How many steels do you own?????

Hans Holzherr · Post by **Hans Holzherr** » 1 Jun 2006 11:55 pm

Damir, I'll tune your Stelling banjo, but only if I can keep it!! No more banjo worries for you....

BTW, I have two steels: a Schild and a Carter, both S-12 universal.

Hans

Ian Finlay · Post by **Ian Finlay** » 2 Jun 2006 12:45 am

I have one pedal steel (Fender 1000) and one Fender Deluxe-8. I sold my Stringmaster T8 to Basil recently. If I have a mechanical problem with the pedals, I either fix it or play slants. I do have a bunch of 6 string guitars though, but only gig two really - a Tele and an archtop, depending on the gig and whether I'm flying or not.

Until recently I had one guitar/steel amp, but recently bought another to stop taking the Bassman on the road. If I need to I can borrow one. It's no big deal really.

Now I know something will go wrong next gig

Ian

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 2 Jun 2006 12:51 am

I have two..

Maybe I'll open a store !

Mike P gets the award for the best reason to have multiple Steels..

now the 6 stringers, I have a lot of those..they are much easier to hide

http://www.bprior.com/gear%20page.htm

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TPrior
TPrior Steel Guitar Homesite

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 2 Jun 2006 1:43 am

Slowly but surely, I'm building up a world-class collection of thumbpicks - it might not be as thrilling as a whole room full of steels, but you also don't need a new pack-a-seat to go with each one either.

I've noticed that the very best six-string guitarists tend to latch on to a single guitar for a time and work through it's idiosyncrasies, that "rock star" stage setup with a different guitar for every different song seems sort of wankerish & indulgent, it's fine for the Perrys and Samboras of the world but you didn't see Beck or McLaughlin or Page or Hendrix or Pass, Atkins, (Segovia?) etc. needing that many. Maybe when your songs suck it helps to play them on a bunch of different instruments, hasn't worked for me yet so I better buy some more.....

Rick Garrett · Post by **Rick Garrett** » 2 Jun 2006 2:25 am

I have my dad's 1954 Fender Stringmaster from the Jim Reeves estate. I have a 1949 Ricky 10 string that my dad gave me when I was a kid. A 1968 ZB Custom that my dad bought new and my MSA Super Slide. When I make the move from lap to pedals I hope to have a MSA Legend. Till then I'm just having fun with what I have.

Rick

Brian Ainsworth · Post by **Brian Ainsworth** » 2 Jun 2006 3:25 am

I own a Carter D10, MSA D12, 1 Dobro,Fender Strat, 2 Fender P Bass's, ! Carvin Bass, Nashville 1000 and a 112 amp And a epiphone Les Paul.. Boys and their toy's ??

Joe Alterio · Post by **Joe Alterio** » 2 Jun 2006 4:24 am

If you making a living with a steel guitar, you'd better have more than one, and this goes for amps also, maybe even more so. A player that can fix his guitar and get through a night, can't fix a blown amp.

Maybe I am reading more into these sentences than I should, but they seem to contradict each other as far as owning one steel. If a player can fix his steel and get through a night, then why would there be a need for another steel?

I can think of a number of reasons to not have to spend the money on a "spare" steel....

1) The player does not have the money to do so. This goes for a number of pros that I know of and/or have heard about that are in this situation. We don't need to name names....but they are out there, including some of the nightly Broadway pickers as well as former steel "stars" of decades past. This is their living, how they feed their kids...but they do not have a spare $2,000+ to buy a steel that will sit in the case for 20 years while the gigging instrument performs flawlessly during that time.

2) The player would rather save the money and invest it in a less speculative marketplace (who really knew Sho-Buds would double in value over the last few years? who can honestly predict how their value will fare in a few years?)

3) The player has many friends (most of who have spare steels/amps) in the vicinity he can count on should he need to borrow an instrument/amp while he is having his equipment repaired and/or replaced.

Just my thoughts!

Joe

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 2 Jun 2006 5:42 am

Two, sorta:

A highly modded '63 Fender 400 9/2 with half-stops and other goodies added.

A '57 Fender 1000 w/8 pedals. It's had some mods in the past, and wll have some things added in the future. Definitely not in collectable condition - it's a "player".

Then I have about enough parts to build another 400 or so.

Someone mentioned amps - that's where I fine-tune my sound. I must have 20, from a tiny ZVex Nano to an Ampeg V4, with tweeds, other Fenders and custom stuff in between. I try to NEVER use too much amp - smaller amps turned up *always* sound better than high-powered amps turned down to "2", especially with tube amps.[This message was edited by Jim Sliff on 02 June 2006 at 12:36 PM.]

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 2 Jun 2006 5:45 am

At one point in life, I had more ex-wives than steels but that's not the case anymore.

Now I have a Carter a Williams two amps and one more wife.

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Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night.

Roger Pietz · Post by **Roger Pietz** » 2 Jun 2006 6:31 am

gee I'm looking for 3 more steelies I just have to wait for my addition to be built I have a room full of gear of course I am just a beginner in this new way of playing the steel guitar. Very awesome instrument, I have so much to learn that the more I buy the more I want to learn faster so I can buy more.

Jon Jaffe · Post by **Jon Jaffe** » 2 Jun 2006 6:39 am

I have three steels. Two Kline U12, one mica and one laquer, and one Carter U12. The Klines can be used interchangeably at drivable gigs and the Carter I put on airplanes.

