The Steel Guitar Forum

The problem is not that steel is dead; the problem is there are very few ways for a steeler to make any MONEY anymore. Sure; there are a lot of Youtube hits & Facebook live streaming, but that doesn't pay the bills...and at this point in my life...cash is king.
I play steel, guitar, banjo, & bass. I haven't gotten a gig call since before covid, yet I was always a "first call" player in this town

I better learn how to play "Taps" on steel. I'm gonna need it.

I have been lucky enough in retirement to be able to take a break. Our move to Florida kept me busy for two years. I recently joined a band that plays a few times a month and it's been fun.
Rich Upright I hope you get to work more now that things are opening up.

Rich Upright wrote:The problem is not that steel is dead; the problem is there are very few ways for a steeler to make any MONEY anymore. Sure; there are a lot of Youtube hits & Facebook live streaming, but that doesn't pay the bills...and at this point in my life...cash is king.
I play steel, guitar, banjo, & bass. I haven't gotten a gig call since before covid, yet I was always a "first call" player in this town

I better learn how to play "Taps" on steel. I'm gonna need it.

I'd say though that the percentage of people who take up an instrument for income potential is incredibly small. Lack of gigs hasn't kept 6 string sales from being through the roof during covid.

Cool Doug thanks for sharing your videos.

Doug Earnest wrote:Steel guitar is alive and well. I would be ashamed to say how many orders I have had to turn down since all this virus started. Lots of them are from younger people.

The steel is not dead. In the contrary, it's growing, with new players taking it to new places. The fact that Doug has so many people wanting his steels that he can't fill all their requests is proof.

Somr recent examples are Patty Smith's performance of Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" at the Nobel Prize awards ceremony, where a steel was integrated into the symphony orchestra that accompanied her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=941PHEJ ... e=emb_logo

Dave Mason recently re-recorded his hit "Feelin' Allright" with a steel in the band. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd56ap_ ... e=emb_logo

Jimmy Buffet uses a steel on "Down At At The La Ti Da." He recently sang the song on the tonight show with a virtual band that included a steel taking a solo. This is the video of the studio recording. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQIIFak ... e=emb_logo

Check out this all instrumental rock band, Steelism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6BFV8A ... e=emb_logo

These guys played in Hollywood a year ago. Aside from me and a few other geriatric steel players, everybody in the audience was in their 20s, digging on the steel playing music that appealed to their age group. And NOT playing SG Rag and A Way to Survive.

What us dying is the the use of the steel in country music. That doesn't mean it's dying, it means that it's changing.