The Most Famous Steel Guitar in the WorldBy Michael Panasuk

Watching an impresario wield a musical instrument like Michelangelos chisel or Picassos brush is truly a thing of beauty. When Don Helms tilts his head down to get a better look at the plastic fingerboard on his old scratched and dented steel guitar; and his aging, aching fingers drag that stainless steel slide across a fresh set of strings, something akin to the sound of twangy angels wafts up into the air and fills your ears with the sweet sound of country music. In the summer of 1949, Don Helms, legendary steel guitarist for the late, great Hank Williams, was playing a tried and true Fender double neck. But fate had other plans for the Hall of Fame son of an Alabama peanut farmer as he picked his way into the big-time and Country Music History: The acquisition of his world famous 1948 Gibson Console Grande double neck steel guitar. The most famous steel guitar in the world. Over 50 years later, Don tells the story as if it were yesterday: We were playing at the Hippodrome theater in Baltimore. I was playing a double eight-string Fender, and it was a pretty good guitar. But I had it for a long time and made one session with Hank. There was this guy at the show, he said, I wanna show ya something. And he set a guitar case down and opened it up, and there was the prettiest double neck Gibson Console Grande I ever saw. In fact, Id never seen one, but Id heard about em. It was painted like those expensive Gibson guitars, got that sunburst color where theyre red and then theyre not quite so red and then theyre yellow. It was just an immaculate guitar. And he said, I wanna sway you for the one youre playing. Well, I couldnt see him doing that because mine wasnt pretty like his. The Fender was brown and didnt have the character the Gibson had. Id never heard his Gibson, but I knew Little Roy Wiggins played one and he sounded mighty good! I asked him what kind of trade he had in mind. He said, Ill take the guitar your playin and $200. I knew immediately I didnt have $200. I told him Id just have to keep the one I had. And he said, Have you got $100? I said, I might be able to raise that. I went to Oscar Davis, the promoter of the show and said, Oscar, I need $100. Now that was a lot of money back in 49, but he gave me the $100. I went back to the guy and said, Are you sure thats what you want for the guitar? He said sure.

And I said, When we finish the second show, its yours. According to Jett Williams, daughter of Hank Williams, Don owns the most famous steel guitar in the world, and he is the greatest, most original steel guitarist in Country Music History! He has a signature sound and other people aspire to play like him. Ive had the distinct pleasure of hearing Uncle Don perform his pick and slide magic on that antique instrument in the cobwed clutter of his disheveled garage. Watching him masterfully change his strings (he had his own special tuning that other players longed to learn) and tune that boxy mix of metal and wood under the dim glow of a flickering florescent light. It was an impromptu concert, a collage of sounds and song snippets from an endless repertoire born, bred, and raised over the better part of a half century. He was like a little boy with a brand new toy reliving his glory days, yet still creating a standard for future generations to aspire to. It was hard to believe that someone could have so much fun performing such a mundane task. But that was part of the secret of Dons steel guitar genius.

For information on Don's CD and Book email mbpmusicly@bellsouth.net

2009 MB Panasuk