How Many Steel Guitarists Originally Played Lead Guitar?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 12 Mar 2011 9:00 pm

Played guitar from about age 12 (when the Beatles hit) until age 20 when I stumbled into a steel guitar and life changed forever. Then didn't touch a 6-string guitar for over 30 years until about 2 years ago when I started studying jazz guitar. I find the years on steel have made learning jazz guitar much easier, and the new learnings on guitar are bleeding over into my steel playing, so it's all good.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 13 Mar 2011 2:06 am

Scott Shewbridge wrote:

In sum, for many of us, I think our limitations do force us to make choices.

I hope I don't use this quote to much out of context, but this can be said about me. If I was a better singer, I would have been satisfied just to sing and play backup acoustic guitar all my life. But my voice can't meet the standards that myself and others expect. This led me to playing electric, and than much later pedal steel.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 13 Mar 2011 5:16 am

Bass - 13 years old
Guitar - 15 years old
PSG - 43 years old
53 now...

Over the years I certainly made a lot more money playing bass than anything else, there's probably ten guitar players for every bass player who can play at a competent level - I don't play "lead bass", in a lot of ways Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorius caused more harm than good.... but playing bass doesn't get you the chords and counterpoint, not in the way that you can play what you hear in your head.

I still think of a steel guitar as an extension of the music I want to play, not as a separate instrument. I usually work on the same song on guitar and PSG at the same time, being a "steel player" only seems like a trap - as many here often say, the steel player's the first one fired. If your band wants to play "Hotel California" and you don't know the guitar parts on steel, you have to switch. I'm trying to work up the ability to stay on the steel by learning to play it interchangeably with guitar. Name any ten bar-band songs - can you play even one of them on steel? Skyrnd/Stones/Allmans/Tom Petty/Bob Seger/Eagles, it's all right there. You have to learn music, not steel.

John DeBoalt · Post by **John DeBoalt** » 13 Mar 2011 5:57 am

I started out playing guitar when I was 11 or 12. I played country lead when I was in my teens, and 20s. I stopped playing out in 1974. One of my prize possessions is the 1961 Fender Jazz Master I bought when I was in high school. When I started playing again I learned to play Dobro. I'd always wanted to learn the steel but didn't feel I could swing it financially. After a few years I was able to get my first one. After I got it, I found I could relate the chord, and key positions I was so familiar with on the guitar to the E9 steel. I like playing the steel, and there are so many guitar players that I still seldom take the guitar out of the house, but I can still do it when I want to. John

Owen Barnes · Post by **Owen Barnes** » 13 Mar 2011 8:51 am

Played 6 string for 40 years, mostly lead stuff, got the big "urge" for the steel about a year ago. Been playing now for 4 and a half months, and must admit to being "consumed" by it. Literally, if not actually on it, I'm thinking about it. I'm having the most fun I've ever had as a musician! One thing that has helped me tremendously, is that I do play keyboard, and so when I'm playing steel, looking for something, I mentally relate to the keys on the piano. (i.e., especially scale wise)

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 13 Mar 2011 10:31 am

I still think of a steel guitar as an extension of the music I want to play, not as a separate instrument.

I think your opinion is a little to simplified, David M.
The intensity of the sound of the pedal steel is much stronger than the sound of a guitar. You know the expression of the crying steel, it is what I mean. When I play regular guitar the emotional impact is not as strong, at least for me.

Ron Anderson · Post by **Ron Anderson** » 13 Mar 2011 10:54 am

Me, and I still will if you egg me on.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 13 Mar 2011 4:22 pm

Ron Anderson wrote:Me, and I still will if you egg me on.

In my case, they egg me off...

Lathan Mills · Post by **Lathan Mills** » 13 Mar 2011 9:55 pm

I still play guitar a little but spend most of my time with the steel,

Gary Richardi · Post by **Gary Richardi** » 13 Mar 2011 10:15 pm

I'm mainly a rock lead guitarist. In 2000, I was in a Neil Young tribute band and the "Neil" guy happened to get a CS in trade for some music store ads he ran in a music-related paper he published. He sold it to me, I found this place and the E9 theory chart, figured out the AB bend and was hooked. I still occasionally play with guys who do a CSNY tribute as well as an Eagles tribute band.

I also play a bit with banjo, mandolin, keyboards, bass, and drums. If it makes a musical noise, I'll give it a try.

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 14 Mar 2011 5:50 am

The probability of knowing for certain the percentages or ratio of those who have devoted full time to pedal steel, after closeting their six string Spanish guitars is highly unlikely. Cumulatively speaking, from every angle of the enigmatic puzzle, it becomes impossible to produce a degree of certainty for the benefit of common knowledge within musical studies. To seek an accurate figure representing those who have detuned their six strings, and never looked back, would prove to be a difficult task for countless reasons. This thread serves to enlighten a readership who may for a variety of reasons become interested in the pedal steel to the point of making a major decision in pursuing the benefits of full time dedication.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 14 Mar 2011 6:10 am

To seek an accurate figure representing those who have detuned their six strings, and never looked back, would prove to be a difficult task for countless reasons.

