The Steel Guitar Forum

My neighbour Dale Rivard is 50 something, & I'm 60 & we're the youngest in southern Ontario doing country music...that I know of...not a lot of work...2-4 hrs to the nearest gigs in the big cities

Here are some of her recent videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQGaFhBvkkU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwCnVB9MyFs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMnFjboO8Sk

Quite a few younger players are either finding me on the 'net or showing up on the Facebook page - for cable pull Fenders!

It's a very interesting phenomenon. Pretty refreshing to have some 25 year old ask me (65) about cleaning his changer, and cable soldering methods and string gages - for B6! Might be more fun for me than them!

Young in life years or in mentality? I would consider myself to be young in terms of open-mindedness and curiosity. In body, though, I am past the half-century mark.

Sharon Frances wrote:Here are some of her recent videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQGaFhBvkkU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwCnVB9MyFs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMnFjboO8Sk

Wow! Her playing is very expressive, with a fluid left hand and excellent vibrato. I am embarrassed to say what I was expecting from these videos, but after watching the first one, I had to see the other two. Go Sharon!

There are a few around that are under 18. One being myself (I’m 16). I’ve been playing for a good 7 years coming on 8 years.

Tobin H.

There are a few around that are under 18. One being myself (I’m 16). I’ve been playing for a good 7 years coming on 8 years.

Tobin H.

Tobin Hess wrote:There are a few around that are under 18. One being myself (I’m 16). I’ve been playing for a good 7 years coming on 8 years.

Tobin H.

Tobin is class

Tobin Hess wrote:There are a few around that are under 18. One being myself (I’m 16). I’ve been playing for a good 7 years coming on 8 years.

That's great, Tobin. You are probably already dangerous! I hope you can find players your own age around your hometown who can keep up with you.

To some degree I fault music stores for the lack of growth of pedal steel guitars and players.

People need to see, touch and be educated about the pedal steel to get excited and develop the desire to learn the instrument.
I have been committed to do this very thing for 12 years now and am very happy with the success.

Is it easy...no but worth it.
You need to purchase a good inventory with all the needed tools such as picks,bars and seats as well as actively purchasing good used steels to provide good beginner instruments at a more attainable price.

We spend time and money on having a good in-store teacher and provide free clinics for learning as well as inspiring non players to give it a try.

We have a rental program so they can try it out and take some lessons which is key to the success.

I am thrilled so far and really appreciate the support of our teacher Keith McConnell who is a member here.

Here is a clip of Keith playing with a young student of his who is really loving the pedal steel and coming along quite nicely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBQLSUUhgTU

Private teachers who don't even work for us are recommended as well as You Tube videos because in the end it all works in promoting this amazing instrument.

The music store problem is - with two exceptions - completely nonexistent in Southern California. In the hundreds of guitar stores in this region a player stands a better chance of finding a $300,000 1959 Les Paul than a pedal steel.

Except for Jim Palenscar's and Blackie Taylor's steel-specific shops - both nice but not in the center of a major city - it's nearly impossible to find a pedal steel anywhere.

When I was working I drove about 40,000 miles a year between San Luis Obispo and the Mexican border and would stop in just about any guitar store I saw if I had a spare 5 minutes (I scored a bunch of vintage instruments this way!).

In about 35 years of this I saw maybe 20-30 steels *total" (again, other than at Jim's and Blackie's) and most were unplayable as found.

And rarely was a bar to be found. Even today, most guitar stores that have squareneck resonators in stock seem to keep bars (if they have them at all) securely stored in retail packaging requiring an Exacto-knife to liberate them. And are reluctant to do so.

Younger players realistically must *want* to play pedal steel, be at least minimally aware of different types & what they can be used for, and be aware of a few information resources. They just aren't going to see one on TV (or on stage) and then go into their regular guitar store hangout and try one out.

Jim Sliff wrote:The music store problem is - with two exceptions - completely nonexistent in Southern California. In the hundreds of guitar stores in this region a player stands a better chance of finding a $300,000 1959 Les Paul than a pedal steel.

Except for Jim Palenscar's and Blackie Taylor's steel-specific shops - both nice but not in the center of a major city - it's nearly impossible to find a pedal steel anywhere.

When I was working I drove about 40,000 miles a year between San Luis Obispo and the Mexican border and would stop in just about any guitar store I saw if I had a spare 5 minutes (I scored a bunch of vintage instruments this way!).

In about 35 years of this I saw maybe 20-30 steels *total" (again, other than at Jim's and Blackie's) and most were unplayable as found.

And rarely was a bar to be found. Even today, most guitar stores that have squareneck resonators in stock seem to keep bars (if they have them at all) securely stored in retail packaging requiring an Exacto-knife to liberate them. And are reluctant to do so.

Younger players realistically must *want* to play pedal steel, be at least minimally aware of different types & what they can be used for, and be aware of a few information resources. They just aren't going to see one on TV (or on stage) and then go into their regular guitar store hangout and try one out.

I agree with you Jim and that is why we work so hard to make a difference and it has been working quite well.
We stock up to 12 pedal steels at a time with our main line being Mullen guitars and as I mentioned as many used/trade-ins as possible.

It is also why I work at my You Tube channel to help promote and teach pedal steel thanks to Keith McConnell. Music stores largely are missing out by ignoring our beautiful instrument.

I'm 15 years old, and I LOVE pedal steel guitar! But rather than practice, it's far more rewarding to log on to the Steel Guitar Forum and read about how all of the good licks have already been played, all of the good songs have already been written, and all of the great players are dead anyways. And - never fergit! - kids today are no damn good. Either! Neither? Anyhows?

Well, actually no, I'm lying - ahem - I'M DEAD TOO! Snif... I'm-a gonna miss me....

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=208507

Bump

Eddie Dunlap and Tyler Hall

This guy looks decently young.

https://youtu.be/T4o8BtdUN_0

Yes, I see quite a few young steel players in and around the Texas coastal area. I don't know them all of course, but Austin Tripp, Roger Ray and Travis Toy come to mind. Not to mention the ones Bruce named. I suspect most of them are busy playing and don't have time to drop by here to discuss the death of the instrument, tuning preference, string brand selection or where tone is derived from.

Under 30 just started playing about a month ago.

John Larson wrote:Under 30 just started playing about a month ago.

Welcome to the club, John. Hopefully 30 years from now you’ll be the one welcoming new players

Is this young enough? My grandson (10) tinkering on my Williams. He already plays a little 6-string but this had him fascinated so now I'm looking for an instrument for him.

I’m 52 - compared to a lot on here....I’m young.