Future of the Steel Guitar. Who are the next GREATS?

[Zane King]

Elton,

Great spirit you have there! Keep it up. I think I have seen that thread. I figured it was getting a ton of traffic. I do sense a bit of bias toward this "approach" of sharing, teaching and exposing the pedal steel guitar to those generations behind us. I experience this same sort of "island" mentality in my world of Gospel music. It's been an age old and pointless discussion of how to grow the industry. I'm very much over it. Same story in the steel guitar community. Here is my idea.....worry about the things I can change. Bottom line brother....many of us should carry forward with this idea of giving children opportunities. I assure you we will find the next GREATS there. Some of them are probably still in diapers. LOL. I can't wait to see the musicality of tomorrow's generation! I hope they blow me away and make my experience and playing appear amateur. That's actual what I'm trying to accomplish. I'd love that as a legacy. There's my goal!

I'll check out your thread.

[Mike Kirkley]

Hi, Zane,
Mate, this is a really terrific thread, and I have been very inspired by reading it. It brings up a question. Does anyone out there know anyone in China? I know that may sound kinda off the subject, but the reason for my asking it is that I was up in Shanghai back in July, and while there, I saw several people busking (street playing) using various instruments. I mentioned this to a good friend of mine who lives in Paddy Long's neck of the woods (New Zealand) (Hi, Paddy), and my friend asked me if I had ever thought of taking the PSG to China. I told him to be honest I had never given it a thought, but that now that he had mentioned it, I thought it was (and still is) a really terrific idea. I don't know how many of the people in Shanghai have ever heard of a PSG, but I am curious. Any thoughts on this aspect of the thread?
Thanks for a great idea, Zane, and for the opportunity to put my two cents' worth into it.

Mike Kirkley
Wynyard, Tasmania
Australia

[Robert Gifford]

I agree with Sonny, I think #2 and #3 are bigger factors than #1 though. If someone really wants to learn something, especially with the abundance of resources available on the internet they can go about doing so.

[Ben Jones]

Hi, Zane,
Mate, this is a really terrific thread, and I have been very inspired by reading it. It brings up a question. Does anyone out there know anyone in China? I know that may sound kinda off the subject, but the reason for my asking it is that I was up in Shanghai back in July, and while there, I saw several people busking (street playing) using various instruments. I mentioned this to a good friend of mine who lives in Paddy Long's neck of the woods (New Zealand) (Hi, Paddy), and my friend asked me if I had ever thought of taking the PSG to China. I told him to be honest I had never given it a thought, but that now that he had mentioned it, I thought it was (and still is) a really terrific idea. I don't know how many of the people in Shanghai have ever heard of a PSG, but I am curious. Any thoughts on this aspect of the thread?
Thanks for a great idea, Zane, and for the opportunity to put my two cents' worth into it.

Mike Kirkley
Wynyard, Tasmania
Australia

Mike, forum member Steve Takacs lists his location as Beijing.

[Ben Jones]

on topic:
Many of the legendary players on this instrument say they started on lap steels when Hawaiian music was immensly popular. Some tell of the door to door salesmen that came to their door with a steel guitar!!They've been playing since they were 9 or ten years old!

let me reapeat that. they didnt seek out the instrument, a kindly relative didnt let them mess around with their steel, they didnt see one in a store or on tv. someone came to their door with a steel guitar when they were 9 years old and convinced their parents to buy it for them!!!

Today we'd give our kids Rockband so they can PRETEND to play an instrument and not bother us with having to take them to lessons or endure the catterwalling racket of a beginer, and we dont answer the doorbell. Its a different world.

pardon my rant, Its just that I am guessing that are far more significant obstacles to introducing the instrument to young players than tuning or setup issues.

that said, you asked so my personal experience was that i had never seen a steel until i bought one after listening to Neil Youngs Harvest album and had to order that one online (carter starter) and it arrived broken so i had to send that back and try and find another. I didnt have enough money to buy another steel until my pops died. i couldnt afford to buy another today if mine was stolen (tho Id probably beg or borrwo til I did). its an E9th S10 3x5 with emmons setup. I also own a bucket fender 1000 i got for cheap and repaired. I am on my forth year of playing and tho I have been interested in other tunings, I havent felt I had a firm enogh grasp on E9th that I could sacrifice any of what little practice time I had, to devote to learning a new tuning. I tried Sneaky Petes tuning on the fender with NO success at all and quickly gave up. Ive never touched a uni or a c6th neck. i have no desire to explore c6th, none. But the universal intrigues me greatly.

rock on

[Ben Jones]

ya know what? it occured to me the next greats are most likely to come from the scared steelers. They are the only ones that are exposed to steel guitar at a young age on a regular basis in a manner that is exciting and engaging to a young person...in the church bands.

afterall, this is where our most recent 'great' has come from no? rhymes with PLobert PLandolph...just a thought. I really think it takes exposure at a young young age to be truly great. you said you were 9 Zane, your pretty dang good

i could be wrong im sure theres a few counter examples of people starting late in life and becoming truly great players..and we ARE talking Emmons, Green, Maness, that level of greatness right? ..anyone?

anyway, the sacred steelers have a captive youthful audience and screaming steel guitars. seems like an advantage to me.

