Pedal Steel in Church ?

James Taylor · Post by **James Taylor** » 19 May 2015 2:19 pm

I just wondered when and why pedal steel guitars were introduced into church in the USA ? Please forgive my ignorance on this matter but I would love to know. In Scotland and in the north where I live presenters were used until the introduction of organs in the late nineteenth century ;although the gaelic speaking communities still use presenters . I do believe that pedal steel music would be far more pleasant than the " dour auld " Scots style still in use today . YOURS AYE JAMES TAYLOR

Scott Duckworth · Post by **Scott Duckworth** » 19 May 2015 3:37 pm

Hey James, here are a couple of links for you.

http://www.georgiasteelguitar.com/histo ... _steel.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Ste ... adition%29

Geoff Noble · Post by **Geoff Noble** » 20 May 2015 6:18 am

Whaur doomed ah tell ye

I unfortunately lost my mother recently, she was 88 so had a good innings.

She was a piano player and member of her church choir. She had chosen the hymns for the service and of course all the choir turned out. One of the hymns she had chosen was an up tempo gospel song, I can't remember the name offhand. With the choir going full belt on the harmonies it really brought the service to life.

I thought at the time, this is what church services should be like in Scotland, a celebration of life. I'm not a church person but if they had music going like you get in gospel in the States I would go just for that.

James Taylor · Post by **James Taylor** » 20 May 2015 12:03 pm

Thank you Scott for the information and I will look this interesting link up. Geoff, I entirely agree with what you say as so much here sounds almost morbid . Even Sir Walter Murdoch , a native of this town and a close relative of Rupert, stated that life in his father's Kirk was so dull and its life record dreech . Strangely away from the Kirk we at our in house events as a boy sang Sanky hymns for their beauty of melodies and words. However, I agree pedal steel guitars would make a striking difference and attract a bigger attendance. JAMES TAYLOR

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 20 May 2015 12:40 pm

I can't say when it began in the USA in real life, but one appeared in Ken Kesey's "Sometimes a Great Notion"

James Taylor · Post by **James Taylor** » 20 May 2015 1:40 pm

Thanks Dave.

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 20 May 2015 8:38 pm

When Zane King Was much younger he had permission to bring his PSG to play at his local church service.
A disgruntled lady said, Young man you have a lot of nerve bringing that "Honky Tonk Instrument" into this church. Zane replied Lady, pianos were used in Honky Tonks 100 years before steel guitars were invented.

Roger

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 20 May 2015 8:44 pm

The entire Sacred Steel movement is based on having electric steel guitars in church! I've even heard (correct me if I'm wrong) that, at the mother church in Nashville, the amplifier for the steel is even built into the altar!

James Taylor · Post by **James Taylor** » 21 May 2015 3:41 am

I loved that one Roger. It has to do with the changing times and we are all affected by that in some way. JIM that's interesting too. THANKS JAMES TAYLOR

Scott Duckworth · Post by **Scott Duckworth** » 21 May 2015 4:21 am

When Zane King Was much younger he had permission to bring his PSG to play at his local church service.
A disgruntled lady said, Young man you have a lot of nerve bringing that "Honky Tonk Instrument" into this church. Zane replied Lady, pianos were used in Honky Tonks 100 years before steel guitars were invented.

I just tell them too look up Psalm 33:2...

"Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings."

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 21 May 2015 4:48 am

I was on the praise team at my church for a while playing about 60% steel and 40% Tele. The modern P&W stuff translates well to steel, but you can't stick to the Buddy/Lloyd vocabulary.

Nicholas Ackron · Post by **Nicholas Ackron** » 21 May 2015 5:05 am

Jim Cohen wrote:The entire Sacred Steel movement is based on having electric steel guitars in church! I've even heard (correct me if I'm wrong) that, at the mother church in Nashville, the amplifier for the steel is even built into the altar!

