Politically Correct...................

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 23 Jan 2006 5:49 am

Right on Howard!

This is not a democracy. It runs better as such.

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 23 Jan 2006 5:51 am

Most folks that don't play steel guitar just don't have a clue about it and I don't have to tell you that a lot of folks that hear steel guitar in music don't even know what "that instrument that makes those cool sounds" looks like much less what to call it.

Everytime I play my steel somewhere (I just call it plain ol' "steel"), about 94% of folks who come up to me ask me about my "pedal steel," to whom I then give the 30-second explanation on the history and evolution of the steel guitar. Another 1% actually recognize what it is, and know it's just a regular ol' steel, sans pedals. The last 5% ask me "what kind of weird keyboard is that?"

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Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, A6, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Regal resonator (C6)

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 23 Jan 2006 7:27 am

Gads, we'll never settle on a name any more than we can settle on tunings, number of strings, styles, reading, etc. bOb has spoken. Amen.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 23 Jan 2006 7:34 am

I think the name should be kept a secret and you only get to know if you join a secret society. That way we can identify each other in strange cities. Sort of like the Masons.

We can get a pin made up that has a bar and a horseshoe pickup on it, which we can wear from our vest pocket, so that we can recognize each other.

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 23 Jan 2006 10:30 am

I like the term "No Peddlers"...It sums up what this section is all about. We choose to play with just a bar or slide...no Pedals!!!

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 23 Jan 2006 12:25 pm

For History's sake:

It was first known as Hawaiian guitar or Hawaiian steel guitar.

Laterit was known as lap steel, because country/western players were picking it up and did not want to call it Hawaiian.

Somewhat later legs came on the lap steel because people were sweating in their britches and so standing was to relieve the sweating problem. Since players were standing it was no longer appropriate to call it lap steel, so they called it non-pedal steel.

Then the dobro player came along and just wanted to call their instruments, Dobro's and nothing else. They played by sitting.

However, someone tried to start a later trend by putting their Dobro on a ironing board to play. Now that confused a few people and so now they don't know what to call this.

I thought that I would bring a little history into this discussion. OK?

Aloha,
Don

John Bushouse · Post by **John Bushouse** » 23 Jan 2006 12:38 pm

I always thought we were telling those who played with pedals to stay out!

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 23 Jan 2006 12:52 pm

What if we leave it "No Peddlers" but change the description

To read:
"Lap steel, Hawaiian steel and resophonic guitars

Instead of:
"Lap steel, Hawaiian console and resophonic guitars"

Hawaiian console sounds like cheesy bamboo furniture.

This way we satisfy the Hawaiian contingency and isolate ourselves from those Autoharp... er, I mean pedal steel players.

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association

[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 23 January 2006 at 12:53 PM.]

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 23 Jan 2006 12:55 pm

"BAR SLANTERS"

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 23 Jan 2006 12:58 pm

I play all the modes and here's how I think they could be called or identified?:

HAWAIIAN STEEL GUITAR: (Non pedal, 6,8,10,12)
....................... Hawaiian Music

STEEL GUITAR: (Non Pedal all styles)

PEDAL STEEL GUITAR: All tunings with Pedals
................... Knee levers,
...................string choice open

RESONATOR: Dobro, all forms, pedal etc[This message was edited by Roy Thomson on 23 January 2006 at 01:00 PM.][This message was edited by Roy Thomson on 23 January 2006 at 01:00 PM.]

Ron Brennan · Post by **Ron Brennan** » 23 Jan 2006 1:07 pm

While I like the “Steel Guitar” moniker, especially in public…Alas, IMHO, I see no compelling reason to change the name of this section…..

The truth be known, we are very musically diverse within this group…

Just like in any other business culture, the application of names about products, procedures & services take on different descriptions depending on, of course, who you work for or what you do and where you may be from.

Some of us describe this type of naming process as “nomenclature”. “No Peddlers” is simply a metaphor or an anachronism that best describes for the knowing SGF member, the section of Steel Guitar Forum the player chooses to visit. It’s very efficient and it works well IMHO.

Now, like others on this thread, I too have had people come up to me and ask, what is that instrument you are playing?? Especially here in the East Coast and NJ to be more specific, where Steel Guitar of any sort, is not common.

I have been asked, "What kind of keyboard is that?" "Is that a Marimba?" "Ohhhh, a Steel Guitar you say!!! Gee, it must be awfully heavy!!" Sometimes I tell em" the jack cord is to protect me from a lightning strike's.... Well, my motto is, just have fun with it, eh?

Now, if your really stuck for a name....Just call it a “Hangman’s Guitar” and show em" the wonderful picture of that New Yorker, HowardR hanging around during the Subway strike.....

