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Topic: Which pedal steel would be the best to buy? |
Madisen Hammonds
From:
Southern California
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Posted 5 Sep 2019 9:35 am |
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| I'm looking to get my boyfriend a pedal steel for Christmas or his bday and I wanted to know what would be the best one to get him. I am in no way a musician so I need all the help I can get. I've done some research but ultimately I just know what amp I would want to get him to go with it.(Peavey Nashville 112) He plays lots of instruments but his best is guitar, he's a good slide player, he's talked about a pedal steel that is good for taking from gig to gig but I didn't know which one it was. Do ya'll have suggestions on what would be best for a beginner player but also one he could grow into and take on country music gigs? |
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Ken Pippus
From:
Langford, BC, Canada
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Posted 5 Sep 2019 9:50 am
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| email sent. |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2019 10:04 am
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If you are looking to purchase a brand-new instrument, you will likely receive the same answer from most folks on this Forum: The Stage One from Doug Earnest.
If Doug is currently accepting orders, which he may not be, you'd best get on the waiting list ASAP. And hope you and your boyfriend are still together by the time it arrives, which will likely be well-past Christmas. |
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Paul Sutherland
From:
Placerville, California
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Posted 5 Sep 2019 10:28 am
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If you are in So Cal I suggest you visit Steel Guitars of North County in Oceanside. Jim would be a great person to talk to about what to buy.
There are lots of good choices for starting out. You probably want a single 10 string with the E9th tuning. That is most common. It should have 3 floor pedals and 4 or 5 knee levers. I would look at the websites for Justice, Mullen, Williams, BMI, plus the Stage One as mentioned above. There are probably some others I've forgotten.
Also: Desert Rose, Fessenden, and GFI. There are others, but they tend to not make starter level steels.
_________________
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. |
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Jim Saunders
From:
Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
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Posted 5 Sep 2019 11:15 am Steel Guitar
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| When you ask a question like this, you will get a multitude of answers. I would go with the Mullen Discovery model for a little over $2000. Check Mullen.com or Gary Sills Music. And that Nashville 112 will do the job. |
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Paul Sutherland
From:
Placerville, California
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Posted 5 Sep 2019 11:21 am
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Buying a PSG for a third person is inherently tricky, particularly if this is to be a surprise.
The standard height steel works for most people, but if he's particularly tall and lanky (meaning long legs) you may need longer pedal rods and legs, or the converse if he has short legs.
_________________
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. |
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Madisen Hammonds
From:
Southern California
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Posted 5 Sep 2019 11:42 am
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| Thanks for all the help! I've read LOTS of good things about the Stage One so that's what I'm leaning towards but its nice to get the opinion of people who are knowledgeable about it. |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 5 Sep 2019 11:44 am
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I second 2 of the posts. Everybody seems to love Doug Earnest's Stage one, and it's big brother, the Encore. (I've never played either one.) The main difference between them is that the undercarriage (pedal setup) on the Stage One cannot be altered, while the Encore's can be changed to allow the player to experiment with different pedals and knee levers.
Sooner or later, everybody get an idea about adding something, or maybe moving stuff around. The Encore will allow this. The Stage One will not.
The other post I second is that you visit Jim Palenscar's shop in Oceanside. Jim's shop is the largest steel guitar shop west of the Mississippi River, and Jim himself is a great guy, who will steer you right.
If you live in or near Los Angeles, you can call me at (323) 340-8010 or (323) 271-2308 and I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Paul Pearson
From:
Alabama, USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2019 3:03 pm Pedal steel
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| Mullen Discovery is hard to beat it comes standard with 3 pedals and 4 knee levers with the ability to add to it I own 3 of them it's my main gigging steel |
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Ken Barrett
From:
Sebastian, Fl.
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Posted 5 Sep 2019 6:56 pm
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Zum steel Stage 1 or Encore from Doug.
_________________
I have played guitar for over 60 years, PSG for 5 & bass for 7 years. Currently, I play bass in a band. I also collect guitars and basses. I live in Florida on the east coast. In my picture is a 1948 Gibson Grande of mine that was used in a Hank Williams movie. |
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Ron Pruter
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2019 8:18 pm
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Easier to list what not to get. Here's my list.
Maverick, Carter Sarter, Multi-chord, Red Baron, any guitar that pulls with cables rather than rods. You probably won't be able to order and receive a Stage one or Encore by X-mas, but maybe. How much can you spend?
RP
_________________
Emmons SKH Le Grande, '73 Fender P/J bass, Tick tack bass, Regal high strung, USA Nashville 112. |
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Bobby Nelson
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2019 9:44 pm
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| I'll second the advice to talk to Jim Palenscar (especially if you are within the distance to go to his shop). He is a prince of a good guy, who graciously helped me from across the country through email, decide to make the decisions I made, when I knew nothing about any of this (and the right good decisions they were indeed). You cannot go wrong talking to him. |
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Jeremy Threlfall
From:
now in Western Australia
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 6 Sep 2019 5:34 am
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I would highly recommend Jim Palenscar also. And one other thought:
If your boyfriend already has a guitar amp it can be used as a pedalsteel amp. There is no need to buy it. And if he has an opinion about what amps he likes he probably loves what he has and just might not love the peavey. Most players I see on bandstands and studios actually use guitar amps anyway. It’s a personal thing. If he likes the sound of tubes he will not be happy with a peavey or quilter. I really would skip it and use the money for a better steel and proper accessories such as a seat, volume pedal and a good bar.
If you skip the amp your budget is now around $3000 with can buy you a full pro level guitar of a lifetime. Emmons S10 s are going for under $3000 these days. A buddy just bought a sho bud rebuilt by sho pro for under $2000.
Jim Palenscar will be honest with you.
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Bob |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 6 Sep 2019 6:25 am
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Definitely a trip to "Steel Guitars of North County,Jim Palenscar's place!
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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 6 Sep 2019 8:22 am
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You're in Southern California. Jim's may be the best place in the nation. Go there.
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Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons |
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Mike Bacciarini
From:
Arizona
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Posted 6 Sep 2019 8:30 am
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Another vote for Jim Palenscar. See if you can get a gift certificate!
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MCI Arlington S-10 3+5, George L E-66, BJS & Emmons bars, Fender Stage Lead II 100W 1x12, Fender Satellite SFX, custom FX rack, 1983 Dobro 60D, Martin D16GT, Ibanez AS73, 1978 Rickenbacker 4000 custom. |
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Dick Hitchcock
From:
Wayne, Nebraska
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