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Thread: Skaggs

  1. #1
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    Default Skaggs

    Hey there!

    Just in case you haven't seen this yet.


    Best,
    Dem

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    Default Re: Skaggs

    I'm just blown away by Ricky's modest insistence that he never quite mastered the tremolo!
    It always sounded just fine to me. But it makes me feel better that I still find it such a challenge.

    I particularly liked the part where he said what part of the pick he likes to use. I've also found I like what some call the "shoulder," just off to one side of the tip.

  4. #3

    Default Re: Skaggs

    That is one of the sweetest sounding mandolins I've ever heard, just love its tone - I'm sure his playing gets it out of it.
    Agreed, Ricky is a genuinely humble guy to dismiss his own ability that way - if you're in doubt go back to his duet album with Tony rice - tremolo is perfect.
    One thing though, that florida does like to let its presence be heard - maybe the clicking is a new technique to provide rhythm accompaniment.

  5. #4
    Registered User Doug Brock's Avatar
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    I ran across this video last night. It was an interesting interview by Sweetwater (a great music store that I like buying from, but not one that targets "traditional" musicians). The interview was supposedly for guitarists who might want to try the mandolin. The interviewer was holding an Epiphone mando - I think it was an Epiphone, anyway - that wasn't my focus.

    The interview started with Ricky demonstrating the simple G, C, and D chords, but I was surprised at Ricky's comments about the 2-0-0-2 D chord. He said that SOME people might play it that way, but he acted like that was a hard way to play it and that he would more likely play the D as a 7-4-5-x. The tremolo comments also surprised me, and Ricky seemed serious that he'd never spent much time trying to get good at the tremolo.

    The interview wandered quite a bit, talking about guitars and fiddles and picks, so maybe not too useful for a guitarist interested in mandolin, but I still enjoyed it. Casual talk about music from a great musician will always pique my interest!
    Doug Brock
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    I dug it, too. He mentioned the great Buck White, one of my heroes. And I didn't hear much pick click, at all.

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  8. #6

    Default Re: Skaggs

    Quote Originally Posted by AlanN View Post
    I dug it, too. He mentioned the great Buck White, one of my heroes. And I didn't hear much pick click, at all.
    A couple of years ago I saw Ricky with Ry Cooder and the Whites. Buck was on piano and stole the show.

  9. #7

    Default Re: Skaggs

    Buck is Ricky's father in law.

    Len B.
    Clearwater, FL

  10. #8

    Default Re: Skaggs

    That Blue Chip sounds amazing!

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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Quote Originally Posted by lenf12 View Post
    Buck is Ricky's father in law.

    Len B.
    Clearwater, FL
    That he is.

  12. #10
    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Is that one of his signed Skaggs MM's that he distressed to look like Monroe's? Or a Vessel?

  13. #11
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Ricky's a terrific mandolin player. One of my very favourite CDs is his ''Instrumentals'' CD. Al lthe tunes self-penned by Ricky & all of 'em great !,
    Ivan
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Interesting that he plays with a guitar-shaped pick. I end up using a CT-55 most of the time because it's just so dang fast, but I do use the TAD-1R as well so I can roll it around to the round corner for that character tone. What intrigued me was that bridge with huge adjusting wheels. As a builder, I've come to associate those with cheap Asian bridges. I wonder if a Cumberland bridge would put more body in the tone of that mandolin?

  15. #13
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob Roy View Post
    Interesting that he plays with a guitar-shaped pick. I end up using a CT-55 most of the time because it's just so dang fast, but I do use the TAD-1R as well so I can roll it around to the round corner for that character tone. What intrigued me was that bridge with huge adjusting wheels. As a builder, I've come to associate those with cheap Asian bridges. I wonder if a Cumberland bridge would put more body in the tone of that mandolin?
    Well I'm pretty sure that's Ricky's Distressed MM that he did even more distressing to make it look like Monroe's, down to the gouged out peg head inlay to the big wheels as Monroe's was like that.

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    Default Re: Skaggs

    I just had the pleasure of seeing Ricky and Kentucky Thunder perform Thursday night. What a humble guy and wow-what a band!

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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Quote Originally Posted by William Smith View Post
    Is that one of his signed Skaggs MM's that he distressed to look like Monroe's? Or a Vessel?
    Billy, look at the "eagle beak" shaped scroll mitre and the slightly-too-wide body curve radius between the body points, and you can tell it's a modern Gibson, thus with all probabiity his signed Skaggs MM.