John Cox · Post by **John Cox** » 2 Jun 2006 6:50 am

Plan on buying 2 later this year plus, one more amp. I already have a S10 and a Stringmaster D6 for now. J.C.

John Davis · Post by **John Davis** » 2 Jun 2006 8:58 am

Bobster.....do you have more ex-wives than me??? I thought I held the record??(you probably played on it)!
I saw a post on here once from Skip it said "get rid of the wife and you can have as many steels as you want"
I`m down to one now, (steel not wife)your side of the pond....but its a beaut! 68 D10 bolt on Emmons.......But I have two more D10`s here...and the MSA12...and more Fender amps than you can shake a stick at!

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 2 Jun 2006 9:05 am

I think that a lot of players have only one real "working" guitar. It's not unusual to have an antique or two lying around that you play now and then for your own amusement, but the day-to-day gigging axe is a complex, rugged machine that requires regular maintenance. It's hard to keep more than one guitar up to that level, IMHO.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b2005.gif" width="78 height="78">Bobby Lee (a.k.a. b0b) - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
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pdl20 · Post by **pdl20** » 2 Jun 2006 10:07 am

I have 3 steels .Emmons d10 8&5,Mullen 9&9 and a Fender stringmaster chocolate brown t-8. i have 3 amps Moss-valve ,Evans and a Single chanel Sho-bud ,Its like new

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 2 Jun 2006 10:41 am

Bobby Lee, you have never said anything that I have agreed with more. Only one guitar can really be kept up to top ready to go condition.
This is what I do, but I do have many "investment" guitars, and I love them.

Bobbe

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 2 Jun 2006 10:48 am

If I could find just one that plays in tune (with acceptable tone), I would stop buying all these others.

Terry Edwards · Post by **Terry Edwards** » 2 Jun 2006 11:50 am

Who said...

"If you buy this (insert brand x) guitar it will be the only guitar you will ever need"??

I live in Utah but I only have one wife...

uh-oh, wrong topic...

Terry

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 2 Jun 2006 12:21 pm

How many times have we said when we got married, "This will last forever".
I said it every time I got married. One thing sure, I'll remember them forever! Ha!

Just kidding, all were great but one,

Hey Terry, I didn't know anyone in Utau just had one wife,, oh yea, different subject,

Yep, I have one or two main guitars, and some wonderful classic investment guitars that I love to own, not necessarally to play on a professional level. But I do HAVE to have them. Its my life! I just really do love steel guitars. And it seems as though many of you do too!

Bobbe
[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 02 June 2006 at 01:22 PM.][This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 02 June 2006 at 01:27 PM.]

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 2 Jun 2006 12:31 pm

I feel just the opposite. I don't want to own things. I just want enough to do the job.

Sonny Priddy · Post by **Sonny Priddy** » 2 Jun 2006 12:40 pm

Bobbie If You Have A GFI or Rittenberry They Are Allways Ready To Go Nothing gose Wrong with Them. Old Pal. SONNY.

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Lefty · Post by **Lefty** » 2 Jun 2006 1:08 pm

Bobbe Lee made a very valid statement (as always). When I was playing, I had one steel, and a few other things, and not much money. Had a great time playin.
Of course that is when all the good deals on great instruments were around as well (rent or a guitar?).
I passed up a Dual Sringmaster for sale for 150.00, a 1960 Les Paul Special for 400.00, and a pristine tweed deluxe for 240.00 just to name a few.
Those were the days.
Now I work all the time, and have too much equipment to mention.
What is better, I ponder ?
Better is being a professional musician making big money who can play when he wants and buy great instruments, I guess.
This happens to a few.
Having a bunch of pristine instruments stowed away in a time capsule does not make me happy, but having a nice sounding piece I can pull out and play makes me feel like I am 16 again (no humor intended), as I felt with my first Fender guitar and amp.
Lefty

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 2 Jun 2006 2:40 pm

I've only owned one at a time. My only steel is an 81 Franklin that I bought new. If I were a "working road picker" I'd probably have more than one.

But, I remember a lot of road pickers in the early 70's when I worked at Little Roy Wiggins music store that only had one steel.

Some, like Buddy Charleton, must have had only had one amp, too. I got a call one Saturday night that Buddy's amp went out on him and he needed to borrow one from the store to use on the Midnight Jamboree. I went down to the store at 9 pm on Saturday night and took an amp down to the E.T. Record Shop for Buddy.

Farris Currie · Post by **Farris Currie** » 2 Jun 2006 3:22 pm

HEHEHHE

Sorry,extra guitar, I remember when we didn't even have EXTRA STRINGS!!!!!!!!!!

Lead guitar broke 2 and had to go down the road to the next bar to BORROW 2 STRINGS!!!

Man how far we have came in the last 30yrs.

I Forgot,in the 60s W 2 FORM was about 3800.00 per year. and now a steel cost that much!!!!!!!!!!!
[This message was edited by Farris Currie on 02 June 2006 at 04:41 PM.]

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 2 Jun 2006 3:28 pm

Bobbe, you rascal , I think we might be even, I have 3 exes' (is that how you spell it?), and I still play the my first steel, (I haven't run out of notes yet) ..but I swear I am working on getting a new one.