The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi all, I've been lurking for a couple of years and finally joined up. I mostly play 6-string but some years back a bandmate got a Carter Starter in trade for some services. He couldn't do anything with it so I bought it from him. After finding this great page (thanks, b0b, it's all your fault!) I was able to impress my friends a bit. Now I play it for a handful of tunes with 2 different bands. Someday I hope to know what I'm doing on it (tho' not knowing hasn't stopped me from playing any other instrument ).

The Starter is the only pedal steel I've ever played. What should I expect to feel/sound different/better on a pro S10?

Gary, keep in mind that what you feel or care about when playing a pro model may be different than what someone else feels or cares about. Reading the forum, you'll find certain players here say the Starter is a piece of junk, and certain other players that say it's a perfectly acceptable "learning instrument".

Now, with all that said, I'd suspect you might find a pro model is more robust, more stable, and more adjustable, and the pedals and levers may feel a little bit smoother. Sound-wise, there's probably far less difference between a Starter and most pro models. The pro model may have (very) slightly improved sustain and tunability, but I sort of doubt there's anyone that can listen to a sound sample and say definitively "that's a Carter Starter".

All, of course, in my humble opinion.

And all, of course, disagreed with...by most of the other members of the forum.

Thanks, Donny. The only real complaint I have about the CS is that it's so light I tend to push it around when using the knee levers. OTOH, when I'm carting it, the lack of heft is plus. I have an early model with the sealed (Lawerence?) pup and I've been wondering if changing it out with a humbucker might give me a warmer sound.

Gary, I suspect that if you've had a Starter for two years, it's time to move up. I personally wouldn't mod a Starter. YMMV.

I don't think I've read anything here about anyone keeping a Starter that long.

Also, no beginner's corner needed. How many pros would go there regularly? This way they read the topic, roll their eyeballs, and jump right in with the answers.

I would also just start reading every post you can for as many pages as you can. There is a lot of info and you can learn an awful lot, as most questions have been asked many times.

Brick Spieth wrote:Gary, I suspect that if you've had a Starter for two years, it's time to move up. I personally wouldn't mod a Starter. YMMV.

I don't think I've read anything here about anyone keeping a Starter that long.

But why? What will I gain? It's not like I can go into guitar center and play 5 or 10 of 'em like I can with 6-strings. I tend to think it's more about GAS (and believe me, I know GAS) than anything. For 6-strings when a similar question is raised there are a number of answers that will make a difference on playing/feel: better wood, better finish, better intonation, neck won't warp, sustain is better, action can be lower without buzzing as well as a number of things that can be changed to taste on any guitar like better pups, h/w, electronics, tuners, bridge, saddles, or nut. I bought a Korean PRS SEII Soapbar last year for $400 that blows away many guitars 3x its price. What is it about the CS that is holding me back (and I've been gigging with it - 3 or 4 songs per gig - for way more than 2 years).

Don't get me wrong, I see the guitar porn posted here and I start drooling too. The only real advantage I can think of is having a flexible setup. I wouldn't mind trying out moving my LKR to RKL. What other non-GAS factor benefits are there to moving up? The pedals on the CS are pretty smooth (the levers maybe not so much). Could a smoother mechanism make that much difference? I know, pretty much gotta see for myself. Next question, where in the LA area can I do that (just the thought gives me shivers - I don't play well enoungh for anyone to hear me w/o a band...)?

Steel Guitars of North County ( San Diego County) and Blackie Taylor's in I believe Riverside. Then you can decide for yourself if it is worth it to you. There is no where here in the Bay area that carries PSGs that I know of. Wish there were.