The Steel Guitar Forum

"The game ain't over til it's over !" Yogi

Steel Guitar started getting murdered in 1962 but it managed to hobble along with all the great artist that loved it. If you recall Chet Atkins went after the pop market with Jim Reeves and Owen Bradley pursued pop music with Patsy Cline. Both were successful and made far more money with those artist than they would have if they kept them in steel guitars and fiddles. They traded the hillbilly instruments for strings and background vocals and it worked. For the record RCA New York bosses wondered why RCA Nashville was outselling the records made in New York. Chet said the New York bosses left us alone because we were making more money.
Steel Guitar will always appear on records and producers will always be shooting for a bigger audience than C&W fans alone. Music business is all about money and nothing else but of course the better the music the more money. Paul Franklin has been one of the few that keeps playing on charting records because he has the unique ability to adapt and make his guitar sound less country if need be. However he's an ace on hard country too. It's a dog eat dog world and in today's music a musician must do it all to survive.
Back to the original post, I have no idea what that means. People say things to me all the time and I walk away scratching my head wondering "Was that a compliment or an insult."

People say things to me all the time and I walk away scratching my head wondering "Was that a compliment or an insult."

One time a guy asked me "What is that instrument you're playing?" I told him "It's called a steel guitar." He said "Ah... some people can really play that thing."

Dave Mudgett wrote: But to your point: how are "incorrect" and/or "misguided" not synyonymous with "invalid"? Just because someone feels something strongly doesn't mean it's logically valid.

I see what you mean. What I'm getting at is that someone may be wrong in what they say, but that they're not just making something up... that the place where it comes from is still legitimate. Like if your favorite football team screws up its season. Everyone will have theories about why they stink and how to fix it, but very few will actually know the full truth of what went wrong. Just because your theories about the team are wrong doesn't mean your disappointment is invalid or that there are no grains of truth in them. This is especially true if your theories are inarticulate, such as saying, "the cornerbacks and safeties didn't click this year." I think that's the type of statement Doug is dealing with here.

Curt Trisko wrote:

Dave Mudgett wrote: But to your point: how are "incorrect" and/or "misguided" not synyonymous with "invalid"? Just because someone feels something strongly doesn't mean it's logically valid.

I see what you mean. What I'm getting at is that someone may be wrong in what they say, but that they're not just making something up... that the place where it comes from is still legitimate. Like if your favorite football team screws up its season. Everyone will have theories about why they stink and how to fix it, but very few will actually know the full truth of what went wrong. Just because your theories about the team are wrong doesn't mean your disappointment is invalid or that there are no grains of truth in them. This is especially true if your theories are inarticulate, such as saying, "the cornerbacks and safeties didn't click this year." I think that's the type of statement Doug is dealing with here.

P.S. that was not a dig at the Steelers.

This is especially true if your theories are inarticulate, such as saying, "the cornerbacks and safeties didn't click this year."

Hey, everybody has a right to an opinion, even if it's wrong. Hey, it's a joke, man.

P.S. that was not a dig at the Steelers.

Um, I've been here a long time, and I've always liked the Steelers. But in the end I'm a Boston guy, Pats rule.

Donny: Check your spam email and see if there is one in there from me. I Emailed you.

I think y'all are writing way too much into this. The commenter, "Java Monsoon" https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb_guV ... l9g/videos, has the Indonesian Coat of Arms as his/her avatar. Perhaps they're Indonesian? Perhaps they don't even speak English fluently? Perhaps the comment is actually meaningless or at least very clumsily worded? Perhaps the commenter doesn't actually know that much about steel guitars? If you go to his/her channel page, most of the subscribed videos relate to video games, no steel guitars to be found.

On the other hand, it could actually be Paul Franklin using an alias just to troll Doug for fun. Anything's possible.

BTW, great version of Stranger on the Shore Doug! Excellent smooth tone.

Thanks Ian!

Ian Worley wrote:I think y'all are writing way too much into this. The commenter, "Java Monsoon" https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb_guV ... l9g/videos, has the Indonesian Coat of Arms as his/her avatar. Perhaps they're Indonesian? Perhaps they don't even speak English fluently? Perhaps the comment is actually meaningless or at least very clumsily worded? Perhaps the commenter doesn't actually know that much about steel guitars? If you go to his/her channel page, most of the subscribed videos relate to video games, no steel guitars to be found.

I think there's a few things we can unpack from that comment regardless of those things:

1) the commenter has at least a small interest in the instrument and feels entitled to offer a strong opinion.

2) the commenter has at least a passing awareness of its history.

3) they think it has terminally declined.

4) they think it's because of steel guitarists more than outside reasons.

All of that is good fodder for stirring the pot.

Curt Trisko wrote:... All of that is good fodder for stirring the pot.

Sure, knock yourself out.

He might think he is being coy or deliberately cryptic in an attempt to appear clever.

But I'd think it's more likely that he is either inarticulate or just put little thought into the comment with no idea that it's impossible to parse. It's useless as it stands for exactly that reason.

It's imparseable trollspeak to me - please, can we move on?

inarticulate

Yes, best be optimistic, I think he erred on the side of a compliment. He may think you're the only one who plays it right.

I think he erred on the side of a compliment. He may think you're the only one who plays it right.

That's what I'm thinking, Charlie. I'll take it as a compliment.

I was just thinking there is a similarity in how often and the nature of the use of the steel guitar in country music and the way the mandolin is used in country music. It seems to really fit in well in a few places but is not used in all or even all that many recordings today. Mandolin used to be really prominent in bluegrass music just as s teen guitar. was very prominently in 50's and 60's contry music.

Doug. Millions of folks loved Aker Bilks Version of Stanger On The shore.

Your version is ever bit as pleasing to listen to.

It was with out a doubt a pure compliment and they want to hear more things just like it.

Fred

Thanks Fred!

"But in truth, even when times were at their best, steel still wasn't an essential element in country music."

Then it wasn't really country. If it ain't got steel, it ain't country.

"but of course the better the music the more money."

Not true. It USED to be that way, but today the exact opposite is true. Otherwise rap & metal wouldn't make a penny. The stuff on FM radio is pure garbage, but you can find lots of good music on YouTube that isn't on the mainstream. And, I guarantee you most of these YouTube artists are making peanuts.


"Doug. Millions of folks loved Aker Bilks Version of Stanger On The shore".
Count my Mom & her boyfriend among them. Back in the early 60s, he brought that record over to our house, & they played it ad nauseum.

I prefer Doug's version.

Maybe a reference to George Strait / Alan Jackson song Someone committed "Murder On Music Row".

Gene August