Don Warden with Porter Wagoner

Lynn Kasdorf · Post by **Lynn Kasdorf** » 15 Nov 2004 8:40 am

Since I recently got dish network, it has been great seeing the old Porter Wagoner show and the Wilburn Brothers show.

Although the band members are never credited on the show- even in the trailing credits, Porter's band apparently includes Don Warden on steel. On the rare occasions that they show him, he is playing a stand up steel of some sort.

Very frequently when you can hear him, he seems to be doing a fair amount of pedal work. It sounds like maybe he has a Bud Isaacs style non-split pedal. The licks I hear all tend to sound like A+B together.

Amazingly, I have never seen enough of him to tell if he has some sort of a stand-up pedal arrangement, or just what he is doing to make that sound.

Anybody know anything about Don Warden?

Farris Currie · Post by **Farris Currie** » 15 Nov 2004 9:48 am

LYNN,It just don't get no better these days does it?everyone should have this R F D on dish in their homes.just finished watching Wilburn Bros.Hal Rugg on that sho-bud,Tom T Hall,ect.also Great American Country,and Joe on that ZUM STEEL,we just don't get this on regular T V,i am proud to have these programs.programs from Willie Nelsons library ect.ALL I can say is Thank you R.F.D. farris

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 15 Nov 2004 9:59 am

Lynn, see my post in this thread...
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/008799.html

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 15 Nov 2004 5:52 pm

Lynn, Don Warden played a ShoBud pedal steel on the show. He did stand up and play and the steel did have 2 pedals as well. The unique thing about the steel was the pedals were worked with his right foot and not the left foot. Don later on became the manager for Dolly Parton as I understand it. If that is true he must be a highly intelligent individual as well. The info on the steel I read from a Buddy Emmons interview telling how he and Shot Jackson started the ShoBud Company and I believe Don Received the first steel.

Leon Eneboe · Post by **Leon Eneboe** » 16 Nov 2004 5:19 pm

Back about the time Don Warden was playing that stand up steel on the Porter Wagner Show, I was just starting out with a 6 string Multi-Chord. The Multi-Chord did not have a lot of capabilities but...the style Don was playing was somewhat available on the Multi-Chord and I was having a great time playing in that particular fashion. Of course later on, like many of you, I moved up to a Fender 400, and eventually a ShoBud LDG, now a Williams S12. But..I will say that some of that early, simpler stuff probaby inspired many of us to get "into Pedal Steel". I remember really enjoying Don Warden playing "stand up" steel.
Leon Eneboe, Williams, Peavey and a lot of junk.