No sir, the amp isn't built in the altar. We use Peavey or Fender amps, but we have them mic'd. The "Mother Church" is in Greenville, Alabama, but our National Headquarter church is in Nashville, TN. We will be there June 15-26, if anyone is interested in joining us.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 21 May 2015 6:56 am

We had pedal steel in our little Baptist Church a couple of weeks ago.

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 21 May 2015 7:28 am

I go to a little country church in Pickens, SC and the instrumentation includes piano, organ, bass guitar, mandolin, acoustic guitar, dobro, and lap steel. In 2011, I gave my testimony at my church and at the time, no one in the church had seen or heard a pedal steel up close, and I'd played "Old Rugged Cross" on my Jackson Blackjack Custom. When the service was over, my friends at the church told me they loved the pedal steel, and asked me all kinds of questions because they loved it then the next year, I played the "Star Spangled Banner" on steel for my church's Fourth of July service, and now, I play on some Sunday evenings for the evening services.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 21 May 2015 7:33 am

I even played for a church picnic with our pastor.

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 21 May 2015 2:19 pm

Lane Gray wrote:I was on the praise team at my church for a while playing about 60% steel and 40% Tele. The modern P&W stuff translates well to steel, but you can't stick to the Buddy/Lloyd vocabulary.

You are right Lane...But, sometime, a Lloyd/Buddy lick slips in(on purpose)cause it fits, and sounds good.

BF

James Taylor · Post by **James Taylor** » 21 May 2015 2:38 pm

Thank you all for some tender stories on the use of this fine instrument . ERV , these are two nice guitars you have there ? JAMES TAYLOR

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 22 May 2015 2:53 am

Back in the early '80s, I can remember watching televangelist Dr. Eugene Scott many times on late-night TV, and he featured a band with a pedal steeler. I'm sure someone like Ernest Bovine would probably know who is was.

Scott Duckworth · Post by **Scott Duckworth** » 22 May 2015 3:47 am

I played along with tracks and our choir for our church Christmas Cantata in 2013. The songs I played on were:

Come and See What's Happenin' in the Barn
Mary Was The First One to Carry the Gospel
Not An Ordinary Baby

Not An Ordinary Baby had the house rockin'... the solo singer was our best alto, and the song itself has a black gospel flair to it. It had a slow intro part with just piano on the track, me, and the singer. I di some single string vamping above the 12th fret along with her singing, and then when the song went "full blossom" we started really having fun with it.

Amazingly enough, none of the tracks had steel on them!

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 22 May 2015 6:53 am

James,
This is my favorite "gospel" guitar.
It was built by Bob Rains with a lacquered body by Mark Giles. Those are mother of pearl inlays on the front and the fret markers are mother of pearl doves.

Jerry Berger · Post by **Jerry Berger** » 22 May 2015 8:34 am

That's a beauty Erv!

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 22 May 2015 8:42 am

Thanks, Jerry
That guitar was custom made for a Canadian steeler and I was fortunate enough to buy it from him.

Here is another "gospel" guitar that started out black:

Jamie Howze · Post by **Jamie Howze** » 22 May 2015 12:13 pm

My earliest memory of pedal steel guitar was a church service broadcast in central Florida in the '50s. My family didn't get TV until '53 or '54 and on Sunday there was a church service broadcast where the sole instrument was a pedal steel. I posted in another thread to see if anyone else remembers that show. It strikes me that I am a bit unusual because due to that show I never really didn't know what pedal steel was. I was born in 1950 so pedal steel was a pretty new instrument then.

James Taylor · Post by **James Taylor** » 22 May 2015 1:00 pm

ERV ,Those are beautiful guitars and I bet the sound as good as they look . Jamie ,some interesting memories and information. JAMES TAYLOR

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 23 May 2015 1:02 pm

That's very true story there Roger. Thanks for conveying that here.

I'm playing a lot in church these days. Donna and I go to a church where modern Praise & Worship is the dominant music. I am playing again tomorrow. As a matter of fact, the music folks there feature me a great deal. I have to say that I'm really finding a great place for steel in all of this musical style. I may eventually do a whole series on it. What ya'll think of that?

ZK

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