Sam bush

[TinaBee1]

I saw Sam Bush last night in Falls Church, VA. It was just bloody amazing!! Wow! First time I've seen him. Too shy to ask him what kind of mandolins he plays and I couldn't see the headstocks. Anyone know? And is that an electric mandolin he plays??? The level of expertise in the band members was just incredible. I couldn't catch the name of the guitar player though. Just amazing. I am in awe. I'll be crying later on this morning considering the late hour I got home and the early hour I have to get up for work, but I think it's worth a lack of sleep!!

[MikeEdgerton]

...Too shy to ask him what kind of mandolins he plays and I couldn't see the headstocks. Anyone know?...
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Gibson (http://www.gibson.com/whatsnew/pressrelease/2004/apr19a.html). I would be shocked to see him playing anything else right now.

[swampstomper]

See Official Sam Bush Website (http://www.sambush.com/) for lots of details on instruments and band. Guitarist is Stephen Mougin from MA and boy can he sing (as well as pick)!

Look under the Music | Gear link; among others:

1937 Gibson F5 Mandolin - Barcus-Berry Hot Dot pick-up and Countryman Isomax IIC mic.
2000 Gibson F5 Sam Bush Signature Series Mandolin - Barcus Berry Hot Dot pick-up and Countryman Isomax IIC mic.
1938 National Resophonic Slide Mandolin - w/ a Highlander pick-up and an internal Shure mic.
1976 Cats Eyes - Martin D42 copy - w/ a Highlander pick-up and a Countryman Isomax IIC mic.
1956 Fender Electric Mandolin
1980 Custom Electric 4-string mandolin designed by Sam, modified by
Sim Daley.
1959 Gibson A-5 Florentine Custom.
(unknown year built)
Copy of a Stradivarius violin w/ a Barcus-Berry
bridge pick-up and Joe Mills mic.

Sam Bush model Gibson Mandolin Strings
Thomastik violin strings

[june39]

Hoss was missing last night. It is in the shop having the 4th finger board installed.

D. McCash

[Chad Stein]

See Official Sam Bush Website (http://www.sambush.com/) for lots of details on instruments and band. Guitarist is Stephen Mougin from MA and boy can he sing (as well as pick)!

Look under the Music | Gear link; among others:

1937 Gibson F5 Mandolin - Barcus-Berry Hot Dot pick-up and Countryman Isomax IIC #mic.
2000 Gibson F5 Sam Bush Signature Series Mandolin - Barcus Berry Hot #Dot pick-up and Countryman Isomax IIC mic.
1938 National Resophonic Slide Mandolin - w/ a Highlander pick-up and #an internal Shure mic.
1976 Cats Eyes - Martin D42 copy - w/ a Highlander pick-up and a #Countryman Isomax IIC mic.
1956 Fender Electric Mandolin
1980 Custom Electric 4-string mandolin designed by Sam, modified by #
Sim Daley.
1959 Gibson A-5 Florentine Custom.
(unknown year built)
Copy of a Stradivarius violin w/ a Barcus-Berry #
bridge pick-up and Joe Mills mic.

Sam Bush model Gibson Mandolin Strings
Thomastik violin strings
Yeah they were definitely Gibsons...both that he had out. Not sure about the electric, I had given up my spot near the stage by the time that came into play.

It was my first time in the State and I thought they could have played with a lot less amplification, or maybe just less volume on the speakers. I felt it was hard to hear the mando or lyrics.

Overall the band was incredibly talented though, I thought the bluegrass licks were the best. But I guess I'm biased. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[ondigo]

Tina is right: it was an amazing concert. I don't make it to a lot of concerts because I balk at the ticket price. So my basis of comparison is skimpy compared to a lot of folks, but it was probably the best concert I've ever been to. The venue was the size I like: a few hundred on the main floor, plus balcony space. I got a standing spot against the stage (stage right) where I had a perfect view of Sam's fingering (slightly less optimal to see the picking) and excellent views of banjo player Scott Vestal's work. The sound was cranked to a volume you could enjoy without your ears bleeding.

And for me, the thing that made it most enjoyable was the obvious fun all the players were having. The set list covered the breadth of Sam's work well. Sam opened the show with "Funk 42" as a tribute on Jackie Robinson day. (Sadly, my beloved Nationals had been rained out in NY Sunday.) For my money, the best songs of the night were "White Bird" and "Sapporo", which got extended treatment with great solos.

