How did you become a steel player?

Jim Walker · Post by **Jim Walker** » 27 Feb 2007 1:00 pm

Today I recieved the strangest question from a friend on myspace. "How did you become a steel guitar player?" I anwsered her as honeslty as I could and said "I started out as a front man and worked my way up."

JW

Dennis Schell · Post by **Dennis Schell** » 27 Feb 2007 1:36 pm

I caught "the bug" listening to Mooney and Brumley with Buck Owens back in the 60's. Always thought "country" music was SUPPOSED to have pedal steel, at least the "west coast" type that I like. I wish there had been a steel in my "formative years" learning guitar but....
I spent about 25 yrs playing my tele in various groups but always WANTED to play steel and "thought steel" in my guitar playing licks. I finally got to actually own a PSG about 15 yrs ago but it resided mostly under the bed while I left the music biz and drove truck as a "real job". Now that I've messed up my back and have been "semi retired" the last few years I've got time to play with PSG again. The hard part for me seems to be regaining the dedication to learning that I used to have as a young guitar player. I'm working on that and hope that I'm not getting too old to "get back with the program". Learning used to seem easier! Maybe when I get to the point where I can "see" or "think" licks on my steel's neck like I can with my other guitars I'll start to progress a little faster....
(Of course nothing is "easy" about playing PSG, at least for me...)
I'll keep hacking at it though, the desire to play steel is still there....

FWIW,

Dennis

BTW, one thing that does help my "sticktoitivness" is that my 16 yr old daughter has taken up guitar so we keep each other going....

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 27 Feb 2007 1:43 pm

I opened for the Flying Burritto Brothers in 1971 and saw Al Perkins playing his Fender 1000. It blew my mind and I swore that I would play pedal steel someday.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 27 Feb 2007 1:53 pm

My last year of high school in New York was at a school for trouble makers who like to smack teachers and fun stuff like that,Forest Hills High School home of Simon,and Garfunkle,Leslie West,and the Ramones had enough of me and told my folks I could not come back there.I met other trouble makers who were into the Byrds"Clarence White"and the "New Riders" with Jerry Garcia on Pedal Steel Guitar which I knew nothing about,so they dragged me to Manny's music on W48th.St and I found out that there was either a Sho-Bud or an Emmons.

Papa Joe Pollick · Post by **Papa Joe Pollick** » 27 Feb 2007 1:59 pm

I started as a vocalist first,then was forced to add lead guitar [lead picker did a
possum thing to me],All the time I was singing I would hear Roy Wiggens or Jerry Byrd in my mind.A country song just wasn't complete without a steel.So I bought a Fender volume pedal and a guitar with a whammy bar and tried to play steel sounds with my vocals.I soon realized that I MUST get the real thing.
Though I'm still a vocalist first and a lead picker second,the steel is what I really enjoy the most.I'll jam anytime,anyplace with anybody.Thats my story and I ain't changin it..

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 27 Feb 2007 3:06 pm

I've been a guitar player for a long time, but I always loved pedal steel guitar. The original limitation was that they were so bloody expensive and I was a poor student. Then I was too busy to play much for quite a while, and then I got back into guitar big time - mid 80s.

I was sitting around listening to a band I knew in the late 90s - it just seemed that the music wanted pedal steel bad, and I had just found a couple for my vintage guitar store. So I kept the old Emmons student model and messed around with it for a week, and figured out the most basic changes, in principle. It seemed logical and I liked the sound, even as horribly as I played it.

Right around then I was talking with the leader of this band, and the subject came to them losing their lap steel player, and I asked - "Why don't you get a new steel player." He said "You know one?". I said, "Well I can't play the thing yet, but I do, in fact, own a PSG, and I think I can learn." Famous last words, eh?

I didn't do much else for another week or two, and Kris asked me to sit in with them, bringing along my B-bender Tele in case it all fell apart. I wound up playing all night, splitting steel and Tele about 50/50. I'm sure it was beyond hideous, but the guys were very patient, and told me to keep coming back. That first year was strictly trial-by-fire and woodshedding every day. But gradually, it started to get not-quite-so-hideous.

