Who was this guitarist ?

[thenorm]

re: Grady and El Paso. I can't rmemeber where I read it but I read he used a relatively inexpensive archtop borrowed from Harold Bradley. "inexpensive" meaning it wasn't a D'Angelico or anything like that.

The DelVecchio I think can be discarded as a possibility

[thenorm]

This topic (grady's 'El Paso' guitar came up at gretschpages and one guy posted:

"...there's a Guitar Player piece which came out shortly after Grady's death in which he's purported to say that the guitar was a steel-string Epiphone; someone else claims that a steel-string Gretsch was exhibited at the CMHOF (probably as part of their 2007-08 Marty Robbins exhibit) as the "El Paso" guitar. however, it's unclear whether this was Grady's or Marty's.

Not specified was archtop or flattop.

[rhirvine]

I must say Norm that those two items are ridiculous especially number 1 and 2.

Rich

[thenorm]

Oh, I agree, Rich!

And the thing is these people deliver this falsehoods with such sincerity. Because their friend who heard it from a guy who "knew the real scoop" could not possibly be mistaken.

[PhilHunt]

Chet did record with a Fender...."The Peaver"....it had a Fender Neck, does that count? Haaaaa

[guitarchuck]

by thenorm » Mon Jul 25, 2011 12:33 pm

Two of the more perposterous "I heard" stories people have looked me in the eye and told me:

1. Chet did not play well unless he had a long time to prepare. Spontaneous off-the-cuff ad libbing was beyond him.

2. Chet recorded with Fender guitars. He only used Gretsch in public to make money on endorsements

It's amazing how rumors get started and people repeat them as gospel truth! Yes, Chet recorded with the "Peaver" guitar on 1 or 2 songs on almost every album for about 10 years starting in the early 80's. That could have been where that rumor of Chet recording with Fender has its roots. Of course by that time Chet played Gibson. (I still run into people today that don't know that Chet went to Gibson! )
Pat Bergeson told me "Chet also had a strat that Bruce Bolen from Fender made for him that had Lace sensor pickups." I asked Paul Yandell if Chet ever recorded with the Fender Strat, he said "I think he used it on To or Not To Be, thank s paul " (the Solo Sessions CD version).
Of course there's the video of Chet playing a Fender Telecaster with Jerry too.

by PhilHunt » Tue Jul 26, 2011 5:25 am

Chet did record with a Fender...."The Peaver"....it had a Fender Neck, does that count? Haaaaa

So maybe it does count Phil.

[thenorm]

All well and good but by the time it got to the guy I was talking to it had become that Chet never used Gretsch except when he played in public because of his endorsement contract. He used Fender in the studio and that was it.
You just pity the poor fool. And you can't say "you don't know what you're talking about " because then it becomes 'yer calling me a liar boy!' or the other thing that since he had "inside" information he wouldn't budge.

[guitarchuck]

I know just the kind of people you are talking about Norm. I've found it best not to argue with then either.
I always find it funny when they start off their story "Nobody knows this ..........." (strange they think they do!)

[guitarchuck]

I know we've strayed off the original topic here, but I thought I would share a couple of stupid stories that people told me:
I thought of a story from a guy that I worked with. He was from Knoxville and knew that I was a Chet fan. He said, Nobody knows this, but Chet was married to June Carter before Johnny Cash was! I said, I've never read that anywhere. He said, Oh, you won't read or hear it anywhere, they kept it a secret, but I know it's a fact because I grew up in Knoxville! LOL! I had another guy tell me that Chet could make long chord stretches because he had surgery on his left hand to remove the webbing between his fingers! LOL!

Crazy stuff that some people spread as fact and expect you to believe it!

[thenorm]

I knew a guy who claimed that he would go to Nashville from time to time and not only knew Chet personally but also used to "go out and get drunk and carouse with him.
He heard I was going to meet Chet so he told me to 'tell him 'hi' for me.'
So I get to meet Chet and mention in passing "_____ says '"hi"'
Chet looked at me... blinked and said "Who??"
"____" I said. "He said he used to come to town often and you guys would make the rounds."

Chet said "Name doesn't ring a bell"

We moved on to safer topics that being talking about guitar wiring.

When I got home I told the guy what happened. He didn't say a word and the subject was never raised again.

I suppose its' possible my friend may have been suckered by a musician in Nashville but, as I said, we never talked about it again.