The Steel Guitar Forum

61 years and 6 mos -----

Joe

I'm at the 12-13 year mark now - I didn't really start playing music with any seriousness until my mid 20's. I started the steel when I was 27 or 28..... Up to that point I had planned on pursuing an art career.

not long enough based on the lack of work I get.....

No ones ever accused me of it.

Bought a Dunlop Jerry Byrd bar and started playing lap in the late '90's on my Frankenstein G & L - whoa, that's nearly 18 years! Lap, pedal, reso throughout the years ... mostly reso these days.

Thanks, great question.

Ian

It must've been the early '80's, inspired by Demola Adepoju of King Sunny Ade. I got a Fender Kingman and put a riser nut on it
and played with an outrageous white reggae band. Great fun. Should have kept the Kingman, very sweet with a humbucker.

Not enough to get as good as I’d originally planned when I started in 1973.

I started playing guitar at age 13, in 1961. I found the PSG when I was 55, in 2003. Nearly 13 years later, I'm still enjoying playing steel more than anything. Every sat. night I double on steel and guitar.
I'm glad you posted this thread David, and I have to say, I've learned quite a lot from watching you on youtube. Thanks again! John Butler

I'd like to echo what John said, and (hopefully) without getting too long-winded to thank David for his insightful question and all the answers.

Adrienne Clasky wrote:Ten or so years. I should be much better. Was feeling pretty good till I read through this thread.

Adrienne and I joined the forum long about the same time. We may think we're not playing better, but I'm feeling better; maybe she will too.
She's not afraid to say; she's braver than she knows. Look at how many answers there are here: we're braver than we think we are.

I'd forgotten that it was over twenty years ago that I picked up a Craftsman spark-plug socket, like the one Lowell George used....
'Der socket,' he called it in an interview in Germany. I've still got it, and a couple of real bars.

Always not making the progress I'd like, always encountering my 'steel heroes,' how they started playing when they were fourteen,
and 'hearing' David's question, and the question I always hear here, how long have I been doing this? How long does it take?
Like with the sitar, you never really get there; it takes a lifetime to learn the instrument. Guys and gals that started playing in their teens....
Carol Kaye started out then on steel. It becomes a way, one I wish I'd begun with.

Well, it's never too late, or I wouldn't have begun this trip. I'll always be a freshman, but it no longer matters, because I'm on the trip.

The ancient Way says as much, that it doesn't matter how far along I am, what's important is the direction I'm going.
Without this forum, without the ever-present questions--where am I? How far along....? Even David asks this question.
I'm eternally grateful for the experiences of great players (and none of them think they're so great, they're always learning).
Without it, it'd be a lonely trip. I'm not feeling so alone; actually, kind of inspired this morning.

All of the answers here become a profile: how long? Not as long as I wish! That's us, freshmen and seniors alike.

This is a great thread! I love the old photos.
In 1972 I was 20 years old and a friend of mine put a folk guitar on his lap and took an empty beer bottle and slid it across the strings. I was instantly hooked. I've been drinking bottled beer ever since.

bought my first pedal steel 4.5 months ago and play 1 to 2 hours every day. A totally new universe. Just "discovered" buck owens! Thank god for Austin city limits where u can see steel played on tv.

Don. ...lol...!

Tony Prior wrote:well the mathematical answer is 40 years but the factual reply is the first 10 or 20 years I was probably repeating the 2nd year over and over up to the mid 80's, ok, with some modest improvement up to the 90's. The real study took off in the last two decades. So two answers, 20 and 20 . if that makes any sense.!

I'm re-posting my answer because I must be way behind each of you guys who have been playing 50 years !

True Confession time. Started on 6 string electric in 1960. Playing old-time rock n roll. Thought I could play jazz. 2 years at North Texas State, I went back to old-time rock n roll.
Found a beat up String-master and Learned how to play watching Cindy Cashdollar videos around 1992. Bought a pedal steel soon after. Just now getting the hang of it.
Life-long learning.

Ron

I started in 1991 at the age of 36. Being from Perth Western Australia, I was fortunate enough to have had Lucky Oceans as a mentor & a regular player to go and watch/hear on our local scene. So 24 years steel & 48 years guitar!

David, I started back in 1979 on a Sho-Bud Maverick, that had the burl walnut wrap, three foot pedals and one knee lever. The guitar was in E0 tuning, And the tone sucked big time, I think the pickup was a 10k ohms. Really thin sounding. After playing the Maverick for three months I upgraded to a Pro III. I have had some really great people work with me on my playing, to whom I am really grateful to. Wilburn Stewart, Billy Tam, Hal Higgins, Mickey Adams, and you for the videos that I go to from time to time. And I don't want to forget all of the good folks, here on the Forum. For all of their assistance, Knowledge and wisdom.

Right out of HS 1975.....although I quit altogether in the 90's for 8/9 years as work and family took priority

44 years and some change. Lord have mercy.

Had to read the whole thread to make sure I hadn't answered before.

Started on a 6 string my dad built for me in 1963. Tried guitar but the strings hurt my fingers.

Mel-Bay and the Leeds 6 string courses were my first books.

Crazy Arms was my first successful tune.

Graduated to 10 string single neck a few years later.

First paying gig was in a club in 1971

I still can't play worth $#!? but it's so much fun trying.

It's been 45 years on steel and 60 yrs. on regular guitar and the learning never stops.

Steel-30 years
Guitar-50 years
Bass-40 years
5 string banjo-25 years