Earl Foote · Post by **Earl Foote** » 27 Feb 2007 3:08 pm

I was in a fairly good local band in high school (9th grade) and our singer/band leader told the crowd one night that we were going to have a steel guitar the next time we played. That week we went to Heart Of Texas Music in Temple and I picked up a used Fender 1000. There was a guy named Maxie there at the time and he gave me a brief explanation of what the A&B pedals did and told me I could work out the rest on my own.

We had a gig at the football stadium in Lampasas that next week and in preperation I woodshedded on a song called "It's Such A Pretty Worl Today". That was my first song learned on pedal steel. I first became interested in pedal steel from watching a TV program on Saturday nights called Cow Town Jamboree.

Jamie Lennon · Post by **Jamie Lennon** » 27 Feb 2007 3:47 pm

I was born with fingerpicks on so ....................

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 27 Feb 2007 3:56 pm

Mike Auldridge told me "it's more fun than sex the first year of marriage".

So...

h

Jim Eaton · Post by **Jim Eaton** » 27 Feb 2007 4:12 pm

I made the mistake of sitting down behind a Maverick in my friends music store when I can back to the world from Nam!
JE:-)>

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 27 Feb 2007 4:13 pm

I have been a guitar player for over 20 years. Mostly blues and rock. In fact I was in a band that only did Hendrix, Cream, Sabbath and assorted odd renditions of songs ouside that catagory, but in that style. Then one day I went looking for an instrument to demoralize myself with, become addicted to, force me to like old country and drive my wife truly insane with. PSG baby!! The one ticket to happiness is making that thing work on any level. Besides, they're expensive, cool! After years of playing hard rock I met a guy named Rex Hunt, in Bloomington Indiana at a recording studio. He was a killer dobro player and one day he asked if I wanted to mess around on his dobro, so I bent his picks out to fit my much bigger fingers while he was in the can and started playing. He came out and said "hey you can make that sound like a dobro, you should get one and I'll set it up for you". Just then he noticed his picks, the ones that he had used daily for 30 years bent up on my hand, he whinced and said " I guess it was ok to put on my picks" They probably pinched him for 6 weeks. That was 1996.

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 27 Feb 2007 4:19 pm

After a lot of yrs. of playing with steel players and more with out, I aquired the "bug" but didn't have the time to dedicate to it so I just let it slide. In the mid 90's I was ready to take the leap but for some reason was still dragging my feet, finally after some guy told me you had to be a jet pilote, or a rocket scientist to play one, being the hard headed Okie I am I set out to prove him wrong, I traded a set of cheap drums for a MSA single 10, 3/1. Here I am, still working on it!

When I started I could play more steel licks on my six string than my steel,,,thinking about it I may still be able to!

Larry

Carlos Polidura · Post by **Carlos Polidura** » 27 Feb 2007 4:25 pm

Me......... It was accidental. But it was an accident I will never regret!!!

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 27 Feb 2007 4:38 pm

I have been a guitar player for over 20 years. Mostly blues and rock. In fact I was in a band that only did Hendrix, Cream, Sabbath and assorted odd renditions of songs ouside that catagory, but in that style. Then one day I went looking for an instrument to demoralize myself with, become addicted to, force me to like old country and drive my wife truly insane with. PSG baby!! The one ticket to happiness is making that thing work on any level. Besides, they're expensive, cool! After years of playing hard rock I met a guy named Rex Hunt, in Bloomington Indiana at a recording studio. He was a killer dobro player and one day he asked if I wanted to mess around on his dobro, so I bent his picks out to fit my much bigger fingers while he was in the can and started playing. He came out and said "hey you can make that sound like a dobro, you should get one and I'll set it up for you". Just then he noticed his picks, the ones that he had used daily for 30 years bent up on my hand, he whinced and said " I guess it was ok to put on my picks" They probably pinched him for 6 weeks. That was 1996.

