The Steel Guitar Forum

Thank you, Edward, for reviving this remarkable thread – I wasn’t on the forum first time round.

At school I was in the National Youth Orchestra which made me one of the top young trombone players in the country (two of the other guys ended up in the London Symphony) but my first job was as a sound technician at the BBC. I was there for 20 years as engineer, manager and producer. Then I was made redundant. Some friends who taught brass round the schools in Birmingham fixed me up and I taught trombone for another 15 years or so. They gave me a band to conduct, which is how I learned arranging

www.merrittshillmusic.com

I’m retired now (64) and been playing PSG for a couple of years (always wanted to since I heard Buddy Emmons with Judy Collins way back), and I’ve built my own uni 12. Did my first gigs back in June, and I’ve been hired for the same festival next year. I’ve also just finished writing a tuba concerto to be performed in the autumn. Not sure I’m really retired at all. (I did try doing nothing for a week or so but I couldn’t get the hang of it.)

Oh, and what Larry Carlson wrote:Now I...spend my time in internet forums pretending I know everything about everything.

Thanks for reviving the thread, I hadn't seen it before and it is fascinating to read folks stories.

For me 2 years in radio news where I learned I was not Walter Cronkite and got fired, but learned good recording technique. 26 years after that with a trade group representing grain businessin Washington (a.k.a. lobbyist). Then 15 years as consultant in international agriculture trade. Winding it down and trying to spend more time on steel than airplanes.

Played 6-string in HS/College, inherited my grandfather's Gibson mandolin , learned bluegrass, heard dobro, bought dobro, finally understood I had been hearing PSG, bought PSG. Tommy Hannum and then Buddy C taught me steel. I was probably one of Buddy's worst students ever. Played in couple of 3/4 night per week bands in 80s in bars, truck stops and military bases till work travel made it impossible.

Strangest PSG gig - a early '80s Christmas party at a DC country club. Had been in Sen. Bob Dole's office earlier in day trying to convince him to vote yes or no on something. Getting ready for gig was in bathroom changing into stage dress. Bathroom stall opens, Bob Dole walks out. Dole does a quick double take and says - "Son, you did a good job today, I don't know how I'm going to vote but I can sure see the people you work for don't pay you enough if you've got to do this." He voted against us and I didn't get a raise, but for next 15 years every time I saw him he'd always say "Son, do you still have to play that steel guitar to make a living?" My reply was always "No, but I'd rather…"

Was retired but was dragged back into my family business. I design, patented and produced high tech yo yo's. Somebody had to do it.....

b0b wrote:I type and attend meetings.

AAA ?

worked as maintenance tech at woodland school dist 50
for 34 years. retired in 2010

p.w

Pro Leisure Tour

I am a free market economist. Since retiring from teaching I have been spending my days smartening up chumps with my Common Sense Economics blog, studying the human herding instinct and finding ways to apply natural laws to the economic discipline.

Len Amaral wrote:Was retired but was dragged back into my family business. I design, patented and produced high tech yo yo's. Somebody had to do it.....

I'll bet your business has a lot of ups and downs. **Rim shot**

(Sorry. I couldn't resist.)

Len, just how high-tech are these yo-yos? Are they stringless yet?

LOL

Do they have a feel stop

I've worked at quite a few different jobs over the years to put food on the table, hoping to retire soon.

Worked as a gardener in my teens, was into electronics at the same time and built a waa waa pedal and 30w valve amp amongst other things. Decided to make electronics a profession and took some qualifications to make this happen.

Worked as a design tech in Burroughs Machines, (now Unisys), producing hard drives for their systems. Units the size of a bedside cabinet, 20Mb on a single Winchester disk, 80Mb on a quad. Crazy when you think what is available now.

Factory shut down in 80's recession, so went back to college and took more advanced qualifications, during this time I supplemented my grant by driving a 3 ton fridge truck delivering delicatessen produce all around Scotland. Also worked designing and installing sound and light systems around clubs and pubs in Edinburgh. Worked the Edinburgh festival that year and met a lot of performers, including Rowan Atkinson, Georgie Fame, Lindisfarne among others.

The Rowan Atkinson encounter is worth a mention. I was going to fix some lights in the Playhouse Theatre. When I was going through the main entrance I was aware of someone behind me, so I held the door open for Rowan Atkinson. I then went through a series of doors, up stairs etc and he followed me all the way to the room I was going to, with me holding open every door on the way. It was like getting followed by Mr Bean

Turns out he was rehearsing in the room I was working in. Unfortunately he was just going over his notes for his routine while I was there, but my mate was in earlier and watched him rehearsing his performance for that night, he said it was difficult to get on with his work as he kept falling off his ladder

Worked for a while in Design Quality Control at another Unisys location, designing and building bank sorting machines. Again they shut down the factory and moved location to the far east.

