Newbie here, Please reassure me I am not crazy

John Gilsdorf · Post by **John Gilsdorf** » 21 Mar 2010 8:32 am

Well I did it, I've been intrigued by the PSG forever and just wanted one. I looked and researched and called and talked and researched some more and considered the options and past experiences in life and did it. I called SGN and talked to Bobbe and then bought his recommended package, what very nice helpful people!! A new GFI Expo SD10, N112, Goodrich VP, good steel, cables, picks, videos etc and am going to learn this thing.

I went all brand new good stuff so I wont run into something goofy and think that's the way it is and get discouraged or confused. The confusion will happen anyway but I can research and learn my way out of it. It is more expensive going this way but hopefully will pay off in the long run by not needing to trade trade up and having to deal with problems I hope.

Everyone I have talked to has been very helpful and encouraging and said it can be acomplished for a greenhorn rookie with very little music experience from a "while" back to learn to play one of these. I have some semiretired guy time and the patience of an old auto tech. If a guy can master fixing a car he ought to be able to learn to play one of these and then spend the rest of his life trying to master it. My wife even approved!!

Thank you to everyone and this forum!! What a great community!!

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 21 Mar 2010 8:43 am

You'll find that this is a great hobby that can take up as much of your time as you let it! Welcome to the fraternity, John. You've just bought some really great equipment!

Greg

Chuck Snider · Post by **Chuck Snider** » 21 Mar 2010 8:52 am

Hi John, welcome to the fun, frustrating, and rewarding world of pedal steel guitar. You are starting out with some great gear. Just stick with it and you'll get there, but it does take some time, so be patient with yourself.

-Chuck

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 21 Mar 2010 8:57 am

...sorry we can't reassure you about not being crazy, though...

Victor Gillett · Post by **Victor Gillett** » 21 Mar 2010 8:58 am

IMO, you made the right choice going with new gear. I went back and forth for months trying to decide what to buy, ended up with a new Carpsteel and couldn't be happier.

Less maintenance equals more time to play!

...oh yeah, make sure to do something nice for the wife, as she may not be seeing you a whole lot from now on. This instrument has potential to become an obsession.

-VWG in Boise!

Richard Damron · Post by **Richard Damron** » 21 Mar 2010 9:16 am

John -

I went the same route as you and never once thought about looking back. Now 74, I bought my gear in my 71st year. Hardest task has been to resist attempting to make up for lost time. Keep things in perspective and carry on!

Oh - and since you're a newbie - don't pay Cohen no nevermind. I've not met Jimbeaux in person but I suspect that he's as looney as the Groucho Marx character in his avatar. A nice looney, however.

Richard

Jason Hull · Post by **Jason Hull** » 21 Mar 2010 9:25 am

I can assure you that you are crazy, or maybe it's me

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 21 Mar 2010 11:42 am

You got a setup that can be used on the road and in any venue by mic'ing that amp. Nice purchase! Have fun and power through the frustrations! See the Stone River boys for motivation when they play through, I believe they spend a lot of time in NM.

BTW if your not crazy now wait till your speed picking starts to kick in!

Allan Jirik · Post by **Allan Jirik** » 21 Mar 2010 11:53 am

Welcome! I recently returned to pedal steel after nearly three decades. Trolling the Forum helped me immensely with my purchase. I've also got a NV112 on order thanks to the positive reviews here.

As was mentioned, "patience" is the key. Like you, I want to learn (in my case re-learn and more) everything all at once but it's wise to go slow and master one thing at a time. Greg Cutshaw has a tremendous website with pages and pages of great stuff to learn, both tabs and audio as you progress beyond the basics. I come to the Forum every day to absorb the wisdom here. You will find that a significant part of learning will be away from the steel. Good luck!!!

Jack Ritter · Post by **Jack Ritter** » 21 Mar 2010 11:58 am

Howdy John--
welcome to the forum. I always did say you don't have to be crazy to try to learn to play pedal steel, but it dang sure helps! Have fun and enjoy it! I am only 75 and it still teaches me something new ever now and then.
Jack

Eugene Cole · Post by **Eugene Cole** » 21 Mar 2010 1:53 pm

John; Welcome to PSG Annonymous (a.k.a. the Steel Guitar Forum). Ask lots of questions. Use the "Search" tool to find past discussions on topics that are of interest to you. Do not forget to nurture your spouse. A spouse that is supportive of your addiction (to the PSG) is a rare and wonderful thing. Such spouses are perhaps not as rare as many of the people that Post here-in pretend that they are; but we do make an effort to maintain the sterotype of the PSG-Widow.

I can neither confirm nor deny your sanity and where you fit on the scale between sane and insane. I contend that any discrete placement on this scale is subjective at best anyhow.

Being a little crazy does seem to contribute to proficiency on the PSG. Heck the Late/Great Jimmy Day was known to indulge in a little Weed and even some LSD

at times (I do not endorse these things BTW). The way I figure if you only get 10% as good as good as he was; that will be a glorious problem to have.