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 27 Feb 2007 4:40 pm

Hey that story sounds like mine!!!

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 27 Feb 2007 5:30 pm

well one day I was in a music store trying out a Gibson 335 doing some rolls I had invented when a guy a little older than me ask me to show how to do these rolls.Well he went on to become the most famous guitar player ever(Chet Atkins) .
Anyway guitar became boring to me. I felt I needed more of a challenge so I took up the Steel, and if you ever hear me play you will want to cry. Now if you beleve that bull s--t, I also have some shares in the gate way arch for sale.
Now top that...

A. J. Schobert · Post by **A. J. Schobert** » 27 Feb 2007 5:55 pm

Listening to Chuck Rich play!

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 27 Feb 2007 6:04 pm

Uhh...I'm still working on it, actually.

Bobby Montgomery · Post by **Bobby Montgomery** » 27 Feb 2007 7:10 pm

WHEN I WAS 15 I HAD A FRONTAL LABOTOMY AND LEARNING TO PLAY STEEL WAS MY THERAPY.

Ken Williams · Post by **Ken Williams** » 27 Feb 2007 7:18 pm

I wanted a steel guitar for my high school graduation, but they were way out of my family's budget. At that time, I'd noticed that they had rods but did not realize that they had pedals. I thought they were doing all that stuff with the bar. By pure chance my sophmore year of college I met a guy that said he played steel. He brought it to the dorm the next week and it was an Emmons D10. His name was Gene Simmons. Gene is a good steel player and he let me fool around with his steel enough to convince myself that I could play it one of these days. About a year later, I manage to find a cheap used steel. I don't know how I came up with the money but about 6 months later I ordered an Emmons D10 with the help of John Hughey. That was in 74 and I still have that Emmons.

If it were'nt for Gene Simmons, I don't know if I would have ever played. I came from a family of meager means and a new steel would have been a tremendous purchase, not knowing if I could play it or not. But the way it worked out, I got to try out his steel for a few months before taking the plunge. Plus, he showed me a lick or two to get me started.

Ken

Bobby Montgomery · Post by **Bobby Montgomery** » 27 Feb 2007 7:19 pm

WHEN I WAS 15 I HAD A FRONTAL LABOTOMY AND LEARNING TO PLAY STEEL WAS MY THERAPY.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 27 Feb 2007 7:42 pm

As a friend of mine used to say, "I always wanted to learn to play steel in the worst way... and now I do!"

Ronnie Sellers · Post by **Ronnie Sellers** » 27 Feb 2007 8:03 pm

The first time i herd a Pedal Steel Guitar Live! was in 1975.
I had seen them on Hee Haw & ET shows but never payed them no mind. Then in the summer of 1975 I saw and herd a guy playing one live, and the rest is history.
The Maverick was my first love, on to a S10 PRO I , LDG, then a PRO II CUSTOM 8x4,to a SD10 Fessenden 3X5, and now a brand new WILLIAMS 4x5 sunburst, that should be here in a week or so.

I love it, I love it, I love it.... PURDY SOUND !!

Wished I had the PRO I and the LDG back

Ron Fitzgerald · Post by **Ron Fitzgerald** » 27 Feb 2007 8:07 pm

When I was a kid I chunked chords behind my Dad who swatted at (for lack of a better word ) Hawaiian music. I loved the sound of that Fender String Master and it echoed in my head for along time. Sometime around 1970 I heard John Hughey with Conway and the addiction began. I bought a Shobud Pro 1 and began my own version of swatting. Thank God I didn't give up my jazz guitar and bass playing , as that has been my career for the last 37 years . I took the steel in and out of the case many times over that 37 year period. Although learning seemed futile, for some reason I never quite admitted defeat. About 10 years ago I got real serious about it and now I can earn my keep on it. Thank you John . You will never know how much happiness this instrument has brought into my life.

Bob Ritter · Post by **Bob Ritter** » 27 Feb 2007 9:51 pm

went and seen Alan jackson in concert...Robbie Flint blew me away I had to try it.

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