Great (non pedal) steel guitar players

Wally Pfeifer · Post by **Wally Pfeifer** » 24 Sep 2010 11:26 am

Bobby Ingano

Alex Cattaneo · Post by **Alex Cattaneo** » 24 Sep 2010 2:49 pm

Bob, Tom, Andy,

Although players back then didn't have all the tools we have today, I would think that there was a lot more live music in clubs where guys could hear other musicians and pick up ideas... it had to come from somewhere! In my hometown, there's no such thing as live western swing or honky-tonk or Hawaiian music so... good thing I have this forum! For sure, if you have no references, you're bound to be somewhat original, but you'd better have a lot of talent and imagination to get somewhere. These guys had that for sure. That might be a drawback to today's music, the fact that we have access to tons of information and spend less time developing our own craft...

Andrew Staff · Post by **Andrew Staff** » 1 Oct 2010 11:28 am

My favorites are as follows
Jaoquin Murphey
Jerry Byrd
Jeremy Wakefield
Joel Paterson
Leon MacAuliffe
Greg Leisz

Charley Wilder · Post by **Charley Wilder** » 1 Oct 2010 2:57 pm

Ric Nelson wrote:Shot Jackson
Johnny Sibert

Yes! Add Little Roy and I'll listen all day!

Joel Bloom · Post by **Joel Bloom** » 1 Oct 2010 10:17 pm

I always get inspired listening to these albums for pure class and taste in their parts-
David Lindley-W/ The blind boys of Alabama
Jeremy Wakefield-On Wayne Hancocks's A Town Blues
Paul Godden-on Van Morrison's Pay The Devil
Greg Leisz-On Bill Frisell's Blues Dream

Rick Lodholz · Post by **Rick Lodholz** » 6 Oct 2010 11:14 am

FWIW:

I'm just a newby in the PSG world, but the only lap steeler I had ever seen before was Rusty Young from POCO...absolutely love his playing both on PSG and lap. Not even sure where you lap steelers would rank him...he's the reason I have been attracted to sound of a steel.

Regards

Rick

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 6 Oct 2010 2:56 pm

I'm with you, Wally; Bobby Ingano is one great player. I've been following this thread and as expected the list of great players keeps getting longer. I have to say I was a little disappointed not to see Benny Rogers' name in there somewhere. (IMHO a much more talented player than Feet) You can download Benny's LPs from Cord International. Anyway, it seems the list is broken into two categories: those who we will never hear except on record, and those we probably will never hear except on record; that is unless we are lucky enough to catch them at a gig. In the later group, how about SGF's own Anthony Locke? With Combo Mahalo he does some fine work on those old Hapa Haole hits from the 30s and 40s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PtolIZVAIc&NR=1

Tom Keller · Post by **Tom Keller** » 6 Oct 2010 5:34 pm

I enjoy Maurice Anderson's non pedal playing as well as all the usual suspects.

Regards

Tom Karsiotis · Post by **Tom Karsiotis** » 6 Oct 2010 6:53 pm

Don't forget Dick McIntyre.

Jim Hankins · Post by **Jim Hankins** » 7 Oct 2010 5:39 am

Thanks Tom, I looking for someone to name Maurice Anderson.

Tom Harris · Post by **Tom Harris** » 7 Oct 2010 6:01 am

The 2 that stand out in my mind are,,"PeeWee Whitewing" "Bob White"...........

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 7 Oct 2010 10:36 am

...also to get a sense of what's possible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PstTVuJP-Ls

For real. The CD "Calcutta Slide Guitar 3" sets the "bar", so to speak - everyone from Franklin to Easley to Derek Trucks wants these chops. There's a special edition out with the CD and a DVD of some of the tunes.

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 7 Oct 2010 10:52 am

David Mason wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PstTVuJP-Ls

The stuff Bhattacharya, Bhatt, and other Hindustani players do is so totally on another level that I won't even try to find the words to describe it.

Peter Lindelauf · Post by **Peter Lindelauf** » 9 Oct 2010 7:48 am

Second that comment, Steinar. Looking forward to seeing Harry Manx--Bhatt's former student--in our little town a week from now.

