lakeview - Posted - 09/07/2023:  18:34:45

Hi I am hoping that someone here will know the answer to this.

On the liner notes of the album and album credits that I have found online all they state is Jerry Douglas dobro , weissenborn .

Do any of you know the specific maker and wood composition of the instruments that were played on each track?

The album came out in 2002 so what instruments was he playing most frequently in 2001?

If you are unfamiliar with the album get curious about it. It is a treasure. Thanks!!!

Edited by - lakeview on 09/08/2023 12:24:52

wlgiii - Posted - 09/08/2023:  07:51:30

Don't know about the instruments but I concur about the album. Some LPs lose their luster after repeated playing, but Blue Railroad Heart continues to sound as fresh as ever each time the needle hits the grooves (figuratively speaking; "when the laser hits the pits" is just not poetic.)

Lounge Primate - Posted - 09/08/2023:  09:05:27

Pretty sure Jerry played a Scheerhorn around that time (Several of them). Pretty sure he retired the RQ Jones in the 90’s. Not sure about the weissie.
But Mark or Howard will know for sure I’ll bet

Iceman6937 - Posted - 09/08/2023:  12:16:30

Are you talking about "Blue Country Heart" here?

Backed by the Nashville All-Stars, a supersonic string band comprising bluegrass masters Sam Bush (mandolin), Jerry Douglas (Dobro), Béla Fleck (banjo), and Byron House (stand-up bass), all playing on vintage 1920s and '30s acoustic instruments, Kaukonen revives and vividly reinterprets these blues-drenched country classics for a new generation of listeners. --Bob Allen

Edited by - Iceman6937 on 09/08/2023 12:17:55

lakeview - Posted - 09/08/2023:  12:26:33

Lol ya Blue Country Heart I have a LOT going on in my life right now. Thanks

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 09/08/2023:  14:42:25

Ivan (lakeview's actual first name) I haven't forgotten about you after you texted me last weekend about this. We have some serious health related stuff going on in our family right now  so I haven't had much time to really delve into the question.



It's a great album but I haven't listened to it much this week to try to figure out what guitar Jerry is playing. But they did make a promo video when it was being recorded in Nashville in 2002. Though the video is a little grainy, check out Jerry at at 1:40 and 3:35 - looks like it might be a mahogany Scheerhorn to me and from the body shape it could be a Standard as opposed to an L-Body which by that time with AKUS in particular he was playing most of the time. The way to really be able to tell is by the headstock shape, but you can't get a good clear shot of it in the two segments I mentioned. In the latter segment there is another guitar on a stand, and on some songs he was playing a weissie. Since they were were recording in Nashville Jerry could have loaded up the car at his house and brought several instruments to the sessions.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 09/08/2023:  14:47:32

quote:

---

Originally posted by Iceman6937

Are you talking about "Blue Country Heart" here?

 

Backed by the Nashville All-Stars, a supersonic string band comprising bluegrass masters Sam Bush (mandolin), Jerry Douglas (Dobro), Béla Fleck (banjo), and Byron House (stand-up bass), all playing on vintage 1920s and '30s acoustic instruments, Kaukonen revives and vividly reinterprets these blues-drenched country classics for a new generation of listeners. --Bob Allen

---

Bob Allen posts occasionally on The Steel Guitar Forum and he is a knowledgeable fellow, but he is incorrect about all of the instruments on the album being vintage from the 1920s and 1930s. The are plenty of modern instruments (at the time) along with some vintage pieces being used on this record. 

lakeview - Posted - 09/08/2023:  16:17:50

Thanks so much Mark. I hope everyone at home heals up really soon. The video answered a lot of my questions. I was trying to make sense of what I was hearing. The weissenborn confused me. Anyone recognize who the builder is? Also the standard body horn.makes lots of sense relative to what I thought I was hearing. Too clean for a prewar but with shades of that conststrained focused tone.

lakeview - Posted - 09/08/2023:  16:18:33

I didn’t mention how young they all look did I? Hmmm

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 09/08/2023:  18:09:49

Yeah, everyone looks much younger - but then Jorma apparently is ageless - he is 82 now and at the time of this recording he was around 61 - sure didn't look it. 

At around the same time this album was made we went with another couple to see Hot Tuna acoustic in Sonoma County at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma. "If you don't know Jorma - you don't know Jack!"

The husband of the other couple was a fellow named Dan and he was one of my co-workers at the time. He was also a first cousin to Jorma, and about 10 years  younger. He told me when he was young he would occasionally get to hang out at the rented Jefferson Airplane mansion in San Francisco. But it had been years since he talked to Jorma and I was prodding him to  try to get backstage after the show. He was  hesitant and shy about the idea but I convinced him to write a note and give it to the security guy. Normally I'm not real shy myself and  I might try to tag along, but I elected to steer clear. At any rate, the note worked and Dan was able to spend several minutes backstage with Jorma so that they could catch up. That was pretty cool. 

The first time I saw Jefferson Airplane live was when I was 14 in 1968 - went to Golden Gate Park for a free concert with one of my older brothers. Along with the Airplane there was The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service and I'm drawing a blank on whomever else played that day. For music fans it was a great time to grow up in the Bay Area. 

Ivan, you may want to pose your question on the Facebook Dobroholics page.  Jerry  posts on there every so often and he may reply. You have my hypothesis but of course I can't vouch for its accuracy. 

Jorma  has spent a lot of time in his career as an electric player but I have always by far preferred him on acoustic, he's one of my favorites.

lakeview - Posted - 09/08/2023:  22:22:08

Me too on acoustic vs electric. Their final tour is electric and I am choosing to pass on it. I once volunteered at a Bill Graham production…. Ended up guarding the Allman Brothers’ guitars and specifically Dickie’s gold top.

That day, because of my medical background, I also helped Jack with some oxygen due to the altitude of Telluride . Those days went by way too quickly.

  I did pose the question on Dobroholics, it got approved by an admin this morning. I will go check my bait now. I hope that Jerry nibbled on it.

Edited by - lakeview on 09/08/2023 22:24:18

lakeview - Posted - 09/09/2023:  08:49:08

Lol Warning: if you edit and delete part of a post on Dobroholics it deletes the entire post.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 09/09/2023:  13:07:02

I saw on FB that you had some sort of request to the administrators re the thread you started.

Apparently it hasn't been rectified because I couldn't find the topic.