Its shocking how good country music was and how good the writers were back in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. We would still be getting those type of songs today but the record companies are no longer purchasing those type of songs. If your music doesn't include elements of pop/rap then you don't get any airplay. The studios are only interested in promoting people like Sam Hunt which is basically just talking, rapping, and making random noises. Country has fallen so far along with every other genre since 2015 that its not even funny. Songs like Brent played on were unbelievable.
Who even listens to the radio anymore? People know that if you want to hear real music then you gotta find it on your own. Mainstream radio isn’t going to offer you anything authentic/honest with substance and integrity.
Brent briefly mentioned playing with George Jones, I highly recommend everyone check out his work on George's last album Cold Hard Truth. By '99 when that album was coming together, George had quit cocaine and drinking, and gotten his voice back as a result, but he wasn't considered a relevant artist anymore. But he still went into the studio with Nasvhille's elite at the time (Paul Franklin, Pig Robbins, and of course Brent Mason) and the result is an amazing showcase of everyone's talents, including a gritty and weathered sounding George Jones singing about all the mistakes he's made throughout his life. It's an incredible album with some incredible playing on it.
That peaked my interest, too. Thank god I got the chance to see George Jones live when he was at his prime (and no showed up, too 🤓👍). I wish they would have talked more about Brent’s playing with George.
That was such a special and an end to the true Country eras. The voices and songwriting liquid gold still stands true. I grew up on his sound and all those artists. They’ll never be anything like the best of the best again. He’s the GOAT.
What a great episode. Listening to him name all of these artists he has played with. Just amazing. Cool guy and what a player. One of my favorite episodes. Well done.
Was just thinking it could be argued that Brent Mason has influenced more players than most or all of the big names that come to mind when discussing influential players. How many working players have learned and performed his parts over the decades, and how many of those even knew who played on those classic tunes?
Please do this once a week at least with Brent. There is so much in his genius mind that you could easily fill a spot per week for the next several years. And the tone he had on this video has almost convinced me that I too need a fake Deluxe.
Hey CHRIS???...just messaged Tom bukovak...an he said he would love to be on your show(shredding with shifty)...just him him up...🤘...keep up the great work...loving your videos an interviews
I knew Brent Mason was/is an awesome guitarist, but (and it's probably part of why he's such a Nashville icon) he seems like a really cool, easygoing dude, as well! Great episode, Chris!
When I moved to Nashville in 2020, one of the first bands I saw were "the Players" with Brent Mason. I've never seen anything like that before lol. Where I grew up, the bands had no timing and they really weren't that good. So it was good to see a band that listened to each other, had impeccable timing and great tone. Really taught me so much because I had never been around anything like that.
I was concerned Brent might get super in the weeds, but he was able to communicate nuances incredibly well. Also, it's ridiculous how Shifty can pick up any style.
The biggest impact player since Reggie Young! Brent defined guitar in the 90's and it still blows away anything that current players can come up with. He wrote the Bible in essence!
Shifty, “with your rock star clout” if you don’t have your guy at Friedman amps send him every amp they make you are dead to me. If they won’t give them to you shifty I’m sure you can buy them for Brent!!
All Brent's 1/2 step riffs can be done by playing the lower (root) and step up (target) note, as a chord. That's how I figured all that stuff out way back in the 80s. Jerry Reed, Albert Lee then jump to Brent... bam! I try to teach that as a half step by just sliding the entire chord up,.. from a note below. Literally the entire chord, just playing one string at a time. Fun video. Easier way to explain that riff tho.
Brent is such a heady amazing player and cool dude . Shifty you done good on that solo , you kick butt too btw .......I might get this solo down in 6 months if Im lucky ! You picked a good one Shifty!
Shifty! I fkn love these videos!! Just the back and forth between you and the guest is so cool!! Gives an insight to what it’s kind of like from the eyes of the greats whether they’re touring guys or sessions! Also i’m a huge fan of yours and the Foos!!👍🏼💪🏼🎸
I've thought for a while that Brent is possibly the best guitarist alive right now, but there's always Tommy Emanuel, etc. too. The well rounded skill that those guys have is what i'm referring to. It's extremely daunting to learn, regardless your skill level.
What a freaking phenom … I’d sacrifice an organ to be able to play like that, LOL. Can’t decide who could be the official all time Tele Master, Brent Mason or Danny Gatton. It’s too close to call
I recall my time in the 90s in "A" room bands. One guy I worked for insisted and expected everything to be note for note, dead on. I had to work out the solos for that "I'm In Love with the Waitress" tune by Alan Jackson. Gawd. I had to do the electric and acoustic solos. I spent a full week getting those down, then up to tempo (and a little beyond to give myself a ceiling/breathing room). Then having to do it live onstage. Holeefreakingcow.
I would love to hear a bit about what he is thinking when he is playing these parts, as opposed to just the notes. Is he thinking arpeggios, modes, scales, chord shapes, none of the above? Sometimes when I hear just a bit of the player's thinking and theory it helps me internalize and then generalize the concepts to my playing more than just the licks. Of course, it's awesome to listen to him talk and play either way. Nice job Shifty!
I'm quite positive I'd be a better guitar player if I had Brent Mason on speed dial and I could ask him to show me how to do licks. Holy crap. I could never do things as effortlessly as he seems to but I'd at least feel I've gotten if I could play it at 1/3 speed.
I wonder that Mason's rounder tone might be due to slightly higher string action? It's akin to Vince Gill's guitar tone also. If so, I can imagine that being a standout tonal feature Mason brings to especially the scorching tempo songs. You don't hear much string zing against the frets when he plays. Could possibly be an EQ thing and/or older strings but higher action is my first suspect here.
I don't mean to be critical, but I was surprised that Chris wasn't familiar with the stacked humbucker as a hum free single coil. Those things have been around since at least the 80s. I always had assumed that Brent got the 'Nashville' tele idea from Reggie Young, since Brent has mentioned being influenced or inspired by Reggie, and Reggie had a single coil in the middle on his black tele.
The SD STK-T1n vintage stack tele pickup is a stacked humbucker. There are noiseless single coils that use novel techniques like metal combs or dummy coils but this one is a stacked humbucker. It’s a real good PU btw with two pairs of leads to do all the humbucker things if you wish.
@@rjw7032 I read what I typed directly off the Seymour Duncan webpage. I thought he said the Vintage Stack… which they describe as being all the vintage twang but none of the hum. That to me is different from a humbucker…
Maybe it is the case, but RB does comperison of all those pop/rock/mutant music charts. Country wins always. And sometimes two session players so the record... (Tom Bukovac & Chris Stapleton )
