The Steel Guitar Forum

hi i just joined the site and have been reading lots of posts. ive decided to take the plunge and try pedal steel. having played lead guitar for 40 years i want to try something i can do sitting down. from what i can sense hear i am far better off buying a used pro steel than a new student model as i am pretty sure i'll stick with it plus the pro would retain more value anyway. i have my eye on the msa supersustainer listed here im not sure yet what extended e9th is and having 12 strings am i biting off more than i can chew to begin with this guitar! ok all comments appreciated thanks
ALLEN

hey Allen!! its always good to find a new steeler!!

i would try to stick with a 10 string...sd-10 or s-10...

there are many good steels available...you can see so many different types here on the forum.

most steels are 10 string... most tab is also for 10 string... thats why i would suggest a 10 string for a beginner, but do what you feel should do my friend play around and have fun!!

good luck... if you ever need anything, shoot me an email or a pm

-chris

thanks Chris; i was a lil worried about that 12 string to be honest. what i would like to find is a good used pro s10 3x4 with a pad i guess thats a sd10? my budget should allow around 1200 to 1400 with shipping. im in no great hurry so ill keep a eye on the listings here
thanks Allen

Welcome! I am new to the Forum as well and currently do not even have a PSG(even learned that super-hip acronym I just dropped on you on the Forum)if that exposes my newness to the game. This is all I can tell you....I hopped into pedal steel, bought a Sho-Bud Maverick on Ebay(bad decision on my part), I spent more time trying to tune it than play it so I sold it and I've got my $600.00 back to work with. The guitar had a nice vintage vibe but that is about all and my extreme lack of skill did not make matters any better.Since then i have been getting on the Forum everyday and I at least spend an hour just reading post and looking at guitars. I have limited funds until I sell my Tele and my acoustic guitar and I was looking at the Carter Starter but after reading all the negative/honest comments about the Carter Starter by experienced Steel players I believe I may just save for a StageOne. StageOne has the best reviews for a PSG just under $1,000.00 So join the Club!

no problem my friend!!

alot of the show buds are s-10...
the only difference in a s-10 and an sd-10 is the body.

sd stands for "single double".... in other words, it is just a single neck on a double neck body...
they have a bigger pad behind the neck.
The s-10's often have a smaller pad on them most of the time...

by the way, im 18 and im from eastern ky..check out my website
www.steelpickn.com

keep in touch, ill try to help you out as much as i can! any questions or anytihng i can help you with, just let me know!

-chris

Allen, buy a used Emmons SD 10 Le Grande, in the $1900.00 to $2400.00 range if you look around, nothing sounds better , or plays better , and when you want ot sell it to upgrade or just flat out quit( I did twice)..you can get every penny back on the guitar. great GREAT resale on an Emmons...anyways thats my 2cents!!! Bob.... good luck with your plunge into the steel guitar world..

Hi Allen, and welcome to the forum,

How much weight do you want to carry?

An SD10 will weigh a bit more than an S10, and there are plenty of excellent used S10s around (from older as well as current builders).

If you're just starting out, a good used S10 with 3 pedals and 5 knee-levers (or 4 pedals and 5 knee-levers if the Franklin Change is installed) has enough music in it to keep you busy for about the next 30 years or so.

Brands? There are probably thirty to choose from, but the short-list would include Carter, Fessenden, Rains, Mullen, ZB Custom, Jackson, Sho-Bud, Emmons (just be aware the old push-pull Emmons are a different animal compared to the more modern all-pull Emmons), Derby, Precision, Excel, GFI, Franklin, MSA, Rittenberry, Sierra, Stage One and Williams.

The Stage One is reckoned by many to be the best value for a steel for beginners with enough capability that you won't outgrow it in the forseeable future. Well worth doing a search of the forums for further info. The Stage One is a full-on pro-quality steel. So is the Jackson BlackJack. Research these two carefully.

My advice is start with a professional model S10. If you really get into it you'll keep it. If you decide to sell it then the resale value will be high enough so you won't lose a lot of "hard-earned". The S10 will be kinder to your back and arms as well.

FWIW I started in 1976 with a Marlen D10, and never regretted it. All I regret is selling it!

Erich Haws wrote:I have limited funds until I sell my Tele and my acoustic guitar and I was looking at the Carter Starter but after reading all the negative/honest comments about the Carter Starter by experienced Steel players I believe I may just save for a StageOne. StageOne has the best reviews for a PSG just under $1,000.00 So join the Club!

Not so fast! I also new to this forum and never touched a PSG until this month.
However, I just picked-up a used Carter Starter because I'm on a tight bugdet and I am happy that I did. I have so much ground to cover that it is more than enough PSG for me. I can also sell it to other like-minded PSG players once I practice hard an "earn" a better instrument. Having said that I think one should buy the best PSG that they can afford. Welcome and good luck!

Thanks guys for the responses! I am reading as many posts as time allows. Can anyone point me in the right direction for some basic psg 101? Such as what triple raise copedent, and some of the other terms mean? I want to learn so i dont have to bug you guys too much thanks; Allen

Allen raises a good point. Does anyone have a glossary of basic pedal-steel terminology? If not, then we of the forum ought to think hard about compiling one for our newcomers. "The thought is mother to the deed".