior invented a double-necked guitar, with some assistance from Michael Stevens. Junior called the instrument his "guit-steel". When performing, Junior plays the guitar by standing behind it, while it rests on a small podium/music stand. The top neck on the guit-steel is a traditional 6-string guitar, while the lower neck is a full-size lapsteel guitar for slide playing. Brown has two guit-steels for recording and live work.

The original instrument, dubbed "Old Yeller", has as its standard 6-string guitar portion the neck and pickups from Brown's previous stage guitar, a Fender Bullet. The second guit-steel, named "Big Red", has a neck laser-copied from the Bullet neck, but in addition to electric guitar pickups, both the standard and lapsteel necks use an identical Sho-Bud lapsteel pickup. There is a pocket in the upper bout of the guitar to hold the slide bar when it is not in use. Brown quickly became a local success in Austin, Texas as the house band at the Continental Club. His debut album was 1993's 12 Shades of Brown; it was followed by Guit with It later that year (1993 in music). Both albums cemented his reputation as one of the more critically acclaimed country performers of the 1990s.

[slavax]

Junior's guit-steels are made by Michael Stevens of Alpine, TX.  World-class guitar maker, part-time cowboy and a very nice guy.
stevensguitars.com

[slavax]

I saw Junior @ The Continental Club in 92 or 93.  Don't let the cowboy hat fool you- towards the end of the show he was cranking his volume and pulling Hendrix-inspired stuff out of his grab bag.

[DummyLoad]

he used to be a  regular @ the continental club here in austin and have been to many shows. he also likes to dabble around with jalopys and street rods... a fine fine musician. at the time, long before i started building amps, i never really could fathom 100W of guitar amp - but when he cranked up his fender twin in the continental club - well, you get the picture... sometimes he'd pair up with another couple of acts; herman the german or tiesco del ray - king of the cheap guitar. ingredients for one hell of a show. 

http://www.myspace.com/teiscodelrey  -  pier pressure is my fav...

http://www.extraeye.com/herman/

 

[billcreller]

I have a CD from him, and even though I'm not into country music,  he is great to listen to and wild on a guitar

[Bassmanster]

He and Bill Kirchen make a complete set of great tongue-in-cheek roots/country pickers.

[slavax]

And then there's Unknown Hinson.

[Fresh_Start]

He and Bill Kirchen make a complete set of great tongue-in-cheek roots/country pickers.

Funny you should mention him - I made up a "Hot Country" playlist for the iPod including Junior Brown, BR-549 (more bad hats), Commander Cody, and Asleep At The Wheel.  They all have a sense of humor and know how to rock the house - even if it is "country" (sort of).

I met Bill Kirchner a few years ago here in Richmond between sets and he couldn't have been a nicer guy.  When I asked what color his Tele was originally, he grinned and turned it over so that I could see a tiny bit of the remaining finish.  It originally was a sunburst but looks like old decking now!  What is especially cool is that he obviously loves playing guitar now just as much as ever - and he's damn good too

Cheers,

Chip

[DummyLoad]

Junior's guit-steels are made by Michael Stevens of Alpine, TX.  World-class guitar maker, part-time cowboy and a very nice guy.
stevensguitars.com

i just visited his website  (stevensguitars.com) he passed away this past september.   

[G._Hoffman]

Junior's guit-steels are made by Michael Stevens of Alpine, TX.  World-class guitar maker, part-time cowboy and a very nice guy.
stevensguitars.com

i just visited his website  (stevensguitars.com) he passed away this past september.   

Oh hell, I knew that.  He had an obit in one of the guitar builders' trade mags.  I totally forgot.



Gabriel