Different Styles

About Steel Guitarists and their Music

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Justin Jacobson
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Post by Justin Jacobson »

I know I'm bumping up an old thread, but it is my favorite thread here.

I've been on a big kick lately of the band "the eels". Just came across this live version of one of there songs with some really cool different steel playin on it.

http://youtu.be/mP-fuug8l-E
http://soundcloud.com/tower-4

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Daniel Morris
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Did we forget somebody?

Post by Daniel Morris »

Cool, Justin!
I don't know if we've included Steelism yet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMBLXyfkaAA
Steelism live with BJ Cole!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPkIwYlO4TA&app=desktop

Spencer Cullum is now on the Forum.
Nice stuff!
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Daniel Morris
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Post by Daniel Morris »

A fine piece with Maggie Bjorklund:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvRJLT2nPMQ
The Northern Europeans are producing some fascinating music these days.
Another one: https://vimeo.com/144598059 with Geir Sundstol on pedal steel.
Tonbruket: http://tonbruket.se/ with Johan Lindstrom
1979 MSA U12 Pedal Steel
1982 Kline U12 Pedal steel
2019 Sierra U12 Pedal Steel
2011 Bear Creek MK Weissenborn
Milkman 40W Mini amps w/Telonics 15" speaker.
Dr. Z Surgical Steel w/TT 15" speaker.
Frenzel MB-50 head.
Spaceman, Empress, Origin, Eventide, Pigtronix.
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Dustin Rhodes
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Post by Dustin Rhodes »

Daniel Morris wrote:A fine piece with Maggie Bjorklund:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvRJLT2nPMQ
The Northern Europeans are producing some fascinating music these days.
Another one: https://vimeo.com/144598059 with Geir Sundstol on pedal steel.
Tonbruket: http://tonbruket.se/ with Johan Lindstrom
Long dark winters are probably good for woodshedding.
Justin Jacobson
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Post by Justin Jacobson »

Another one: https://vimeo.com/144598059 with Geir Sundstol on pedal steel.

Man, I wish I could get my steel to sound like that with a Leslie.
http://soundcloud.com/tower-4

ShoBud Pro2 - Strobostomp - POG2 - mojo hand iron bell - WMD Geiger Counter - EHX Freeze - Earth Drive - catalinbread pareidolia - fender volume/tone - boss dd-3 - behringer vibrato - boss bf-2 - boss dc-2 - neo ventilator - catlinbread echorec - strymon timeline - eventide space - fender blues deluxe
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Daniel Morris
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Post by Daniel Morris »

Yep, same one, Justin. Mighty cool!
Here's something more with Geir Sunstol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p_f8e8wE18
Ivar Grydeland, multi-instrumentalist, including pedal steel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFiV-HopMo4
1979 MSA U12 Pedal Steel
1982 Kline U12 Pedal steel
2019 Sierra U12 Pedal Steel
2011 Bear Creek MK Weissenborn
Milkman 40W Mini amps w/Telonics 15" speaker.
Dr. Z Surgical Steel w/TT 15" speaker.
Frenzel MB-50 head.
Spaceman, Empress, Origin, Eventide, Pigtronix.
Justin Jacobson
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Location: Rochester, MN

Post by Justin Jacobson »

Daniel Morris wrote:Yep, same one, Justin. Mighty cool!
Here's something more with Geir Sunstol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p_f8e8wE18
Ivar Grydeland, multi-instrumentalist, including pedal steel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFiV-HopMo4
Yeah, tried to quote you from the original but it didn't work
That is a sweet sound I'll be chasing for awhile now.
http://soundcloud.com/tower-4

ShoBud Pro2 - Strobostomp - POG2 - mojo hand iron bell - WMD Geiger Counter - EHX Freeze - Earth Drive - catalinbread pareidolia - fender volume/tone - boss dd-3 - behringer vibrato - boss bf-2 - boss dc-2 - neo ventilator - catlinbread echorec - strymon timeline - eventide space - fender blues deluxe
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Myk Freedman
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Post by Myk Freedman »

My humble submission:


The Sandcatchers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmQFPxR_xrc
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Daniel Morris
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Post by Daniel Morris »

Very nice, Myk!
1979 MSA U12 Pedal Steel
1982 Kline U12 Pedal steel
2019 Sierra U12 Pedal Steel
2011 Bear Creek MK Weissenborn
Milkman 40W Mini amps w/Telonics 15" speaker.
Dr. Z Surgical Steel w/TT 15" speaker.
Frenzel MB-50 head.
Spaceman, Empress, Origin, Eventide, Pigtronix.
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Gary Cosden
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Post by Gary Cosden »

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John Wilson
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Scorpion Dance

Post by John Wilson »

Hey all,

Here's a song I finished a short while ago.

Its called "Scorpion Dance"

Kind of Jazzy/Americana, I guess.

https://soundcloud.com/jackewilson


Jack
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Bo Borland
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Post by Bo Borland »

Posted on another thread .. saw this and thought i would put it here too..

