Doing without effect units

[Bo Legg]

Pedal Steel guitars sound better in Missouri than anyplace in the world with or without FX.

[Al Marcus]

Generally, as Jim says, a tone knob that works is an amazing help in these areas. I confess I still don't have the cojones to crank it open--the Fender I play has a "spot" which "eases in" the treble, and I rarely go too far past that spot....*sigh* someday soon perhaps.

Aaron, I would not worry about it. I had extensive discussions with Fender designers (both guitar and steel over the years - including Leo, when his G&L shop was literally around the corner from my office) and they meant the tone control to be just that - a *control*. Most of the "big" guys - Leo, Fullerton, White, Tavares...and Don Randall, at the seperate Sales "division" - really disliked the "dimed" tone control sound. Guys on stage playing like that would be victimized periodically by Leo (if he was in the audience) actually climbing on stage during a set and adjusting the amp settings for LESS treble to try to compensate!

Most Tele players find the "sweet spot" (depending on pickup height and, on early ones, luck of the draw regarding winding) to be (on "later" guitars where the tone control worked on the bridge pickup by itself) to be with the tone control rolled off 25% or so. It's interesting that the early models and Esquires with the bypassed tone control position are not as "icepicky" as when a tone control is dimed - which seems to make no sense, since the control is passive/subtractive and can't "add" treble...but that's the reality.

Anyway - on a Fender steel, you have the same scenario - the intended "sweet spot" is with the tone control rolled off a little. I only run it wide open when using an amp with heavy mids for more cutting power, like a wide-panel Deluxe or BF Vibroverb. The "wide open" treble sound was popularized by the "Bakersfield sound" - but it was not Fender's favorite, nor that of many others (personally, I love a lot of the Bakersfield-influenced playing, which I found the "back way" through Clarence White and Bob Warford - but that full-treble sound on both the guitars AND Twins is just not my tonal preference...I can only handle it in limited doses.

"It may seem off the subject as far as "effects" go - but a volume/tone circuit on a guitar is an "effect" itself - one sadly missing from most modern steels. "" "Oh, you just do the same thing with the volume pedal and amp controls"; nope, there's a totally different and symbiotic relationship between the guitar mounted circuits and external controls.

Jim-I am with you onthe Tone controls, they should have them on all new steels. I know---the players wanted the pure tone coming direct from the pickup, but I had MSA"S with a BYpass switch for the tone and Volum controls if you didn't want to use them" so that takes care of that theory.The other reason probably was , it saved the builders some money and helped them in building. I remember when the players did not want tone controls so the builders complied with their wishes. The still put them on all Lap steels! Did anyone ever wonder why only lap steels?...al.:)
The MSA's were on the back panel and I would like to see them on the top board so I could play a note and turn a tone control for an effect. I used to do it al the time with my old Gibson Electra-Harp, bar crashes with the tone bass to high, boo wah, make it sound like talking or laughing, Entertaining to many people in those days, oh yes....al

[Tamara James]

Great thread. Very good reading. As a beginner, I was wondering about all of this. How much equipment do I really need? Glad to know that the volumn pedal and amp (got a nashville 112 on order) will do the job. IF I ever get to a place where someone offers me money to play, then I might think about fancy stuff. I am much more confidant that I can do a good job of playing with the equipment I have, it's just a matter of "seat time" as ya all put it. I'm happy to do that.

[Dan Hatfield]

Aaron, FWIW you can hear a Zum D-10 being played in Columbia twice a month if you so desire. There is a country show at the Hazel Kinder Lighthouse Theater every 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month. The theater is located 10 miles east of Columbia on I-70 and the website is here.
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.c ... rformances
Dan Hatfield