Joe Maphis on Guitar

The great Joe Maphis plays hot rod guitar on his Mosrite Special double neck guitar. Joe is one of the unknown great guitar players who influenced generations of guitar players. Listen to Marty Stuart, Vince Gill, Ricky Scaggs and a host of other present country guitar players and you will hear Joe. Deke Dickerson's guitar style is heavily influenced by Joe. This was recorded in 1965 or 66.

John Gulla
Seattle WA

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Joe
• Maphis;
• Mosrite
• Guitars;
• Deke
• Dickerson;
• Ricky
• Scaggs;
• Vince
• Gill;
• Marty
• Stuart;
• Special

[Modes9]

It seems like he doesn't play open-string licks or cascade scales as often as most country players do.

[jcgulla]

The story goes that Joe was the very first guitar player to mimic the fiddle player. He invented those cascade scales way back in the late 30's!

[penn4644]

This song is called "Water Baby Boogie". I first saw Joe on Ranch Party in ' 57. I then started playing guitar and immediately learned "Fire on the Strings" and have had a happy life ever since. This is wonderful, thanks for putting this up.

[jcgulla]

The copy of Water Baby Boogie I have on the Bear Family re-issue "Fire On The Strings" is a medium speed 1x4x5 blues boogie!

[jcgulla]

Wrong on the date. It is around 66. I already checked with either Deke or Jody Maphis

[Fr3derick]

Awesome

Grandma Mary

[jcghooker]

@acountrygent I just wished that his guitar was a little louder, The steel guitar is twice as loud as he is

[guillone]

@jcgulla - that's because before he was 'Joe Maphis' he started out as 'fiddlin Joe',

he absolutely tore up the fiddle. I worked shows with him and Rose Lee and Joe would come slidin in

sideways on Alabama Jubilee on the fiddle and just tear the house down.

I used to play upright bass and one night he grabbed the bass from me for fun and started poppin it like I've never heard. hahahaha, wasn't anything Joe couldn't play....the best I ever heard.

[acountrygent]

, I cant help think how cool it would be to hook him up to some serious reverb,..."

"serious reverb" would have made him sound muddy I think. He plays the notes so fast that the 'fattening' effect of reverb would not have worked well.

[WoWintosh]

That fiddle player has a MEAN case of combover!!

[THB79]

After watching many of these videos, I cant help think how cool it would be to hook him up to some serious reverb, sit down with Dick Dale, and let em' rip. What a hoot that would be.

[packingten]

@tulsavintagedigital Fiddle player is Buddy Spicher THis was taped off Wilburn Brothers Show,the Steel player is Hal Rugg,Hal played on mst Loretta Lynn hits don't come home a drinkin,Fist city and so on Wilburns are on RFD TV where REAL country still lives I don't listen to Trashvilles Pop kiddie singers NOTHING but POP Music NOTHING Country about it!,Just a bunh of Bimbo Blondes who sound like a bunch of wounded Mag Pies to me,Or Homos like Kenny C..

[tulsavintagedigital]

anyone know who is on the fiddle? I don't ever recall seeing any country musicians of that time sporting a goatee!

[bottleobushmills]

WINNER



[someguy6481]

@Alejandro4891

after listening to Jerry Reed, Joe Maphis and Chet Atkins I'll never ever insult country guitarists ever again.