Delta Bottleneck Guitar
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KeniLeeBurgess
KeniLeeBurgess
Joined: December 28, 2006
Last Sign In: 16 hours ago
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!!!PLEASE CLICK ON "PLAYLISTS". THE VIDEOS ARE ORGANIZED INTO GROUPS TO MAKE YOUR VISIT EASIER AND MORE ENJOYABLE!!!
Name: Keni Lee
Age: 55
Welcome to my world. As you can tell by watching my videos, I'm into Bottleneck Blues. Mostly the old school fingerpicking acoustic blues. For me, there is nothing better than the sound of a Resonator guitar. I love all the old Masters, Charley Patton, Son House, Robert Johnson, Bukka White, Blind Willie Johnson, Mississippi Fred McDowell....the list goes on and on. I started to get into this style back in the early 1980's, when I was in the military living down South. You have no choice but to get into Country and Blues if you live down there. So, I started to soak it up. Actually, I first started to collect tapes. I wanted to listen to the first albums of groups or performers that I liked at the time. I purchased the first albums from Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Winter... just to name a few. It was then that I realized, the songs I liked best were Bottleneck Slide tunes. So off I went to buy more music. I think it was Robert Johnson's slide work I got into first. Oh, how I wanted to play like him. He was too cool. I started hunting for a resonator guitar. Thru my reading, it was my understanding if you were going to play Bottleneck, what you really wanted was a National Steel guitar. I wrote a lot of letters to dealers all over the United States searching for a National. Finally, I bought one from Mandolin Brothers in New York. It was a 1931 National style O. It cost $1000 including the case and shipping. Remember this is the 80's. When I received it, I was in love, but my roommate said, you spent a $1000 for that old piece of junk. I sold it a while back on ebay. I can't remember exactly what it went for, but it was about $2500. I have other guitars that are much better to play, so it was spend money and restore, or sell. Old Nationals are great, but a lifted neck with bad intonation is a nightmare. Secondly, because of the lifted neck, they don't ring correctly because the downward pressure from the strings on the cone is wrong. It's not straight down. If you want my advice, buy new. There are great Resonator guitar manufactures out there. Don Young at National Resophonic Guitars, Don Morrison of Donmo Guitars, Kurt Schoen of Schoen guitars.....the list goes on and on. If you got to have a vintage National, and believe me I understand were you are coming from.....get ready to spend some cash. Don't let just anyone work on your baby. Talk to the present day manufactures for help. Do it right....you will be happy. I learned to play at first from instructional tapes. I want to thank Happy Traum and Stefan Grossman for their fine work. Later I meet Woody Mann and attended his seminars in NYC. The best thing for me was the International Guitar Seminars held at Columbia University. Bob Brozman, Mike Dowling, Steve James....the list goes on and on, taught me some great stuff. In general I have to say, it was a great opportunity to learn from professional performing artists. They teach the real stuff. Currently, after three years in the making, I finished my first CD; "Good & Evil". It was released in December 2007 and is available for purchase on Ebay. Just search: Keni Lee. If you would like to hear the first three tracks, please go to myspace /kenileemusic. It is in the style of the videos on youtube, but with the help of 20 talented musicians, playing 15 different instruments, throughout 14 tracks, I hope it will sound fresh to listeners of Country Blues.
Take care and enjoy. Thanks for your support, Keni Lee

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"Buy It Now" Auction
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If there is no active auction please c
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In Series 3, we will first examine the relationship between Open D (Vestapol) Tuning and O (more)
Added: 1 week ago
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Statesboro Blues by Blind Willie McTell. Performed by Keni Lee Burgess in Open C Tuning (C (more)
Added: 2 weeks ago
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Information about selecting a National Guitar (Tricone or Biscuit Bridge Single Cone) or D (more)
Added: 3 weeks ago
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Coming Soon! THE STREET PERFORMER A documentary by George Canzaniello. Starring Keni Lee B (more)
Added: 3 weeks ago
Views: 752
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He Got The Whole World In His Hands written by Obie Philpot. Performed in Vestapol tuning (more)
Added: 4 weeks ago
Views: 861
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Love In Vain by Robert Johnson (Rolling Stones Version)
Performed by
Jackie Denieff: Voc
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Views: 1,028
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Coming Soon! THE STREET PERFORMER A documentary by George Canzaniello. Starring Keni Lee B (more)
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When I Die Blues
(based on Blind Lemon Jefferson's One Kind Favor/See That My Grave is Ke
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Added: 1 month ago
Views: 1,393
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Bottleneck Blues Slide Guitar Music Videos
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video
Rock Me Mama
(A. Crudup - M. Draper)

