Any Pedal Steel Players Located In Indiana?

Paul Fry · Post by **Paul Fry** » 13 Feb 2011 5:46 pm

JUST INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW MANY OTHER PEDAL STEEL PLAYERS THERE ARE IN INDIANA WITH ME. PLEASE POST IF YOUR IN THE HOOSIER STATE. ALSO POST WHAT YOU PLAY AND YOUR SETUP.

I LIVE IN FRANKFORT, INDIANA AND PLAY A S12 MSA STANDARD E9 TUNING WITH 5 FLOORS AND 4 KNEES.

David Graves · Post by **David Graves** » 13 Feb 2011 8:47 pm

Hello Paul. I'm more known as a lead guitar player but I play steel also. One of my greatest moments was getting to play lead guitar for the great Herby Wallace at the Indy show and also at St Louis this past year. I've always been in love with the steel but no one would let me get away from my lead long enough to learn it. I finally found the time and I absolutely love the pedal steel. I have a '91 Mullen D-10, 8&5 in a beautiful Blonde maple. I use a Nashville 400 with a Pod XT live and Hilton VP. I'm fortunate enough to have friends who are pedal steel masters like Denny Barns, Wimpy Osteen, Lee Bartam and Dave Jackson (Also from Indiana) that have helped me out a bunch. Pedal steel musicians seem to be the nicest bunch of people in the world. I play at the Ross Country Jamboree in Scottsburg, IN. Check it out.. www.rosscountryjamboree.com
Best wishes..

Paul Fry · Post by **Paul Fry** » 14 Feb 2011 2:30 am

David, Thanks for posting! Looked at your web site. Awesome, I'll try to make it down there sometime. Where is the other player located on Indiana that mentioned?

Bill Howard · Post by **Bill Howard** » 14 Feb 2011 4:11 pm

Paul i live in Indianpolis I been playing pedal Steel for 32 Years. I started on a Fender Student type made by Sho bud then got a Pro-1 (It got Stolen)
got an LDG-1000 (lloyd Green) Sho Bud. Was playing it in the Spotlight one night,RIGHT in the MIDDLE of my ride the Knee lever FELL OFF!!!.
I Sold that Junker to the man I bought it BRAND NEW from

..I Ordered a brand new franklin in 1987.
Here is a video of me Playing it with David Church in 2006, Paul it had not been out of the case in about 2 years when I made this video I'm surprised I remembered anything:).
I played for a cpl Nashville acts (hate braggers:)...
heres the Link to the Video
Leave me a way to call you I have free long distance, thank You Bill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM-LbCNRu3g

David Graves · Post by **David Graves** » 15 Feb 2011 5:24 pm

Paul, my other steel buddies are as follows. Denny lives near Seymour, Dave Jackson ( the steel man for the Little Nashville Opry ) is from around Bloomington and currently working with me at the Jamboree, Wimpy ( who is a master builder/repaiman and worked for Derby ) is from around Mitchell and my buddy Lee is from down in KY. Each one of these gentlmen are incredible steel players and super nice guys to work with. They really are the "ambassadors" to the craft.

Chuck L. Smith · Post by **Chuck L. Smith** » 15 Feb 2011 6:30 pm

I am a Steel Player living in Mishawaka, South Bend and Mishawaka have a few of us left.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 16 Feb 2011 9:18 am

I think Gary Pugh still plays pedal steel in Columbus, Indiana.
Nice guitar, Bill !

Ray Harrison · Post by **Ray Harrison** » 17 Feb 2011 6:27 am

David, is Jimmy Weisenheimer (excuse any mis-spelling) still playing around Bloomington and Nashville, In. I met him years ago and remember him as a real solid player.

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 18 Feb 2011 4:50 am

Well there's Tim Wright of the Wright Bros. Band. IMHO he definitely qualifies as a steel player.
And you should also include Mike Clark. Mike's also a member of SGF.
Both in Indianapolis.

David Graves · Post by **David Graves** » 18 Feb 2011 10:42 am

Ray.. the great Jimmy Meisenhiemer is not only an incredible steel player but a good friend of mine. When I was about 12 years old he would let me come into Smith & Holden music and play any instrument I wanted.. all the time knowing I couldn't afford anything. But he saw my talent and treated me like gold. As I last heard, Jimmy isn't playing at this time. He worked with many folks through the years and was with Lloyd Wood for a long stint. But he's currently put the steel away for awhile and is working a daytime job in Bloomington. Smith & Holden music closed down a few years ago and that sent Jimmy looking. He's still incredibly talented and will always be one of my favorites. He's a monster jazz/swing player!!

James Nottage · Post by **James Nottage** » 18 Feb 2011 12:03 pm

David:

Do you know if Jimmy Meisenhiemer teaches? I am a beginner and would appreciate being able to take a lesson or two from someone like this with real experienc. I really have not found any qualified teachers in Indiana.

James

David Graves · Post by **David Graves** » 18 Feb 2011 3:55 pm

James, I'm not sure if Jimmy is doing any teaching or playing at all but let me make a couple of calls and find out. I'll get back to you as soon as I have some info. Have a good day.

Eric Philippsen · Post by **Eric Philippsen** » 18 Feb 2011 4:41 pm

I live just to the west of Indy and originally came from South Bend where I lived for 40-some years.

