Can you make that steel guitar cry ?

Terry Kinnear · Post by **Terry Kinnear** » 20 Dec 2007 3:14 am

My band was playing at the Moose club,on saturday nite.this young lady came up to me ,and asked me ,If i could make,that steel guitar cry [probably everytime i play it ], I told her no, but if i play the c6 neck, I"ll make everybody cry. Im not a great steel player. yet.. someday ,maybe, yea right. just a simple steel player. just getting by. you guys, have any request,from your folks at your gigs.tell us about yours.TK

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 20 Dec 2007 4:03 am

Any time a young lady comes up to you.....just say yes.

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 20 Dec 2007 6:41 am

I know players who make people laugh is that better>

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 20 Dec 2007 6:50 am

No but it makes my wife cry...

Jim Walker · Post by **Jim Walker** » 20 Dec 2007 9:00 am

I've shared these stories on the forum before but a few months ago I had a beautiful young lady come up to me on the break and asked if the band knew any Conway Twitty, I scooted back from my steel and she hopped right on to my lap and I said, "Hello Darlin'!" The following weekend a woman walked up to me at the end of the show and asked how I became a steel guitar player. I had to think about it for a second but I answered her honestly as I could, "I started out as a lead singer and worked my way up!"

JW

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 20 Dec 2007 9:30 am

Jim, I like your honesty and how you told it like it is, how we all got to the top.

Did I ever make my steel guitar cry, no but spanked it a few times. My buddy Speedy West used to spank his'n with a towel!

They might arrest a player for that these days, crying child abuse.

What a THread!

Terry

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 20 Dec 2007 9:41 am

serioulsy..how DO you make that crying sound?
bar shivers?
minor walkdowns?

The steel on that new "Dwight sings Buck " album on the song Cryin Time again...man, I love that. Sounds like the steel is actually going "Boo-hoo-hoo"

The sacred steelers seem to make it cry, sing , laugh, scream, whistle at purty girls, etc

any serious tips?

Terry Kinnear · Post by **Terry Kinnear** » 20 Dec 2007 11:33 am

Well, I did make my wife cry,when i bought my new mullen G2. I asked her ,if she wanted a little cheese ,with that wine. I woke up on the floor , about 15 minutes later. sometimes,i should think about it ,and not say it. slow to learn. Tk

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 20 Dec 2007 11:44 am

I make my steel cry by sliding the bar to the high end of the steel and picking the second and fourth strings, sometimes with the A & B pedals down, or another way to make the steel cry is to go up to the high end of the steel, and pick strings two, three and four with the bar past the twentieth fret.

Brett

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 20 Dec 2007 11:49 am

Sometimes I make people cry when I play,but it may be out of pity and sorrow,like having your favotite dog run over.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 20 Dec 2007 11:54 am

Pretty much. But, I am better at making my steel playing drive people out of the building.

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 20 Dec 2007 12:40 pm

It helps to have a ZB handy:
click here

Sandra Harlor · Post by **Sandra Harlor** » 20 Dec 2007 1:16 pm

Pardon my ignorance but what is a ZB?
I am enjoying my daily injection of laughter that I get from these posts. This thread is one of the best, you guys should have been comedians.
Cheers
Sandra

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 20 Dec 2007 1:45 pm

Sandra a ZB is a brand of steel.

Richard thats very nice. Is that first bend just the A pedal? very weepy.

Calvin Walley · Post by **Calvin Walley** » 20 Dec 2007 2:01 pm

Richard

very nice indeed

Joe Butcher · Post by **Joe Butcher** » 20 Dec 2007 2:26 pm

I cant make it cry, but I'm pretty sure I made it fart once.

Terry Kinnear · Post by **Terry Kinnear** » 20 Dec 2007 3:47 pm

Hey Joe,Is that why ,they ask you. your voice is changing,but your breathe ,still smells the same.,oh,sorry that the steel.[ i always blame the dog.] Tk

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 21 Dec 2007 2:01 am

Thanks Calvin and Ben

Ben, you are correct, it is played at the 11th fret, no pedals, strings 3 and 5, immediately after picking slowly press the A pedal all the way down, then release it halfway, then press it down again, making sure that the 3rd string is ringing throughout

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 21 Dec 2007 4:05 am

Now that was a "cryin steel" for sure.

Dennis Graves · Post by **Dennis Graves** » 21 Dec 2007 5:28 am

Just beautiful Richard....to me, that's what a steel was made for...

Tamara James · Post by **Tamara James** » 21 Dec 2007 6:00 am

richard burton wrote:Thanks Calvin and Ben

Ben, you are correct, it is played at the 11th fret, no pedals, strings 3 and 5, immediately after picking slowly press the A pedal all the way down, then release it halfway, then press it down again, making sure that the 3rd string is ringing throughout

Thanks!! I knew someone would post it if I just kept reading. I know what I'm gonna be workin' on this weekend.

Don Sulesky · Post by **Don Sulesky** » 21 Dec 2007 6:24 am

Working the A & B pedals slowly as Richard wrote is the best way I have found also to get that crying feel the steel is so well know for.
The 1/2 pedal A then pressing both A & B down is a nice change to get from a 1 to a 4 chord.

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 21 Dec 2007 6:50 am

Sandra,

As mentioned the ZB stands for the Zane Beck brand of steel guitar that he designed and built. He was also a world class player. Then later Zane sold the company to Tom Brumley a ZB player with Buck Owens, Ricky Nelson, and numerous others. Both Zane and Tom were inducted into the Steel Guitar Players Hall of Fame at St. Louis, MO years ago. Alot of other well known steel players played the ZB steel guitars. Zane was a Master builder and just a super nice person. He was always willing to help other beginning steel players. He helped several steel players get started in the business.

Zane moved from Arizona back to his homestate of Arkansas and started another steel company BMI Zane Beck Musical Instruments. These BMI steels were also played by many famous steel guitarists including Julian Tharpe, Speedy West, Randy Beavers, Zane King, others. The BMI company is still in operation in Arkansas and is owned now by Don Fritsche. Don collaborated and done his apprenticeship under Zane. Don is a Master builder as well. You can pull up their website by going to BMI Steel Guitars.

Zane died of a heart failure in May, 1985 and was inducted in the Steel Guitar Players Hall of Fame 1991. You can hear his great steel playing on the BMI website they sell his music titled "A Tribute To Zane Beck."

My wife and I named our youngest son Zane Wood after my friend Zane Beck. He is staring to learn steel guitar and is playing on a BMI now too. He is only 3 years and about 4 months old now but has been trying to slide my steel bar since he was 1 1/2 years old. When I am playing/practicing he trys to come and take over my steel guitar.

I hope this clarifys and answers your ZB question.

GOD bless and Merry CHRISTmas!

Terry Wood
14 strings = 14 pedals = BMI Steel Fun!

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 21 Dec 2007 7:12 am

Incidentally, the tune Richard plays is "Tracy's Waltz", written by Tom Brumley. It's on the Tom Cattin' album.

John McGlothlin · Post by **John McGlothlin** » 21 Dec 2007 7:37 am

I always tell people that I'm working on my second record album...I gave up on my first one

LOL.