Buck Owens

Fendermojoman · March 27th, 2006, 10:15 PM

As many of you know, Buck Owens passed away on Saturday March 25. I had the privelage of working with Buck on the TV show Hee Haw for 10 years as a Cameraman. Both he and Don Rich were avid Telecaster musicians. Don passed away shortly after our Spring "taping" in the mid seventies after having a motorcycle accident. Don sang backup & could flat wear out a Telecaster during the turnarounds on Buck's songs. I used to marvel at all the different guitars Don would use during the TV tapings. Buck played several Fender Telecasters as well but mostly they were props for him. He also had a line of Red, White and Blue acoustics made for TV use. By the way, I actually played Waylon Jennings Leather top Tele one time in between takes. Both will be missed in the music world along with Don.

JamonHamon · March 27th, 2006, 11:20 PM

Great story, In my home town at a pawn shop there was a red white and blue guitar just like bucks that hung on the wall for at least 10 years!!!!! I played it a few times but had a lot of brown glue on the inside very messy!!!

Guitarzan · March 28th, 2006, 03:15 PM

Who was it that made those acoustics for Buck?

Was it a luthier in Arkansas that died 12-13 years ago?

Fendermojoman · March 28th, 2006, 06:09 PM

Chicago Musical Instruments made the guitars Buck used ($99 ea.)but I kinda remember him mentioning to someone on the set one time that they were not high quality. Sears sold them and his website sells them today along with a Buck Tele. (www.buckowens.com).Don Rich later had the Red, White & Blue scheme applied to his Tele & Buck had one too. I remember Buck playing the Piano one time (off camera) and he was simply phenominal! I was really surprised.
The first year Hee Haw was on, The Buckeroos were the house band for the show. Later on they brought in George Richey as music director and Nashville session players who were superb. George was married to Tammy Wynette. Both the cast & crew for the show got along very well and there was alot of fun during the tapings.
I'd love to see the blooper reel!!!!!
We would tape every May just before Fan Fare and every October just before the CMA awards show. The studio was split in half: One half was the living room/fireplace set for the whole 4-5 week taping. The other half woulf be staged with the barn set, then the cornfield set, then the moonshiner set, then JR's car lot, etc.
With each guest, we'd shoot the "fence/Pfft you was gone" and joke sequences where the fence would pop them in the butt. Buck and Roy usually came in during the Barn set (orange) skits for Pickin & Grinnin and then would do some real music and be gone. I only worked the show the first 10 years while it was produced at WLAC-TV (now WTVF-TV). Then it moved to TNN for remaining years. Buck was very polite to everybody in person but make no mistake, he was a business man!

TELECASTERbstrd · March 28th, 2006, 06:19 PM

"In 1966 Buck and The Buckaroos had their instruments painted red, white and blue, an extension of Buck’s innate patriotism. When these instruments were seen on Hee Haw, guitar manufacturers began making offers to him to market a guitar in those colors. Though Buck used a red, white and blue acoustic guitar built for him by Semie Moseley of Mosrite Guitars, his business sense told him an expensive model of that type wouldn’t sell to the public.

He finally licensed Chicago Musical Instruments (makers of the prestigious Gibson guitars) to market a $99 acoustic model, and received a $2.50 royalty on each sold. He knew that Sears would market them but had no idea they would sell as well as they did --until the first royalty check came. "The very first statement, they sent me $15,000," he laughs. "I said, ‘Oh, you mean THAT Sears!""

I thought Honer made some too
TCB

Buck@r00 · March 28th, 2006, 10:01 PM

The Buck Owens guitars sold by Sears were almost identical to the Harmony Sovereign of the same period. Besides the paint scheme, the only thing different is the pick guard and the bridge is reversed. My sister-in-law has a black sovereign (never played) that I've been trying to talk her out of so I can repaint it.

