Why can't our steels look more "cool"?

Rich Peterson · Post by **Rich Peterson** » 11 Feb 2009 9:02 pm

You sit virtually motionless, so there's little visual interest. And you stare at your bar hand, with no eye contact with the audience. People think you are part of the furniture.

Watch a Joe Wright video.

Mike Shefrin · Post by **Mike Shefrin** » 11 Feb 2009 9:21 pm

One way to make your steel look totally cool would be to install a puppet house on top of it.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 12 Feb 2009 3:54 am

We could have the front aprons painted with designs like these:

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 12 Feb 2009 5:40 am

chas smith,
As of right now my friend, you have the top spot for having PSG "COOL"

Mike...I loaned my PSG to a friend to do a part in the movie "Buster and Billie" they hung a curtain on it to hide the pedals.

Bill

Les Green · Post by **Les Green** » 12 Feb 2009 5:58 am

Nothing on the bandstand looks better than a D10 with about 8 and 6!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 12 Feb 2009 6:18 am

I like the puppet-house idea. When the curtain opens, voila! it reveals the man behind the curtain who has been making all those cool and dreamy sounds. Imagine the mystery of it all! The mystique! The ladies will faint! Oh, shiver!

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 12 Feb 2009 6:58 am

Sittin' behind David Wright's guitar here. How much more cool than those flames could you get !!

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Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 12 Feb 2009 7:02 am

Jimbeaux
If you had two groupies on each arm, they'd more than likely be tattoos.

Cya in Big D, dudely!

Mike Shefrin · Post by **Mike Shefrin** » 12 Feb 2009 7:03 am

Of course another option instead of making your steel look cooler is to make yourself look more cool. Animal heads are ideal for this purpose
(or porpoise).

Hmmm, that guy sure looks familiar, doesn't he, Jim.

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 12 Feb 2009 7:44 am

OK, now we're talking!
I knew there were some more ways to make the steel look cool!
In a pinch, some good airbrush painting will do the trick for me.
At least we have a blank canvas to work on.
p.s. Chuck, they have the internet in Florida too!

Rich Peterson · Post by **Rich Peterson** » 12 Feb 2009 9:22 am

You could have all the metal parts anodized black. And, if you wanted to go Goth, finish the wood in black, with skulls across the apron.

Or put a translucent panel between the legs with LEDs behind it. A modernized Grand Letar.

Or put metal channels across the top and bottom of the apron, and slide in different vinyl panels appropriate to the gig.

I'd like to see a lady steeler with a "Hello Kitty" instrument.

Actually, I think the PSG looks pretty cool in its natural glory. Clean simple lines, form follows function, pure elegance. But more necks, more strings, more pedals and levers help. Maybe two-tiered pedals like Vance Terry and Al Petty had.

Maybe I better figure out the S10 5X5 first.

George Crowder · Post by **George Crowder** » 12 Feb 2009 1:16 pm

Hey Tony, over in the instruments for sale section, look at Don Fullmer's Carter S12 with the airbrushed picture on the front apron. Now that's a cool steel.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 12 Feb 2009 1:39 pm

"'Cool is as cool does' that's what wise men say.
If you would be cool, then choose another axe to play."

Steel guitar will become more "cool" when more "cool" players get recognized by those who determine what is "cool." That would be 1. young people, 2. black folks, 3. hipsters.

Santo and Johnny were the Dick Continos of the steel guitar. "Sleepwalk" is to steel as "Lady of Spain" is to accordion and "Orange Blossom" is to fiddle.

Buddy Emmons got 5 stars from Down Beat magazine for Steel Guitar Jazz. Buddy also was Ray Charles' steel player of choice, so's he's automatically cool. And he played with Danny Gatton.

Sneaky Pete was automatically cool also, for being the most iconoclastic player of his generation and playing with monster stars on huge records.

Jerry Garcia made steel guitar "cool." Buddy Cage helped. Currently Robert Randolph is the coolest thing to happen to steel guitar, in my lifetime anyway.

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 12 Feb 2009 2:18 pm

And, if you wanted to go Goth, finish the wood in black, with skulls across the apron.

Cliff Kane · Post by **Cliff Kane** » 12 Feb 2009 2:30 pm

Rich Peterson wrote:You could have all the metal parts anodized black. And, if you wanted to go Goth, finish the wood in black, with skulls across the apron.
.

A Franklin would be a good candidate for this: it already has spider webs on the fretboard.

As for cool: doesn't Chuck Berry play a Fender 400 at the end of the movie, "Hail Hail Rock and Roll"?

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 12 Feb 2009 3:07 pm

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain..
I thing it would be good to start making big fiberglass wrap around looking like 55-57 Chevy.
Then add steering wheel and shifter, turn blinkers to control pedals and levers.
Sparks and smoke coming out the drag pipes

Post by **b0b** » 12 Feb 2009 3:53 pm

Black is cool. It sounds best, too.

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 12 Feb 2009 4:36 pm

Dick Contino...great reference, Herb. I got it...

Terje Brattsveen · Post by **Terje Brattsveen** » 12 Feb 2009 6:19 pm

If you can't find a Fender, check this out: www.harmosmusic.com.

John Lemieux · Post by **John Lemieux** » 12 Feb 2009 7:00 pm

Dont stop this is getting good

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 13 Feb 2009 7:55 am

ken...yeah, you could have a stage race against paul revere (annd the raiders) keyboard of the same concept!

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 13 Feb 2009 10:14 am

I like the idea of fiberglass.....unlimited possibilities.

Mike Shefrin · Post by **Mike Shefrin** » 13 Feb 2009 10:58 am

This is the front of a Jaguar XKSS on a Carter steel.
You could turn on the headlights to spot the nice looking chicks on the dance floor. I think an added windshield might also look nice, and would offer protection from thrown objects when playing in a rowdy bar.

Tony,
All kidding aside, I just listened to the clips on your website. You sounded real good on the steel.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 13 Feb 2009 7:14 pm

Herb Steiner wrote:"'Cool is as cool does' that's what wise men say.
If you would be cool, then choose another axe to play."

Steel guitar will become more "cool" when more "cool" players get recognized by those who determine what is "cool." That would be 1. young people, 2. black folks, 3. hipsters.

Santo and Johnny were the Dick Continos of the steel guitar. "Sleepwalk" is to steel as "Lady of Spain" is to accordion and "Orange Blossom" is to fiddle.

Buddy Emmons got 5 stars from Down Beat magazine for Steel Guitar Jazz. Buddy also was Ray Charles' steel player of choice, so's he's automatically cool. And he played with Danny Gatton.

Sneaky Pete was automatically cool also, for being the most iconoclastic player of his generation and playing with monster stars on huge records.

Jerry Garcia made steel guitar "cool." Buddy Cage helped. Currently Robert Randolph is the coolest thing to happen to steel guitar, in my lifetime anyway.

I wish I'd said all that.

Glen Derksen · Post by **Glen Derksen** » 13 Feb 2009 7:54 pm

Has anyone ever built an art-deco steel? That would look neat.