The Steel Guitar Forum

I use a Goodrich Matchbox [have had it close to twenty years]A Dan Echo delay,and a Boss DS1 distortion pedal,Very seldom use reverb on my amp [NV-112]. We [The Strokin Dixie Band] play a little bit of every thing,from Hank Sr.ZZ top,BB King,and a lot of Southern rock,On the country stuff just use a little delay,on the rock use the DS1,set on the old fuzz tone,it really sounds good on any type of rock or blues. DYK?BC.

My current gear is like this;
2004 GFI Ultra D-10 Pedal Steel Guitar-eight pedals, five knees
Peavey Nashville 112-been usin' one since December of '04
Sacred Steel tonebar-been usin' this bar since September of '03
National thumbpick and Dunlop picks
OutWest Pac-A-Seat

Before this, my equipment was a 1974 Emmons S-10-3 pedals and 1 knee
Peavey Rage 108 and Fender Champion amps
Elite Pac-A-Seat-which I still use for shows.
Dunlop tonebar

Brett

Pedalmaster 8/5. Steel Driver III. Goodrich L120 volume pedal, Boss DD3 delay. Reverb on a Nashville 400. ZookieM30 thumb pick, National finger picks, BJS bar. I guess I should add bar and tuning wrench holder, drink holder, and Steeler's Choice Pak-A-Seat. Jody. OK Bob. I Will add 1 Pickup truck.

I like to use a Matchbox 7A for some added control to my sound, and recently have started using a Boss DD2 with a mod for more subtle repeats. I use a standard Goodrich 120.

A drink holder.

a good volume pedal & a musik stand

Don't need the music stand... -L-

I've researched this issue for years, and I finally found the solution in what I had observed. You'll see many different players using everything from a basic guitar-volume pedal-cords-amp, to the most elaborate preamps, effects, power amps, speakers, etc... What you'll find out is that good players sound good, and bad players sound bad. There is no magic setup that brings out the tone. You can use the exact setup as John Hughey, and I doubt you'll get his tone.

Having said this, the effects, etc... do have a part in the sound, but you have to use what works for you, and learn to use what you have. After all the research and trial and error, I've settled in on a Boss RV-3 and Nashville 112, or 400 for steel and lead guitar. For fiddle, I use a Baggs transducer bridge, Baggs pre with EQ, and the amps mentioned prior.

I have learned that constantly trying different things to get better tone, is like chasing a moving target. You really have to learn to use what you have and make it a part of your sound.

There's players that seem to have a different set of equipment every time you see them, but I've found out that they usually sound the same....good or bad. This is because they adjust the settings to acheive the sound that is pleasing to them.

Usually a DD-3 and an RV-5. Pot pedals by Goodrich, Fulawka and also an old Emmons.

Emmons Legrande 3, Hilton Volume Pedal, Peavey Delta Stomp Box, Peavey NV 400 with mod, BJS Bar, National Picks,Steelers Choice pac-a-seat, and a little bit of luck

Rittenberry SD10 3&5, Vox VTX amp. I use my own on board volume pedal. I use the delay and reverb from the Vox amp. Simple and quick set up with great tone.
BD

A car is pretty useful. It's hard to carry a pedal steel and amp on a city bus or streetcar. The majority of steel players use a car.

Good one bob.

and always put on clean underwear with no holes in case you have an accident.

I'm serious. I didn't have a car when I started playing steel. I bought one once I started jamming around and getting gigs. Were it not for steel, I might not be driving today.

A reliable vehicle is a very important piece of equipment for most working musicians.

Always show up with a good sense of humor.

Mr. Campbell has hit it outta the park. Saturday night was my Mullen G2---> Goodrich 7A (just to be able to adjust tone on the fly...didn't touch it, though!)---> Goodrich L120---> DD3---> NV112. So simple, and great clean tone.

I agree wholeheartedly that Rick Campbell's answer is great advice. It's easy to chase your tail and end up with nothing more than an empty wallet and no satisfaction if you think that John Hughey's sound depended on his choice of equipment.

I'm playing through the same rig I've used for almost 15 years, since I stopped carrying two speakers and a rack that required a fork lift. I use a single 12 Emmons push-pull or a single 12 Fessenden into a Hilton pedal, into a Boss GT-6, into a 1970 Standel amp. From van to completed setup in less than 5 minutes. 3 cables total.

Knowing WHEN and when NOT to use effects is the secret,I remember back when the wah wah pedal reared it head,I've seen guitar players back then that NEVER turned that thing off the whole night.DYK?BC.

I take it all back. It's all in the brand of strings you use. There's a secret brand that the really good sounding players use and no one else knows about them. You couldn't buy them even if you knew. The music spirits govern who gets to use them, and they are made to look like the brands that we are familiar with. The users don't even know about it. So how do I know about it? I had a loose filling in one of my molars and I accidently intercepted a communication between two alien spacecraft and they were in an argument about it. Before I got the tooth fixed, one night I heard them talking about the American Idol show.

Never was good enough to make all them effects work right. ...On 1 guitar I have Goodrich pedal, 7A matchbox, DD3, reverb on the ancient PV LTD400. On the other guitar, Hilton pedal, 7A, RV3, NV 112. ...Tried some of them rack mount things a few years back, but got tired of carrying around, and no better sound.

I used to try out new gadgets,you know these processers with a gazillion sounds on them,maybe 3 or 4 made any sense,had to program them,Got over that nonsense,Just give me a SIMPLE stomp box anyday,if you need to change something,just reach down and tweak a knob. DYK?BC.

Rick...you ain't right, boy! I guess that's why I like you.