J.C. Penney two years ago at Christmas sold a Harmony Sovereign Reissue in the Buck paint scheme. I did get that one. It sounds terrible but looks pretty. I love to play it along with my Ranch and Hee Haw DVDs

March 27th, 2006, 10:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
Fendermojoman TDPRI Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 84	Buck Owens As many of you know, Buck Owens passed away on Saturday March 25. I had the privelage of working with Buck on the TV show Hee Haw for 10 years as a Cameraman. Both he and Don Rich were avid Telecaster musicians. Don passed away shortly after our Spring "taping" in the mid seventies after having a motorcycle accident. Don sang backup & could flat wear out a Telecaster during the turnarounds on Buck's songs. I used to marvel at all the different guitars Don would use during the TV tapings. Buck played several Fender Telecasters as well but mostly they were props for him. He also had a line of Red, White and Blue acoustics made for TV use. By the way, I actually played Waylon Jennings Leather top Tele one time in between takes. Both will be missed in the music world along with Don. __________________ FenderMoJoMan

March 28th, 2006, 03:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
Guitarzan Tele-Holic Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Hotlanta, GA Posts: 901	Who was it that made those acoustics for Buck? Was it a luthier in Arkansas that died 12-13 years ago? __________________ Set an eye on 'em Amos. Make it count, son.

March 28th, 2006, 06:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
Fendermojoman TDPRI Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 84	Guitar mfg Chicago Musical Instruments made the guitars Buck used ($99 ea.)but I kinda remember him mentioning to someone on the set one time that they were not high quality. Sears sold them and his website sells them today along with a Buck Tele. (www.buckowens.com).Don Rich later had the Red, White & Blue scheme applied to his Tele & Buck had one too. I remember Buck playing the Piano one time (off camera) and he was simply phenominal! I was really surprised. The first year Hee Haw was on, The Buckeroos were the house band for the show. Later on they brought in George Richey as music director and Nashville session players who were superb. George was married to Tammy Wynette. Both the cast & crew for the show got along very well and there was alot of fun during the tapings. I'd love to see the blooper reel!!!!! We would tape every May just before Fan Fare and every October just before the CMA awards show. The studio was split in half: One half was the living room/fireplace set for the whole 4-5 week taping. The other half woulf be staged with the barn set, then the cornfield set, then the moonshiner set, then JR's car lot, etc. With each guest, we'd shoot the "fence/Pfft you was gone" and joke sequences where the fence would pop them in the butt. Buck and Roy usually came in during the Barn set (orange) skits for Pickin & Grinnin and then would do some real music and be gone. I only worked the show the first 10 years while it was produced at WLAC-TV (now WTVF-TV). Then it moved to TNN for remaining years. Buck was very polite to everybody in person but make no mistake, he was a business man! __________________ FenderMoJoMan

March 28th, 2006, 06:19 PM	#5 (permalink)
TELECASTERbstrd Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Hill Country TEXAS Posts: 748	From Buck's web site... "In 1966 Buck and The Buckaroos had their instruments painted red, white and blue, an extension of Buck’s innate patriotism. When these instruments were seen on Hee Haw, guitar manufacturers began making offers to him to market a guitar in those colors. Though Buck used a red, white and blue acoustic guitar built for him by Semie Moseley of Mosrite Guitars, his business sense told him an expensive model of that type wouldn’t sell to the public. He finally licensed Chicago Musical Instruments (makers of the prestigious Gibson guitars) to market a $99 acoustic model, and received a $2.50 royalty on each sold. He knew that Sears would market them but had no idea they would sell as well as they did --until the first royalty check came. "The very first statement, they sent me $15,000," he laughs. "I said, ‘Oh, you mean THAT Sears!"" I thought Honer made some too TCB __________________ Howdy Y'all, most of my stuff pertains to country music. my MySpace Music Hill Country Horseworks

March 28th, 2006, 10:01 PM	#6 (permalink)
Buck@r00 Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Kathleen GA Age: 47 Posts: 107	The Buck Owens guitars sold by Sears were almost identical to the Harmony Sovereign of the same period. Besides the paint scheme, the only thing different is the pick guard and the bridge is reversed. My sister-in-law has a black sovereign (never played) that I've been trying to talk her out of so I can repaint it. J.C. Penney two years ago at Christmas sold a Harmony Sovereign Reissue in the Buck paint scheme. I did get that one. It sounds terrible but looks pretty. I love to play it along with my Ranch and Hee Haw DVDs __________________ "You got time to breathe, you got time for music" - Briscoe Darlin

March 27th, 2006, 11:20 PM	#2 (permalink)
JamonHamon Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 1,337	Great story, In my home town at a pawn shop there was a red white and blue guitar just like bucks that hung on the wall for at least 10 years!!!!! I played it a few times but had a lot of brown glue on the inside very messy!!!