The Steel Guitar Forum

So let's make A.J.'s thread a poll and see how it shakes out! Personally I've been playing steel for over 25 years. I'm working on year 26 now.

This is interesting. so far about 1/3 of us are new players.

This is really interesting. 1/3 are newby's and 1/5 are from 5 - 10 years. That's almost half of us relatively new to the instrument! So, half of us are looking for information and half of us are giving it. I guess that makes sense!

60 plus years.

WOW Robert!!! I see 12% are over 50 years, thats some longevity for ya. I guess steel playing is good for your health.

20 months in,
and loving every minute
Rick

Over 58 years. I started in mid 1950. I'm still learning. I don't think you can ever learn it all.

38 next month.

39 years

I started playing in 1947

I have been playing for 1year and a half. I know everything there is to know about this thing, but my hands and feet kind of taking there time catching up.

Dwight

I have played for 46 years. Never been away from it for more than a few days, ever. Kept me out of trouble when I was younger thru school, and provided a good income all my life. I am as hooked today as I was when I first started. (kinda like a kid at christmas I guess.) Thank heaven for something good in this life. Thanks and my best to you. Zeke

Coming up on 69 years. I was better then than I am now. LOL!!!!!
BB
BTW, I was 4 years old when I started. Do the math. But, I'm still a kid at heart,,,well at least some of the time.

I started on a 6 string lap steel at 10 and I'm closing fast on 63. Got my first pedal steel at 16. I play most week ends with a fine swing\country band and still love it.

I've been at it since 1962 and still going. Music is the only thing that could keep my interest for that long. BOB

I've been playin' for nine years now. I started on Christmas Day-December 25,1999 at the age of eighteen. I'm twenty-seven now and I love playin' steel.

Brett

I wanted to chart this data, so I did. Its very encouraging to see the number of new players! Thank God the trend of 20 years or so ago didn't continue.

Of course this may not be a representative sample since younger people and beginning players are more likely to frequent this site... maybe.

Joe

Been a PSG "owner" about 20 years.

Started at Age 7..........

Now 72, it's been 65.5 years.

I'm still as excited about steel guitar today as I was then. I have JERRY BYRD to thank for that.

39 and started at age 9! I'm 49 so i'm working on 40 and guitar was the same. Dobro 5 years! Fiddle 6 years! Just started mandolin so 1 year!

I need to quit on one of these maybe!!

I started playing in a band in 1952 with a 6-striong Gibson lap steel. My first "pedal steel" came in 1959, a Tripple-neck Fender with ONE, yep, ONE pedal.My first REAL pedal steel was a Fender 1000 that I played in Newfoundland (1962). It's been a long time, but I've enjoyed it every minute of it. I still play twice a week, every week, Saturday night at Houston Country show and Sunday at church.

I forgot to mention that I have played guitar since I was 6 years old, I'm 78 now.

Started in November of 1946 as a high school senior who had been listening to L T Zinn on our local ABC station WJTN. I bought an Airline 6 string lap steel from the Montgomery-Ward catalog and played it through a little Knight Radio PA system......didn't
own an amp!? Got a MultiKord about 1954 or 55? and a ShoBud crossover in 1968. Got the rest of the knees with an MSA D10 about 1974. Can't play much steel without the knees!?? I'll turn 80 in February and I still don't know any better than to want another new one for my birthday! One of you guys let my kids know....OK??

The peak around 30-40 years corresponds to when the post-war Baby Boomers started playing and also when country-rock turned on that whole generation of young players to steel guitar. It's also when the golden age of country pedal steel was in full bloom in Nashville. It's a triple whammy. The same trend was revealed in a poll awhile back on the age of Forum members.