Cheap as I am, I won't hesitate to shell out my shekels the next time I get a chance to see Sam play. If he's coming to your area, you should definitely go.

[TinaBee1]

Ondigo is right. They were just having a blast! I was telling my co-workers and anyone else I came in contact with that it you could just tell that they were enjoying every minute of it. And Sam's fiddle playing??!! WHHOOOWEEE! Man, oh man. He was tearing it up! Wow just doesn't cover it. I just kept shaking my head thinking "wow -how does anyone do that??!!" The cost of these concerts really put a hurting on you as well. Emmylou is going to be in Richmond, VA next month and the tickets are $30. Would love to go, but Graves Mt. is coming up the end of May so I have to save for that. It was just a great, great concert. I'm so glad I got a chance to go!

[Peter Hackman]

Country Music People (a British magazine) recently had an article on
Sam Bush. It focused on his career, people, dates, there was very little
of his own views or philosophy. Yet there were a few striking facts
and statements.

E.g., about the fiddling tips he got from Howdy Forrester because his father happened to be friends with Roy Acuff.

How his general attitude towards fellow musicians changed when several of them played benefits for his cancer treatment. Actually, Bush has only
praise for any other musician mentioned in the interview.

This is how the article ends:

Sam's memory then takes him back a few decades: When we played in Chicago, Jethro used to open up our show for NGR. I couldn't understand that. I mean, why my hero was opening a show for me. I didn't fell I merited it, but Jethro told me: "Aw, just get used to it. Someday you'll be old like me
and opening for some young guys, too. Just be glad to be in there somewhere."

Bush owns two of Jethro's red two-point mandolins. He will tour
with Edgar Meyer and Jerry Douglas in October.

[Rick Cadger]

i don't suppose Mr Bush ever plays in the UK? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

probably isn't the audience for it here. shame, i'd love to see him play.

[littledonnie]

Glad to hear he does a great show. He is going to be here at the Old Settlers Music Fest this weekend and I won (i'm too cheap to actualy buy concert tickets) tickets for the weekend.

[devilstone_the_bard]

Cool info guys, looks like Sam's coming to CT in July.


Looks like I'll have to get tix http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[first string]

He will tour
with Edgar Meyer and Jerry Douglas in October.
I'd love to see one of those shows. I saw them playing (along with Bela, Brian Sutton, and Tim O) at Telluride last summer, and they were great, but I think they would be even better on tour together. I find groups usually sound the best when they've been rehearsing together and playing shows together, rather than coming together at festivals (though I certainly love festivals).

[mando-g]

What is a "barcus berry hot dog pick up? I am thinking about geting a pickup for my mandolin, and I can'f find the "hot dog" at Elderly or FQMS. Could someone elaborate?

[MandoSquirrel]

Those were a big deal 20 or so years ago, I don't know if they're still available; I imagine the technology has improved, but then again, sometimes the older styles are better, tube amps for example.

[Tighthead]

Sam Bush on the Barcus-Berry Hot Dot: " They might be the crummiest pickup Barcus-Berry has ever made, but they just seem to match up with the lack of sustain that a mandolin has. They just don't pick up as much sustain as other pickups I've tried."

[Crowder]

I love it when Sam plays bluegrass, LOVE IT. Once he strays from that he always loses me. The last thing I want to hear when I go to a Sam Bush show is a bunch of reggae covers. I don't get it.

[Ron Landis]

I've been inspired by Sam's playing since I started playing mando about 30 years ago. #He, Grisman, Jethro, and of course, Monroe are the biggest influences in my musical career. #I finally got the chance to meet him about three or four years ago. We opened up for him at the Eureka Springs Folk Festival. #He actually agreed to sit in with us for our last tune, one that HE wrote called Whayasay. #We traded licks throughout and it came off almost flawless without any rehearsal.
Amazingly, I was not nervous in the least bit, and was able so savor every second. But I was so mesmorized at one point, I missed my que to pick it up after the middle jam part, but being the gentleman he is, he actually apologized to me later, taking the blame for himself. #Truly a professional and a really nice guy. He even gave me a hug at the end of the tune under thunderous applause of an audience of about 800. #It don't get no better than that!

[drewgrass]

saw sam bush, ricky skaggs and kentucky thunder, and caddilac sky last night
at winstar casino in oklahoma sat on the fist row, pretty killer show, sam is just a monster,his fiddle playing was very good used a little delay etc to coax some erie sound from it .he was cool to walking around the place afterwards just hanging out.