Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins

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Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins

Postby Steve Sanders » Sat Nov 29, 2014 1:10 pm

Been listening to some of the oldies here lately. "Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins" is one of my favorites. I really like the sound Chet manages to produce on this album. It's kind'a extra bright and mellow like maybe a clarinet. I was wondering what guitar and amp he used on this album. He might even have plugged directly into the board, but then there is the question of the echo. Chet was VERY crafty and always messin' around. And he did manage to get LOTS of different tones and sounds that continue to mystify us even to this day. The tone he got on this particular album is pretty unique and you don't hear it on a lot of his stuff. So, what do yall think? What guitar, amp, effect did he use? I have an idea but want to see what yall think before I say anything. I've listened to many, many Chet-pickers and haven't yet heard anyone get this nice tone yet. Just wunderin'.....have some more leftovers and take a big ol' nap!!! Thanks, Steve
Steve Sanders
 
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Re: Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins

Postby Richard Hudson » Sun Nov 30, 2014 12:15 pm

Stringin' Along With Chet Atkins will always be my favorite Chet album because it was my first. I knew about Chet before I bought the album but when I heard the record my enthusiasm for him and his music was supercharged and went into overdrive. I think Chet may have used more than one guitar in the making of the original album. The principle guitar used in the original recording, I believe, was the D'Angelico with the Bigsby neck pickup and the P90 bridge pickup. I think I also remember hearing that Chet originally had the pickups wired out of phase on the D'Angelico by mistake. Main Street Breakdown and maybe another one or two were with the Gibson, in more of an acoustic state. I heard that he reissued the album later using a the bridge pickup on a Gretsch guitar. The recording I have is definitely the D'Angelico. Chet was on fire back in those days and his playing was unbelievable.
Richard Hudson
 
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Re: Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins

Postby Norm » Sun Nov 30, 2014 4:05 pm

Probably was the D'Angelico and his Fender Deluxe

Seems like I read somewhere that he re-did the whole album using an early 6120 when he signed with Gretsch but the album came out in mid-1953 and he didn't sign with Gretsch until 1954
...that's how it looks to me...The opinion expressed above is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of this station. Your mileage may vary...

Audio samples: http://www.youtube.com/user/acountrygent/videos
That should do it.
Norm
 
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Re: Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins

Postby Steve Sanders » Sun Nov 30, 2014 9:51 pm

THANKS! Richard and Norm. I too think Chet used his D'Angelico guitar with the Bigsby pickup in the neck position. Not sure about the amp tho. Could it have been the EchoSonic? Chet got such a different tone on this record. It's like an electric on "220"....electric guitar on steroids!! Almost "Telecaster-is". I can just imagine chain-blue-lightnin' runnin' up and down the fingerboard on his guitar. Not only "in your face" but also "in your ear"! I'll bet Gretsch sales took off big-time after this record came out. Richard you and one or two others have nailed the CG / Standel tone but this one is kind'a mysterious. Chet and Paul were pioneers in recording, tone, and guitar pickin overall. I guess Les Paul got it all started with his mad scientist la-bore-a-tory antics and recording techniques. But Les is a whole nuther story. Chet was the whole ball of wax. Not only playing and arranging all those tunes we have heard over the years and try to play, but also the wide range of sound and tone he was able to achieve. Paul came close.....mighty close! There will never be another two like them. MIss'em both!!!
Steve Sanders
 
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Re: Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins

Postby Norm » Mon Dec 01, 2014 1:12 am

Chet didn't get an Echo Sonic amp until around 1954 and by that time he was with Gretsch. Mr Sandman was his first recording using the device

In those days you could add echo after the recordings were made in the mixing process or by using echo rooms using a speaker/mic combination. In his home studio Chet used a second tape deck to add echo. There were different ways to get echo made in the studios.

The groundbreaking thing about Ray's Echo-Sonic was that Chet was able to take the echo sound on the road. It wasn't long after that of course when the portable tape echo chambers became available and those, as we know, had a lot more versatility. Ray made all his amps by hand and made roughly seventy of them before the portable tape units made his amps obsolete. As time moved on even tape echo and all its noise issues became obsolete as engineers found other ways to get the echo effect
...that's how it looks to me...The opinion expressed above is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of this station. Your mileage may vary...

Audio samples: http://www.youtube.com/user/acountrygent/videos
That should do it.
Norm
 
Posts: 1333
Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 12:36 pm
Location: redwood city ca


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