Duesenberg Pomona! I've tried a few Duesenbergs, including a couple owned at various times by
@dazzajl, but they never seemed to sound or play how I wanted or expected. This, however, is another box of frogs altogether.I remember seeing this model reviewed in Guitarist when it came out and thinking 'ooh', but funds and availability of one to try had never coincided until last Sunday at Bristol Guitar Show. Big Deal Music actually had two, a Pomona and an Alamo. The main difference is the pickups - I tried both and couldn't hear a huge difference through the headphones provided, so I went with what I thought would be a safer option for live use, i.e. humbuckers.
Having acquired the beast (the price was right!) I now have to learn to play it, and that means some decisions.
- It came tuned to open D but I've gone for open E - more tension in the bottom string, and half the notes are in the same place as on a guitar in regular tuning. I'd quite like to try 'D over G' at some point though (G-B-D-F#-A-D low to high).
- I have a long Moonshine ceramic slide that works quite well for now, but I've ordered a Dunlop 920 bullet-shaped tone bar.
- For picking I've settled on a plectrum and a couple of fingers, as I often use hybrid picking anyway. I've never got on with bare fingers, and thumb- and finger-picks just feel too clunky.
I worked my way through some beginner lap steel vids on YouTube last night and came across the technique of angling the bar. I was kind of aware of this anyway, but that got me playing licks in 6ths. I treated Mrs Keefy to an intonationally-challenged rendition of 'You Are My Sunshine' using that approach. Using a volume pedal and the palm levers it's possible to get close to the sound of a pedal steel.
My plan is to to concentrate on the basics before inflicting the sound of feline torture on a nearby open mic...
Comments
Amazing player!
PM’d re price