What's the most used steel in Nashville

Jeff Hogsten · Post by **Jeff Hogsten** » 16 Apr 2017 10:42 am

Just curious.

Ben Elder · Post by **Ben Elder** » 16 Apr 2017 10:47 am

These days I'd guess a Franklin.

Bobby Burns · Post by **Bobby Burns** » 16 Apr 2017 11:39 am

I've seen an awful lot of Show Pros.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 16 Apr 2017 12:47 pm

I don't know the answer but Show Pro would be a great choice these days with Jeff & co. right there near town.

Rich Upright · Post by **Rich Upright** » 16 Apr 2017 1:38 pm

Why would they have steels in Nashville? They haven't turned out any country in YEARS!

Just bad rock with a cowboy hat.

Wesley Medlen · Post by **Wesley Medlen** » 16 Apr 2017 2:04 pm

Amen Rich

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 16 Apr 2017 2:09 pm

I always hope for a day when they're not typecast - it's a musical instrument, isn't it?

Eddy Dunlap · Post by **Eddy Dunlap** » 16 Apr 2017 5:03 pm

Most of the Mediabase top 30 singles from mid 2000's to today are primarily Franklin or Show-Pro. Sometimes it's a wildcard for some people because of the different brands of guitars in their collection. But primarily it's Franklin, Show Pro, then Emmons, Sho-Bud(Lloyd, sometimes Dugmore too) etc. Other guitars that have gotten recorded frequently throughout the past 20 years are Zumsteel(Hughey, Buddy, Bouton, Doug Jernigan, Johnny Cox. I would presume Gary Carter uses his Zum on Connie's latest album as well as Marty's) Mullen, JCH(Crawford and Hughey obviously, Buck Reid, and also Sonny Garrish sporadically.) and Fessenden have been on some major recordings(like Terry Crisp on Chris Young's last record, "I'm Coming Over,) I also think that Carter and Derby have been used periodically in the mid 90's to mid 2000's time period by several different players(ala Crisp, White, Bouton) but I'm not 100% sure what recordings were what brand right off the top of my head. Randle Currie has used a MSA Millennium for several Brad sessions. Also Gary Morse usually uses the Desert Rose alot too.

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 16 Apr 2017 5:21 pm

Sonny Garrish has played both JCH and Emmons. On the Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks records in the '90s, Bruce played an Emmons, and also on Ricochet's first record, an Emmons was played by Bruce.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 17 Apr 2017 1:19 am

Is the question about CLUB work or SESSION work ?

Two totally different worlds.

I would not say I am a frequent visitor to the Nville club scene, but often, I have never seen seen a Franklin on a club stage.

Zum, Emmons, Sho Pro , Sho Bud and a Mullen now and then seems to be the badge of the day.

Define the question you'll get a different answer.

Jeff Hogsten · Post by **Jeff Hogsten** » 17 Apr 2017 6:25 am

Primarily sessions but actually both. Seems show pro is very popular

Bobby Burns · Post by **Bobby Burns** » 17 Apr 2017 6:31 am

Is the Franklin in the top because there are a lot of them in use, or just because Paul plays a lot?

Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 17 Apr 2017 6:50 am

Paul still does a lot of sessions. Though maybe not as much as in the past?? Also Mike Johnson stay's pretty busy. As mentioned Randle Currie plays a Frank on a lot of the things he does. Eddie in a position know way more than me. Maybe he'll stop back in.

b.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 17 Apr 2017 7:50 am

Doesn't Mike Johnson play an Emmons p/p?
If my dad built pedal steels, I guess I'd be playing a Niehaus, too.

Bill Lowe · Post by **Bill Lowe** » 17 Apr 2017 8:27 am

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=70KyY9GNUPk

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 17 Apr 2017 8:50 am

Who knew!

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 17 Apr 2017 8:57 am

Erv Niehaus wrote:Doesn't Mike Johnson play an Emmons p/p?

Mike played a LeGrande up in Hinkley in 2015.

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 17 Apr 2017 10:59 am

Not knocking any other steel brands but I'd bet the most recorded guitar would be Emmons and probably a push pull. Franklin or Sho-Bud may run a close second. Have no idea what guitar is used most in Nashville but I'd say just by what I've seen in video's of Nashville players, would be either a Zum or Mullen. Have seen few of other brands but nothing compared to seeing those.
With the caliber of the players I've heard, they could play a Mattel and still sound great so who cares, LOL

Erv, Mike does play a Red Emmons push pull most of the time I've seen him. I'm sure he has other guitars he may use from time to time.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 17 Apr 2017 11:55 am

Henry,
Yes, that's what I've seen him playing.

Tim Russell · Post by **Tim Russell** » 17 Apr 2017 12:23 pm

I see Mike playing the red Emmomns alot. Does he no longer play that Show Pro guitar?

Sven Kontio · Post by **Sven Kontio** » 17 Apr 2017 12:50 pm

From what I learned MJ plays Franklin and his red Emmons pp on sessions, his red Emmons pp also when ever he has the opportunity (on TV-shows and at the Station Inn - rarely live outside NV as he doesnÂ´t fly it) and an Emmons LeGrande live i.e. when touring w/ Reba.

Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 17 Apr 2017 3:34 pm

Topic: What's the most used steel in Nashville

Eddy Dunlap's post had me thinking Master Sessions. If you're counting TV and live gig's? I have no idea. Could be anything.

b.

