Roy Smeck - The Wizard of the Strings

Big Tony · January 9th, 2007, 02:32 PM

Enjoy!

/ Tony

davidge1 · January 9th, 2007, 02:49 PM

Roy Smeck was incredible! The first song he played in that clip was called Laughing Rag. I have a longer version of that song on a compilation album of bottleneck/slide guitar music from the 20s. The guitar he was playing it on was something he built himself, that he called the "Octachorda" – it had 8 strings. The liner notes also said that after writing the song, it took him 6 months of constant practice to be able to play it.

Mark Davis · January 9th, 2007, 03:21 PM

Roy was jammin!

Crotalus Atrox · January 9th, 2007, 05:36 PM

Thanks for the link.

Didn't look like too much
Just a Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe
But a lady she never fared as well
Who travelled through so much

Jerry Jeff Walker "That Old Beat Up Guitar"

Big Tony · January 10th, 2007, 05:18 PM

I see Roy Smeck as the one who started the virtuoso/trickster tradition amongst guitarists. Without him no Les Paul, Roy Buchanon, Jimi Hendrix, Danny Gatton, Jeff Beck...
Watch his ukulele shtick...it's all there...
Just MHO...

/ Tony

charlie chitlin · January 10th, 2007, 11:16 PM

I once fell in love with a Roy Smeck Gibson acoustic...around 1979.
Must've been made in a war year...no truss rod.
Used to go to the guitar store to play it.
You know the routine.
I went out to see Roy Bookbinder one night and he must've fallen for it, too...but he had the scratch.
I spoke to him between sets, "Hey, man...you bought MY guitar!" We had a good laugh.
He said that guitar was so resonant that he had to put it back in the case so he could go to sleep...it amplified every little noise and sounded like cars were driving inside it.

Johnny Caster · January 11th, 2007, 12:01 AM

Nice!

January 9th, 2007, 02:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
Big Tony Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sweden, by golly! Posts: 2,528 29 Photos	Roy Smeck - The Wizard of the Strings Enjoy! / Tony __________________ {8^)> myspace.com/tonypersson

January 9th, 2007, 03:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
Mark Davis Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bakersfield Ca. Age: 58 Posts: 13,279	Roy was jammin! __________________ I'm so blind my seeing eye dog needs glasses.

January 9th, 2007, 05:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
Crotalus Atrox Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Big D, Texas Posts: 406	Thanks for the link. Didn't look like too much Just a Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe But a lady she never fared as well Who travelled through so much Jerry Jeff Walker "That Old Beat Up Guitar" __________________ Remember, real music is out there and real people are makin' it. Webb Wilder

January 10th, 2007, 05:18 PM	#5 (permalink)
Big Tony Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sweden, by golly! Posts: 2,528 29 Photos	Wizard of Strings I see Roy Smeck as the one who started the virtuoso/trickster tradition amongst guitarists. Without him no Les Paul, Roy Buchanon, Jimi Hendrix, Danny Gatton, Jeff Beck... Watch his ukulele shtick...it's all there... Just MHO... / Tony __________________ {8^)> myspace.com/tonypersson

January 10th, 2007, 11:16 PM	#6 (permalink)
charlie chitlin Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bucktown, Pa Age: 47 Posts: 2,601	I once fell in love with a Roy Smeck Gibson acoustic...around 1979. Must've been made in a war year...no truss rod. Used to go to the guitar store to play it. You know the routine. I went out to see Roy Bookbinder one night and he must've fallen for it, too...but he had the scratch. I spoke to him between sets, "Hey, man...you bought MY guitar!" We had a good laugh. He said that guitar was so resonant that he had to put it back in the case so he could go to sleep...it amplified every little noise and sounded like cars were driving inside it. __________________ Dig yo'self http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...6-bf3537901a07

January 9th, 2007, 02:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
davidge1 Tele-Holic Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: USA Posts: 998	Roy Smeck was incredible! The first song he played in that clip was called Laughing Rag. I have a longer version of that song on a compilation album of bottleneck/slide guitar music from the 20s. The guitar he was playing it on was something he built himself, that he called the "Octachorda" – it had 8 strings. The liner notes also said that after writing the song, it took him 6 months of constant practice to be able to play it.

January 11th, 2007, 12:01 AM	#7 (permalink)
Johnny Caster Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: San Antonio, TX Age: 22 Posts: 1,081	Nice! __________________ "I'm gonna toss my telecaster through the television screen cause I don't like what's goin on!" - Radiators From Space