Pedal Steel > Lap Steel ?

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Anyone now playing out on a 6 or 8 string Lap rather than a Pedal guitar ? Meaning, the Pedal Steel is at home when you are at the gig....and you are playing out on the Lap instead....Bill Hankey got me to thinkin' about this again as I have been thinking about this for some time now. Bring a Dobro and a Lap to the gig instead of the Pedal Steel. On our gigs I am on Steel less than 50% of the time anyway...

just curious...

t
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Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

Great way to keep your bar slant chops up...
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Lawyers are done: Emmons SD-10, 3 Dekleys including a D10, NV400, and lots of effects units to cover my clams...

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I leave the pedal steel home a lot on gigs where I play both lead and steel. I do some Hawaiian duo things with a Samoan guy and then some country stuff. I also have an electric Dobro that I bring sometimes instead of the pedal steel. I have a stand for it and just A/B it with a footswitch. Here's a couple of shots........JH in Va.

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Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Kool Jerry, !!

I acquired a slim keyboard stand to use with my 52 Fender 6 string ( C6) and for my Dobro. I am considering using my 2nd 6 string lap with the G dobro G tuning, both fit really well on the stand and I don't have to sit either! AB with the guitar like you stated...
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

Is that an 8 string Supro? Looks a lot like the 6 string of mine that's in the ex's custody.

Tony, I cut my eye teeth on a 6 string. Try playing "Together Again" with a 6 string, you have to get very creative.
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Lawyers are done: Emmons SD-10, 3 Dekleys including a D10, NV400, and lots of effects units to cover my clams...

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Ray, I agree if you are trying to cop Tom Brumley, but on the 6 string is can be a whole new style, why can't it be built on single notes and slides ? answer, it can !

t
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Well, I did it..I went to the gig with only the 6 string Fender...tuned to a stock Dobro G..

I gotta admit, I was baffled at first as I was looking for things that were not there. I have spent a bunch of time with the Dobro so all was not lost. I played a few tunes that I had never even attempted on a 6 string before, a few things were ok others not so ok .Next gig should be way better as I now know what intervals to practice. It wasn't that it was poor, probably just to simplistic.

One thing that was apparent, the tone of this little 52 thru a Classic 30 was pretty dang good, I played the Butterscotch 52RI Tele and the Blonde 52 /6 string thru the Tweed amp, I was told I looked pretty retro ! Using the Morley AB PED I did swap between the Steel and The Tele in the same songs...that's something I never did before and it took a few minutes to sort that out. I did learn that having the Steel on a keyboard stand allowed for a more accessible scenario for both the Tele and the Steel.

Now all I have to do is study the intervals in a whole bunch of keys and figure out where all the right notes are, I already found all the wrong ones !

t
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Why not use a steel guitar tuning, like C6 or E9? You'll get a lot more mileage out of it.

For C6 on a 6 string, I use: C# E G A C E

For E9, I use: B D F# G# B E

Those tunings have a ton of music in them.
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Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Thanks Mike, I may do that , I did have it tuned straight up C6 and I like that a bunch as well, plus I am not foreign to it...but I also do like the open G...

Maybe I need a D6 !

t
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

Larry Haas · From: Morganton, North Carolina USA

Hi Tony
I have pretty much changed over to the lap steel. I haven't tried a stand yet but I will as soon as I find one I like. I am also changing my Strat over to a slide guitar when I get the nut adaptor that raises the strings. My pedal steel just sits in the corner now pouting. For right now, I have it tuned to the open E but will be changing it over to C6 when the strings arrive. I found another luthier made steel that needs a pickup. When I get it going I'll tune it to the dobro setup. I love bluegrass and hope to do a lot with it.
I hope someday I'll get to meet you. I couldn't make it to the Jam in Kannapolis that I was wanting to go to but maybe next time. Where in Charlotte do you live? I lived there for 25 years but been out of Charlotte for 30 some years. I still play with some old highschool friends and I do get down there about 2 times a month to practice and have fun with the old bunch.
Larry

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