| Author |
Topic: How many players never knew a steel player or ever saw steel |
Keenan Friday
From:
Magnolia, Arkansas, USA
|
Posted 21 Jan 2014 12:07 pm |
|
I started playing steel guitar after trying to decide between an electric and some of the sounds I heard on records of Loretta Lynn. Little did I know what a Pedal steel guitar looked like or what it did. My love for traditional country ballad music started when I was taught rhythm guitar at the age of 12 by a bluegrass guitar player originally from the Carolinas. That coupled with a classic country radio station in my hometown that had a "monthly jamboree Hayride" that aired a country opry type show one Saturday of every month. But after having learned steel guitar and wanting to use those abilities did I actually realize that the show I had watched when I was younger actually had a "steel player"
No doubt I had heard the steel guitar on this radio station over the years but what a vast difference between a few classic country radio stations and (what people my age were listening to) several modern country stations. But for me it started in the electronics section of a WalMart in the CD aisle. I spotted a "pretty face" cd of Tammy Wynette and listened to it in the store and then bought it cause I liked the music. Then later, for whatever reason I picked up a Loretta lynn cd and bought it. and never looked back. Once I heard the steel played like an electric guitar in a "fast" way, I felt it was versatile enough to keep me interested. It could be excitingly fast and heartfelt slow. My wanting to learn the steel guitar I tribute to Hal Rugg.
_________________
Keenan Friday
Mullen Pre Royal D-10, Walker Stereo Steel, Hilton pedal, George L cables, Livesteel Strings, (White) Fred Kelly thumbpick, Dunlop .025 fingerpicks |
|
|
|
Curt Trisko
From:
St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
|
Posted 21 Jan 2014 12:26 pm
|
|
| I've had two friends who didn't have any awareness of pedal steel until they saw mine, and then a little bit later come back to me and tell me about all the music they heard in the meantime with pedal steel that they hadn't noticed before. |
|
|
|
Fred Glave
From:
McHenry, Illinois, USA
|
Posted 21 Jan 2014 12:57 pm
|
|
Seeing and hearing pedal steel playing up close in a band is very powerful. I always loved pedal steel but I didn't have a full appreciation for it until I saw a band that had one. Then I couldn't get enough of it.
_________________
Zum Encore, Zum Stage One, Fender 2000, Harlan Bros., Multi-Kord, |
|
|
|
chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
|
Posted 21 Jan 2014 2:14 pm
|
|
| i knew one player..pete grant..who sold me my first pedal steel for $75. then i saw sneaky pete with gram. then john mcfee with clover. then mayne smith with frontier. then things piled on quickly with me and my friends. then lucky oceans with the wheel.....then the sacramento honky scene got hot with lots of great older pickers. jimmy fox was my favorite. |
|
|
|
Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
|
Posted 21 Jan 2014 2:26 pm
|
|
| At my church, the people there had never seen or heard a pedal steel up close until I played "Old Rugged Cross" for them and they were all amazed! |
|
|
|
Douglas Schuch
From:
Valencia, Philippines
|
Posted 21 Jan 2014 3:49 pm
|
|
I can vaguely recall seeing a pedal steel set up (not played) as a kid once. Other than that, I don't think I ever saw one, nor ever heard one live. I've commented before that for a long time when I was younger I thought the sound I was hearing was a slide guitar. Only later did I realize it was pedal steel (this impression in part comes from all the rock, country/rock, and folk/rock bands that use a session steel player heavily when recording, but of course his pic never made it onto the album cover and he is not on stage when they performed live - and the song was never as good either!).
Obviously, I later figured out what it was that made those sounds I loved so much, and took the plunge and bought a Stage One without ever having tried playing one. Last month I actually saw AND played a pedal steel that I did not own for the first time ever! Haha!
_________________
Bringing steel guitar to the bukid of Negros Oriental! |
|
|
|
Steve English
From:
Baja, Arizona
|
Posted 21 Jan 2014 3:57 pm
|
|
When I laid down the $1000 for my first steel (Sho~Bud), I didn't have a clue as to what the pedals did, nor did I have any knowledge of the tuning. 
Some say I still don't.... 
_________________
Always remember you're unique..... Just like everyone else |
|
|
|
Brett Lanier
From:
Hermitage, TN
|
Posted 21 Jan 2014 4:35 pm
|
|
| Yup, I started on a fender 1000 that I got in trade from a music store. All I had to go on was the old fender manual that came with it so I played the A6 tuning for a while. I was into Buddy Emmons' steel guitar jazz album as well as some E9 stuff I heard, that tuning had a little bit of both. |
|
|
|
Ray Leroux
From:
Vulcan Alberta CANADA/Thousand Palms CA.
|
Posted 21 Jan 2014 9:34 pm
|
|
| Didn't have a clue but always liked Hank srs music, but one day I heard an Asleep At The Wheel album I think it was a 1972 release with Lucky on slide and steel well that was the start of a 34 yr affair. Traded all my guitars and waited patiently for the call from the train stn. That was 1979. Practiced on the maverick for 6 mths then built a new S10 moved to Calgary and put in 8 yrs on road with names from coast to coast and another 22 yrs in wknds on Vancouver Island. What a ride. |
|
|
|
