Forum Member Percentages Who Actually Play The Steel Guitar

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 29 Apr 2013 7:00 am

I suspect that from a 13,000 membership, perhaps six or seven hundred actually play the pedal steel guitar. True or false?

Don R Brown · Post by **Don R Brown** » 29 Apr 2013 7:20 am

I spend anywhere from a half hour to three hours a day, every day, coaxing strange noises out of mine. Hopefully some day I will be able to play it.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 29 Apr 2013 7:33 am

I have nothing to base this on, but I would guess the number is far greater than 600 or 700. How did you arrive at your estimate?

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 29 Apr 2013 7:55 am

Rick,

My guess places the actual number of players at 5 percent of the membership. I feel that extending that estimate, would be wishful thinking.

Shorty Rogers · Post by **Shorty Rogers** » 29 Apr 2013 7:57 am

Very False. I have personally met 200-300 players over the last forty years, many of whom have shown up on the forum. I have spent my time on the West coast and in Nashville. Never been to Texas nor up in Michigan. I would guess that 6000-7000 is much closer.

Niels Andrews · Post by **Niels Andrews** » 29 Apr 2013 8:01 am

Why would 12,000+ people endure the senseless rantings to be found here, if they did not play? Maybe you should clarify play?

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 29 Apr 2013 8:06 am

I assume we are including all steel guitars: those that play pedal steel, straight steel, dobro, weissenborn, etc.

I think your percentage of 5% is really low. As Niels mentioned, why would anyone pay the initiation fee if they can read the forum for free.

Also, what percentage of those registered members are still alive?

My guess, based on nothing is that we probably have 5% professionals and 80% amateur players. The other 15% are people who tried and gave up. That is my guess anyway.

Pete Finney · Post by **Pete Finney** » 29 Apr 2013 8:18 am

Never mind...

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 29 Apr 2013 8:20 am

while i think Bills estimate for pedal steel is low - i know the claims of 13,000 forum members must be heavily discounted. first, lots of players have passed on since 1995 (thats almost 20 years folks!), then there is a huge number of people who find a steel at a yard sale and want to know if its worth big $$$, or are selling a steel, inheriting one on and on - that may only post 4 times, get what they need and move on. they are still counted. i bet if you had to renew your membership every year - it would be 1/4 of that..around...maybe 4000 total.

This winter, i spent some time going back and reading some old archived posts from 2002-up and it was sad to see that most of the posters then are no longer active, either just giving up, passing away, or moving to some other hobby. i think Bills estimate is not far off though - i'm in NC and the steel community pretty much knows everyone - there may be +/-20 active players on this (eastern) side of the state. ie - not very many.

but remember - the forum is worldwide - there may be several hundred that may feel they dont have the english skills to participate, but get info regardless.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 29 Apr 2013 8:26 am

I thought that b0b used to register customers with purchases from the store, too. I could be wrong, but that's something I vaguely remember.

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 29 Apr 2013 9:03 am

Pete,

There never has been a shortage of parroters lurking throughout the steel guitar community. Many will neglect to double-check information offered by general audiences who have no knowledge about how a pedal steel is played. Some folks can be very convincing if they choose to do so. There is only one way to determine if an individual parrots on occasion. The old "Show me" routine still works the best on all fronts.

admin · Post by **b0b** » 29 Apr 2013 9:57 am

You're wrong, Bill.

My rough estimate, based on correspondence with members, is 75% pedal players, 15% non-pedal only, and 10% non-players. Few people are willing to plop down $5 to join if they don't actually play the instrument.

Lee Dassow · Post by **Lee Dassow** » 29 Apr 2013 10:14 am

I'd have to agree with Bob. I think he's real close. Tennessee Lee

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 29 Apr 2013 10:25 am

b0b,

In today's dollar values, I can't think of a better bargain for $5.00 than a membership in the Steel Guitar Forum. That may explain the enormous influx of nonplayers. Consider the cost of boozing, smokes, fuel, and food for the table. One pound of hamburg is priced at virtually five dollars. The S.G.F. is by far the best deal from coast to coast.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 29 Apr 2013 10:47 am

"That may explain the enormous influx of nonplayers. "

except that b0b just said there isn't an enormous influx of nonplayers. I think SGF is a bargain at $5 too but I certainly wouldn't have joined if I didn't play.

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 29 Apr 2013 11:08 am

It's not just the original $5 folks paid to join. There are donations along the way, or at least there should be.
This thing would have shut down long ago if it just depended on the first $5 from everyone.

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 29 Apr 2013 11:21 am

Your $5 now has a value of 50 cents compared to the the $5 you plop down when the forum was very young.

Everyone here on the forum to me is a steel player or and honorary steel player.

Dana Blodgett · Post by **Dana Blodgett** » 29 Apr 2013 11:31 am

False. Never under-estimate the memberships' skills of the Steel Guitar Forum!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 29 Apr 2013 11:41 am

I would guess that the majority of forum members do play steel guitar, either pedal steel, lap steel, or reso.

If you are asking how many forum members play steel guitar on stage, with bands... I think that would be way less than half.

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 29 Apr 2013 12:25 pm

Doug,

It would be a simple matter to ascertain provided all of the 13,000 membership entities volunteered the necessary information that would enable a realistic counting of those who can actually play recognizable melodies on the steel guitar. My experience has been that a great many dream of learning, but soon learn that wishing will not make it so. With a hundred other things to do, the steel guitar remains somewhere near the bottom of the list of daily accomplishments.

Bud Angelotti · Post by **Bud Angelotti** » 29 Apr 2013 1:06 pm

Start a poll Bill. While you're at it, ask how many members secretly play banjo instead of practicing steel.
Problem solved.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 29 Apr 2013 1:10 pm

Bill Hankey wrote:I suspect that from a 13,000 membership, perhaps six or seven hundred actually play the pedal steel guitar. True or false?

false!

most people at this point in the development of the forum check out bill hankey's threads because they assume there will be something ridiculous about them.
true or false?

true!

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 29 Apr 2013 1:14 pm

Bill Hankey wrote:b0b,

In today's dollar values, I can't think of a better bargain for $5.00. One pound of hamburg is priced at virtually five dollars.

property values in germany are at a bargain price now.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 29 Apr 2013 1:31 pm

"It would be a simple matter to ascertain provided all of the 13,000 membership entities volunteered the necessary information that would enable a realistic counting of those who can actually play recognizable melodies on the steel guitar. "

To what end?

Robbie Daniels · Post by **Robbie Daniels** » 29 Apr 2013 1:44 pm

Only steel players can come up with such mind wrenching mundane topics. I think it is due to the complexity of the steel guitar itself.

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Forum Member Percentages Who Actually Play The Steel Guitar

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