The Steel Guitar Forum

Clayton Pashka wrote:This reminded me of an interview with either Kayton Roberts or herb Remmington, I can't remember which. Where the reason for not switching to pedals was because the soul in your playing comes from your hands, or something along those lines.

My feet have soul, too. (Not too sure about my knees.)

Seriously, there's a lot of lap steel on records these days. Most people assume it's "slide guitar", but you can get a lot more expression from a guitar that's on your lap.

Speedy West said Jimmy Day had the most soulful right foot in the business.

b0b wrote: Seriously, there's a lot of lap steel on records these days. Most people assume it's "slide guitar", but you can get a lot more expression from a guitar that's on your lap.

Loin steel guitar.

b0b's next album title: Soul Foot

Mike Neer wrote:

b0b wrote: Seriously, there's a lot of lap steel on records these days. Most people assume it's "slide guitar", but you can get a lot more expression from a guitar that's on your lap.

Loin steel guitar.

And of course, the most sensitive and expressive playing would be "tender loin steel guitar," no?

either Kayton Roberts or herb Remmington, I can't remember which. Where the reason for not switching to pedals was because the soul in your playing comes from your hands, or something along those lines.

I heard it was Herb Remington who said that... non-pedal steel is more soulful because the hands (the bar hand in particular) contributes so much to the sound, more than with pedal steel.

I don't get bothered when people call it a slide guitar, because after all we are "sliding the bar" on a stringed instrument that sort of looks like a guitar. (even though that style would be more correctly called "bottle neck")

When the host of the event introduces me as Dom Franco and his slide guitar, I just smile and go thru my usual patter... after playing a Hawaiian song, I hold up the instrument and tell them the Hawaiian Guitar was invented in the 1800's, and I show them the bar, and say it's also called a STEEL guitar because of the steel BAR... Then I play a cowboy song and tell them how Country & Western music adopted the Hawaiian Guitar in the early 1900's... etc.

I have had several people thank me after the show for explaining the Steel guitar to the audience.

This is my first post here. I have been playing 6 string guitar since 1963. In the 80s I went into a "Whites Music Store" in Porterville California. I wanted to take lap steel guitar lessons. The guy behind the counter said I was too old to learn steel guitar. I was very disappointed. Long story short, I bought my first 6 string lap steel guitar (C6) at 69 years old. Guess what? I love this thing! I cant put it down. I am learning things much faster than I did when learning 6 string guitar. I wish I could find that guy from "Whites Music" in Porterville California. He had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. It still bothers me to this day. Just think what could have been if I got a more positive answer from that moron!

Fred, welcome to the forum. I know what you mean about the guy in the music store. Most music stores today know little to nothing about steel guitars.

Doug Beaumier wrote:Fred, welcome to the forum. I know what you mean about the guy in the music store. Most music stores today know little to nothing about steel guitars.

+1

Agreed. I had a guy tell me about how great the tone was using a bottle neck and its warm sound was superior to a tone or bullet nose bar.

I asked him remove the distortion lets really hear the tone.

The other guy there who was watching was saying he played with fingerpicks but found them too intrusive. I asked him to show me how he uses them and guess what?

The fingerpicks were upside down. LOL. This was in a guitar store. I couldn't help but laugh. I really tried to keep a straight face but that was too funny.

Oh BTW these were the slide guitar experts at a well known "unnamed" guitar store.

There seems to be different "camps" of lap steel players:

1. The traditionalist - folks who are keeping alive historic styles, like Western Swing and Hawaiian. Tunings like C6th are big.

2. The contemporary - players who are utilizing the instrument in a more "modern" context. Open major chord tunings are popular for this. Used in a rock/pop style, or if in modern country music, as sort of a hybrid between rock and with a touch of the sliding effects of what a pedal steel player would be playing, but perhaps the producer and/or artist doesn't want the classic E9th sound.

Then there's all the stuff in between. The modern player who tunes to something like C6th but isn't trying to play classic styles like swing and Hawaiian.

And we have been exposed to in the past 15 years or so Sacred Steel, and that is a whole different approach.

Mark Eaton wrote:There seems to be different "camps" of lap steel players:

1. The traditionalist - folks who are keeping alive historic styles, like Western Swing and Hawaiian. Tunings like C6th are big.

2. The contemporary - players who are utilizing the instrument in a more "modern" context. Open major chord tunings are popular for this. Used in a rock/pop style, or if in modern country music, as sort of a hybrid between rock and with a touch of the sliding effects of what a pedal steel player would be playing, but perhaps the producer and/or artist doesn't want the classic E9th sound.

Then there's all the stuff in between. The modern player who tunes to something like C6th but isn't trying to play classic styles like swing and Hawaiian.

And we have been exposed to in the past 15 years or so Sacred Steel, and that is a whole different approach.

Also there is the UNIVERSAL player. Who is willing to just play any music any genre on ONE universal tuning. Reece Anderson - ME - Bill Hatcher - Mike Neer and many more.

Stefan Robertson wrote:

Doug Beaumier wrote:Fred, welcome to the forum. I know what you mean about the guy in the music store. Most music stores today know little to nothing about steel guitars.

+1

Agreed. I had a guy tell me about how great the tone was using a bottle neck and its warm sound was superior to a tone or bullet nose bar.

I asked him remove the distortion lets really hear the tone.

The other guy there who was watching was saying he played with fingerpicks but found them too intrusive. I asked him to show me how he uses them and guess what?

The fingerpicks were upside down. LOL. This was in a guitar store. I couldn't help but laugh. I really tried to keep a straight face but that was too funny.

Oh BTW these were the slide guitar experts at a well known "unnamed" guitar store.

Thanks, I really needed that, Spit coffee all over the computer I was laughing so hard!! As far as the style, I love "Don Helms" style when he played for Hank Sr. Tears come to my eyes when I come close making some of those sounds. I may purchase another Lap steel to try E6 or E9 tuning. At this point all I want to learn if the Hank Sr./Don Helms stuff any leads sure would be welcomed. Same with alternate tunings suggestions.

Take a look at this ....

http://www.amazon.com/Don-Helms-Cheatin ... =don+helms

Cool! pulled the trigger on it.! Thanks!