The Steel Guitar Forum

I have 18 non-pedal steels (Fenders, Gibsons, Rickenbackers, Nationals, Magnatone, a MOTS something-or-other, and an E-harp. But the one I play out on is a Gibson Console Grande triple eight.

I play a 1956 D8 Fender Stringmaster. Brown, not blonde!

Just to add myself to your list. I tried pedal steel on and off for twenty years, but never quite got the bug. Anyway, don't a lot of the E9 players sound the same? Now I've discovered a 6-string lap. As a longtime guitar-player, my right hand can find its way around the strings a lot better than 10 strings, and I'm still amazed at what can be done on a humble six-stringer. I've been using C6 since I really got into it a couple of years ago - I find it can do Western swing, Hawaiian, country, old-style 'Hank Williams' sounds and jazz standards. I recently tuned up my bottom C to C# (C6/A7) and can now get great big seventh chords on the bottom 4 strings, or big diminished chords on the bottom 3 for those jazz tunes.

Selmer lap steel,
and cheap copy of Fender Stringmaster that I'm trying new pickups on...

Add me, '54 Gibson Consolette. Also, never use pedals on the C6 neck on my Sho-Bud Professional, and I play that neck 75% of any given gig. So I guess that makes me "three-quarters no-peddler" Sound like an old racecar term or something.

I play pedal steel[for the money] but my first love is non pedal. I have a 8 string supro that I play mostly and a triple neck stringmaster,and and old Oahu. I have given my daughter several. Two bakelite Rick's. a 36 and a 48. also a double supro with a chord changer and two mint New Yorkers, with matching amp.and a Oahu.I wish there was a convention of non pedal players. Garland Nash

Self teaching myself after a 35 year break from playing is hard enough without finding the gas and brake pedals.

I now have 3 steels (since Nov 2000), the first is an O body student acoustic guitar built in the 20s, it was fine to start. then I came across a 1959 Supro Console, black and white like the one I had as a kid, only it was a 6 string, not at eight. Good tone and lots of fun in a "low hawaiian A". Then I found another O body acoustic called a "Golden Hawk" amazing sustain and beautiful tone, tune to C6th this guitar almost makes me think I can play again.

50s 3x8 stringmaster
50s 2x8 stringmaster
30s Ric silver hawaiian
60s dual professional
dobro
weissenborn copy

Began playing lap steel about 55 years ago. Put it aside for about 35 years. Began playing again about 5 years ago. My preference:

8 string Sierra lap steel
Rick Bakelite 6 string
Frypan

I also own a couple of pedal steels, including a Cartuer U-12 (8 + 5) and a mid-seventies MSA U-12 (5 + 5). Three amps: Peavey 500, Peavey Nashville 400, and a Marshall JCM900. All great amps, but for the lap steel the Marshall has that "all tube" sound.

Lap steel is my first love.

oj hicks

Hey fellows,,,,Leo fender would love all you Fender nuts,,,,nothing would make him happier
than to read these things about his steel guitars. Good to see so many of you out there,<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 27 May 2001 at 06:01 PM.]</p></FONT>

I play non-pedal only.
Currently own:
1960 blonde Stringmaster triple 8 (C6, E13, B11)
1969 custom made Rick frypan 8 string machined, not cast, made from solid aluminum.
1953 Supro Spectator

'57 Fender Stringmaster Dual-8
'58 Fender Deluxe amp
'64 Fender Tube Reverb
'54 Fender Champ amp

(I also have a '66 Tele and a '63 Strat with.....no pedals! Guess I like those Fenders.) And a '68 Deluxe Reverb amp, but my steel sounds best with the tweed amps in my opinion.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by RonC on 31 May 2001 at 03:34 PM.]</p></FONT>

Add me to the list of those who pedaled for many years and in late middle life discovering non-pedal. Been playing Sierra U12 with very little pedal action. C#M9, A6, B11, E9 and B6. A Fender Professional T8 will arrive in a few days. Have Oahu Diana which is one sweel sounding instrument. Let's keep Hawaiian music and culture alive.

I have been side tracked with pedals for a while but now I am back with non-pedals to stay. The sound that got me started in the first place was non-pedal.Fender 1000 w/o the pedals E13& A6. Dobro E homegrown lap E.


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After many years of bottleneck playing I switched to steel about a year and a half ago.

Silvertone (Valco) 6 string (C6)
Gibson Consolette (C6, E13)
new Regal w/Quarterman cone and spider (G6)
Rickenbacher D16 (C6, G6)

All my "regular" guitars are tuned to open E.

I'd never had any interest in pedals until I saw Gordon Stone play jazz on one. I'm interested, but it looks way to complicated.

I do pedals or not when appropriate:

Bigsby '56 T-10, '48 D-8 lap
Gibson Console Grand '52, '39, pre-war blonde, '38 S-10 lap, Century 10, Century 6
Fender '53 D-8, Q-8
Rickenbacher pre-war Penguin, '39 S-10, '46 D-8, mid '50s S-10
Carvin '57 D-8
Epiphone E-Harp mid '40s
'31 Greenfield
'27 Tricone
Dobro 6 and 10 string '70s
Beard 6 string