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 9 Oct 2010 2:21 pm

Nobody has mentioned Mike Auldridge. His work on 8 string resonator stands up with the very best non pedal playing of any era. Also, many of the early psg players started out on non pedal guitars and were terrific non pedal players. Buddy Emmons is an excellent example. 4 Wheel Drive is really something to hear.

Stephen Baker · Post by **Stephen Baker** » 9 Oct 2010 4:05 pm

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to see Carco Clave playing with Chuck Mead. I was aware of Carco initially through the late Rick Alexander’s you tube postings of Carco playing some fabulous non pedal.. Although Carco was using a PSG he played it 90% of the time like a non pedal like the steel players in the 50’s using the pedals for quick tuning changes letting his bar and fingers do the talking rather than relying on the pedals. Speedy West was the king of the tricks & gimmicks but rarely relied on the pedals alone so deserves a nomination here so on the same basis so does Carco.
As an aside, I shared a dressing room with Carco after our show and before his and I didn’t even recognize him, he was wearing a baseball cap and tee shirt and you don’t expect to see him in a bikers bar in Nottingham England. If I had I could have thanked him for all the licks I had stolen from him via Ricks videos so Thank you Carco

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 9 Oct 2010 7:36 pm

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the genius of BOB BROZMAN. Bob is a world traveler and has done so much for the advancement of the acoustic steel guitar, (namely the NATIONAL Tri-cone),

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 10 Oct 2010 5:51 pm

George Keoki Lake wrote:I'm surprised no one has mentioned the genius of BOB BROZMAN. Bob is a world traveler and has done so much for the advancement of the acoustic steel guitar, (namely the NATIONAL Tri-cone),

His tone is the best by far that I have ever heard out of an acoustic steel.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 10 Oct 2010 6:14 pm

Edward Meisse wrote:Nobody has mentioned Mike Auldridge. His work on 8 string resonator stands up with the very best non pedal playing of any era. Also, many of the early psg players started out on non pedal guitars and were terrific non pedal players. Buddy Emmons is an excellent example. 4 Wheel Drive is really something to hear.

This is true that Four Wheel Drive is remarkable, but it is important to note that it was played with pedals.

J Fletcher · Post by **J Fletcher** » 12 Oct 2010 5:39 am

Didn't see Cousin Jody mentioned, so, Cousin Jody.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 12 Oct 2010 10:51 am

BILLY TONNESON earlier mentioned the man of tweed, JODY CARVER in his thread. JODY is one of the greats of non-pedal steel, without any doubt !

Rich Sullivan · Post by **Rich Sullivan** » 12 Oct 2010 4:16 pm

Add Billy Bowman and Bobby Koefer to the list. Surprised nobody has mentioned them. Bowman wrote B Bowman Hop, Midnight In Old Amarillo, and played great on Bob Wills recordings in the '50's. I highly recommend a Bob Wills CD named "Harmony Park Airshots 1953" which is all live radio airplay. Bowman really shows what he can do live on these recordings. Koefer recorded with Peewee King, Bob Wills, Tom Morrell, and is still out there playing great.

Rich Sullivan · Post by **Rich Sullivan** » 12 Oct 2010 4:34 pm

Also just noticed that even though Billy Tonneson has posted on this thread, nobody has mentioned his playing. Some outstanding playing with Ole Rasmussen, Tommy Duncan, and on "Sunflower" by Frank Sinatra.

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 14 Oct 2010 2:13 pm

Curly Cochran was a very respected Steel Player in So. Calif. in the 40's. He recorded with Johnny Tyler on Starday Records among others. he was playing Jazz licks and special effects which a lot of us picked up on including Speedy West. Curly pretty much worked at the Bars on Pico Street in Los Angeles but we all would go down to hear him play. He was people friendly and would show and explain anything he was playing. You did not want to challenge him in a Jam Session !

Gene Warner · Post by **Gene Warner** » 15 Oct 2010 1:19 pm

Denny Mathis playing out of the San Antonio, Texas area is a super pedal, or non pedal steeler. I took lessons from him years ago. The man has major chops.
Gene Warner
repairman

The Steel Guitar Forum

Great (non pedal) steel guitar players

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Dick McIntyre

Curly Cochran - from the 40's