What a steel looks like to the general public

Kevin Klimek · Post by **Kevin Klimek** » 28 Jun 2010 8:45 am

Maybe it's because I live in the cold north where steel players are far and few, but back when I first started playing steel, I had a sweet little MSA Sidekick. A guy came up, looked directly down at my steel (obviously seeing 10 strings) and said: "Is that a KEYBOARD?"

On another occasion, a guy came up (more recently) and looked at my GFI Ultra and asked: "What the H### is that thing?"

And, probably the most hilarious one happened just this past weekend. I came back in the room after a break and my keyboard player was laughing as we took stage. I asked him what was so funny. He told me some folks in the crowd asked him if that "thing" I was playing was a XYLOPHONE.

Apparently not many people up here see steel guitars...which is sad! I'd like to hear of anyone else having this happen to them!

Jonathan Cullifer · Post by **Jonathan Cullifer** » 28 Jun 2010 8:49 am

It's also sad that they don't know what a keyboard or xylophone looks like

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 28 Jun 2010 10:10 am

I dragged my steel down to a neighborhood street party a few years ago and a guy asked me if I wear that around my neck?

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 Jun 2010 11:10 am

Kevin,
Before I give people the opportunity to ask something stupid, I tell them that the instrument I'm playing is a product of genetic engineering.
It's a combination Singer sewing machine and an electric cheese slicer.

Paul Sutherland · Post by **Paul Sutherland** » 28 Jun 2010 11:35 am

Just a couple weeks ago I was asked if what I was playing was a sitar.

Storm Rosson · Post by **Storm Rosson** » 28 Jun 2010 11:39 am

Some lady at a gig in Roswell, NM told me she had never seen a "table model guitar" before....

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 28 Jun 2010 11:52 am

A hippie chick in eastern Oregon told me my D-10 looked like a burial for two salmon.

Igor Fiksman · Post by **Igor Fiksman** » 29 Jun 2010 1:24 pm

General public is one thing. My own mother came to see my band the other day. She sat through the whole set and then it got late so she went back to the place she was staying. Next morning she called to say hello. I asked her if she liked the show - she said she liked it, but was wondering when I was going to play. I was confused, I told her I played the whole time she was there. Now she was confused, she said I thought you were just sitting there at a little table waiting for your turn. In her defence my mom is no spring chicken and last time she saw me play anything, it was bass in a college Jazz band 20 years ago. My band sure got a kick out of that story.

Igor Fiksman · Post by **Igor Fiksman** » 29 Jun 2010 1:33 pm

Tony Glassman wrote:A hippie chick in eastern Oregon told me my D-10 looked like a burial for two salmon.

Tony, you must play a Marlen...

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 29 Jun 2010 1:57 pm

Well Igor,,, you said you played a bass 20 years ago! Largemouth or Smallmouth?

Igor Fiksman · Post by **Igor Fiksman** » 29 Jun 2010 2:27 pm

It was about thiiiiiiiiiis big, almost flipped the boat.

Johnny Baldwin · Post by **Johnny Baldwin** » 29 Jun 2010 5:40 pm

When I tell people I play the pedal steel guitar, the majority say, "You play what?". Then I hum the first 4 bars of Someday Soon and they say, "oh, that thing!" They know the sound, they just don't know the instrument.

Allan Jirik · Post by **Allan Jirik** » 29 Jun 2010 5:47 pm

That was my introduction back in the day when I was actively working... "Playin' the Table is ...!!!"

So after nearly 30 years I've returned to pedal steel. I can honestly say I don't see ANY progress in terms of public recognition of the instrument, at least here in Southeast Michigan. I was really excited and told co-workers "I got a steel guitar!" I was met with blank looks, so so familiar from the 70s. Man, I just shut up and now I don't tell friends or anybody about my steel guitar. I just practice, practice, practice. And enjoy myself!!!

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 29 Jun 2010 8:45 pm

Oh, you must mean my Electric Cheese Slicer!

Jeremy Threlfall · Post by **Jeremy Threlfall** » 29 Jun 2010 8:51 pm

Johnny Baldwin wrote:They know the sound, they just don't know the instrument.

So, so true - I started a thread about this very thing recently - I knew the sound and didn't know the instrument myself when I was younger

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 30 Jun 2010 2:02 am

Tell them it's called a TIFKATPSG

The Instrument Formerly Known As The Pedal Steel Guitar.

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 30 Jun 2010 5:59 am

A lot of times, some of my friends ask what instrument I play, and I tell them I play steel guitar and their response is usually, "That's cool you play guitar" and then I tell them it ain't the same type of guitar because I gotta explain to them it's called a steel guitar and they ask me how it's played and I explain how you pick the strings instead of strum, and to fret strings you slide a steel bar up and down the neck while your feet press the pedals.

Brett

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 30 Jun 2010 6:18 am

Frederic Mabrut · Post by **Frederic Mabrut** » 30 Jun 2010 12:06 pm

A few years ago a drunken gal boasted in front of her equally drunken boyfriend:
"You know, it's like a keyboards....with strings!"

Keith Murrow · Post by **Keith Murrow** » 30 Jun 2010 12:18 pm

Igor Fiksman wrote:...she said I thought you were just sitting there at a little table waiting for your turn.

That's one of the best I have ever heard.

John Ummel · Post by **John Ummel** » 30 Jun 2010 12:33 pm

One band leader used to introduce me: '...here's Johnny on his electric ironing board'

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 30 Jun 2010 1:16 pm

If someone shows a genuine interest in learning what the instrument is, I'll take special care to describe and even show them what it does.

One loyal fan of the band back in the 80's called it a "lay down guitar". That's better than a lot of things I've heard. At least he acknowledged it was a guitar. Another fellow called it a "flat top". I've heard keyboard, xylophone, and all the others too.

Most people don't really care, and I just try to keep 'em away from it. They always want to lean on it or lay stuff on top of it or kick the pedal bar.

Storm Rosson · Post by **Storm Rosson** » 30 Jun 2010 1:50 pm

Stu Schulman wrote:I dragged my steel down to a neighborhood street party a few years ago and a guy asked me if I wear that around my neck?

Well Stu do you wear it around yer neck?

Storm Rosson · Post by **Storm Rosson** » 30 Jun 2010 1:54 pm

Barry Blackwood wrote:

Barry that ain't gonna work.....u forgot to string 'er up hehehe

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 1 Jul 2010 12:47 am

MJ's handle was most befittin': " Appalachian tone bender "

as fer mine, it's the knitting machine i offered my wife that she never used