Zac - LOVE how you describe Ray's playing as RIDICULOUS! So true! Saw Him point blank with Marty Stuart at the Lonestar Roadhouse in NYC in 1991. Then & there I knew not a single picker on the planet could even dream of ever surpassing Him. THE MOST. Thanks for this!
It was Ray that made me want to learn to play guitar, thanks to him Ive made a career in music on my guitar. To me he´s the most original country player with his unusual solo compositions. As I told him, to me he´s the Pablo Picasso of country guitar! He´s a a master and a real inspiration.
A great Ray Flacke story-a friend of mine was a lighting tech for Ricky Scaggs, and while Ray was warming up, he was playing Richie Blackmore licks, and my friend was shouting requests-and Ray was obliging!
I became a Flacke fan after seeing him live with Skaggs about 1981, outdoor evening concert, downtown Jacksonville on the banks of the St. John’s River. Ray was terrific and distinctive. I’m still a fan. Edit: you do well at emulating Ray. Enjoyed very much.
Hi, Zac! I just found this - great! I did a guitar seminar with Ray, areally aggressive guy, both personally and in his playing. Backstage he didnt want to talk guitars. He wanted to talk about cars and we clicked right away. He had an older Lincoln Mark lV, and i had a 77 Cadillac Coupe Deville, very fun conversation. He loves Ritchie Blackmore. We pplayed "Squeeze The Weasel", bluegrass speed.The bridge went around the cycle, several changes, and he pointed at me to solo over it. At least I didnt fluff it too badly... BTW, he was using the Gibson amp - really loud!
Zac, I gotta tell you how much I'm loving your content, my man. I'm not even much of a country fan, more of a jazz and blues guy. Your content is so, so valuable and has thought me a ton. Feels like hanging out with a buddy with a guitar on my lap for an hour with a coffee. Growing up in Texas, I used to watch Texas country reporter on the weekends with my mom, you remind me a lot of the host of that show. So calm and knowledgeable. All the best, friend. Glad to have found your channel. Thanks for making it.
Ray is amazing. On another note, that little jam played at the beginning (Not the intro, which I also like for it's Rockabilly/Jazz vibes, but that little jam when the video started - awesome!
Ray Flacke was probably the first Telecaster player I heard and heard of. As a young player....I pretty much swooned, but at the same time was utterly terrified. Thanks for spotlighting him.
Ray! Yeah! He's my fave on that style. One way rider always stood out for me. I must have played that Heartbroke solo a thousand times. Some nights better than others ha ha.
Man. I remember Ray coming into the Turf and standing in the doorway watching me playing with Tommy Townsend or somebody. And it was just surreal to have one of my heroes watching. Then on my break, I was either in Wolfys watching Ray, jaw on the floor. Lol. And he always had a HUGE glass on Guinness. L9 blasting. Jaime Hartford killing it too. Man those were the days bro. I miss Broadway in the 90s.
I'm always blown away by the talent that flowed through the Hot Band. Thanks for bringing us these video histories and reminding us of the depth of talent in the music we love. Just to pass the time I may do a "family tree" of all the musicians that over time were in the Hot Band and where they came from and where they ended up.
My dad loved Ray and emulated his playing. He still has a lab series! I used to play through that as a kid. Dad always said Ricky Scaggs learned his style from ray.
Thanks for another great video Zac! I loved the licks you showed too. Especially when you had the low G going on the E string, that was sick. I'll be working on these for a bit :-)
Thanks for sharing this ,l jammed with Ray he was brilliant and the way that he attacked the strings was ferocious. Love the channel keep up the good work.
Thanks Zac! Another great video on a great player. Great job! Y.our videos are getting better all the time. Always look forward to your next one. Gonna go drop something in the 'ol tip jar. Appreciate you Brother.
random side note: bakelite is matte black unless you spray it with something, like nitro, so I'm pretty sure his guard was bakelite, just unfinished. Sorry to nerd out.
Great episode, Still using a Lab Series 3 , When Ray left Ricky the sound really changed. But it might have been best for both of them. What a player Ray was !
Had a chance to watch this in its entirety today. Great stories, great player. Baby powder! Jeff Beck rides again! Lol. Great interview. Thanks Zac for posting.
The solo on Hiway 40 Blues!! Met Ray when he played for Joe Sun (Old Flames, Dolly Parton song) and the Steel player was the great Neil Phlange (not sure of that spelling). Thanks Zac!!
Another amazingly informative video Zac. You are a one-man musical encyclopedia. Your channel is absolutely my new favorite channel on RU-vid. Love it dude !!
Another captivating story about a special player whom I did not know. Eventually, you'll educate me about all the great players who aren't household names though it may take years of schooling. I'm embarrassed to be so clueless about these players. I'm still digging into Jesse Ed Davis from a couple of weeks ago. I gotta check out Ray Flacke as well. Thank you so much for the Spotify playlists you post. That really jump starts the process. Be safe and be well, my friend. I appreciate all that you do.
There is a great video on RU-vid of Country Telecaster solos, I’ve found tonnes of great players through that as it gives the name of the player. Also check out the Don Kelley band from Nashville, every player that has come through that band is a real legend in their own right. Right down to the latest guys who are still in their 20s. It just informs on more players but Zac’s in depth deep dives are a great source also.