  18. #16
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Quote Originally Posted by Henry Eagle View Post
    Billy, look at the "eagle beak" shaped scroll mitre and the slightly-too-wide body curve radius between the body points, and you can tell it's a modern Gibson, thus with all probabiity his signed Skaggs MM.
    Yes I do believe its one of his signed MM's, great open, fat sound to it, not real Loarish IMHO but still a Hoss. I actually think back in September when I seen his band he was just singing as his arm was all in a sling his mando player was playing that mandolin and it sounded splendid! At first I thought it may have been that tribute Monroe 5 that Gary Vessel did years ago for Richie K.

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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Here is a Mandolin Café discussion about the mandolin.
    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...new-quot-mando

    Adam

  20. #18
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Man, I enjoyed that. I perked up at the mention of Buck, too, I really like Buck White. Loved that story - "Learn to play every song you know in all twelve keys"

    Was Ricky playing a sort of rambling version of Salt Creek there at the end?
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  21. #19
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Quote Originally Posted by William Smith View Post
    great open, fat sound to it, not real Loarish IMHO but still a Hoss.
    Absolutely, not loarish.

  22. #20
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Today was the first chance I’ve had to look at this, thanks for sharing!
    I like the respect he holds Bill Monroe in, it’s clear they were friends and how much Ricky learned from Big Mon.
    Not a bad first lesson, really.
    Timothy F. Lewis
    "If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett

  23. #21
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Here’s the interview he did with Sweetwater as well https://youtu.be/0wx9X1sVKaU
    Mickey

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  24. #22
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    OK, so what is the "loarish" sound? Some years ago I went to the "Loar Fest" in Bakersfield, California, there were around 40 Lloyd Loar signed mandolins in a special room with a security guard, and the mandolins all sounded different when you heard different players on the same Loar, or if you picked one up and played it yourself (yes, most owners there let you do that). Especially John Reischman's Loar sounded really different from the other Loars. Is the "Loar sound" some unattainable tone that is in our head, but never heard until a Gibson Loar is played, we hear it, think we know what it is, and never hear that sound again until we hear a Gibson Loar again? I know this topic has been batted around for a long time, but honestly, has anybody really come up with a good definition of a "Loar sound?" Isn't the "Loar sound" really mass hypnosis? Sure, a round, fat, pleasant sound with decent volume is what we're after, but in blind tests of Gibson Loars with other mandolins, many players can't tell if the mandolin being played is a Gibson Lloyd Loar, or a good sounding Gilchrist, Red Diamond, Weins, or other well crafted mandolin with good woods with some age on them. Don't get out the popcorn and make this into a long debate again, but I think it is worth raising the issue again. As is often the case again, "We hear with our eyes."
    John A. Karsemeyer

  25. #23

    Default Re: Skaggs

    Quote Originally Posted by JAK View Post
    OK, so what is the "loarish" sound? Some years ago I went to the "Loar Fest" in Bakersfield, California, there were around 40 Lloyd Loar signed mandolins in a special room with a security guard, and the mandolins all sounded different when you heard different players on the same Loar, or if you picked one up and played it yourself (yes, most owners there let you do that). Especially John Reischman's Loar sounded really different from the other Loars. Is the "Loar sound" some unattainable tone that is in our head, but never heard until a Gibson Loar is played, we hear it, think we know what it is, and never hear that sound again until we hear a Gibson Loar again? I know this topic has been batted around for a long time, but honestly, has anybody really come up with a good definition of a "Loar sound?" Isn't the "Loar sound" really mass hypnosis? Sure, a round, fat, pleasant sound with decent volume is what we're after, but in blind tests of Gibson Loars with other mandolins, many players can't tell if the mandolin being played is a Gibson Lloyd Loar, or a good sounding Gilchrist, Red Diamond, Weins, or other well crafted mandolin with good woods with some age on them. Don't get out the popcorn and make this into a long debate again, but I think it is worth raising the issue again. As is often the case again, "We hear with our eyes."
    I think there is a classic Loar tone. It has a characteristic mid-range focus that really cuts through in bluegrass, and a slight sparkle at the top end. Many modern mandolins sport more full lows and some bright highs, but they lack that mid-range punch. Heck, even some high end Gibsons lack this sound. Others can certainly chime in and correct me here if they disagree, but this is what I think of the Loar sound.

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  27. #24
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Quote Originally Posted by illinoisfiddler View Post
    I think there is a classic Loar tone. It has a characteristic mid-range focus that really cuts through in bluegrass, and a slight sparkle at the top end. Many modern mandolins sport more full lows and some bright highs, but they lack that mid-range punch. Heck, even some high end Gibsons lack this sound. Others can certainly chime in and correct me here if they disagree, but this is what I think of the Loar sound.

    Sounds like mine...
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    Default Re: Skaggs

    Nick, it’s not the mandolin, it’s your sparkling attitude that comes through your playing!
    Timothy F. Lewis
    "If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett

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