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Making a non-pedal steel sound like a pedal steel

Posted: 11 Feb 2010 11:39 pm
by Les Anderson
As a sequel to Ray Montee's thread "PEDAL SOUNDS from a lap steel..." how many of you non-pedalers occasionally attempt to make your non-pedal sound like a pedal steel?

I practiced the above all the time with my D8 and could come close when using a C6th tuning on the 24 1/2" neck; however, once I got my Remington D10 and learned how to use a BJS bar properly, I can now pretty much duplicated the pedal steel tone. A little tweaking of the amp always lends its self to the quest of course.

Why don't I just buy a pedal steel? Nah, this way is more of a challenge. The question is however, do some of you guys do this as well?

Posted: 12 Feb 2010 12:40 am
by Roman Sonnleitner
I do - on my Duesenberg Multibender-equipped 6-string, tuned in E6, with the benders acting like the AB-pedals on a PSG.
But even with my 8-string C6 lap steel I sometimes try to make PSG-like sounds, using vol. pedal swells, and moving between slanted and straight bar positions...

Posted: 12 Feb 2010 1:00 am
by Benjamin Franz
I suspect I spend TOO much time trying to emulate the sound of a pedal steel. The main thing that stops me getting a pedal steel is the tiny string spacing. Oh, and the years of extra practise...

Posted: 12 Feb 2010 2:12 am
by Thomas Ludwig
on my lapsteel I do string bending behind the steel with my left hand on the high E sting. (C6 tuning)

I like this sound more and more and now I have a pedal steel (yeahhhhh !!!!!)

@Benjamin
I get used to the tiny string spacing on the PSG very fast. Now I like it more then the lap steel string spacing.

Posted: 12 Feb 2010 8:57 am
by Ron Whitfield
It's become a part of my sound almost by accident, and I can always get it 'acceptable', but getting it really well comes and goes uncontrolably.

Posted: 12 Feb 2010 9:13 am
by Mike Neer
I definitely go for that sound sometimes, but more so in the single note approach. I like doing quick little pedal moves with slants for chords, but I really like doing quick bar movements to achieve that sound.

Posted: 12 Feb 2010 3:39 pm
by Martin Huch

Posted: 12 Feb 2010 5:56 pm
by Andy Volk
Here's a little lick in open E I do that goes for the sound:

https://home.comcast.net/~aevolk/music/AVPedalLick.mp3

Posted: 13 Feb 2010 12:10 am
by Bob Hoffnar
oops. I misread the thread so I deleted my comment.

Don't feel badly..................

Posted: 13 Feb 2010 11:02 am
by Ray Montee
The older that you get.......

the more you'll find........

that you're doing it on a more frequent basis.


But, you're among friends!

Posted: 13 Feb 2010 11:43 am
by Lynn Oliver
Andy Volk wrote:Here's a little lick in open E I do that goes for the sound...
Reminds me a little of Josh Graves on Cuttin' the Grass.