PSG addiction is a little different for each and every addict. The PSG has a niche in Swing, Jazz, Rock, Blues, and some claim the PSG even has a niche in Country music (note the reference to the `sanity scale' above).

You have come to the right place. This forum is full of passionate enablers that will help you rationalize your PSG addiction; and along the way they will also help you to become a better player.

OK; it is time to shift away from the humorous and get serious. The one peice of advice

that I offer to every new player is to start using all 4 fingers and your thumb from the outset to pick with.

Doing this will later-on make it it easier to play fast (but still clean) and to play slowly with lots of rich chords. If you you ever evolve to a 12-string or 14-string string (as I have) having all of those fingers working across the neck will really allow you to have a very full sound when you want to.

Michael Robertson · Post by **Michael Robertson** » 21 Mar 2010 2:24 pm

EVEN your wife approves!
Heck man you’ll be gigging with it in no time.
Welcome and yes you are crazy……….. Like the rest……
Good luck.

Allan Munro · Post by **Allan Munro** » 21 Mar 2010 3:16 pm

You ain't crazy and so am I.

John Gilsdorf · Post by **John Gilsdorf** » 21 Mar 2010 4:07 pm

Thanks for the words of encouragment!! I do plan on taking it slow but keeping after it. Having the equipment then referring back and forth to the training materials will be good so I don't get lost or ahead of the game I think. I need to understand what, why and how something is done and what the results are then put it all together.
First things first starting this Tuesday, burn in the new amp for three days, sposed to make a big difference in the way it sounds. If I can't play very well it will sound good anyway eh??

Yes the search option button will get a workout.......... I have had it busy already tapping into the knowledge base here.

As far as the crazy goes I am pleased to hear there are several others here can vouch to its merits.

Calvin Walley · Post by **Calvin Walley** » 21 Mar 2010 4:53 pm

well take a picture of your hair now ...it will soon be much more silver ..lol

Rich Peterson · Post by **Rich Peterson** » 21 Mar 2010 6:42 pm

Well, if you aren't crazy to start out, you will be. Crazy about the sound, crazy about playing, having songs, sounds, phrases and copedents running through your mind as you go to sleep.

Welcome to the nut... make that clubhouse. We'll have fun.

Dustin Rigsby · Post by **Dustin Rigsby** » 22 Mar 2010 4:34 am

Don't know about crazy,but.....my wife keeps threatening to take a chainsaw to my guitar if I don't start spending more time her(the wife).

Brick Spieth · Post by **Brick Spieth** » 22 Mar 2010 5:00 pm

You are not nearly as crazy as I in that I've mostly quit playing two different instruments I was somewhat competent on to spend the last year and a half driving myself stark raving mad on the steel guitar.

You are so wise to get good gear from the git go.

Jim Eaton · Post by **Jim Eaton** » 22 Mar 2010 5:29 pm

Get some tracks or Band in a Box for your computer to play along with! You will progess much faster if you have them than you will with out them.
JE:-)>

John Coffman · Post by **John Coffman** » 22 Mar 2010 5:37 pm

Hey John getting new equipment is always a plus. I too had no music background. March 2005 I attended the Dallas TSGA Jam. With the help of friends on the forum I had a steel with one month. It has been lots of fun with highs and lows but with practice you can play it. Get some of Jeff Newmans training DVD's and find a local teacher to help with keeping you focused and you will do well. Best of luck and welcome aboard.

Roual Ranes · Post by **Roual Ranes** » 23 Mar 2010 4:12 am

Sorry but where I came from you are "TECHED" in the head. At least you will not be chasing a little white ball around a crazy field.....you will not have time.

Tony Middleton · Post by **Tony Middleton** » 23 Mar 2010 6:56 am

I just started in January, and my wife now refers to my PSG as "The Other Woman". Guess I've been spending too much time with it. $:\$

Brian McGaughey · Post by **Brian McGaughey** » 23 Mar 2010 6:57 am

Ditto Jim Eaton.

Band in a Box will help your timing and intonation.

John Gilsdorf · Post by **John Gilsdorf** » 23 Mar 2010 9:40 am

Like Jim Eaton sez: I already ordered the CD set Herby Wallace put together so I should be set in that regards for a while. Thanks for the idea!! I ordered the Winnie Winston book and found several great recommendations for the Jeff Newman DVD's so that will be next.

The GFI and N112 arrived this morning and looks great. I recieved Bobby Seymour's beginner video with the package. They told me to turn the amp on and let it sit powered up for three days to burn itself in so here I am waiting to play with it. This will give me a chance to watch a video or two and do a bit more reading. I can play along with Mitch just without the amp till then.

Thanks again for the comments!!

Brian McGaughey · Post by **Brian McGaughey** » 23 Mar 2010 9:44 am

You can't play through a new amp for 3 days? I don't know it all and maybe is missed it but I've never heard of that. Maybe Bobbe meant just don't turn it off for 3 days?