The Steel Guitar Forum

Well, this sliding story started for me at easter of 1973. At that time I was a student in Strasbourg, France. Playing in a Folk trio consisting of two French boys and one American girl. One day I slid a glass on my guitar strings, producing this weird sound. Pattie (the US girl in the trio) immediatly freaked out and said "Now, if you can do that sound, we can do some country and western sound". And thats how it all started for me. I've been sliding ever since, non pedal of course.
I play on a 1974 6 string dobro and a 1956 8 string Fender single neck stringmaster.
This is not very practical when traveling or going for a short vacation. I really can't live without sliding ! So coming soon, I will have an acoustic double neck travel lap-steel.
I found a luthier in southern France who was interested in building this experimental custom made instrument. I'll let you know more about it when it comes out.

Keep on picking,
keep on sliding,
just use your feet
to keep track of the beat !
Bernard

Having played bottleneck for ten years or so, found a no-name solid lap steel at a flea market (approx. $12 !), and got hooked. Now have 2 old acoustics with raised nuts (open E and C6) as well. (Real gear freak, huh?!)
Hoping to get an 8-string sometime this year, when I get to the States (Melobar? Sierra?).
Nick<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by nick allen on 03 May 2001 at 02:27 AM.]</p></FONT>

Bernard--be sure to post pictures of that acoustic doubleneck! That sounds very interesting.

I'm in the process of building a 6 string lap(open G) as my first steel. Found a nice piece of poplar for the body.
I guess I could be added to the list even though I've never played a steel yet(although I put a nut extender on my Les Paul and nailed "Without You" by Dixie Chicks in open G)

'61 Sho-Bud 8 string
Emmons 8 string
Magnatone D-8
Magnatone S-8
Alkire 10 string
Ray Meaney's Aloha 6 stringer (red deco)
Regal resonator (new, but surprisingly nice)

Wish list: I'd love to find a 7 or 8 string Rick frypan that didn't cost a house payment...hmmm...now wait a minute. A guitar I could own for life for one month's house payment? This is the kind of rationalization I've used with my wife to get all of the above. It makes sense to me, anyway. I must show her this post so she can see I'm not the only one that likes to accumulate these wonderful friends.

Hi, I just got a brandnew 10 string lapsteel that I would like for the more rock-orientated stuff. What would you consider to be the best tuning on that for powerchord related music? Thanks, Johan
(please don't shoot me, I already play pedal-steel )

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STEELDAYS 2002 March 22 & 23
my web-site
my bands CODand TSC

Started out with a Rus-Ler double neck with 8 pedals and 5 knee levers, went to a Sierra 12 string extended and sold it too. Had a 56 fender 8.
Now have 57 Fender triple 8 and a Sierra 8 string lap (serial #008).
STEVE

I have no real burning desire to play pedal...unless I can play it like Bill Stafford. Problem is, my driver's license has my name on it and not Bill's!
I play a variety of steels:
Double 8 Rickenbacher ("Old Ugly"...teardrop)
Triple Fender Deluxe
Rickenbacher 6 Frypan
JB 8 Frypan
Sho-Bud 10 Frypan
Tradewind double 8 ... (a gem!)
Tradewind single 8
Gibson EH-150 6
Rickenbacker bakelite 8
Rickenbacher Silver Hawaiian 6
plus a few others.
Each receive a workout as the mood suits me.

love the these old great guitars. I have a 56 D-8 Stringmaster , JB Frypan Short scale 8, Galvaston Reso, Fender Deluxe Verb.

let the music flow on
Scott

As of now:

1959 Bigsby 2x8 with two pedals in the case.
1956 Fender 3x8 Stringmaster
1956 Fender 2x8 Stringmaster
30's Ric Bakelite
40's MOTS Magnatone Varsity Steel and Amp Set
Standel and Fender Tube Amps

Always wanting more!
DD

I tried pedal once in the shop and came home without it - I was ashamed to spend all that money on a thing I couldn't even play a scale on!
I play a National 8 string console, and still use "the singing plank" a home made six string that I found in the back of a music shop. It appears to have started life as part of a wardrobe and has a hand wound pickup that sounds so bluesy it makes your hair stand on end!


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Cheers!

Old six string Epiphone electar.
By the way whats a pedal steel?
Hill

I play non-pedal only and have a 56 Fender
D-8 and a 56 Fender T-8.
As someone has already pointed out I too like the fact that no two non pedal players sound the same.
Bob Williams.............

Another no peddler only, a late 50's T8 blonde Stringmaster.
Never had a peddle around so I dont know what I am missing.

I play in a rockabilly/Rock'n'Roll Band,if i would bring in a PSG the Boys would kill me!
Fender Stringmaster 56
Remington Steelmaster
Bigsby Tone/Vol Pedal
Fender Tone/Vol Pedal

Best Regards Walter

'49 Oahu MOTS 6 with matching Valco amp, B6
'98 Harmos carbon fiber 9 string lapsteel, C6
'42 National archtop (6), A maj low bass
soon to be mine-Regal built squareneck reso, G
T. Sage Harmos

Count me among your numbers. A peddler all my career with no steel guitar! I like my feet on the floor. 2 old Fender 6 strings and a homemade 8

Started on a home-made lap steel in the early 50's, progressed to a National 6 stringer, which I lost in a fire and miss it dearly. Took up pedal steel for a few years and now with the addition of my beaver-log 10 string steel, I'm back to my roots and I'm staying there.

1938 Model B Rick 7 string,
Guyatone dbl 8 rebuilding, surprisingly good tone.
Al

Home made 6 string lap steel. only for a year or so.

I have a custom D-8 with the name 'Fretson' on it. Sounds sweet through my '53 Fender Deluxe.

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Pedals? Those things scare me. This week's line-up, 'til I buy or sell something else:
- 1937 Rickenbacher Silver Hawaiian
- c. 1946 Rickenbacher Model B
- 1953 Fender Dual 8 Professional
- 1954 Fender Deluxe 8 (trapezoidal pickup)
- 1960's Fender Deluxe 6 (Stringmaster style)
- 1938 Gibson EH-150 7 string
- 1940's Gibson Console Grande 7 and 8 string
- 1967 Gibson Century (Firebird pickup)
- 1949 National Clipper
- 1947 National New Yorker
- 1961 Supro Airliner
- 1940's(?) Oahu Tonemaster
- 1950's(?) Harmony, grey pearloid
- 2000 Melobar Supersteel
- c.1915 Knutsen Hawaiian "quasi-harp" guitar
- 1930's(?) Hagar square neck Hawaiian
- 1993 Yanuziello resophonic

Sad to say, when I started on Pedal (and Dobro!) back in the 70's I had a bit of disdain for the non-pedal sounds that I though were a bit dated... like many things, when I woke up and realized how much I was missing I jumped in with both feet. My current mania for non-pedal sounds is fueled by:
'53 Fender Dual Pro
'51 Gibson Console Grande D-8
'54 Gibson Consolette D-8
Sierra Laptop 8 #003
Remington Steelmaster D-8
Melobar Tomohawk 8
Melobar Rattler 6
Melobar Melobro 6 string reso
Please don't tell my Carter and Mullen how much time I'm spemnding with these gals...


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Mark van Allen-"Blueground Undergrass" Pedal, Non-Pedal, Lap, and Dobro