Took a job with a small computer supply company as a field engineer, did that for 8 years until the amount of driving started to get to me.

Worked as IT Manager at an engineering skills training company for about 5 years. Decided I needed a retirement plan and have worked in Local Government IT for the past 13 years. For about 5 years, I looked after all the IT and Comms requirements for all Elections in Fife. This included the 2010 UK General Election when Gordon Brown our local MP at the time was Prime Minister. The media frenzy was...argggghhhh and the security measures were intense to say the least. This was when I decided I needed a less stressful life

Now I'm biding my time and hoping to get out on a retirement plan so I can finally buy that new pedal steel made to my specification

I have also busked, played the clubs, worked as an equipment repair guy at a local music shop on Saturdays. A few years ago played bass in my sons Indie band which was getting somewhere for a while. Played through some big rigs, which was a great experience.

I took up pedal steel seriously about 4 years ago and am totally hooked.

Now I'm just waiting on the divorce papers citing Mr Carter as the other party

Teaching Music and Math.
JJ

Retired university jazz instructor. Now working-stiff musician.

Throw things out of large airplanes.

I'm a Sheriff's Deputy that works as an IT / System administrator for the department and also a SWAT operator.

Worked for General motors for 40 yrs as a Crane Operator. Played in bands for 35 of those years. Retired from playing out anymore. Now a bunch of us get together once a week to play music. Works for me.RS

I was a residential construction contractor for 40 years. Now you can find me at the racket club playing tennis, fly-fishing the local streams, or hanging out in Hawaii. I'm pretty much just a worthless bum.



I play out every month or so, mostly guitar and banjo..........I suck at pedal steel but I love it just the same.

television news photographer, with a ton of hi end tv gear to sell or trade.

Ian, Kyd and others,
You're welcome? I actually stumbled onto this thread, completely by accident! I was searching for a forum member(which I found) and thought..."what the hey?" So many interesting folks here and different walks of life! Working in the public was a sheer joy for me. Doing so led to many just unbelievable stories and experiences shared. I am truly blessed to have gotten to know and just visit with complete strangers, all (including you) have influenced me in some way. I spend a great deal of time by myself now, reminiscing. The future scares me, the present confuses-the past is the only thing I'm sure of....
Glad you're enjoying the thread, I am too.

Wow, this is an amazing thread. A big story line, with many characters of all walks of life. Almost like a telephone book.

Wish I could meet all of you guys and have nice talk about life in general and then get down to brass tacks...... the pedal steel guitar.
Yes, the youngest, most complicated string instrument in the world.
I would ask questions about your attraction, interest and devotion to this intricate metal and wood contraption.
I would pick your brains on all musical matters.

My rant?
I always wonder and think about things, procastination and then do something about it more or less. Mostly less.
I think about people and instruments.

My job?
I am a stock speculator on the Johannesburg Futures Exchange, but the world economy plays havoc with everybody all over. The world shrank to a computer and an office. Everything at a touch of button.

I also give lectures in Palaeo-Psychology, fly model extinct flying reptiles (science combined), build pickups, repair guitars (music combined);
I write pieces on the Anglo Boer War and later politics (culture combined);
I criticize Afrikaans radio announcers on their bad language, anglisisms and wrong pronunciations.

Music?
I play in about 4 bands as an amateur: psg, guitar, sax, mandolin--- when they need me, I go.
I would have liked to play more pedal steel, but it is still a very unknown instrument.
I wear strange shoes, reds, silver, blue , African buffalo, cow, sheep, etc, mostly with short toes to get the pedals nicely.

O, and I practice daily, mostly psg, as I started late in life and have a lot to catch up.
Wish I have more money to have that ultimate red lacquer PSG built and import, at a horrible insane exchange rate.

Thanks for this nice Forum, it broadened my life.

Jan Viljoen wrote: I .. fly model extinct flying reptiles

... must see

For 33 years I was a hat manufacturer, supplier, and importer to the trade. During those years I worked my butt off and bought up beach properties and properties in New York City......in 2008 (after the mortgages were paid off) I sold off my hat company and "retired"....I make my living from leasing my properties.....

I still wear the hat you sent me, Howard. I wore it for a backyard house party gig just yesterday!

Glad you still have it.....it's a collector's item now.....

I was auto tech for 10 years small engine tech for

10 years played steel pro for 20 years

had fingers mashed/cut/ and burned more the once

nice huh?

now do to a real back back/ a fall last year

and broke neck im done.....I am doing some mechanic

work today im putting a rear end in a recliner....

still play steel at home