Keith Hilton wrote: Don't know why, but most standard 6 string guitar players are fascinated with fooling aournd with a pedal steel guitar. Their approach is to try and transpose what they know on their 6 string guitar to a pedal steel guitar. A real steel guitar player can easily tell the difference between a REAL pedal steel guitar player, and a standard 6 string guitar player who is fooling around on pedal steel.
There is nothing wrong with a standard 6 string guitar player fooling around with a pedal steel. The important thing to remember is to have fun. It takes all the fun out when you start condemning and judging what others do with their music. What Jerry Garcia played on steel was commercial, and sold to the public, and that is all that matters. It would be difficult for a REAL steel player to try and copy what Jerry played. The reason being Jerry took a standard 6 string guitar players approach to the pedal steel. In most cases it won't work, but it worked for Jerry, and people liked it. As for me I would rather listen to a REAL steel player.
Ahhh distinctions. Always good to segregate folks and make sure they know who they are... of course, within all the 'accepting' thoughts of what others might do... we remind them that what they do isn't real... and we all kinda know that real = valid... everything else is, well, not real.
Cool. I'll happily head to the back of the bus, the smell is better anyway.