[Zane King]

Mike Kirkley great to have you following along in Australia. I hope to get there someday soon. My work Compassion is very strong there but I've never been.
Great comment about China. How interesting.

Ben Jones - WOW! Door to door salesman. That's so interesting. I had no idea. Wild!

ZK

[Ben Jones]

yeah Zane, I found it amazing as well but apparently its true.matching amps and guitars brought to your doorstep. It was either Green or Maness , i read an interview where he said thats how he started.

heres a nice quote from forumite Jody Carver I found (Thanks google)

"If it were not for Stanley Oahu with his door-to- door salesmen all over the United States and the popularity
of the Hawaiian lap steel guitar during that period of time I do not think that the steel guitar would be what it is
today, and Leo Fender would not have been as successful as he was."

[Bob Tuttle]

In early 1950 an Oahu salesman came to our door in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, selling the Oahu hawaiian steel guitar courses. My Dad signed me up for lessons. The lessons were in a class format with eight or ten students in a class. They furnished a square-necked Oahu acoustic guitar, a thumb pick, and sheet music. I think the lessons were $2.00 per week, and if you completed the course you got to keep the guitar. We moved to Texas in December of that year, so I had to drop out and didn't get the guitar.

[Joe Goldmark]

Hi Zane,

There is a forth choice of tuning, that being Robert Randolph's, Chuck Campbell's, and the rest of the Sacred Steeler's tuning. As you probably know, they approach the steel from a whole different direction. As RR has shown, this tuning is probably ultimately the best tuning for a rock/blues player. Dan Tyack could probably explain why better than I. Initially I looked at what they do as a novelty, but the more I see RR, the more impressed I've become.

You're talking about young players, and RR influences young people more than any steeler ever has. He's done what most of us thought was impossible; becoming a steel guitar rock star.

Thanks,
Joe

[Zane King]

Hey Joe! I love the whole Sacred Steel movement. I have a DVD of Chuck Campbell. Truly it is a different approach than our traditional setups. Just further proving that the overall development of the pedal steel guitar is still not far removed from its infancy.

Robert is truly planting a field full of seeds. It's just up to the leadership within our community to seize the moment and reap the harvest. That's a tricky business to say the least.

[David Dixon]

Zane,

I have been a musician for 30 of my 43 years. I grew up in the bluegrass business in North Alabama. I bought a Sho-Bud LDG on a whim 8 months ago. It has absolutely captivated me. The problem that I see with the instrument is finding instrtuction. I have gone as far as I can go with DVD's and books. Michael Douchette has agreed to take me for some hands on instruction. Bottom line my nearest instructor is 3.5 hours away in Nashville. I am willing to make that drive and consider myself lucky that Michael is willing to work with me. Quality instruction for the pedal steel is just hard to find.

Butch Dixon

[Theresa Galbraith]

There are alot of quality instruction for sale today. I believe you can find a thread here on the forum.
I hear so many next greats today!
Randle Curry, Eddy Dunlap, Brian Dixson, Jamie Lennon, Jonathon Cullifer, Austin Stewart, and Austin Tripp are just a few I know about.

[Zane King]

Theresa, very nice to have you contributing to the thread here. I hope to meet all of those you listed there. Austin Stewart is the only one I know anything at all about but I'll sure be watching those names. There's no bigger cheerleader than me for those in generations behind me. I am and will continue to be their advocate. I hope to use every bit of energy, insight, and ability to create more and more opportunity for them. These are fun times for sure!

[Theresa Galbraith]

Zane,
Nice to see and talk with you in St.Louis. Believe me you've heard Randle Curry on Brad Paisley records & on stage with Brad. He's awesome to say the least.

Eddy Dunlap has worked around town and has a gig with an upcoming group, he's amazing.
Brian has worked in Nashville and on the road with Jake Owens.

Jonathan just graduated Belmont and will be at the show at the Prestin this Friday in Nashville. He was at the show in St. Louis helping Bill with the sound. To bad he wasn't playing on the mainstage.
Austin Tripp played the talent show on Thursday and played in the Derby & Jackson room. The point is, alot of great new talent is out there. They all need to be given opportunities to play, so we know who they are and what they are capable of .

Eddie Lange is another young player many of you know. I first met him in St. Louis, playing in the Derby room. He moved to Nashville and worked Broadway. Landed a job with Bill Anderson for many years. Now lives in St. Louis. Sure would have been great to hear him up on the mainstage, too!

Steel shows are a great venue for hearing our heroes, legends and fresh new up coming heroes, legends. I sure hope we start seeing & hearing them at all of these steel shows. Lets all keep pedal steel guitar Alive & Exciting!

[Zane King]

Theresa,

That is great info on these young guys! These are obviously all making a great strides and I'm sure there are others. I will do all I can to get a larger spotlight so all the world can hear them even more!

Zane