Pedal steel sound variation

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

What is it about a pedal steel guitar that it can sound so wonderful, and it makes me think I have found the ultimate tone, and couldn't play a bad note if I tried? Then, same guitar, amp, player, and place, only a different day, and nothing is right!

Am I the only one who experiences this? Is it me or the bass player?

It's got to be the bass player!
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You can observe a lot just by looking

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I think humidity and barometric pressure have a HUGE effect on how sound propagates, and every frequency reacts differently.
That's my theory. Cold and dry doesn't sound NEAR as good as temps and humidities both in the 90s.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

Well, I'm happy to know it ain't me.
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You can observe a lot just by looking

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

No, it's not you. The nature of the guitar and pickup, and the narrow range of midrange sounds we want to hear all gather together to mean that VERY subtle changes in sound will turn a smile upside down.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Dave Hepworth · From: West Yorkshire, UK

Play facing North- all our best on stage tones ,(including regular electric and bass),with my old band were obtained when the stage faced North- I kid you not - this was a wild theory tossed around by my band years ago and confirmed by using a compass !! Probably something to do with aligning your PUP ,( and maybe your steel strings),with the earths magnetic field .Regards Dave.

Buck Rodgers · From: Virginia (Yorktown)

Wow! That is a great theory, Dave. I'm gonna research it. Meanwhile, I think I just felt a bump in the earth's rotation as every PSG player in the world turned their rigs to face North.

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

Don't underestimate the power of the fletcher-munson effect...

I'd tend to think its the bass player, and the nature of playing steel...Massive bass volumes seem to make everything sound compressed and unresponsive...and the extra mental bandwidth it takes to overcome the physical onslaught of volume could be enough to throw you off your playing...and maybe you compensate your picking technique and sacrifice tone.

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

I think some of it is due to daily variations in ear-wax. I can't prove it but it would be interesting to have an impartial panel of listeners compare your (or my) tone across several different days and see if everyone agrees on the days that the tone sucks - or whether, instead, some think it sucked yesterday but today is wonderful, while others think the opposite. If that happened, then it would point to listener-factors (e.g., personal taste differences, ear-wax, alcohol level, or whatever) rather than external room/humidity/etc. factors as being responsible.
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www.JimCohen.com
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Erich Meisberger · From: Vermont, USA

I frequently think back on these words...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOYYyJj1v8I
It could certainly apply (not suggesting anyone was high or anything) to one's perception of their tone on a given night.

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

Entropy wins sometimes.....
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Lawyers are done: Emmons SD-10, 3 Dekleys including a D10, NV400, and lots of effects units to cover my clams...

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

You forgot to take a few belts of Jack Daniels the second time. A few belts improves the tone of whatever instrument you're playing exponentially. Winking

Don Griffiths · From: Steelville, MO

Usually I play alone,so I can't blame the Bass player. I've definitely noticed this strange phenomena though. Sometimes my amp sounds harsher or more shrill than others. Sometimes I might attribute that to electrical noise or currents that I do not understand or even weather. Barometric pressure I would think has an impact on sound waves?
The same thing happens with my acoustic guitar also though.It just sounds duller sometimes.And then sometimes the strings just seem to rrrringg))))))).
Sometimes I'll have a real need to play (like when the wife is in a mood) and I'll sit down and play and it's like my heart, and head, and fingers,and ears are all connected and I'm in the zone and when I'm done I can't wait to get back to that guitar cause it felt and sounded so good. Then I go back to it the next day and think I sound like pooh.
My wife has her own theories about Pluto and Saturn and intentions and the vibrations we are putting out all effecting the music Laughing

My amp always sounds better after a few hours of practice! Very Happy

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Shobud Pro1,BMI U12, Santa Cruz F, PRS Standard, Fender Twin Reverb, ‘53 000-28

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

Amp beaminess changes the tone a lot...when the amp is pointed at you ear, you only need to move an inch and the tone seems to change.

I find pointing the amp at a wall and getting a reflection is more consistent and less aggravating. That's in a small closed in practice space tho, not practical for most gig situations...but still, amp speaker directionality is a huge tonal factor as well.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

I recently came across a cute comment regarding tube amps, something to the effect that's it's like have an alcoholic girlfriend - One night it's like the best sex you ever had, and the next night you're out on the back porch holding your head thinking "What did I DO?!?" Stick that in your handy Auto-Quote Kaleidoscope, shake it a bit and out pops this variant - "And now you MARRIED her!" Laughing

Tracy Sheehan · From: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

The human ear can be very fickle. At times we just can't seem to get in tune. Or we may be in tune but sound out.
Also at times we may be out of tune but sound in tune. Tracy

Ken Campbell · From: Ferndale, Montana

I think Jerry Garcia nailed it. It's totally subjective. We've all had nights where we thought we sucked it hard and everyone is saying how good you sounded....sunspots, magnetic flux, Sasquatch, whatever......

Les Cargill · From: Oklahoma City, Ok, USA

It's all in your head. I've recorded stuff for going on 20 years now, and this just happens. Sounds great one night, like rotting fish the next.

Dick Wood · From: Springtown Texas, USA

Play the gig, take the money, go home. Repeat next week.
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Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night.

Malcolm McMaster · From: Beith Ayrshire Scotland

What money Whoa!

you mean you can actually get paid for playing these days?
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MSA Millenium SD10, GK MB200, Sica 12inch cab, Joyo American Sound Pedal/ Jay Ganz Straight Ahead amp, Telonics 15inch in Peavey cab, Digitech RP150, Peterson tuner.Hilton volume pedal.Scott Dixon seat and guitar flight case.

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

Do the "pro guys" have days like that, or do they do like Dick said?

It always makes me feel kind of embarrassed when I have bad tone night and then someone tells me how good I was sounding.
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You can observe a lot just by looking

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

The pros I've known have DEFINITELY had those days. They have handled it by just saying "yup, one of those nights" and resolving to just do your time and take your pay.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Mike Wheeler · From: Delaware, Ohio, USA

I had one of those nights long ago. That night we were invited to sit in using our guitars, but another bands amps...rock players!...and no sound check!! I ended up with a Super Reverb that had seen better days (to say the least). Bear in mind, we usually played rather loud, and I was used to using a NV400 cranked!. Well, on the bandstand my steel sounded like cold mush...no sparkle, no string separation, hardly any dynamics, and my volume pedal range seemed to be awfully small. I was really bummed! Crying or Very sad

After the set a bunch of our friends came up to us and said the steel never sounded better and the steel was crystal clear and sweet! Whoa!

Stunned, I thanked them all, then sat down totally befuddled while a downed more alcohol that usual. Shocked

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Best regards,
Mike

Larry Jackson · From: Morrilton, AR

Well, right now I'm facing west. So I'm going to turn to the north, get my ears cleaned out at the doc's and hope for the best! Very Happy

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BMI S10, Beard E model reso, Gold Tone Deluxe Beard Sig. reso, Guild acoustic guitar

Darrell Birtcher · Posted 28 Mar 2014 11:36 pm

Definitely the bass player.

Jay Riddle · From: Pennsboro, W.V.

I believe in everyone's contribution to this post. There are so many factors that cause the said problem. In the future I hope that a "smart amp" will compensate to always have an acceptable tone.

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