I'm loving this thread.
Not sure who deserves the credit for my love of steel guitar- Ben Keith, BJ Cole, Russ Hicks, Greg Liesz, Eric Heywood, and certainly Paul Franklin. I was a hard rock/metal guitar player as a teenager, but my tastes radically shifted in my 20s to alt-country, which led to a pretty healthy interest in classic country music.
I went to school in Madison, where the idea of finding a pedal steel guitar was damn near unheard of. Not to mention, if I did find one, who'd teach me to play it? I knew I wanted to learn how to make those sounds, but I didn't know how that would happen.
I ended up moving to LA in 2002, and I found a Carter Starter at a Guitar Center. They practically paid me to take it off their hands. I had no idea how to start- bought the Winnie Winston book and taught myself a lot. Took some lessons from Chris Burke and Josh Grange, then John McClung. Bought a better guitar. Still learning. It'll always be a work in progress, but I'm shocked and astonished by the generosity of the steel community.
How Did You Get Started On The Pedal Steel?
Moderator: Shoshanah Marohn
- Brandon Schafer
- Posts: 282
- Joined: 24 Feb 2013 10:44 am
- Location: Indiana, USA
I worked at a music store and played 6 string and bass. Didn't think much about any kind of music with steel of any kind involved. I was (and still am) a "rock n' roll guy". A co-worker opened my ears to Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant. I started exploring steel music, but didn't think about playing a steel.... yet.
One day, a different co-worker had an old Sho-Bud Pro III gathering dust. He sold it to me for a really good price. I owned it for years before I felt comfortable playing it, but I really owe the beginnings of my journey with the instrument to him. If he didn't want to sell it for a good price, I don't know if or when I would have gotten into playing!
One day, a different co-worker had an old Sho-Bud Pro III gathering dust. He sold it to me for a really good price. I owned it for years before I felt comfortable playing it, but I really owe the beginnings of my journey with the instrument to him. If he didn't want to sell it for a good price, I don't know if or when I would have gotten into playing!
-
- Posts: 1937
- Joined: 20 Jul 2000 12:01 am
- Location: Morro Bay, CA