How many years have you been playing?

Jack Ritter · Post by **Jack Ritter** » 15 Dec 2014 9:05 am

Started on a 6 string flat top with a raise nut to make it hawaiian in about 1946 and so I have been at it 69 years. Jack

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 15 Dec 2014 9:44 am

well the mathematical answer is 40 years but the factual reply is the first 10 years I was probably repeating the 2nd year over and over up to the mid 80's, ok, with some modest improvement up to the 90's. The real study took off in the last two decades. So two answers, 20 and 20 . if that makes any sense.!

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 15 Dec 2014 10:39 am

36 years on Pedal-Steel.
JJ

Will Cowell · Post by **Will Cowell** » 15 Dec 2014 11:13 am

Hoo boy have I got some catching up to do! 6 years or so ago I took up this amazing instrument. At 61 I think I left it 40 years too late, but what the heck.

Larry Behm · Post by **Larry Behm** » 15 Dec 2014 12:03 pm

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 15 Dec 2014 12:44 pm

Been playing since age 7, and that calculates to 71 years of playing 'at it'. I'm now 78 1/2.

Started pedals in 1956-Bigsby, 1972-Emmons.

They're all too heavy these days for me to even think of carrying them to the car, let alone an inside gig.

John Butler · Post by **John Butler** » 15 Dec 2014 5:03 pm

I bloomed even later than Fred Justice. I spent 40 years chasing that 6 string. Didn't find the steel till I was 55. Twelve years later, I'm wishing I had found it at 15. There's nothing I like more than music, and no instrument I love more than steel.

Jim Lindsey (Louisiana) · Post by **Jim Lindsey (Louisiana)** » 15 Dec 2014 8:39 pm

I started in 1976 at 21 years old. It's now been 38 years. My main influences were Gary Hogue, John Hughey, Buddy Emmons and Rusty Young.

Bill L. Wilson · Post by **Bill L. Wilson** » 15 Dec 2014 8:52 pm

Started Lap Steel in the early 50's, guitar in '59, Pedal Steel in '73. Now I'm retired, pickin' Steel and Guitar every weekend and still having fun.

Ray Leroux · Post by **Ray Leroux** » 15 Dec 2014 11:21 pm

29 yrs Was a late starter, but what a ride. Influences Lucky O, Buddy, John Hughey, Larry Sasser, a host of others

James Jacoby · Post by **James Jacoby** » 15 Dec 2014 11:42 pm

Lead guitar-64 years, bass 52 years, and PSG 20 years. Still gig at 76, but mostly on lead, and bass. Would like to get more steel gigs, but, over the years, one gets type-cast, and having lots of excellent steel players around my area, doesn't help my situation much! -Jake-

Joe Naylor · Post by **Joe Naylor** » 16 Dec 2014 5:47 am

I started 60 years ago the Saturday after I got out of first grade. (and I am only 39--- oops I have two boys over 40 so that math does not work either - oldest Grandson turned 20 last week)

Long break but really got back into it again - wished I would have kept playing the steel and got rid of that NOW X-wife.

But that is a long story

Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 16 Dec 2014 9:03 am

69 years!

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 16 Dec 2014 9:07 am

Started in 1950 with the Oahu Hawaiian Steel Guitar course at the age of 10. I got my first pedal steel, a Fender 400, in 1958. I'll have 65 years of playing behind me in a few months.

James Mayer · Post by **James Mayer** » 16 Dec 2014 9:15 am

I started with 6-string guitar 15 years ago and lap steel 8 years ago. I bought an s10 pedal steel around 3.5 years ago but it's been in storage for the last 2 years as I'm living abroad. I'm itching to get back to the steel and hope it doesn't feel like starting over again.

Josh Killian · Post by **Josh Killian** » 16 Dec 2014 11:37 am

Going on 2 months. 37 years old now, hoping to get in at least 40 good years of playing.

Jason Putnam · Post by **Jason Putnam** » 16 Dec 2014 11:54 am

Going on 3 years. Learned a lot year one!! Stuck in a rut repeating the same old stuff for 2 and 3. Hopefully it will get better!

Joe Huggins · Post by **Joe Huggins** » 16 Dec 2014 1:32 pm

I'm going to start next week.

Karen Sarkisian · Post by **Karen Sarkisian** » 16 Dec 2014 2:12 pm

5 1/2 wonderful years on pedal steel now. wish I had gotten into it sooner. Been playing 6 string guitar all my life but havent touched it much since picking up pedal steel. I play a few other instruments, but pedal steel is by far my favorite

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 16 Dec 2014 3:20 pm

Started on dobro in 1962, non-pedal electric steel in 1965. Didn't really get into pedals until 1968, my first professional gig. So that makes almost 47 years on pedal steel, 52 years using a bar.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 16 Dec 2014 3:40 pm

me????.. about 37 1/2 years...

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 16 Dec 2014 4:38 pm

Pedal steel 36, Dobro 32, Guitar 53

John Booth · Post by **John Booth** » 16 Dec 2014 4:58 pm

Let's see,
I had hair, and a Clark student model,
Yeah, that woulda' been about 1980
and I'm STILL tryin' to learn this darn thing !

steve takacs · Post by **steve takacs** » 16 Dec 2014 10:57 pm

I'll take the 5th amendment; I'm too embarrassed to say. stevet

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 16 Dec 2014 11:21 pm

I played my first bar gig in August, 1974. It was as a sit in during a Saturday matinee. I returned the next Saturday afternoon and sat in. I got hired by someone in the club from another band and did my first paid gig at the end of August or first week of September, 1974. I have been playing professionally ever since, with very little voluntary time off.

Now I only play two nights a week, plus some local studio sessions. In the beginning, I played 6 nights a week and a matinee.

I went on the road early into my second year on steel guitar and stayed on it for 10 straight years.

I wouldn't have missed it for the World! I still look forward to my weekend gigs.

The Steel Guitar Forum

How many years have you been playing?

Now I know I'm getting old!

A Long Time Ago.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time

Take the 5th