Kevin Keister · Post by **Kevin Keister** » 19 Feb 2011 4:48 am

Trying to teach myself pedal steel, single neck 3 & 4 E9 north east Indiana, just north of Fort Wayne

Dave Biller · Post by **Dave Biller** » 19 Feb 2011 6:41 am

I was born in NW Indiana which was, at one time, a hotbed for steel guitar pickers. Lived in Bloomington for a while after college and knew Jimmy Meisenheimer very well. In fact I worked at Smith Holden for about 6 years and spent a lot of time with Jimmy. He was a great guy and great player (on 6 string, too) and that Lloyd Wood band was terrific.

I recently found out that this was happening....

http://sites.google.com/site/ronalddailey1/

I went to a meeting while on a vist with my folks and was astounded by the caliber of the players.

Paul Fry · Post by **Paul Fry** » 20 Feb 2011 4:52 am

Rex, you mentioned Tim Wright in an earlier post. If anyone has any contact information for Tim, please private message me. Thanks!

Joe Alterio · Post by **Joe Alterio** » 21 Feb 2011 6:39 am

I've played the annual Indy Steel Guitar concert twice, and was once slated for the ISGC Thursday show (unbeknownst to me...think Don C. just did it for me as a favor and I didn't learn about it till the last minute and couldn't change my plans as I had another show that weekend).

Haven't been terribly active in the Indy music "scene" (

) since my daughter was born a few years ago. Would like to jump back in, but there is little to no activity country-music wise....at least, with gigs that pay anything.

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 21 Feb 2011 8:43 am

Check your PM, Paul.
Sorry I didn't mention you, Joe. I'm one of the old goobers gone the way of the Edsel.

Hey guys, Joe's played the "Always" (Patsy Cline) gig when it blew thru Indy awhile back, yes?

Still got that perdy Zum, Joe?

Hope all is well.

David Graves · Post by **David Graves** » 22 Feb 2011 11:51 am

A couple of guys that I forgot to mention...
Don Davis from Columbus. He too did the "Always Patsy Cline" a couple of years ago and was also one of the steel players at the Little Nashville Opry many years ago. And Rex Manship from Southern Indiana. He is the brother of Alan Manship who builds some incredible electric guitars. And Rick Ferguson from the Bloomington / Spencer area. Rick is a master type of musician that plays everything great, but is known as probably the most knowledgeable, technical bass player on the face of the earth. He worked with us on the Herby Wallace shows a couple of times and he's just a freak of nature with the knowledge and musical talent he has.
I'm sure I'll think of others soon.

Paul Fry · Post by **Paul Fry** » 22 Feb 2011 2:42 pm

Brought my rig into the house this afternoon. Haven't played for awhile but have the itch again. Saw here on the forum that several guys have the Session 400. Got to lookin at mine and its one of those notorious Session 500's! It's stinkin heavy but I was just reminded that it has an absolutely awesome sound.

David Graves · Post by **David Graves** » 22 Feb 2011 7:41 pm

Paul, our steel player ( Dave Jackson ) usually plays his new G2 through a Nashville 112 but last Sat. night he brought his old Session 400. He has recovered it in the tweed covering and it looked great but it sounded INCREDIBLE!! He came out of his guitar, to the Volume Pedal straight to the amp and it had the most beautiful rich sound I've ever heard!! I honestly don't think you could have improved on the sound with anything. Of course his talent in his hands is a lot of it but that Session sounded like GOLD!! Wow.. what an amp!

Paul Fry · Post by **Paul Fry** » 23 Feb 2011 2:36 am

David, I agree! For a long time Peavey was the only one that really catered to steel players. I remember when I first got this 500...when I plugged in and started playing, I remember our piano player...he had a "Wow" look on his face.

Herb C Clarkson · Post by **Herb C Clarkson** » 23 Feb 2011 11:30 am

Hello Paul...Herb Clarkson here...I live just a little short distance south of you right here in Indy on the northside of town...I've worked at it a few years...I have more love for the darn thing than I do talent...however; when it comes to talent there has been and there still is a lot of talented steel players from this good old state...Rex Thomas & Tim Wright both played for the Wright Brothers Overland Stage Company as they were called in their early years...and both pickers are bad to the bone...I blame my steel habit on those two guys...also; southwest of here down around Wilbur, IN. is Mr. Joe Clymer another great steel player...talk later.

Fred Justice · Post by **Fred Justice** » 23 Feb 2011 11:56 am

Transplanted in Arizona in 1975, but I was born and raised in the Hoosier state, just south of a little town named Wolcott on US Hwy 24 east of Monticello.

My sister and her husband, Edna & Marvin Provo had a band around the Monticello area for years called "The Majestics"

I have a life time of fond memories living in Indiana, a lot of friends and family still there. "Great place to be from"

David Graves · Post by **David Graves** » 27 Feb 2011 2:10 pm

Fred, I see that your in Mesa AZ. When I went on the road for the first time back in the early 80's our band leader and incredible drummer had some family in Mesa/ Apache Junction. One night while grilling out on the patio we sit in amazement looking at the Superstition Mountains and how beautiful they are. I picked up my guitar and we wrote a song called "Oh Superstition" about the Mountains. We layed it down on tape that week and heard that a couple of years later that the govenor "adopted" the song as the official Arizona theme song. Have you ever heard the song or any mention of it? Besides some airplay we never heard any more of it and I was just curious. I can get you a copy of the lyrics if needed. I'm just curious. Appreciate your help. I'm even considering moving out to Arizona mostly for health reasons. I love that dry climate.

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