Does Anyone Have Julian Tharpe's Tuning?

Steve Alonzo Walker · Post by **Steve Alonzo Walker** » 18 Sep 2001 2:36 pm

I would like to have Julian Thorpe's 14 string tuning if anyone has it.I think he was one of the great inovative players of all time! Thank you!

God Bless America!!!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 18 Sep 2001 3:34 pm

Why, is it missing?

Steve Alonzo Walker · Post by **Steve Alonzo Walker** » 18 Sep 2001 7:26 pm

Is what missing?

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 18 Sep 2001 7:39 pm

Steve-
I think I have it. I used to use a tuning
something like it, sort of E6-E9. I'll see if I can dig it up for you....al

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 18 Sep 2001 8:02 pm

It's Tharpe - not Thorpe.Why does everybody call him Thorpe?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 19 Sep 2001 3:17 am

Sorry, Steve. It was obviously a failed attempt at humor. It was supposed to go like this:

"Does anyone have Julian Thorpe's tuning?"

"Why, is it missing?"

Oh, well... back to the drawing board!

Steve Alonzo Walker · Post by **Steve Alonzo Walker** » 19 Sep 2001 3:51 am

No problem Jim

Kenny Forbess · Post by **Kenny Forbess** » 19 Sep 2001 7:31 am

Steve,
Julian's copedent is in the Winnie Winston
Pedal Steel Guitar instruction book.
He called it E96. but it might have been changed over the years.
I haven't posted anything like that. so maybe someone here will post it.
Kenny

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 19 Sep 2001 8:17 pm

Kenny is right. Get the Winnie Winston book. Judging by the tuning, and from what little I've heard, Julian Tharpe was no mere mortal.

As for the tuning, I'd type it out for you, but it would take an hour!!

Drew

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www.newslinkassociates.com
www.drewhoward.com

TomP · Post by **TomP** » 19 Sep 2001 8:40 pm

He was one of the best. But he will never be elected to the "Steel Guitar Player Businessman's Hall of Fame"!! That seems certain. Sad.

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-Tom www.tompowell.org

Mike Cass · Post by **Mike Cass** » 22 Sep 2001 1:02 am

Many would probably be surprised to learn that ol' Julie was the father of modern day steel guitar "pyrotechnics", that so many today admire, envy & imitate....not to mention his proficiency at extended chord melody.Julian was truly one of a kind.....in all ways

Fred Jack · Post by **Fred Jack** » 22 Sep 2001 7:39 am

Right on Mike...IN ALL WAYS !
What a genuine pleasure and privilege it was to know and buddy with "JET" for several years. His music keeps him alive.There is other great steel pickers but imho there aren't any better. regards, fred

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 22 Sep 2001 8:51 am

... the father of modern day steel guitar "pyrotechnics" ...

Did Julian Tharpe pick-block?

Mike Cass · Post by **Mike Cass** » 24 Sep 2001 11:25 am

bOb, he didnt have to

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 24 Sep 2001 11:58 am

But he did just about EVERYTHING ELSE.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 4 Oct 2001 7:05 pm

Here is Julians tuning chart from the early 70's when he played his white Wright Custom, before he dropped from 'F' to 'E'. This was written out by Julian his-self.

[This message was edited by Russ Wever on 04 October 2001 at 08:15 PM.]

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 4 Oct 2001 8:27 pm

That is pretty much what I remembered . If you move that down 1/2 tone to E it is a straight E6 tuning and the top 6 strings are and exact same as E9, and the lower strings are E6. He has a lot of nice pedal pulls there. And he sure played the $ell out of it....al

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 5 Oct 2001 12:00 pm

WOW! Thanks, Russ
I think I remember that guitar -- didn't realize it was ever an F based tuning. How the heck did he raise 3 from A to Bb without breaking strings every 5 minutes????

As I recall there were two rows of pedals -- seems like Al Petty had something similar about that time too.

Anybody have a clue why P4, P10, and P11 are exactly the same single string pull???? Maybe a typo (or a 'print-o'), but I would suspect there's some method to the madness, considering it was Jooyun.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 5 Oct 2001 5:20 pm

. . there were two rows of pedals . .

Yeah, this is indicated by the way he located the pedal numbers at the top of the chart -
Pedals 1,2,4,6,8,10,12,14 & 15 were in the rearward tier and pedals 3,5,7,9,11 & 13 were in the forward tier.
As for the duplication on pedals 10 & 11 perhaps the fact that pedal 10 is a regular foot-pedal while pedal 11 is a 'toe-pedal' may enter into play. The duplication on pedal 4 would allow for different pedal combinations than the combinations available to pedals 10 or 11.
Per chance David Wright may see this and offer his insight.
I believe Al Pettys Dekley has a 'toe-and-heel' type system. Jim Smith built it, maybe he'll comment here.
~ Russ

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 5 Oct 2001 6:59 pm

Hey Russ, thanks for remembering!

Yes, Al Petty's D-12 Dekley was heel and toe with the odd numbered pedals on one row and the evens on the other. This may have been his first heel-toe pedal steel, but I don't remember for sure. I am sure though, that it was the first (and last) heel-toe guitar I built. Besides the 20 pedals, he also had five knee levers, I believe.

Al now plays a single 12 GFI that also has heel-toe pedals.

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Jim Smith jimsmith94@home.com
-=Dekley D-12 10&12=-
-=Fessenden Ext. E9/U-13 8&8=-

Winnie Winston · Post by **Winnie Winston** » 8 Oct 2001 11:34 pm

That was an interesting tuning on the Wright with the double row of pedals.
I got the Tuning from Julian when I wrote the book. At the time he was playing a Sho-bud single 14 with a single row of pedals.
He identified it as an E9/6-- the top was sort of like an E9 and the bottom was like an E6.
I have the chart in my book.
How's he do it? I know someone who asked him that and he waved his thumb and index finger at them.
Two fingers-- probably pick blocking.

Winnie

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 10 Oct 2001 6:12 am

I can almost guarantee you JULIAN THARPE DID NOT (consciously) PICK BLOCK. Just listen to him -- a lot of staccatto -- doesn't sound like pick blocking to me at all. There's no 'secret ingredient' -- he was simply a great player.

I only watched him up close a couple of times, but I was interested in Paul Franklin's technique at the time (as if I'm not still

). From what I observed, Julian didn't pick block, except perhaps by accident. His playing was not nearly as clean as Paul's -- he was a 'street player' not a studio guy. He could mix it up with the best of them.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro