steel guitar electronic accessory

[Dean Schrock]

here is my question, If you was limited to use just one electronic gaget or accessory or what ever you want to call it, on your steel what would it be? I have played for years with nothing but my steel ,volume pedal and amp. I keep seeing guys with all these things pluged into their guitar for some reason.

[Bari Smith]

Gotta have more stuff!!!!!!First thing I'd get would be a BLACK BOX!!!!

[John Daugherty]

A digital "delay".

[Erv Niehaus]

If my amp didn't have reverb built in, that would be the first thing I would add.

[Richard Cooper]

BLACK BOX

[Larry Weaver]

Yep, if I used a solid state amp, the Black Box would be the one.

[Dean Schrock]

where would one get a steel guitar black box at a good price? I checked a couple of places no has them.

[Eric West]

Podxt.

No Doubt.



EJL

[Herb Steiner]

Dean
The answer, totally subjective of course, depends on the type of music you're required to play on your gigs. I'm assuming you have amp reverb that is acceptable to you and your sound.

If however your reverb is not to your liking, or spring reverb doesn't work in your playing situation, a digital reverb like a Boss RV-5 or a Lexicon rackmount unit would be the first step.

If your reverb is cool and you play in a band that does rock/blues type songs occasionally, you'd be served by having an overdrive (NOT distortion) unit, like a Tube Screamer, Real Tube, or some other similar unit. Not harsh like distortion, but a warm, tube-type sound.

If you don't need overdrive, but have an occasional need for a reso-guitar type sound, then a Match-Bro (if you can find one... they're out of production), a Bo-bro, or a DB5 unit would be appropriate. Using these units effectively requires that you think dobro licks, and NOT play pedal steel style, to work effectively.

If you don't need any of those sounds, but want to "fatten" things up a little, a digital delay of some type would offer a subtle "slap-back" sound, and give you the option of having an Echoplex sound for the Bobbe Seymour "Orange Blossom Special" effect.

If you don't need those sounds, but have a solid state amp that isn't giving you the warmth of tubes, then the Black Box would be an appropriate choice. The degree of difference is subtle on the bandstand, but in a recording situation, I've found using the BB is a profound improvement.

Then there's the option of a rotary-speaker, Leslie-type unit if you need an "organ" sound for R&B, or rock songs where the lead guitarist already does the overdrive thing. There was a thread abou these various units recently. I like the Line 6 Roto Machine, but none of these units replaces a real organ or keyboard unless you play organ-type fills, like I mentioned about the reso-simulators.

If you decide that several of these sound modifications is what you're seeking, then I'd agree with Eric that you need a multi-effects unit or an amp modeling device, like something by Line6, Digitech, or several other manufacturers.

These decisions can only be arrived at by self-examination and experimentation. That's why there's a lot of used effects units for sale here, there, and everywhere.