Rock/Country Rock Style on the e9 pedal steel
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- Lynn Fargo
- Posts: 429
- Joined: 16 Sep 2011 1:01 pm
- Location: Fort Edward, NY
Mike and Gerry,
Thanks for the info. Is there anything available today that's comparible to the MDI pickup? I love that sound.
Would you believe I had a Boss-tone GIVEN to me some years back, but I think I gave it away cuz I already had one. Shame on me! But I'm sure that steeler is enjoying it. Who would've thought this stuff would go off the market?
Thanks for the info. Is there anything available today that's comparible to the MDI pickup? I love that sound.
Would you believe I had a Boss-tone GIVEN to me some years back, but I think I gave it away cuz I already had one. Shame on me! But I'm sure that steeler is enjoying it. Who would've thought this stuff would go off the market?
- Gerry Simon
- Posts: 205
- Joined: 17 Apr 2009 12:36 pm
- Location: Ohio, USA
Lynn, I know of no midi, made-for-steel 'multi string' interfaces made today. There is a single string converter Jerry Brightman was using, that might be good for single string work or building up midi tracks when recording. Maybe a guitar midi PU or two could be used on a slant to work with a steel; haven't seen that tho...But...there are so many cool sound processors around these days, that do all sorts of sound tricks, you may not find as much need with an actual midi pitch to voltage converter to trigger sampled sounds... ...here are a few clips to show the boxes I am using now and some different bands... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0sVn--shvQ
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- Posts: 36
- Joined: 31 Mar 2007 3:56 pm
- Location: Wisconsin, USA
In answer to a few of these posts...I have worked with Joe Wright in Nashville...he did a great job with rock & roll steel, my suggestion is don't go with a fuzz tone sound, rather a grittier more of a Tube Screamer approach. Licks wise, I've been thinking more bluesy, listen to Robert Randolph.
MIDI wise, my brother in law John Spooner uses two GK Roland pickups and two Roland MIDI converters with his Miller. He's running that into a single MIDI module. I use with my Tele a GR-50 into a Roland U-110 so when we play every blue moon, he's doing a piano lick or a sax section right where I was gonna, so I KNOW this works!
MIDI wise, my brother in law John Spooner uses two GK Roland pickups and two Roland MIDI converters with his Miller. He's running that into a single MIDI module. I use with my Tele a GR-50 into a Roland U-110 so when we play every blue moon, he's doing a piano lick or a sax section right where I was gonna, so I KNOW this works!
- Jim Gilliam
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- Johan Jansen
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GFI through RAT drive pedal
As I still feel myself as a beginner on PSG, I afraid to record much, but here's one played with slight drive, solo starts at 1.50:
http://soundcloud.com/tonutimm/kassitapp
http://soundcloud.com/tonutimm/kassitapp
GFI Ultra SD-10, BearCreek Weissenborn, Hermann Baritone Weiss, National Polychrome Tricone, Fender Champ Lapsteel, Quiter Micropro Mach 2 HD, Nashville 112, Zirconia bars, Bob Perry picks...
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- Location: Berlin, Germany
I recently had a revelation ... and I can't believe I haven't heard of this guy before - Robert Randolph!
yes, he not what most people are used to hearing on the pedal steel guitar. but man, this guy has feeling and great technique.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtxYAQt8 ... grec_index
Watching a lot his videos, he doesn't necessarily use a lot of levers and pedals, but his up and down the neck playing is really inspiring.
yes, he not what most people are used to hearing on the pedal steel guitar. but man, this guy has feeling and great technique.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtxYAQt8 ... grec_index
Watching a lot his videos, he doesn't necessarily use a lot of levers and pedals, but his up and down the neck playing is really inspiring.
- Rick Winfield
- Posts: 941
- Joined: 22 Feb 2007 12:45 pm
- Location: Pickin' beneath the Palmettos
Rr
For my ears, this is a little different, from what I heard Mr. Randolph do in the past. It's more musical, and the tone has greatly improved. IMHO
I like it !
Even though, my Roots are in Rock and Blues,w/some jazz,(6 stringer, who came over), I've struggled to play Counrty and Western Swing, on my PSG, looking to make it "pretty, and Swing" Hoping for the Zane Beck sound. Maybe I set the "bar" too high for 5/6 years experience
Perhaps I should cut loose & go back to Rock/Blues
Do what comes naturally to me. I've played some Allman Bros.,BB King,Grateful Dead,et al, for fun, but not seriously.
This is NOT to discredit Mr, Randolph, just expressing my PSG ideals. Which are beginning to change.
Rick
PS: Johan, that was some great tone and tasty licks !
I like it !
Even though, my Roots are in Rock and Blues,w/some jazz,(6 stringer, who came over), I've struggled to play Counrty and Western Swing, on my PSG, looking to make it "pretty, and Swing" Hoping for the Zane Beck sound. Maybe I set the "bar" too high for 5/6 years experience
Perhaps I should cut loose & go back to Rock/Blues
Do what comes naturally to me. I've played some Allman Bros.,BB King,Grateful Dead,et al, for fun, but not seriously.
This is NOT to discredit Mr, Randolph, just expressing my PSG ideals. Which are beginning to change.
Rick
PS: Johan, that was some great tone and tasty licks !
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- Rich Peterson
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- Location: Moorhead, MN
If you feel that nobody knows what a steel guitar is, or cares; if you feel invisible on stage......
Take note that Robert Randoph, Rusty Young and Joe Wright make a lot of eye contact with the audience. They look like there could be nothing more fun in life than playing a pedal steel guitar. They entertain.
Take note that Robert Randoph, Rusty Young and Joe Wright make a lot of eye contact with the audience. They look like there could be nothing more fun in life than playing a pedal steel guitar. They entertain.
