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Paul Yandell (continued)
Yandell recently had a guitar built for him by Jim Hutchins of Gibson. "It's basically a Gibson Country Gentleman, but the body is 3" thick - the same thickness as the Gretsch Super Chet. I like the air in the bigger body. The bass strings sound better. I have a regular Gibson pickup in the back and a Ray Butts pickup in the front. The Butts is a really great pickup. I generally blend the two, using mostly front pickup to get a little deeper sound in the bass strings. For acoustic work, I have a ''58 D-28 with a Sunrise pickup, and a Gallagher that I like real - It's the loudest guitar I've ever played."
Although Yandell is semi-retired, he just finished work on the Bransong Video, Paul Yandell, Fingerstyle Legacy, and continues to work with Atkins. At one time, he was active as a session player, performing and recording with Hank Thompson, Kitty Wells, Perry Como, Roger Whitaker, Dolly Parton and on movie soundtracks including Tender Mercies and Every Which Way but Loose. But Yandell tired of the work when the business began to change. Says Yandell, In country music they won't play anything before '86 - before Randy Travis. It's like nobody ever lived before then. The program directors don't worry about what the public wants. They're like the government--they know what's best for you. Besides, everybody wants to play like Albert Lee nowadays. I don't play like Albert Lee. As far as the record business is concerned, thumbstyle guitar playing is about as popular as '61 Chevys. You see one now and then, but most of them are rusty." As for his days on the road, Yandell comments "People think its exciting, but everybody just thinks about getting back home. The best time you have is that hour and a half that you spend on stage. That's where all the fun is. It's not the going and a coming - that's what wears your butt out. It's better though, than hauling gravel or working in a tobacco patch!"
Yandell's successes can be attributed to the practice of old fashioned adages. "Listen to everybody and try to be different," he says. "If you ever hear any good advice, take it. Hang around with quality people. Don't hang around with deadbeats or you'll wind up being like them. Set your sights high. You might not get there, but you'll get a lot farther than you would be if you set them low. If you work hard enough at something, you'll eventually get it. All I ever want to do when I was a kid was to come to Nashville and play at the Grand Ole' Opry. That was my dream night and day. And the dream eventually came true. Over the years, l've had the opportunities to record with Chet, Les Paul, Jerry Reed. I've played with Merle, Lenny Breau--all my heroes. What more could a guy want? I've really been lucky just to be friends with people like that. And if I can make it, just about anybody can, because I'm just an average talent--not bad, not great, just somewhere in between. Just believe in yourself and try hard enough. Who knows? You might be able to get a job with somebody like Chet."
--John Schroeter
Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine
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