Bill, relax. I think this is just an informal poll - nobody's looking for absolute figures here.

Gary Richardi · Post by **Gary Richardi** » 14 Mar 2011 6:32 am

Interesting that some folks would all but give up 6-string after discovering psg. Everyone is different but I can't imagine that for myself.

Dave McKeough · Post by **Dave McKeough** » 14 Mar 2011 6:49 am

I'm not a "lead player"....I'm just a guitarist who plays music....that distinction drives me a little whackey. Absolutely still play 6 string....but I'm adding pedal steel...I'm hooked on it.

Bob Simons · Post by **Bob Simons** » 14 Mar 2011 6:56 am

I played all kinds of guitar music for 45 years. I had experimented with steel guitar in the 70's and actually owned a first year of business Zumsteel. Unfortunately, living in an area barren of steel players, I never progressed much and left it for big stage rock and roll.

A few years ago I took an old MSA in trade for a debt owed to me. New notes under my fingers! My poor, sad guitars have hardly been touched in years Steel has become a total obsession. Now 2 Zums, an MSA M3, 2 superlides and a 30's NAtional later....

When I took up steel again I went immediately to a E9-B6 U-12. I found that the similarity of neck positions with landmarks on the guitar were extremely useful to quick acquisition of the geography of the steel guitar for guitar players. I would be interested to know if others have found that to be the case also.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 14 Mar 2011 7:46 am

Bob, sunglasses indoors?

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 14 Mar 2011 8:11 am

Barry Blackwood wrote:Bob, sunglasses indors?

They're hitting it pretty hard,so they have to be within 106 miles of Chicago.

Bob Simons · Post by **Bob Simons** » 14 Mar 2011 8:20 am

Sunglasses - Stage Lights

Location- Kansas City (also a hard-slammin' blues town)

This was from a show with B.B. King about 12 years ago...

Scott Henderson · Post by **Scott Henderson** » 14 Mar 2011 8:38 am

piano---7
Banjo and fiddle---8
Guitar ---9
bass---14
steel guitar---17
In my family if you didn't play music you painted cars
and I never cared for the work and the painters lung....

Scott Henderson · Post by **Scott Henderson** » 14 Mar 2011 8:38 am

piano---7
Banjo and fiddle---8
Guitar ---9
bass---14
steel guitar---17
In my family if you didn't play music you painted cars
and I never cared for the work and the painters lung....

Ron Anderson · Post by **Ron Anderson** » 14 Mar 2011 9:59 am

Bob Simons wrote:

You looked just like that guy from BOC. The "needs more tambourine" dude!

Mike Taylor · Post by **Mike Taylor** » 14 Mar 2011 2:14 pm

Started playing lead guitar at 10, got the steel bug at 22 after playing with some fine pedal steelers in various bands.
I play both depending on the style of music we're playing at the time.

Mike

Bob Simons · Post by **Bob Simons** » 14 Mar 2011 5:20 pm

Naw, I'm not the guy from BOC...but I think I sold him a '66 Fender Twin a long time ago....

My shape and appearance has definitely changed since I became a steel guitar player...can barely see the pedals anymore! (Old-time steeler Lew Huston explained it to me long ago..."the best thing about playing steel guitar is you get to sit down and there is somewhere to put your drink! Oh yeah, and if there is a bar fight, you've got a pound of steel in your left hand!"

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 15 Mar 2011 2:31 am

Originally ?

still do !

It's been an interesting several decades of transfer.First I transferred over to the Steel my guitar knowledge, then, I transferred back to the guitar what I was playing on Steel . Now, I'm back to moving guitar phrases over to the Steel again . Each transition period has allowed me to view both fretboards differently. Recently I have gone back to the Dobro again as well, it's like a whole different Instrument now. I can't exactly explain it but when I look at the fretboard I see where the relative phrases lay whether it is in the open root position or with the capo on the 4th or the 5th..strange... It's just notes I guess...

t

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 15 Mar 2011 3:35 am

Tony,

The wide range of statuses, keep changing at regular intervals in this diversified endeavor to "conquer" the most difficult and dignified passages of musical expression. I know that you are among those who rest comfortably in that upper echelon of disciplined steel guitarists. It would seem reasonable to base the ultimate average circumstances of change, on what has created HESITANCY among skillful players, who play at your level of proficiency. To surrender their original bonds of dedication to their Spanish guitars, and to avoid diversification of variable musical interests, has become more problematic in terms of absolute rationale. I suspect that it has become a force of habit. The theme that men are "creatures of habit" is widely accepted.

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How Many Steel Guitarists Originally Played Lead Guitar?

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