Pictures of stage full of steels in 1956

[Bill Flores]

Thanks Larry and Herb, another member asked the same questions. All I know is that the original 2 photos were found in a thrift store in Santa Barbara by a friend years ago. There was a stamp on back from a professional studio from Los Angeles, obvious from SoCal ethnic mix of group......that's all I know.It has intrigued me for years , who was this group?...what did they sound like!
Bill

[Doug Beaumier]

My question is where did all these steels go.

Worn out, broken parts, discarded, trashed, unappreciated... here's my take on it: by the late 1950s and 60s, rock & roll was king and the Hawaiian craze was over. Lap steels were considered old-fashioned instruments, and the steel guitar world was switching over to pedal steel. Most guitar companies stopped making non-pedal steels by the mid-60s and some went out of business. Older steels were not valued, not wanted by family members. They were stored in hot, dusty attics or dark, damp basements for years. I'll bet that some were even tossed in the dump as the years went by. Or sold at tag sales, given away, cut up or painted or taken apart by people who did not appreciate them. It's a dismal scenario, I know. I knew two players who chipped in and bought an old Fender quad and cut it in half so they each had a D-8! My first lap steel was given to me by a friend 45 years ago. It was a Fender Champ. I sanded it down and painted it with a paintbrush! I didn't appreciate old lap steels back then.

[Doug Beaumier]

...what did they sound like!

I hate to be a wet blanket here... but I've heard a couple of old-timers say that these student bands didn't sound all that good. One guy said it was a lot of noise, slightly out of time and slightly out of tune. Oh well, that usually happens with student groups. So I focus on the pictures, the instruments, and the history, and try not to think about the sound.

[Stefan Robertson]

My question is where did all these steels go.

Worn out, broken parts, discarded, trashed, unappreciated... here's my take on it: by the late 1950s and 60s, rock & roll was king and the Hawaiian craze was over. Lap steels were considered old-fashioned instruments, and the steel guitar world was switching over to pedal steel. Most guitar companies stopped making non-pedal steels by the mid-60s and some went out of business. Older steels were not valued, not wanted by family members. They were stored in hot, dusty attics or dark, damp basements for years. I'll bet that some were even tossed in the dump as the years went by. Or sold at tag sales, given away, cut up or painted or taken apart by people who did not appreciate them. It's a dismal scenario, I know. I knew two players who chipped in and bought an old Fender quad and cut it in half so they each had a D-8! My first lap steel was given to me by a friend 45 years ago. It was a Fender Champ. I sanded it down and painted it with a paintbrush! I didn't appreciate old lap steels back then.

LOL My first steel was a Fender Champ. I got it instead of a vacuum cleaner from a pawn store super cheap. No strings and the paint was removed and someone put lacquer on it. The guy in the shop thought it was maybe a shop cut out. I sold it here in the UK cheap for £200 as I didn't know better at the time. The store that bought it simply put a tag in the window for £600 quid 3 months later.

[Stefan Robertson]

I remember I was once offered a Gibson D8 for my Dreadnought Takamine guitar. Said it was too heavy and turned the trade down as the guy who had it use to keep it in a case to increase the height of his floor wedge in a studio.

At the time neither of us could play it.

Hmmm... wonder if I should give him a call. Wonder what he'd say now.