Eddy Dunlap · Post by **Eddy Dunlap** » 17 Apr 2017 5:07 pm

Bobby Burns- That's a great question. I'd say it's a little of both considering how many people besides Paul also own and use Franklins on major recordings.

When it comes to most used guitar brand in Nashville from the 50's to now, it definitely boils down to Sho-Bud, Emmons, and then Franklin has been the bulk in the last 25 years. The Show-Pro has been around for roughly 10 years or so, but is really used heavily today. Sho-Bud might have the most cuts even after the trend in Nashville switched to Emmons. Most players that eventually switched to Emmons have had alot of very successful cuts with Sho-Bud guitars. Alot of Weldon's early smashes, mostly with Bill Anderson and some of Connie's, were all done on Sho-Bud, Stu Basore used a heavily modified, custom Fender 800 that was basically a Sho-Bud because Shot redid the whole guitar, all of Day's catalog with Price in the 50's as well as his other cuts until he switched brands in the early-mid 80's was Sho-Bud, All of Hal's giant hits(especially with Loretta) are all Sho-Bud until the mid to late 70's, Jimmie Crawford's early Nashville Career as well countless others that are more well known for playing Emmons guitars used a Sho-Bud alot before they made the switch. That's the just the tip of the iceberg until you factor Lloyd and Pete's body of work solely using Sho-Bud for recording until 80's.
As time changes, music tastes/production styles evolve along with technology. The Emmons fulfilled a need at the time of it's release by increasing the number of change options for pedals(compared to the permanent and the fingertip) and a brighter sound that cut through and sustained longer. Same thing with the Franklin. An all pull guitar of the caliber of the Franklin was needed because recording in Nashville was changing and the idea of an original, all-pull, balanced guitar that didn't have alot of masking over-tones, evenness across the fretboard, and warm clarity was needed. Emmons guitars were a little different then from the magic of the 65-68,69 era of the original push pulls. Plus they were trying to push towards the Legrande. Sho-Bud slowly closed in the 80's as well. The Franklin also worked really well under direct signal conditions that 80's brought with Jimmy Bowen introducing digital to Nashville.

People still use Emmons guitars for recording(Scotty Sanders, Steve Hinson, and Sonny Garrish get great sounds in the studio using an Emmons! I think Bouton also still uses his Emmons guitars from time to time when not recording with the Franklin. I'm not certain about here lately, but the great Russ Pahl used a Push Pull until acquiring his Show-Pros) and some people still use Sho-Bud(Dugmore, Lloyd, Josh Grange) But the majority of what you hear is the Franklin guitar, alongside the Show-Pro, because of the amount of people using that record with a Franklin besides Paul(Mike Johnson, Bruce Bouton, Randle Currie, etc.) I'm guessing that Tommy White used his Mullen on the recent Alison Krauss cut of "All Alone Am I" He sounded great!

Like the different brands I mentioned in my first post, there are other guitars being recorded, especially in the last 10 or 15 years on major records done in Nashville, but the bulk of the work has been Sho-Bud, Emmons, then the Franklin, and now the Show-Pro is included too.

There are different factors though in considering what is the most recorded brand of steel in Nashville. How many years a player has consistently played on major recordings coupled with how long they stick to a specific brand of guitar. The business has drastically changed so much in the past 60 years. In sheer volume of number of recordings, there were alot more sessions and major albums were released quicker in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. The 80's didn't have a whole lot of pedal steel except for Sonny Garrish, some of Weldon, Lloyd, and Hughey, but then Paul Franklin around 85' on George Strait's "Something Special," along with Bruce Bouton on the Skaggs releases really kind of kicked off a pedal steel renaissance. That prompted a comeback taste towards a more "traditional" format of country music. Thus leading to Randy Travis, the class of 89', Garth, etc. Then the 90's saw a huge resurgence and boost in commercial country music and budgets were high and work was plentiful like 60's to mid 70's. The only exception is there was way more profit involved. The master recordings of the 90's also brought Mike Johnson, Steve Hinson, Russ Pahl, Tommy White, Dan Dugmore, Robby Turner and Scotty Sanders. Paul, Bruce, and Sonny were also extremely active at the time as well. Now that records are not sold anymore hardly and the format of this industry is shifting, the number of masters and demos seems reduced from before the late 2000's. The volume of songwriter demos, television in Nashville, and limited pressing projects is also a whole other ballgame in trying to find the most recorded brand of steel guitar. So it's very hard to say what is the definitive,"Most recorded steel guitar in Nashville." But it might be Sho-Bud just judging from the number of players that have at one time played the guitar, and the use until the 80's when the company closed even though Emmons was the dominant guitar at that time until the Franklin came in. Emmons was taking over studio scene starting in the 60's.

Bobby Burns · Post by **Bobby Burns** » 17 Apr 2017 5:48 pm

Thanks Eddy, for taking the time to go through all of that with is.

Eddy Dunlap · Post by **Eddy Dunlap** » 17 Apr 2017 6:03 pm

Bobby Boggs wrote:
Topic: What's the most used steel in Nashville
Eddy Dunlap's post had me thinking Master Sessions. If you're counting TV and live gig's? I have no idea. Could be anything.

b.

That's what I was thinking about too Bobby. And you're 100% right about live gigs/TV. Anything goes.