The Steel Guitar Forum

I went thru various fingerpicks, none seemed to fit comfortably, but I've found these to be very flexible, lightweight, comfortable and sound great-
Dunlop 37R Brass Fingerpicks - .0225"

Wow.....listening to that was definitively humbling !
He used a thumbpick- what about fingerpicks?

White vinegar- put it in an aerosal bottle and spray the affected areas liberally, then let them dry out in a low humidity environment.
Mildew absolutely hates white vinegar, & vice versa!

Ben Harper is one of the best known lap steel players who uses no fingerpicks, maybe not even a thumbpick. Curiously, I haven't read any interviews where people ask him about technique & preferences.

That's great!! Lol, just when I decide I "have" to commit to learning how to use the standard thumbpick+2fingerpicks, someone like you comes along sounding great with a completely "wrong" technique!

Very nice music! What was your effects/amp/recording chain, if you don't mind my asking.

Sounds terrific, reminds me of 1970s work by the Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal. This kind of "ambient" music never sounds dated. Thanks for posting it!

I've tried it. The relatively long scale of a regular guitar makes intonation a bit harder, and the strings are pretty close together. The biggest drawback in playing lap style chords on a regular position guitar is that your right wrist is always at a 90 degree angle, tendonitis here I come. Wherea...

Very nice! It looks like no thumbpick or fingerpicks used?

I only recently realized the proper way to wear fingerpicks- which makes it easier-

http://www.daigleharp.com/perfecttouchpicks.html

I have Elixir bronze strings on an archtop that has a humbucker; it works fine. I think the only difference with bronze is maybe their volume is lower magnetically than steel or nickel, so you just turn the amp up more (only the windings are bronze, the core is (I think) steel, or something magnetic...

2 neck 8 string, main one is A6, low to high F#-A-C#-E- repeat an octave higher. Can do the swing chords but also covers pentatonic blues.

The other is E13sus4 low to high E-G#-D-F#-A-B-C#-E.
Haven't worked with it at all, but it's a cool sound for occasional fills.

Check the view (in the original video) at 7:46, and 7:51. I tried the picks this way, it actually works well if you have a very gentle touch and not trying to roll things. .. if my eyes aren't fooling me lol!

It looks like his fingerpicks are on 'backwards' than the usual way. Is that rare?

Thanks everyone for the replies. I hadn't thought about downward pressure, etc and I am using 0.56 - .14 range of strings so that definitely is a factor, as well as position. Really the opposite of guitar, where you need to apply more pressure on the bass strings than the high ones.

Ray - yes, I'm playing between the fret markers, like a guitar player would do (which I am). Jerome- I notice the tuning discrepancy when I play octaves too (low to hi, I'm using F# A C# E repeated on an 8 string, A6 tuning). I agree about rarely playing big chords and using vibrato to smudge it a b...

I recently noticed that playing large chords across a 6 or 8 string steel, if you kept the bar straight within the fret markers, the chord was out of tune, likely because there was no off-set or compensation at the bridge. So to play the chord in tune I had to angle the bar slightly to let the bass ...

Yes, Stephen thanks, I really meant 14 for the high E. Actually, I play a D8 so although what I posted will work, I misread my own notes (duh)- here's what I actually have for A6, low to high F# 56 A 46 C# 36 E 30 F# 24 A 22 C# 18 E 14 The tensions a little higher with thicker strings, a bit easier ...

Thanks! For A6 low to high F# A C# E F# A C# E
I use string gauges 46 42 34 30 26 22 17 21
or close to those.

I'm a beginner but I've found that a "6th" tuning is the way to go, low to high I'm in an A6, F# A C# E F# A C# E (sometimes called the Herb Remington tuning). The top (thin) 4 strings are simply repeats of the bottom 4. If you go with 6 strings, low to hi would be C# E F# A C# E. It nails...

I bought this CD and an earlier one by him, 'hybrid', after catching up on him from a recent interview in the mag Tape Op; I had bought Slider a few years ago.
These two newer CDs are just incredibly beautiful music, and they use PSG in a way you don't usually hear.

And don't tell David Lindley either. Andy Volk recently posted a great video showing Lindley playing fingerpicks...with a nice, warm overdriven tone (a very signature Lindley tone)....and, dare I call attention to the fact that he is using a Stevens steel?? :whoa: http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/vie...

I think Junior Brown just uses a flatpick and his fingers when he slides.
As mentioned above, it's hard to get that characteristic sharp, clear tone without picks if you're playing clean. Distorted, I think fingers sound better, the picks are too abrasive.
I'm an amateur, I can't wear 'em.

Mike Neer interviewed Jeremy Wakefield last year-

http://www.mikeneer.com/lapsteelin/2011 ... ld-part-1/

I've wondered if security lets you take a bar on, especially if it's a larger one-