If dave apollon had played the banjo

[f5loar]

Here is an interesting video of the great Eddie Peabody playing not only his tenor banjo but a very nice TenorLute and an old Gibson Lute Guitar. Notice how it's his banjo pickin' that turns the ladies on! There are more videos of Eddie in full action throughout his long career worth watching but I picked this one for the mandolin group becasuse of the tenorlute:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mJ_51z6Cxw

[Yuletide]

Great stuff! Somehow my tenor banjo playing doesn't sound like that. Maybe the ladies provide inspiration?

[Santiago]

I love how badly the old movies work performance into the flow of the play. Marx Brothers were painful at this -- "Oh look, a harp and piano in the middle of the busy department store." I guess the three ladies represent the three instruments. I think most musicians were awful actors until Levon Helm came around -- but man can this guy play, particularly that b**jo. Seems to bring out the best in his on-screen audience. That's for sure!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif Great clip.

[Jim Garber]

Thanks for posting that link. Very cool period piece.

I think that is a Gibson harp guitar and a custom Vega 6 string instrument. As I recall, Peabody played plectrum banjo which is like a 5 string without the fifth string -- longer scale than the tenor banjo. That Vega is prob tuned like the later Rickenbacker banjoline with 2 pairs of string and two singles tuned to plectrum tuning.

Here is the Rick banjoline -- he played prob it in the 1960s.
http://www.banjoseen.com/E.P/banjoline.jpg

More about Eddie Peabody here (http://www.banjoseen.com/E.P/E.Peabody.html).

Jim

[mandopete]

Anyone else noticing that You Tube seems to spaz out between the audio and video? Drivin me nuts!

[f5loar]

Your are right he was known for his Plectrum banjo stylings but I'd say it could pretty much pick anything he put in his hands. I've seen other videos where he spins the banjo in the air like Uncle Dave Macon use to do on the Opry. There is a lot to say about the stage talent guys like Eddie and Apollon had that seems to be lost in today's string pickers.

[Jim Garber]

I took lessons for a few years with another of that vaudeville ilk: Roy Smeck. As Roy would say, "you just can't play your instrument, you gotta entertain!"

Jim

[flairbzzt]

Dad's got a few albums (remember vinyl?) by Ediie Peabody, and Dave A. too!