Advice for a beginer.

[Donald Beam]

Hi,
I would like to learn to play PSG. Would you good steel players give me your honest opinion on 2 things?
(1) What about the Carter Starter for a beginers instrument? (2) There are not any instructors within an hour drive of me. I am considering a home video course. Any preferences? Thanks for your advice.
Don Beam

[Dennis Lee]

Hi Donald,
I'll probably always feel like a beginner in many ways, but just don't be hard on yourself. Get started and enjoy the journey of the pedal steel. I started with a Carter Starter, and there is nothing wrong with this guitar, but depending on your available finances, try to buy a professional grade guitar if you can. As to learning material, you live in a virtual "hotbed" for pedal steel in Texas. If you can't get with someone locally, look at the section of the Forum that discusses learning material. You will get many opinions, but use the basic material that develops your right hand, left hand, blocking, etc.

[Calvin Walley]

i sent you a pm

[Bo Borland]

Donald,
I would advise you to use the forums search capability to gather some intel and then decide whose advice to take. While everyone has and deserves the opportunity to voice an opinion, there are some with more educated, qualified, and experienced opinions.
That said, a used unmolested professional grade S10 will be a better choice than most student models and there is no substitute for face to face instruction.

[Bill Duncan]

Dito on face to face!

[Charles Davidson]

Welcome Donald,from Alabama. DYK?BC.

[David Hartley]

Its always nice to hear of someone wishing to take up the steel. I dont know much about the starter by Carter. I have been asked about these before. I will check them out in St Louis so I know a bit more about them. They are made in Texas.

When you do get your first guitar, let me know and I will send you some tabs and video instruction with my compliments to get you started.

It may be worth looking at the Carp steel by Rains. I have played one of these. They are of course in Fortworth, Texas too.

http://www.rainssteelguitars.com/carpsteel.html


David Hartley

[Tommy Shown]

I have heard Bobbe Seymour talk about the Carter starter and according to him you can do just anything on the Carter Starter that you can do on the more expensive professional models. The guitar is tuned in E9 which most of your country songs are played in. If you go to www.Youtube.com/Bobbe Seymour, you can here a demo of the Carter Starter. As played by a novice and a couple of pros.
Tommy Shown

[Mark Edwards]

Donald the steel you choose is personal preference, however you are living in steel country, I'd like to know what part of the state your in and I'd almost bet there is a steel player within an hour of you willing to give you lessons or show you a thing or two on the steel. One thing I've learned about steel players vs. any other instrument is that steel players are willing to go the extra mile to help out another steeler.

[Lee Baucum]

I'm with Mark. Let us know what part of the state you are in. There are lots of steel pickers in the Great State of Texas.

[Donny Hinson]

A Carter Starter (either new or used) will do just fine to get you started playing. (Most used ones sell for around $600-$700.)

[Robert Harper]

Yeah find a teacher and listen and play to live music.