- Gerry Simon
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- Location: Ohio, USA
- Tharon Caraway
- Posts: 44
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- Location: Lubbock,Texas USA
Lloyd Maines
Thomas, Go to lloydmaines.net to learn more about Lloyd. He uses a Bosstone to get his distorted sound. Mahoney electronics sell copy's of them. The are good.
- Rick Winfield
- Posts: 941
- Joined: 22 Feb 2007 12:45 pm
- Location: Pickin' beneath the Palmettos
showmen
You are correct Rich.
Those 3 guys are real showmen, as well as seasoned musicians.
Rick
Those 3 guys are real showmen, as well as seasoned musicians.
Rick
Here's an example from a show I did a couple of weeks ago. The first song is country steel, then there's two rock songs with the distortion channel, and then we finish up with a dobro-like tone on the last song.
http://soundcloud.com/b0b/roadside-traditions-at
There's really no big trick to this. You just need to use the right scale and tone for each kind of music. If you play everything with major scales, lots of A+B stomping and a super clean tone, some songs just won't sound right.
http://soundcloud.com/b0b/roadside-traditions-at
There's really no big trick to this. You just need to use the right scale and tone for each kind of music. If you play everything with major scales, lots of A+B stomping and a super clean tone, some songs just won't sound right.
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- Johan Jansen
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Thanks, Johan. I was doing okay until I fell apart in the second solo of Relationship Blues. Listen close and you'll hear me yell. I totally lost it.
Just a bar gig - no big stakes.
Just a bar gig - no big stakes.
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- Geoff Cline
- Posts: 748
- Joined: 6 Jul 2009 7:36 am
- Location: Southwest France
The BEST pedal steel player you've never heard of (and my former band mate) Joel Ferguson. He is a serious rock steel player.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJwDftK74M0
The band's website (with music player):
http://www.cockeyedjunior.com/fr_home.cfm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJwDftK74M0
The band's website (with music player):
http://www.cockeyedjunior.com/fr_home.cfm
- Rick Winfield
- Posts: 941
- Joined: 22 Feb 2007 12:45 pm
- Location: Pickin' beneath the Palmettos
cockeyed Junior
Awesome Steel Tone !
I love that "power trio" sound, raw and strong !
I can see more coheviveness to his style, than I can to Randolph.
Bob: Your steel fits perferctly, as always, tasty and smooth !!
Rick
I love that "power trio" sound, raw and strong !
I can see more coheviveness to his style, than I can to Randolph.
Bob: Your steel fits perferctly, as always, tasty and smooth !!
Rick
- Rich Peterson
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- Geoff Cline
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I don't know Joel's copedent (when we played together, I couldn't even pronounce "copedent" ). But he is a gracious guy...try contacting him via the band's website (he is also on Facebook). I'm sure he'd be happy to share.Rich Peterson wrote:Very serious! Refreshing arrangements, too.Geoff Cline wrote:The BEST pedal steel player you've never heard of (and my former band mate) Joel Ferguson. He is a serious rock steel player.
Do you know anything about his copedent?
Now that I attempt to play pedal steel, I am even more in awe of Joel's talent. He has always had great tone and feel.
- Dave Grafe
- Posts: 4457
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- Location: Hudson River Valley NY
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...and that about says it all, I reckon.There's really no big trick to this. You just need to use the right scale and tone for each kind of music. If you play everything with major scales, lots of A+B stomping and a super clean tone, some songs just won't sound right.
You see, it's not the distortion, not the echo, not the compressor, not the gimmicks at all but simply knowing what notes to play and how, in order to best express a given genre and generate the intended emotion in the minds of the listeners.
In my world these days, working with Ron Rogers presents just about every imaginable musical style, I dont' use any outboard effects at all, just crank up the amp and go, but the attention to appropriate modes, movements, attack (or lack thereof), sustain, indicates a different approach to each. Some genres require little-to-no pedal action at all, others cannot be covered without lots of leg activity. Sometimes single notes do the tick, other times it's big gnarly fat chords down low or maybe the classic Elmore James blues licks. And sometimes you just have to listen carefully and come up with your own sound to fit the space!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta_9WCC3TD8
If you notice the steel parts in this video, it's all simple stuff, mostly using the 7 string as tonic for a minor 7+9 thing going on. A lot of the time I am playing the most elementary of parts as this is what serves this particular song. Actually, MOST of the time the best part is the most simple, in any case the time will come for ripping major-key rides if one is patient and does one's job well...
Ultimately the best reason to study closely what others have done in the past with different styles of music is to develop an understanding of how each is put together and begin to build a musical vocabulary that will serve you well when the style presents.
- Mike Perlowin
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Very nice Dave, You played exactly what the song called for.
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin
That's really a good example, Dave. It's easy to imagine how Nashville licks could have ruined the authentic sound of that song. The tone isn't "fuzzed out" or anything radical - just the appropriate amount of grit from what I assume is a small tube amp pushed pretty hard.
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- Dave Grafe
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That old 'Bud has that gnarly sound, no way I could make it work like that with the Emmons, it's too "nice." The 'Bud's pickup is the old fashioned kind, that you can sing or order a beer through in a pinch, the amp is a K120-loaded Blues Deluxe Reissue, it was close-mic'ed with that old Senn 409 you see Ron singing through in the video and recorded to analog tape by fairly smart old guys who have done this sort of thing before...
Yeah, a Blues Deluxe is 40 watts, about the same as my Boogie. You don't have to get too loud to get a good bluesy tone from it, and it doesn't sound gimmicky or anything. But the real bottom line here is the choice of notes, the playing style. You slide the bar on single notes where you could have used a pedal and it fits the music better.
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