All the bios of Ray I have seen give his birthplace as Milford-on-Sea which is many miles to the west along the coast in a different county. Maybe, he was brought up in Bognor. Another great video, thank you.
Zac, Do you know what all the amp settings Ray used on his Lab Series L9 when he played with Skaggs? I have an old L9 and am trying to at least get in that ballpark with it. Thanks.
Fantastic episode, Zac. Your content is always thorough and interesting. I watched the True Tone prior to seeing this Ask Zac episode on Ray. Something I didn’t hear covered in either video was Ray’s approach to the tone knob on the guitar. He mentioned liking everything on the amp at 1 o’clock, but I do not remember his approach to the tone knob. Do you happen to know his tone and volume approach on guitar itself? Thank You!
Zac I commented a while back and emailed you about my Dads blonde 74 ish tele, anyhow I am from Bognor Regis in West Sussex, and my Dad (RIP)and Ray Flacke knew each other, although Dad was older, small world Dad used to mention Ray to me a bunch.. I live in Louisiana ...
I think you should do your own version of "What makes this song great?" from a guitarist's POV. Your encyclopedic depth tone, gear and licks would help us all to appreciate the music we love all the more deeply. Just a thought.
@@AskZac I have learned a ton from Rick! I do think you would bring a really unique dynamic to that idea, and point our lots of insights that we would not hear anywhere else.
He must have been a very early G&L adopter to have got a Broadcaster; that name didn't last long before they got the legal letter from Gretsch, as Fender had done back in the 50s. BTW, I checked on where Ray Flacke was born; it was Milford on Sea, which is not near Bognor at all but close to Bournemouth, about 40 miles further west. I've got an aunt living in that same area.
Great video. Will be checking his stuff out. Telecasters our my favourite guitars. I have a Fender, a Squier, a Fernandes, an SX, a Farida, and a Hohner Prinz. Just need gigs to come back. Keep up the great work!
I'm a long time Telecaster enthusiast and so I really dig your vids. Many thanks for the introduction to Ray Flacke. I've had a peripheral awareness of him in that I had heard his name and along the lines of 'who is this guy playing guitar on this song?'. So on the strength of your vid and re-listening to and discovering tracks Ray had played on I bought Ray's Homespun course. Mille grazze for the turn on.
Thanks for another great video Zac!! How about Jimmy O, nobody every talks about him, he plays the double bender stuff, great Tele player, great tone, maybe worth an episode, just a thought. Happy New Year.
When I saw 'Brit Telecaster Strangler' I thought it would be a real surprise if this was about Hugh Cornwell from The Stranglers. Also aTelecaster player.
There are many many more accomplished pro guitar players in the world than there are accomplished pro guitar players who simultaneously have an instantly identifiable tone and a clever way of phrasing that tone. Ray Flacke is the latter.
Great again ! A Tele here because of Roy Buchannan' "Live Stock", Greg Kihn "Again" (Dave Carpender) and Rickey Scaggs "Highway 40 Blues". Sadly the least played guitar in the 'arsenal'. I need to fix that.
In the early 90's, I saw Ray play with Terri Clark in a WalMart parking lot. WalMart was doing some promotions back then and Terri had her first album come out. She didn't know who he was and I had to tell her that he used to play with Skaggs. He really didn't fit with what she was playing.
Great episode (as usual!). I met Ray for lunch when I went to Nashville 5 years ago. I grew up about 5 miles from Bognor in the UK where Ray is from, one of my drummer friends used to play in a band with Ray before he moved to Nashville and he put us in touch. It was great to meet him, great guitarist and very funny guy!
Zac, I just recently started watching your chanel. you're picking some great people to profile. I would love to see the guitar playing lawers, Bob Warford, and Frank Recard, both Emmylou alums.and both very individual stylists as well. keep up the good work.
I've got a Lab Series L3 on top of a L5. Channel one from the L5 for the bass response and out the loop to the L3 to get some sweeter hi's. Sounds amazing
That is an ingenious setup. I do something similar a '64 Vibroverb Clone and a Twin Reverb. Gives me the sparkle and punch of the Twin, but the softer thump of the 15" and tube rectifier
@@AskZac Ayers Street Music on Ayers street next door to La Armada housing projects between Clawson’s and Del Mar College in Corpus. I think it’s the 2x12 version. I’m not sure on the year. He also has some of the music man amps u we’re taking about. It’s mostly used gear. He is always willing to trade and make deals. It’s a side business for him and it’s mostly for him to justify buying tons of gear. Always gives me a great deal.
Ray’s Star Licks video you mentioned was one of my biggest early influences. I still use his “F” lick from that video and could probably still get through that G minor (Bb) instrumental he played on there. What great memories this gave me. Thank you for not letting this monster guitarist be forgotten.
Thanks once again Zac! Good stuff. When you do the roasted maple necks video, I'd like your opinion on the minimum size, gigable Amps. Of course I'm a tube amp guy. TIA!
Flacke's guitar playing was primary in the the success of Skagg's Highways And Heartaches album. Ricky let Flacke go and never achieved the success he had on any following album.