Recorded:
Chicago, December 15. 1944
Arthur „Bi
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N.Yのストリートシンガー
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Bob Brozman performing a new improvised piece on his National Reso-Phonic Tricone. Recorde (more)
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Bob opens up the show with a three-song set. Enjoy this slack-key selection!
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More playing around in open G tuning. Johnson resonator guitar, Quarterman cone, Herco thu (more)
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This is a Ballad I wrote which is a fictional conversational content between an older cop (more)
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A Blind Willie Johnson actor playing Dark was the night, cold was the ground on Vim Wender (more)
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Channel Comments (52)
 
Accou25 | June 19, 2008
Maaan) i was passing by ? just want 2 say thank you.
Thats awesome !
makes me smile)
KeniLeeBurgess | June 11, 2008
Thank you for your comment. I teach a series of lessons that are free and posted on youtube. After that series is finished, I burn them to CD and include a downloadable sheet music tablature file. Then I teach another free series. Series 2 will be available for sale on ebay soon. Maybe by 6/20/08. Brass resonators usually have a warmer balanced tone. Hard steel is crisp and bright. High ended like a banjo. There is a cost difference, but both are great for Bottleneck. We still need to shoot a little more footage for the documentary, but it should be completed soon.
ZEDZOR2 | June 10, 2008
Hi KeniLee.I noticed you have removed your free tutorials is this a marketing ploy.I was wondering when buying a dubro (better watch what im saying GIBSON might be listening)are you better with a bell brass,nickel or steel version for all round use and when is the documentary out.Peter Corr.
KeniLeeBurgess | May 11, 2008
Thank you for your comment. Please visit my friend, Frank at republicguitars. He ships to Europe. He sells a line of affordable, well built and nice sounding Resonators. These are in your price range. Make sure you tell him, Keni Lee sent you. If you are looking for even better quality, you need to consider a starting price of $1500 for a National Resophonic Guitar. Beware of other imported brand names. If you have other questions, please feel free to write.
theskinswxm | May 10, 2008
hey there keni lee I have been watching your tutorials for a while now and have become a big fan of yours. As I live in the U.K, I have had difficulty finding a decent resonator for my budget. I just wondered if you could recommend a good resonator/dobro or a renowned manufacturer of these guitars for around the $700 mark as I am visiting Las Vegas in a couple of weeks time and hope to purchase one in the U.S to send home in time for my 21st birthday. all the best and keep up the good work.
KeniLeeBurgess | May 09, 2008
Thank you for your kind words, and endorsing my instructional material that is available for free on youtube, and also available for sale on ebay. Search: Keni Lee I enjoy playing Bottleneck Slide Guitar, and exploring Open Tunings. As I have said many times, always feel free to write if you have any questions. I will try to answer your questions to the best of my abilities, and/or direct you to other sources of informations. Thanks again for your support.
ZEDZOR2 | May 09, 2008
hi keni,spent the last 2 days watching your videos and have finally got a handle on the blues i have been wanting to play for years thanks to yourself,cant thank you enough so all i will say is anyone wantimg to play like the masters should check out kenis tutorials iwish i had years ago.thanks again keni
1890cabin | May 06, 2008
Just heard the box guitar in the train station. Get on that train head west and get off as close to the Ozarks as you can, hop on a mule and come on to the cabin. We'll be on the porch awaitin.
fatlip66 | April 21, 2008
i really appreciate the delta blues...ive watched a few of your videos and really liked them.

my personal fav. is muddy waters...son house. but i like it all.
..by the way.. keep the faith... dave
KeniLeeBurgess | April 13, 2008
Please remember to look to the right of anyone of my videos, and click on "more". There you will see a full description that usually contains the tuning. If not, please feel free to write.