The Steel Guitar Forum

Someone else mentioned the right hand. I'll do better in the second one. I tried to indicate which strings I was playing. But if there was any doubt: (Bar on 3rd fret) G triad: Do position (root on top) strings 135 C triad: So position (root on bottom) strings 124 Gm: Strings: 136 C7: Strings 1246 ...

Well conceived introduction to the tuning. You should continue a series of Youtube vids - might inspire interest in this neglected tuning. A bit unfortunate your right hand was out of the camera's view. By the way, if I recall correctly, from conversation with Ed, jr., he pronounced it A-harp, rathe...

A Sierra 8, is my current "gigging" instrument. I really like it. Takes a bit of looking to find one, but they can be had.

Let me just say that I'm envious.

There was a market for the "easy listening" stuff in the '60s. I imagine record producers were encouraging guys like JB to venture into it. One might ask was it really Jerry's ambition to "put the steel guitar on the musical map" in this way, or simply a commercial decision? Jerr...

I've only come across a few tapered bars. Never gave it much thought, but Rick's assertion that a tapered bar is easier to hold makes sense to me - my middle finger and thumb don't lay parallel without contortion. One of my favorite bars does have a slight taper: roughly 15/16 to 7/8 over slightly l...

Nice. Wish I had one. I love the sound of those pickups.

Much of the rest of the Potpourri album is unlistenable, for me. Jerry's fine playing overwhelmed by awful arrangements.

You can download an mp3 of the Day Dream track from Amazon for a dollar and change.

Is your goal simply to learn to read standard notation on lapsteel? Or are you in pursuit of deeper understanding of the music you're playing (music theory)? They're two different things, calling for different study material.

Worth noting: first version of both had a different pickup (6 alnico pole piece magnets) than subsequent iterations which had P-90 pickups. Which is more desirable and how do you tell? thx The P-90 has adjustable screw pole pieces, the earlier pickup does not. Any examples I've seen, the earlier pi...

Worth noting: first version of both had a different pickup (6 alnico pole piece magnets) than subsequent iterations which had P-90 pickups.

Nicely done. Great arrangement!

I've been using the lighter (.013 - .056) set of Messer National strings for years on a round neck National Tricone tuned variously to standard, open D, and open G. They sound good and hold their tone for quite a while. I also use the Messer Electric Slide strings on an electric tuned to open E or A...

I'm not familiar with these. What exactly is the "reso" aspect?

I also have one says Alkire Eharp on the end. Looks the same: 5/8" dia. x 3 1/4"

I find the narrow diameter makes it, for me, almost impossible to lift off the strings. Can't get a grip.

Basically the same instrument ('30s Supro) demonstrated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6cu_w--Is0

Ralph Czitrom wrote:Bill - That’s a major league looking lap steel. Perhaps Jim can help you post a sound clip.

I think that can be arranged.

When I first played this little beauty a couple weeks ago, my first thought was this instrument deserves a much better pickup . It had one of those pseudo Strat pickups with steel slug pole pieces and bar magnets underneath. Happy to report it's gone from rags to riches in that department: https://b...

My wife had to come down at 2am this morning to pry me off of playing the eharps. This tuning is a marvel for me. Once I realized what an amazing blues tuning it is, just opened up all sorts of possibilities. Hopefully, I can encourage other folks with 10 strings sitting around to give it a try. Pr...

It seems pretty well established that children under the age of about 10 learn music very differently than beyond that age, when apparently the brain has become "hard wired" in some way which effects that sort of learning. That doesn't mean we could all have become musical prodigies had we...

Bill McCloskey wrote:That is great. I just sent away for copies of the complete Alkire method from the University of Illinois. Can't wait to get them.

Do let us know what you think of that when you've had a chance to get acquainted with it. I've been very curious to see some of Alkire's published material.

Nice arrangement, Mike. You keep picking choice classic rock tunes that wouldn't have occurred to me as steel guitar material. Cheers.

... but dang single note stuff drives me nuts as I can start it anywhere. You're speaking here specifically of transcribing steel guitar music, and with the goal of figuring out exactly how it was played by whoever recorded it. You need to listen carefully for subtleties of tone and articulation. A...

Jeff Mead wrote:
Maybe this but I've never tried it myself.

https://www.charliescapo.com/product/ch ... -pro-capo/

Outstanding capo. Should work fine on a Stringmaster. He'll make them custom length if needed.

Andy Henriksen wrote:Take a look at Discogs.com for the records. It's a great database tool for keeping track of one's collection, but it also serves as a marketplace between users.

This. Discogs has been a positive experience for me.