Wes Green

Ben Hogue Mandolin

wesgreen2 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 23:22:39 +0000

Me and my first homemade mandolin. It was made by Ben Hogue in Austin in 1982. I got it from Ben in about ’84 or so and it retired in 1995, the year I got the Lee. It has a great tone and a beautiful violin coloring. The scale is a bit longer than the F-5 so it was a bit of a stretch but some people like that. I went for a shorter scale so as to be able to play in Cb and E# more easily. Yes that’s my knee. No I’m not naked from the waist down. No i don’t have more pix of my knees.

The Mule Tide Party 2011

wesgreen2 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:53:10 +0000

Did you miss the annual Whistlin’ Mules Christmas party. If you did, you missed out on the great gifts that were given away as door prizes. Lucky for you, no one claimed the Lamborghini, so it will be up for grabs again next year! This year it was held at The Happy Cow in Hunter, TX. Here is a peek at some of the action as Charlie Congo claims his prize.

Electric Mandolin

wesgreen2 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:21:56 +0000

I was playing this instrument on stage when I thought I heard someone in the audience yell out “Hey, he’s channeling Chuck Berry!”. Turns out it was, “Hey, he’s channeling Chuck Barris!” Oh well, everyone seems to like this mandolin. It’s a Eastwood solid body electric mandolin. Here is my review:

Plays great, sounds great, looks great.

It kind of looks like a Telecaster. And when I play it I sound (and look) really huge. Unfortunately the giant microphone in this picture makes me look a little like a hobbit. I play this thing with the Whistlin’ Mules but mostly when we have a drummer sit in with us because electrics don’t have that percussive chop you get from an acoustic. I got it about 5 years ago at South Austin Music. Its a great store. Here’s a link to Eastwoods site. http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/Other/mandocaster/mandocaster_frm.htm

Slide Mandolin

wesgreen2 — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:21:17 +0000

Oh yeah, it can be done if you are very careful. Or if you have some kevlar gloves like those that you use to clean catfish. I used to use glass slides (note the plural) but after breaking a few I have gone to steel. Now if I just don’t loose it…..

If you want to see, here’s a Youtube of me playing slide with Danny:

Threadgill’s Bluegrass Brunch

wesgreen2 — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:11:07 +0000

One day a pig, next day bacon. I told ya that it’s “all you can eat” so I saved you some.

Mike Kearney (Vato Griz) showed up to play with us and it was a great reunion. Here I am swapping slide licks with him. If you missed it we will be back there next Sunday (minus Griz) with Eddie Collins back in the guitar seat. See ya there.

Santa bought your Christmas gift today…..

wesgreen2 — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:30:07 +0000

…..but don’t expect it to be gift-wrapped.

What a suprise I had today finding Santa shopping at Callahan’s General Store in Austin. Looks like he has picked out a nice present for someone’s Christmas luau. Or is it a nice snuggley pet…? I shoulda asked him. I was there Friday and Saturday playing noon gigs with the Piney Grove Ramblers. Speaking of banjos,,,Callahan’s has all sorts of clawhammers, so it was a great pleasure playing some twin clawhammers (banjo version)with Chuck Middleton of PGR. And yes, we did play Cluck Old Hen, inspired by the pen of pullets who requested it.

I hope Santa will show up at Threadgill’s tomorrow for the Bluegrass Brunch. It’s always all the bacon and sausage you can eat!

Chili Cookoff at Martindale, Texas

wesgreen2 — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 05:10:20 +0000

Today I played my electric mandolin because Dennis was there to play drums. But I forgot to put my slide in the case, so I borrowed Mark’s. Here he is demonstrating his technique for using the slide. Me, I use it on my pinky. finger.

An unidentified member of the band The Calloused Taoboys.

Mandolin Picks

wesgreen2 — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:17:55 +0000

Ok, lets get this over with. I use this pick for playing rockin’ acoustic and folk music like with Mark Jungers and the Whistlin Mules or Danny Santos y los Bluegrass Vatos. Its heavy but not rigid and let’s me rake over the strings and sounds better when playing chord and double-stop leads or that soft sensitive stuff.

I use this pick when I play bluegrass, like with the Piney Grove Ramblers, or need to play fast. Its rigid and pointy and goes real fast through the strings.

I would use one of these picks if I had one, but that number on the front is the approximate price in $$. And the way i lose picks,,well….. I’m sure I will find one in the grass one day while looking for 4-leaf clovers. Or maybe you will send me one? Does it come in red?

strings

wesgreen2 — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 04:47:47 +0000

Once when i was playing in Switzerland, a woman came up and asked me about my G-string. I told her it was a Nano-web. She just walked off giggling. I will never understand that Swiss humor. Now I’m using these J74′s because David and Ricky use them. That’s Grisman and Skaggs not Nelson. Their name is on the package in a picture of a red pick. I use red picks, so i cut the picture out and used it for a while. But it wore out pretty fast. Maybe one day they will use heavier cardboard for the package. I still use the Elixer Nano-webs sometimes when I want to change strings every other year or so. And I like the GSH silk and bronze. Maybe she wouldn’t giggled if i had said ‘silk and bronze’. Who knows.

Me and my Mandolin

wesgreen2 — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:38:10 +0000

Here’s a picture of me and my favorite mandolin. It was built by Billy Lee in Wright City,MO in 1992 or so. I got it in 1995, when i was playing with the Liberty Bluegrass Boys, from DeWayne Price who was the banjo player in that band. That chord I am playing is an Eb minor with an added 9th and a flat 13th ,,or maybe a G chord. It’s hard to tell really. I still have that shirt, but i dont have that beard. Maybe I’ll get another one some day.