The EchoSonic on the Today Show

[Norm]

One of the reasons the city boys in New York had Chet on the Garroway show was due to the fact he was using the EchoSonic amp. Back in those days there were no Echoplex portable units. Here you can see how tight and "slap back" the echo is on those old echosonics as he plays an early version of Blue Echo. Later versions, where he could move the head to give the notes more breathing room, had a more stately effect.

Also of interest...

You can briefly see that his Bigsby handle is still evolving. I don't think this one has the familiar knob on the end yet.

http://www.nbcuniversalarchives.com/nbc ... p_13090680

Here's the same song using the movable head EchoPlex type machine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp2nuKOwhr0

[Spadaro Paolo]

Thanks Norm !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really appreciate your important information that you share with us.

Beautiful video ..................... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know I was thinking about in these days to upload a video cover of this great arrangement !!!!!!!

Thanks again, HELLO.

PAOLO SPADARO.

[LMark]

I was nice to see the fingering that Chet used. Lower on the fretboard than I expected, for the descending scales. Thanks for digging that one up Norm. LMark

[bill raymond]

Thanks for posting that link, Norm. I had been unaware of this clip from the Dave Garroway Show. There's also a 3rd clip where he demonstrates the echo sound at http://www.nbcuniversalarchives.com/nbcuni/clip/5112571315_003.do?assetId=clip_13090680.

[guitarchuck]

Thanks for posting those links again!

Norm,

Also of interest...

You can briefly see that his Bigsby handle is still evolving. I don't think this one has the familiar knob on the end yet.

Do you know what point on the time counter this is? I'm trying to see it. Maybe I can if I know exactly what point to look.

[Norm]

Wow. I'd never seen that one.

Actually that little bit almost seems to be something he would play if Dave Garroway had asked him if electric guitar could be used to play classical music. His comment at the end seems to bear this out. Sounds to me like he said "...and so forth..."

Anybody have any idea what that short bit is from?

[Norm]

Chuck, now I'm not so sure about the knob not being on the Bigsby handle. In the clip Bill Raymond posts Chet exposes the Bigby handle briefly at the very end but it's hard to say whether that's a knob or the glitter from the end of the pickup.

Usually, in other videos, the knob is very visible when he's using the final version of the 'Chet Handle' and it just doesn't seem that evident in these clips

[albertgen]

How cool! Thanks Norm! Al

[pattie surman]

Thank you Norm. Any chance of getting the T.V.clip of Chet doing Glow Worm? Stan.

[Norm]

I don't know. I fooled around with the URL address to see if I could find anything else from the show and all I got was some sort of speech by Eisenhower. I didn't find these originally. I just saved the links and thought it would be nice to re-post them from time to time