The Steel Guitar Forum

Thanks to everyone for the kind words you have conveyed to me. It is much appreciated!

Unfortunately everything in life usually has an 'active time factor', which is quite often difficult to accept.

Thankfully, I still have some playing to do.
Best Wishes,
Al Brisco

Hi Steelers, Steel Guitars of Canada is now closed. The web site, as well as its email address will be shut down next week. I want to Thank You for all your support over the years, as it is much appreciated! I am still playing country music with Freddy Vette & His Rhinestone Plowboys. Keep Steel...

Hi Richard. As discussed the newer Pull Bars are stronger than older ones. I don't think I have ever known of them fatiguing. I used to have some special Carter Pull Bars that were a solid piece up to the 3rd Pull Pin position, which gave them extra strength for Knee Lever Brackets. Hoping you can f...

Hi Steve, I just received my copy this week....can't put it down! I surely can understand about it being a 'Labour of Love'. I'm ordering multiple copies to give away to adoring Emmons fans, etc. They would also make good Christmas or Birthday gifts. Thanks for your efforts! Al Brisco Steel Guitars ...

Yes, my condolences regarding Lorene. She was a good friend of the steel guitar world. We conversed on many occasion, I sold her instruction courses, etc.
I never heard an unkind word about her.
Regards to her friends & family.
Al Brisco
Steel Guitars of Canada.

Hi Mark, Thanks for your interest. To answer the question regarding..."I wonder if he still has that Fender Bassman amp?" No, unfortunately in the mid 1960's when Fender changed to the black tolex, I decided to spray paint my Bassman with black paint just to conform....however the paint ne...

Hi John, I asked Tom Brumley's wife for some clarification on his joining the Buckaroos....here is her reply. "Yes, we were living in Texas at the time Buck called Tom. He was playing his Fender 1000 that he had bought while in Army in Germany. I'll try and send a picture of that. And you're co...

Hi Dustin, Thanks again for your positive comments. Yes, when Buck Owens contacted Tom Brumley & urgently requested he fly to Bakersfield to due a session, & didn't need to bring his own guitar (Z-B), as Buck had a Fender endorsement. Upon arriving for the session they looked for & found...

First, I want to Thank everyone for their kind comments. Regarding the YouTube video of Together Again (with Freddy Vette & His Rhinestone Cowboys). Yes, it is my original Fender 400 which I bought used from Ken Davidson in 1964 for $350.00. It is stock, however the pickup is wired directly to t...

Buddy & I go back to the mid 1960's, when we were budding pedal steelers in the Toronto area. Buddy was a bit more worldly than me (with me being a country farm boy from The Ottawa Valley). i.e. When he was playing with Mickey McGivern & The Mustangs as the house band at The Edison Hotel in ...

Spence & I had a wonderful relationship over the years. I met him in the late 1970's, as he had a sister Lynne who lived in the Toronto, Ontario area. We visited each other occasionally (he in England & me in Canada), but mostly at Steel Guitar Conventions. We would not see each other for ye...

A sad day indeed. Thanks to Dave Beaty for informing me.

I have sold Tom's great products for years.
I recall & cherish our visits in various airports on our way home from steel shows, covering such issues as steel guitar, health, living, etc.

Tom sill be missed greatly!
Al Brisco

Eddy was one of a kind. If you told him it couldn't be done, he'd show you that it could be done. I met Eddie in 1968 & spend many years assisting him in building pedal steels giving suggestions, & helping to sell them. I owned 3 models over the years, a D-10 (now SD-10), D-1012 & S-12. ...

Yes, the Rodgers Brothers were from the Edmonton area. If I remember correctly they were built in the 1960's & '70's era. Like most pedal steels built in that era, mechanisms have improved immensely & the weight of a pedal steel has been cut 30 to 50%, etc. If you are new to pedal steel you ...

I suspected something was amiss the last time I spoke to her...app. 2 weeks ago, just before my 10 day tour.

She will be missed.
Al Brisco

Hi Iain, If you e-mail me directly I will give you some potential steelers in Quebec who may be able to assist you. steelcan@steelguitarcanada.com My store is a 6½ hour drive (670 Km) from Quebec City....too bad as I could certainly assist you. Thanks to Bob Blair from Edmonton for referring this r...

Hi Friends, Our condolences go out to Mary & The Scott Family. It would be hard to measure the effect that Scotty brought to the steel guitar world. I feel honoured to have known him as a friend & played on stage with him. He was always in my corner. He will definitely be missed....a Great L...

What sad news! I am blessed to have known him, having brought him to Canada several times for conventions, etc., & of course getting to play on the same stage at St. Louis & Dallas, etc. The pedal steel world will not be the same without him. Condolences to the family. Al Brisco Steel Guitar...

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your very kind words in your post.
As a member of the Rotary Club, we have a 4-Way Test that we try to adhere to.
Happy Steelin'
Al Brisco
Steel Guitars of Canada

My heart sunk when I got the phone message from Bud's wife informing me that Bud died at 8:00 P.M. yesterday.

In my mind he was one of the most knowledged people regarding pedal steel guitar in the world!

He had 100's of ideas that he never got a chance to develop!
God Bless
Al Brisco

Hi Jay, I have the Carter LKV module 'island', which can be used with most any make of guitar. Mounts with two wood screws to the bottom of the guitar, with a connecting rod running to the appropriate cross-shaft. These modules are versatile as they can be placed most anywhere on the guitar. They ar...

I first saw Bobbe playing in a club during a DJ Convention in Nashville around 1968, a forerunner of steel guitar conventions, where singers, musicians & industry people met. Bobbe had a flair for showmanship even in those days. He had a LKL hooked up to a switch in the keyhead endplate to switc...

I suspect there must be a couple of Carter-Starters missing a changer finger out there, because every several months I get a call from a 'newbie' to pedal steel who has unsuspectingly purchased a C-S, not knowing that it was not complete. To my knowledge there are NO Carter-Starter changer fingers a...

A new catalog for Carter Parts is now available as a free .pdf download from the 'Steel Guitars of Canada' homepage...(link button in the bottom left-hand corner), or at this link: http://www.steelguitarscanada.com/online-store/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2014-Carter-Parts-Catalog.pdf The catalog con...

Hi Nick, I have the standard 2 pulls on my 3rd (C) pedal. I have learned not to pick the 3rd (B) string when using the C pedal. Of course, if you wish it is very easy to slip both loops of the cables on the C pedal over the raise finger of the 2ns (E) string, should you wish to only pull the one str...