The Steel Guitar Forum

I play pedal steel and dobro because I love both instruments, and I needed something acoustic to play at jam sessions and also, since I'm a member of my church's band on Sunday nights, the band at the church I go to has all acoustic instruments, except the bass. One question I get asked all the time is, "What happened to the steel?" and the answer is, I still play steel, and I've added dobro to it. And, there's no one over the other because I love both instruments. Since I'm a steel player, I play squareneck dobro, and my dobro is tuned to open G. Before steel and dobro, because of cerebral palsy in my left hand, I was trying to figure out what instrument would work best for me. I strummed a guitar, then a few years later, I played piano/keyboards for five years, from 1995 to 1999, then in 1999, I switched to pedal steel, and have been playing since, and added dobro in 2017

Joachim Kettner wrote:I gave up playing steel two years ago. I love to hear it very much on recordings. My main instrument is now again, the guitar as it has been for fifty years.

Joachim, first off, Happy New Year!

Second, if you don't mind me asking, what led you to give up playing steel - physical limitations, or just a choice?

I play with a band at present and no one there knows that I can play guitar. Not electric, but acoustic. Lounge music, chord melody, fingerpicking, jazzy, solo. maybe one day I will surprise them. That would be fun.

I’ve played 6 string guitar ever since I was a youngster and love it, It’s my main instrument and where I’m most skilled. I’ve also loved pedal steel since I was a kid because of an older brother who chose to play steel early on. I’ve owned pedal steels in the past and doubled on guitar and steel in a couple different situations but I’ve been fortunate to work with my brother and other great steel players in the bands I’ve been in. In the past couple years I’ve acquired a couple really good pedal steels and I’m having a great time playing them, often to the detriment of my guitar practice time. I’m a little backwards to the question at hand, I suppose.

I find this to be an interesting read and have to put in my two cents.
I have been six stringer since I was 13 and over the years I found that I needed to be challanged so I have tried banjo, mandolin, dobro and lap steel, not all at once but in a progressive oreder.

Now I can't say I am very good at any of these but have used them in various gigs....Wham along comes an opportunity to purchase a new challenge and man it is a challenge....pedal steel.
I am 83 and just started on psg a few months ago.

What is unique about a psg is that YOU must be both a musician and a mechanic...this is a challenge and I love it.

Play what you want to play and enjoy yourself..you are only going around once.

You do what you want to do and let others do what they want.

Have fun,
Sam

I started on Uke at about age 7, moved to guitar, had a rock band at 15. In school, played baritone horn in the band, string bass in the orchestra. Played bass in a couple of bands after high school, finally bought my 1st pedal steel. My dad was a school band director and started a music store in our home so we always had instruments around. I learned a little 5 string banjo, tenor banjo, mandolin, and taught my self piano by ear. I later wound up owning the music store and can now play enough sax, flute, clarinet, etc. to see if they are working OK or what needs repair. There was always a set of used drums around that I played with and I have played 3 gigs in my life as a drummer.
Steel was always my favorite instrument, but I have bought groceries with bass, guitar, piano and drums...