The Steel Guitar Forum

Hello everyone--I had a dream, really an unannouned vision on the night of a strong snowfall of all places here in S.Texas---I saw an all aluminum hollow frame that was vertical--like a Harp, but it had the sound and playabilty of our dear steel guitars; with the pedals,of course, but the knee levers were positioned on both sides of the instrument body--which ran up and down---not to the left and right as the steel does.....I mean this thing sounded like angels singing! This was on the night of March 25th, 1985 and I will never forget it and I am still working on that idea. It had the sound of a piano--sustain-- mixed with the chirp of the steel, and phrasing to boot! Best wished to all, Ward Orsinger

Wow! Was it played with the fingers of both hands, like a harp? Have you made any drawings of it?

Hi b0b, yes, it was played with both hands---the bass with the left hand & the treble with the right hand. I could not tell what the strings were, but I think they sounded metal; like piano wires. I am still trying to find out what it was that I saw; that's the reason I have about 245 pages of drawings and notes since that time. It seems to me a talented builder like Chas S could easily construct something like this, if he had the complete 'picture'--which is what I'm working on still! Thank you for the great job of putting together the SGF- now That's a real stroke of genius--in plain sight for All to see! Best wishes, W.O.

Ward,
I suggest you read the book "Man and His Symbols", by Carl Jung.
Sounds like a pleasant dream. Cheers!

Chas Smith has probably already built something like this!

You've been smoking herbal tobacco again haven't you !!!

At first, I thought MLK had joined the forum.

This is no joke. The harp has been around for millenia.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/43.2.1

How does a new invention happen? Thru a vision? A dream? The electric pedal steel is still a baby. Hopefully it will continue to evolve thanks to folks like Ward.