How Did You Get Started On The Pedal Steel?

[Mark McConville]

I'm loving this thread.

Not sure who deserves the credit for my love of steel guitar- Ben Keith, BJ Cole, Russ Hicks, Greg Liesz, Eric Heywood, and certainly Paul Franklin. I was a hard rock/metal guitar player as a teenager, but my tastes radically shifted in my 20s to alt-country, which led to a pretty healthy interest in classic country music.

I went to school in Madison, where the idea of finding a pedal steel guitar was damn near unheard of. Not to mention, if I did find one, who'd teach me to play it? I knew I wanted to learn how to make those sounds, but I didn't know how that would happen.

I ended up moving to LA in 2002, and I found a Carter Starter at a Guitar Center. They practically paid me to take it off their hands. I had no idea how to start- bought the Winnie Winston book and taught myself a lot. Took some lessons from Chris Burke and Josh Grange, then John McClung. Bought a better guitar. Still learning. It'll always be a work in progress, but I'm shocked and astonished by the generosity of the steel community.

[Brandon Schafer]

I worked at a music store and played 6 string and bass. Didn't think much about any kind of music with steel of any kind involved. I was (and still am) a "rock n' roll guy". A co-worker opened my ears to Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant. I started exploring steel music, but didn't think about playing a steel.... yet.

One day, a different co-worker had an old Sho-Bud Pro III gathering dust. He sold it to me for a really good price. I owned it for years before I felt comfortable playing it, but I really owe the beginnings of my journey with the instrument to him. If he didn't want to sell it for a good price, I don't know if or when I would have gotten into playing!

[Gary Walker]

HOW DO YOU GET STARTED ON THE STEEL GUITAR?
Well first, push the clutch in, put the gear shift in first, give it little bit of gas while easing out on the clutch-------well, you get the idea.