TX
Rgds,
Ron

[This message was edited by Ron Brennan on 23 January 2006 at 01:08 PM.][This message was edited by Ron Brennan on 23 January 2006 at 01:10 PM.][This message was edited by Ron Brennan on 23 January 2006 at 01:12 PM.]

Jay Yuskaitis · Post by **Jay Yuskaitis** » 23 Jan 2006 1:27 pm

Around this area, it seems to me, we have always asked, do you play straight steel or pedal steel?
Jay Y.

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Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 23 Jan 2006 1:55 pm

b0b certainly gets my vote.........

Thanks for the various comments.

Cough...cough.... this smoke is sure taking a long time to clear out of this place. Whew.

Hey Jeff Au Hoy, what'd you use to clense the air in your bunker? Fabreeze?

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 23 Jan 2006 2:33 pm

The problem is that while its correct name is "Steel Guitar",
PSGs are also generally called Steel Guitars - hence the need for clarification.
Although the current nomenclature may be a bit unwieldy,
and even objectionable to some (I don't especially care for the term "non-pedal" either),
to change it yet again would only add to the confusion.
And no matter what you change it to, somebody's not gonna like it.

.

So b0b is wise to leave well enough alone.
We know what instruments we play,
even if the general populace doesn't.

I like Bill's secret society idea . .

RA[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 23 January 2006 at 02:36 PM.]

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 23 Jan 2006 2:33 pm

One thing is for sure, if it were not for bOb, we wouldn't even have a chance to belly-ache about things!!!
Since bOb is Da Man, and has spoken,we (he) will not be changing anything!!!!!!!!

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 23 Jan 2006 3:52 pm

Hmmmm ... "do you play straight steel" (versus what ?)
Now see what you have started Ray ? !!!

John Bushouse · Post by **John Bushouse** » 23 Jan 2006 4:12 pm

I myself use bar slants on a regular basis - no "straight steel" for me.

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 23 Jan 2006 5:08 pm

I tried to be funny and failed.

So now I will be serious - kind of

In any conflict you look for compromise -

Gerald has the compromise -

No change in the title

Change in the subtitles

Gerald says: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>What if we leave it "No Peddlers" but change the description
To read:
"Lap steel, Hawaiian steel and resophonic guitars<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Aloha,
Don
[This message was edited by Don Kona Woods on 23 January 2006 at 05:09 PM.][This message was edited by Don Kona Woods on 23 January 2006 at 05:10 PM.]

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 23 Jan 2006 5:24 pm

But none of those subtitles describe a Stringmaster, or a Steelmaster, or a Custom or a Console Grande T8.
So that would leave me outa da pitcher . .

At least the present subtitles don't exclude anyone.

Post by **b0b** » 23 Jan 2006 5:48 pm

"Steel guitar" is an inclusive term. "Pedal steel" refers to a specific type of steel guitar, as does "lap steel", "Hawaiian console" or "resophonic steel guitar (TIFKAD)".

This section of the Forum is inclusive of all types of steel guitars that are played without the use of pedals.

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<img align=left src="http://b0b.com/b0bxicon.gif" border="0"> Bobby Lee
-b0b- quasar@b0b.com 
System Administrator 
My Blog

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 24 Jan 2006 11:16 am

Hey "KEOKI"........ during the rereading of these wonderful posts, a tho't popped into my mind about "How to properly tune a lap steel vs. a pedal steel" but I decided not to post it. Too many fellers are addicted to using tuning machines (black boxes) now that pitch pipes are no longer in.

Andre Nizzari · Post by **Andre Nizzari** » 26 Jan 2006 1:29 pm

I like b0b's name "no peddlers". It sums up what it is and it has a hint of humor toward the pedal guys. So leave it alone!!!!!

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http://www.andreandthenighthounds.com/

Derrick Mau · Post by **Derrick Mau** » 26 Jan 2006 2:10 pm

The ukulele is used to play all different types of music, not just Hawaiian.
Lyle Ritz plays jazz tunes on his uke.
Eddie Kamae played a lot of Spanish music in his early days on the uke before the Sons Of Hawaii.
Ohta San played everything from "The Flight Of The Bumblebee" to "Malaguena".
And I've even seen some reggae bands here implementing the uke into their music.

Now, if there was Ukulele Forum, should the name of the uke be changed or have different categories in this Forum just because people use it to play non-Hawaiian music???

Just something to think about . . .

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 26 Jan 2006 4:00 pm

b0b's Sub-Forums name is witty, thought provoking and humorous ...

But, in my opinion ... I don't care if you are playing:

Sacred Gypsy Western Swing ... influenced by Delta Norwegian Ragas ...

You are playing it on a Hawaiian Steel Guitar ...

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Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 26 Jan 2006 9:43 pm

Amen, preach it Rick!!

Aloha,
Don