The Steel Guitar Forum

My Mother-in-Law called it a "Whiney Thing". I don't think that I'm her favorite musician.

Bill

The worst I ever heared:

Whats that? A bicycle rack?

Another good one....

Awhile back, our forum pal Mike Johnstone was playing a gig at a club here in LA.
He had broken a string, and when the band took a break he stayed up on the bandstand to replace it.

A short time later a patron at the bar came up to the guitar player and, referring to Mike, still sitting at his D10 up on the stage said, "You guys are good, but the guy up there in the wheelchair is really good."

If I got any of that wrong, maybe Mike will chime in....

I had one of my buddies say one night during a show after a nice slow tune... I like the sound of that guitar thing...it sounds lazy.....like you.
What a good friend

Many years ago, I was watching a country band with a PSG player at a fair. After several songs, they cut a break and the steel player went over to me. Apparently he had noticed that I was watching mostly him: "so... you play steel too?" I couldn't resist and with a German accent beating the one of a certain Governator I showed myself puzzled and asked: "a steel whaaat, please? Is that a stringed keyboard you play?".
So, our good steel guitarist explained me that it was like a guitar on a table and that there was a steel bar and the sliding etc. He invited me up to the instrument and even let me sit there. After he was done, I inquired about the pedals, if he could make it play faster, and the "backup" neck... probably in case the other one would break. He again went on to explain to me the intricacies of the instrument while I, clearly confused and amazed at the same time tried the pedals with my feet (both of course) and finally asked stone cold: "so, erm... is that an Emmons or Day setup!?"

For a moment I thought I'd have to leave quickly, but then, we choose to have a beer together instead.


Another one, I approached in a similar way... when he showed me what it was and somehow how it works, I started to "try" to play... within about 5 minutes, from failing miserably making awfull "zzzzing zzziong" sounds I quickly began to "get it" and progress quite spectacularly. And finally got up, seemingly disappointed and bored finding it "a quite simple instrument". The guy completely fell for the act, couldn't seem to get over it. I came back with two beers and after he had them both, I deemed it safe to lift the "veil".

Yeah, we get asked stupid stuff, and then...

... J-D.

One of my guitar students came in today and seen my double neck steel set up and said "Cool, a guitar table!", his mother then asked with a serious look,"Now exactly what is this thing?"

Is that a piano? Yep it sure is. Want to hear Last Date?????

From a distance, a lot of people thought it was an "Ironing Board" !

JD I don't know how I'd react to your shenanigans. It would probably depend on the day and the mood I'm in. You smart%%s! No, that is hilarious, I don't think I could pull that off....

I've had my steel called quite a few things: an ironing board with strings, a guitar piano, a slide keyboard, an electric slide steel guitar, a slide dulcimer, etc.

While at Mickey Adams' house when we reworked my Mullen, my best friend stopped by with his 6 year old daughter and she said, "Wow, that looks a lot like mommy's ironing board only it's got wires on it."

The strangest thing that ever happened to me along these lines took place at an old VFW. I'd been invited by the band to sit in with them. They'd never had a steel before and they were ecstatic at having a steel guitar on their stage for the first time. So, I began to set up my rig and prepare for a fun night of playing.

As I had my case open and was beginning to attach the legs, pedal bar and pedal rods, there was this one old gentleman who kept walking up to me and looking down at what I was doing. I thought many times he was going to speak, but he just shook his head and walked away each time. When I lifted my guitar out of the case and set it upright, the old guy made a beeline over to me and took a good look at my guitar (I was playing an MSA back then) and then he smiled and said, "Now that makes a lot more sense! I thought you were going to play the other side!"

That poor old guy actually thought the underside of my guitar was the instrument and he just couldn't figure out how it could be played.

I'm also glad to know that I'm not the only one who's experienced that sort of thing. Comparing notes and swapping stories with other steel players over the years, I've met a few who've had pretty much the same or similar thing happen.

I just tell everyone that it’s a ten string cheese slicer. They give me a funny look and walk away.

Years ago I played in a duo with Richard Sinkler. We were playing a house party and during a break the host's girlfriend walked up to him and said, "I just love your cute little organ!"

We're pretty sure she was referring to the PSG...

Waldo Otto of Red Knuckles & The Trail Blazers refers to his Fender non-pedal steel as the "Electric Table".

In real life Waldo is Pete Wernick, banjo player extraordinaire.

At the gig last night a guy asked me what was that thing I was playing.He said his girlfriend thought it was a harp but he thought it was a steelguitar but wasnt sure.Thomas Malugin

I attendoed a Jerry Douglass seminar quite a few years ago. He told the story of a woman who walked up to him and said "Is dat one of dos things you rub?"
A very common one from someone who is somewhat aquainted with the instrument is the dislexic "steel pedal"
I had a wise guy come up to me and ask if he could throw some hot dogs on the strings and slow cook them as they turned.
I like the "country western machine" too.

I was setting mine up last night, and a guy asked me, "is that one of those pedal lap things?"

All kidding aside, I remember seeing a guy playing steel when I was a kid and being totally fascinated. I guess it hasn't worn off.

When I was a kid, I was at my aunt's house one day, and I saw a Ricky Skaggs video with Bruce Bouton on steel. I didn't know who Bruce Bouton was or what the instrument was, but I asked my aunt, I said, "What is the instrument sittin' over there that looks like a table"? and she said, "That's a steel guitar", and I was like, 'Wow. A lot of times now, I tell people I play the steel guitar and they think it's played like a standard guitar, and I tell them actually, you pick with three picks and fret with a steel bar. Some people say I play guitar, but I tell them, 'It's called a steel guitar".

Brett

Years ago I played in a duo with Richard Sinkler. We were playing a house party and during a break the host's girlfriend walked up to him and said, "I just love your cute little organ!"

We're pretty sure she was referring to the PSG...

Hi Paul...

I still remember that night. The key word was "little". That makes me think she meant something else.

Friday night I was doing a gig when this couple came up and asked me what my instrument was called. I told them it was a pedal steel guitar. THEN, she turned to him and said "It's exactly like a piano". I just shook my head and headed for the bar.

Brett Day wrote:

"Some people say I play guitar, but I tell them, 'It's called a steel guitar"....

I call it "Guitar--Improved"

Curry

A friend of mine who's an elementary school music teacher had me bring in a pedal steel to show the kids. One of the first graders called it a "silver pedal guitar", which I think is a pretty awesome name.

Explaining the PSG to someone in an audience is one thing. I just saw Nathan G's avatar pic - explain that! Air Pedal Steel Guitar! 'Don't care who ye are, that there's funny!'

Credit where credit's due:

www.toothpastefordinner.com/index.php

Another psg comic:

http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/0917 ... -steel.gif

Best one I've heard was from Maurice Anderson. He was getting ready to play with the Dallas symphony and was putting the steel together. A couple of old violinists were watching, when he turned it over one of them sighed to the other "oh, it's got strings!".

My financial advisor calls it "the steel pedal" and after he says it, he makes a motion back and forth with his arms as if he has a bar in each hand and says "woooooo, woooooo!"