Peter Stroud - guitarist in Sheryl Crow's band

[ddhr]

So I was watching Sheryl Crow's "C'mon America 2003" live DVD last night. Lots of cool Fenders, great players in the band. What really caught my ear was Peter Stroud's playing in general, but particularly his slide playing. He really gets a great lap/pedal steel sound on "Strong Enough" and "All I Wanna Do". The video cuts pretty quickly, but it looks like he may have multiple benders and a volume pedal. Maybe a lap tuning too? I can't find anything on Google. Anyone have ideas on how he does it?

Doug

 

[Tim Bowen]

Peter is one of the best working "parts players" on the circuit. Glad to hear that someone else has noticed his stellar fake steel work. I've never heard any player from any genre more closely grok that vibe on a standard six string. Your question is one that I've asked around about as well. He's a local boy, and I run into him from time to time at mutual gear haunts. I've already determined that I'll be picking his brain about this, next time I see him. He totally nails it. FWIW, I've seen him (on the telly) get the sound on a single P-90 SG Jr. with no benders.

 

[jericho60]

Did he ever play with Robbie Fulks?

 

[ddhr]

Tim - if you find out...

post! I'd love to know. I'm not sure if he has played with Robbie Fulks, but Robbie had a guy with him on the "Trouble With Couples" tour that did some 'steely' licks on a strat.

 

[Kingpin]

Temporary hijack

I think the name of the Strat player you guys are talking about is Grant Tye. A couple of years ago I went to the American Roots Music festival at Fitzgeralds in Chicago to see Bill Kirchen (and Dale Watson, among others). He was joined onstage by Robbie Fulks and his guitar player, Grant Tye, who proceeded to lay down some tasty pedal steel licks on a black Strat. He really worked his whammy bar and volume pot with incredible skill. Bill Kirchen was having a great time trading licks and watching Grant do his thing.

 

[Tim Bowen]

Re: Tim - if you find out...

post! I'd love to know. I'm not sure if he has played with Robbie Fulks, but Robbie had a guy with him on the "Trouble With Couples" tour that did some 'steely' licks on a strat.

Will do if I get the skinny. Stroud's faux steel work is as elusive to me as is Doug Pettibone's fuzztones with Lucinda Williams. I guess there will always be much to be said for "touch".

 

[Tom P.]

Great interview...

I've always liked his sound and playing.
Heres a link to a Tonequest interview.
http://www.tonequest.com/articles/article10.htm

 

[jericho60]

Re: Temporary hijack

I think the name of the Strat player you guys are talking about is Grant Tye. A couple of years ago I went to the American Roots Music festival at Fitzgeralds in Chicago to see Bill Kirchen (and Dale Watson, among others). He was joined onstage by Robbie Fulks and his guitar player, Grant Tye, who proceeded to lay down some tasty pedal steel licks on a black Strat. He really worked his whammy bar and volume pot with incredible skill. Bill Kirchen was having a great time trading licks and watching Grant do his thing.

Exactly, that's the same guy I saw Robbie Fulks with a few years back.

 

[ddhr]

Watched the DVD again

He has a couple of palm benders along with a slide. Pretty cool.

 

[db.ms]

Best Video Take

The Best Video Take Is:
"Weather Channel" . . .
Great "close-up" shots that "show-off" his technique.

If you could ask a question of him . . .
What would it be?

 

[Boomer Castleman]

I believe Peter plays an open E Telecaster with Bigsby Palm Pedals. Boomer Castleman

 

[castpolymer]

I believe Mr. Stroud is also a founder of 65 amps. If you have not played thru one, do it! They are the bees knees.

 

[xjazzy]

Peter is THE TONE man for me.
I love is playing.
He did a great job on the last Shawn Mullins record too.

 

[txjonc]

So I was watching Sheryl Crow's "C'mon America 2003" live DVD last night. Lots of cool Fenders, great players in the band. What really caught my ear was Peter Stroud's playing in general, but particularly his slide playing. He really gets a great lap/pedal steel sound on "Strong Enough" and "All I Wanna Do". The video cuts pretty quickly, but it looks like he may have multiple benders and a volume pedal. Maybe a lap tuning too? I can't find anything on Google. Anyone have ideas on how he does it?

Doug

I'm a big fan of Peter Stroud to, great player, great tone. The guitar your talking about is a G & L Strat style guitar that he bought very cheap at a music store that had burned down. He guted it and rebuilt it with the humbuckers and Hip-Shot benders to use for the steel type stuff. Dusenberg is making a guitar that is the same type guitar and I think Peter is using one now. I'll see if I can find the interview where he talks about this guitar.

 

[xjazzy]

He talks about that in the Tonequest interview. The link is some posts above yours.

 

[txjonc]

OK, here it is in Guitarist Oct. '08
Peter Stroud: "Yeah! It's a G&L, which I bought in 1980/1981 from a music store in North Carolina that had burned down! They had a salvage sale and I paid $30 for it. It looked like something out of a Salvador Dali painting. The tuning keys were droopinging off the headstock, the pickups had melted, the paint was all crumpled up, so a friend of mine sripped it and sprayed it hot rod red. I nailed in those humbuckers and over the course time I found the Bigsby Palm Pedal at a store. Six years later I put it all together.When I started to learn to play with it I was with Pete Droge on the Find A Door recoed. With Sheryl, through the live shows and the DVD's we've done, I've kind of got known for using it during my part in Home."

He goes on to say, " Duesenberg are making one called the Multi Bender ( fitted to the Pomona 6 guitar ), which they say was inspired by watching me with the Palm Pedal."

He also says the tuning for Home is open E for this guitar.

 

[refin]

Great versatile player,plays what the tune needs.

 

[studio1087]

I saw him with Crow at Summerfest a few years ago, He was great. As a support guy/hired gun I would put him up there with Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams).

John

 

[DMRoller]

Premiere Guitar has a podcast that is an interview with Peter and his partner at 65 Amps, Dan Boul.

Scroll down on this page for the link. Premier Guitar Podcast page

Dale