Nashville Musicians Hall of Fame STEELS

[Greg Vincent]

This Cali guy was back in Nashville again and (finally!) got to visit the Musicians Hall of Fame. Some terrific instruments there! Including: Big Ben Keith’s Emmons push/pull —with the freakin’ bolts across the front apron (I imagine I’m late to the party, but what is the story there???) AND… Pete Drake’s gorgeous gold Sho~Bud. (WHY are gold-top/gold-hardware pedal steels not a thing? What a stunner!)

Famous pics of these steels abound, including: Ben’s push/pull on the back cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest” (he’s sitting on a haybail! ) and Pete with Ringo & George & Frampton on the “All Things Must Pass” sessions…

I could feel the HEAT coming off these remarkable instruments!

[Jim Fogle]

Great pictures. The Musician's Hall of Fame is at the top of a small list of places I'd like to visit. I imagine I could spend a whole day there and still miss something great. There is just so much there to see.

[Greg Vincent]

Truly, Jim. SO many instruments there. DAYS could be spent exploring it all. (Note Pete’s Talk Box prototype at the bottom of one of the pics!)

[James Collett]

If I remember right, there was a homemade steel on display there that someone (John Hughey, maybe?) built and used in their early career before getting a brand-name guitar. That museum is one of my favorites.

That steel of Pete's is pretty cool, but if I remember correctly that was not his daily driver--I'm pretty sure he primarily played a gold Sho-Bud Crossover from the late 1960s until he stopped doing sessions in the 80s. I think this gold-on-gold guitar used to be on display in the Ernest Tubb record shop, but it's been a decade or so since I've been to Nashville so I could be wrong about that. The "Buddie Emmons"/Pete Drake Sho-Bud Permanent of both of their early careers is on display at the CMHOF, I believe.

[Diane Diekman]

In my biweekly email newsletter, I am currently introducing all the members of the Nashville Musicians Hall of Fame. I'm up to 2019 and will talk briefly about Paul Franklin in next week's newsletter. It's been really interesting to learn about all the different individuals and groups.