"My shoes keep walking back" YouTube

James Kerr · Post by **James Kerr** » 4 Jun 2010 11:09 am

Old Ray Price song, I'm a big fan of his and enjoyed playing this song.Hope you like it too.
http://www.youtube.com/user/kerrsteel&rclk=cti

James.

Stewart Campbell · Post by **Stewart Campbell** » 4 Jun 2010 11:47 am

Hi James
That vidio was fantastic, and the guitar sounds great, is that the one with the Alumitone p/u.? and thanks for posting. Stewart Campbell.

springfield pedal steel ZB and a few home made laps.

James Kerr · Post by **James Kerr** » 4 Jun 2010 11:53 am

Stewart,
Thank you for listening to my song. This Guitar has a Peavey "Tele" pickup installed and I like the sound of that, I have just cleared out the garage (had a 39 Hudson Coupe in it) to get building more Laps.

James.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 4 Jun 2010 1:07 pm

Very nice, James. That guitar rings like a bell!

James Kerr · Post by **James Kerr** » 5 Jun 2010 10:22 am

Thank you Doug, I have just set up a nice wee woodwork shop in my Garage to make some more Steels, and experiment.

James.

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 5 Jun 2010 6:41 pm

James, beautiful tune. Likewise great job on "Lay Down Beside Me" You are making me into a lap steel fan.
I would love to see your garage and what you are cooking up! How about a pedal steel this time?

James Kerr · Post by **James Kerr** » 6 Jun 2010 2:57 am

Bent,
Thank you for your kind words, I just like to enjoy myself and hope others enjoy it too.

I have been down the Pedal Steel route before and don't see anything to gain by following the herd down that road again.

My mind is tending toward simplifying things rather than adding more complicated systems. I listen to recordings which have Steel guitar and find they only actually play about 20 seconds in any song, unless of course it is an Instrumental, but who apart from ourselves record Instrumentals. Although all these "Great Players" need 12 pedals, 8 Knee Levers and 12 Strings, I seldom hear them use more than two of these, and certainly not 12 strings. If you listen to the great players of old who played for Hank and others of his time, they all had 8 string twin & triple necks, yet only used the top 4 strings to cut through the rest of the band, again for a 20 second turn around or ending.

There are certainly a few, and I mean few, players around who are masters of the Instrument, they are a delight to listen to and I envy them. On the reverse side of the coin there are players who achieve God-like status for playing 3 repetitive distorted notes in a 15 minute dirge, I don't want to upset anyone by mentionig names, but they only need 2 strings and no pedals.

So I think we should reduce everything to cater for this market. Throw away all the extra strings, Pedals & Knee Levers, lets get down to just what they need, in the case of the Pedal Steel we should have a short scale - 23 inches- 6 String Keyless 2 Pedal 2 Knee Lever guitar. Just think how compact that would be and still capable of playing everything we hear on record today. I know there are people who will go to a concert and sit all night waiting to hear Paul play a passing note on his 4th Pedal, but we should just disregard them, he could do it with a slant like Lloyd.

I know I'm up against things here, no "Real" player would sit behind a guitar that only had what he needed, but I keep thinking a Violinist only needs 4 strings, you don't get 8 string Violins, a 5 string Banjo oddly enough, only has 5 strings.
But do we really need this?

As for the Lap steel, I will be generous here and say 6 strings, we could get along with only 4 or 5 like players of old, but I will give it 6, My next Lap Steel will again be a 6 string, short scale Keyless and be as compact as I can make it.

James.
Having fun.

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 6 Jun 2010 4:23 am

James, thanks for giving us the straight goods on your views re pedal vs non pedal. You are obviously a man with the courage of your convictions and you should only be respected for that.

Your opinions gave me food for thought and several points that would be interesting to discuss.
This might best be done in another discussion thread.

Again, you are a fine player and your lap steel sounds crystal clear!
Bent
Pedaling

John H. McGlothlin · Post by **John H. McGlothlin** » 6 Jun 2010 4:38 am

Hi James. Great job on that video and the sound is teriffic and great photography also. I agree 100% with you about all the pedals and levers and strings because players like Kayton Roberts and Billy Robinson and a lot others have proven over the years that the possibilities of a non pedal guitar are without limits. No matter how many pedals and strings a guitar has its still nothing more than just a machine, it will not play by its self. Music is created by the mind and creativeness of the person sitting behind the guitar. Thanks again for sharing your wonderful music.