I play whatever style I think is right for the tune. This happened to be a blues jam ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS0Q5SXfhA4
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b0b
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Post by b0b »

How are you getting those high octave effects when you're down on the low frets, Bo?
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Mike Neer
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Post by Mike Neer »

b0b, they call those pinch harmonics, if we are talking about the same thing.
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Charlie McDonald
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Post by Charlie McDonald »

Zane King wrote:Elton, I hope you get as many hits on this thread as the one about death of the steel guitar. My fear is you won't.
This topic seems to have outstripped the death of steel guitar.
Reviewing the submittals, I recall Bruce Kaphan, Chas Smith, Susan Alcorn and others as being inspirational in not keeping to the ruts.
There have been lots since then--Maggie Bjorklund, Nickie from France, the Vanduras--plenty of inspiration when you look and listen.
La Planche--The Vanduras
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Bo Borland
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Post by Bo Borland »

b0b , the harmonics are a technique I found using the inside edge of my thumb at the first joint behind the pick, I just drop my palm a little to change the angle of my thumb.
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b0b
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Post by b0b »

That's really nice on the lick near the end, Bo. https://youtu.be/mS0Q5SXfhA4?t=1m7s Wish I could see your right hand from the other side.
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Bo Borland
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Post by Bo Borland »

Me too !

I watched it a couple times and I'm picking at what would be the 27th or 28th fret at the end of the fret board which would correspond to 2 octaves the fretted note.

The lick starts with AB pedals down and I'm picking with the thumb starting on string 6 on the 5th fret a D note.
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Jacques Gabelout
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The harmonics... The 17/02 Charlie McDonald

Post by Jacques Gabelout »

"There have been lots since then--Maggie Bjorklund, Nickie from France, the Vanduras--plenty of inspiration when you look and listen."

Thank you Charlie, to cite also the quality of his harmonics...
And we like very much the pseudo: " Nickie from France " which is very nice ! ( now, I too call it that!) :D

JG
Last edited by Jacques Gabelout on 2 Mar 2016 10:52 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Jeremy Threlfall
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Post by Jeremy Threlfall »

Here's something I recorded with rock-country band Ralway Bell. This track has the most country sounding pedal steel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0cekqg2hFU

The whole album (EP) is listenable here:

https://ralwaybell.bandcamp.com/

Tracks 2, 4 and 5 have pedal steel. Track 5 is particularly uncountry protopop. I play regular guitar on 1&3
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Daniel Morris
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Post by Daniel Morris »

Continuing to follow the work of what some Scandinavian players are doing - seems like fertile ground over there for going outside the box. Geir Sundstol, a multi-instrumentalist, seems to favor pedal steel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e5cwz4 ... TD8xbDGKjx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRiEUxWg5Ak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpOR5_4mwXk

And here on the North American continent, Daniel Lanois strikes again, with a new CD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUY4WCJO-wg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNStL70cLlk
1979 MSA U12 Pedal Steel
1982 Kline U12 Pedal steel
2019 Sierra U12 Pedal Steel
2011 Bear Creek MK Weissenborn
Milkman 40W Mini amps w/Telonics 15" speaker.
Dr. Z Surgical Steel w/TT 15" speaker.
Frenzel MB-50 head.
Spaceman, Empress, Origin, Eventide, Pigtronix.
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David Mason
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Post by David Mason »

Yep. That Daniel Lanois thing is right up the alley of what I'm TRYING to do, except a bit darker, and I'm looping ME instead of having another actual, smelly, complaining, HUMAN BEING underfoot... It's called "Goodbye to Language" and there's quite a jumbo writeup on it in the new Guitar Player magazine ("Holiday 2016"). He recorded himself and Rocco DeLuca on steels, just kinda bouncing off chords for hours on end, then cut it up and reconstructed the best parts into sort-of songs. It's fairly common among the ambient crowd. All the way back to "Bitches Brew", "Robert Fripp", David Torn's "Splattercell" projects. That first link is the whole CD, I'm gonna buy it on principle too. ANY Susan Alcorn fans deserve to at least give it a whirl.
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Post by Jamie Mitchell »

Justin Jacobson wrote:Another one: https://vimeo.com/144598059 with Geir Sundstol on pedal steel.

Man, I wish I could get my steel to sound like that with a Leslie.
this is great!
i was unaware of Geir Sundstol, thanks for hipping me
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Steven Hicken Jr.
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Post by Steven Hicken Jr. »

I see many different styles and I respect them all. I like to see new stuff being done, especially what Steelism do.

Here's a slightly different original I came up with to a blues backing track.

Shameful self promo...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNKhZl52nl0

First half country blues, second half turbo.

I fully agree with Zane's original reply on the front page. Many people hate new styles and think the steel has already peaked. As much as I play, love and live country music I would snap up the offer of playing for a top rock, pop and even a rap artist if the offer came. Some of the interest I've had from folk pop artists this year is promising for more genres... especially in England where University music graduates think it is a keyboard guitar or a Chapman stick...

Over and out.

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David Mason
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Post by David Mason »

I guess we do know that Daniel Lanois dropped a whole album of semi-ambienty steel, recorded with his friend, non-pedal Rocco DeLucia? It was definitely constructed out of a whole bunch of basically noodles, Lanois describes it all in the current Guitar Player mag (Holiday issue). For me, it falls into the category of "ambient music that's more fun to play than listen to", nice lullabies fer yer goldfish I guess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOSDVkX ... GAfhRnzyk5

I DO cycle into liking this stuff sometimes, but I'm currently strung out on Anoushka & Ravi; & Kala Ramnath - ambient music with teeth & claws, I guess.
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