The Steel Guitar Forum

a few times a month or so someone will advertise wanting a Pedal Steel for a beginner or new player.
You can see the vultures fly over by the responses.
Have I got a deal for you "I have a such and such steel grest one",of course they forgot to tell the newby it was worn out many years ago,or someone selling one that has many mechanical issues single raise changer,won't stay in tune,breaks strings,hard to play weighs 100 pounds OR.. they got stung and want to pass the savings on along........ Fact is some of these new beginner models are pretty good guitars, Simmons,Stage one's and some others and usually less than a worn out one that was on the road longer than asphalt:)...
It was played for Merle, Lefty,Patsy....
Hard to play a worn out legend...
Just MHO let the fun begin....

Problem is, as we know, it's hard for a person new to steel guitar world to get the information they need when they need it. And that is usually before they ever lay down any cash to purchase their "First" steel. We see good information here often advising that a good beginners steel doesn't have to cost more then $1000. And in fact several in that range are spick and span new and as reported my some pros, great players. But to a rank new want to be steel player, finding the forum, might even be a tough task. We know buying from a pawn shop, unless your knowledgeable is a mistake. We see them show up here yelling help, a day late and several dollars short, with a problem that a few days ago was someone elses. Bent, broken, untunable and unplayable, with out time spent by someone in the know. Probably wont be the last one: http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=212767

i think it's best to start with a questionable piece of junk.it builds character.

I am one those newbies and I posted that I was looking for a psg to start with. I had several offers but chose wisely, I think. I carried the Emmons I got into my teacher and set it up. He played with it a minute and got it all tuned and said I got a good guitar. So, it's not so bad if you take your time and do your homework. I'm very thankful for getting what I think is a good deal on a great psg. JMO

chris ivey wrote:i think it's best to start with a questionable piece of junk.it builds character.

Ha! I actually agree...I started on a piece of junk for a few years and I made a load of money playing it....and screwing around with the undercarriage mid-gig. I don't miss it, but it's a fun memory. I actually didn't know steels were made any better than that one until I got my hands on a good one.

I learned on a cheapo fender one of those pull release deal little black ones,it was actaully a good little guitar it was almost new of course it had never been played hard by anyone,I quickly learned I would need more knee levers, all of us older players never had internet we got out stuff looking at Scottys or local music stores I was lucky enough to live in Indpls Amos Arthur was a friend of the Steel player he carried Sho Buds and dekleys he even has a few MCI's...I bought my franklin about 81/2 yrs after starting never laid a wrench on it other than tune it then not often I actually played 6 sets hard sets and never touched it, (YES they are that good!). Paul Sr is a wonderful person honest as they come,a true craftsman.I now own a Simmons and it is probably the quietest mechanism I EVER seen period nary a sound while playing it virtually no pull rod rattle.... It also plays great...

chris ivey wrote:i think it's best to start with a questionable piece of junk.it builds character.

...I actually started on an "UN-questionable" piece of junk. It was garbage,..no question about it.

I won it in a raffle. Second prize. First prize was a case of Budweiser.

(..The truth)
I bought it at a local music store that specialized in selling those Kimball 'Fun Machines' to old folks who had wads of cash, and no musical talent.

It was an old, plastic bodied (single mold) MSA 'Red Baron' that had been abandoned in a barn loft for about a decades worth of harsh, North Dakota winters.
I'd guess that a thick, protective cocoon of chicken poop managed to preserve the thing from the cold just well enough to be hosed off one day, and passed on to a sucker like me.

Nobody in town, or within a hundred miles, knew how to tune it,..let alone tuning the pedals.
Somewhere, somebody had an old book that gave me the basic E9th open tuning. On my own, somehow, I figured out that the first two pedals were responsible for producing the I -IV change that I was familiar with, and had heard thousands of times on the radio, and on TV. The trouble was, that the first (A) pedal was pulling the 5th string almost two whole tones. I solved that problem using my 'Norwegian' version of common sense. I placed a block of wood under the pedal, and then 'fine tuned' it with a match book. Within a week I could play along with the V -I, pedals down ending that was on nearly all of the country 45's in my stash.

I have a feeling that I'm gonna regret this particular disclosure about my past...

That was an ear full Dale.......lol,good story story though!!

I was 17 when I purchased my first pedal steel in 1971 directly from Sho-Bud for $1500. Shortly thereafter when I was taking lessons from a notable player he said "Ya got took." Maybe so, but there weren't a whole lot of options available at that time where I lived.

In 1979 I started on a 70ish Maverick,(3x1) Couldn't really do what I needed it too, so I sold it a year later.
It wasn't until 2003 that the "bug" bit me again.
I bought a used 73 Marlen D10,(8x4) on the forum. Served me well, but a few years later bought a new Carter SD10,(3x5) wanting to try an "all pull" changer. NO dissappointments there, but...
I Missed the C6 neck, so...I bought a used 73 MSA,(8x5) D12 on the forum. Loved it, but financial need made me part with it.
I never owned a "student" model besides the Maverick, but I would recommend a used MSA, as an alternative to the "pricey" new guitars.
You will get a plethora of opinions, but...I believe that MSA makes a superior product, and if I had the cash, would definitely buy another.IMHO they are built to last !
I believe that a minimum of 3x4, are needed, whatever you choose, as a beginner.
I wish you luck, in your investment, and as stated before: DO Your Homework !
Rick
PS: I am "self taught", and learned a lot from this forum and Winnie's book !

Dale, that's a classic story! Love it. Nice Norwegian idea for a wood stop. I guess if you want it bad enough you'll MAKE it work. Seriously though, I would recomend all beginners to buy from a reputable dealer, and have a good teacher.

I was fortunate in that my steel teacher lined up some loaner guitars for me to start learning on while trying to find a guitar for me to buy (I ended up getting a 3X4 Marlen S10 from the Emmons company - a trade-in), and he tested all of the local guitars, saving me from getting taken.
I recommend this practice, and will happily play and report on any guitars near me

A Marlen "pull-release", can be an awesome sounding guitar ! Once set-up correctly, I've found that they stay in tune,don't break strings, and have the sought after, "tone to the bone". Somewhere between an Emmons & a Sho-bud .
There is a certain intimacy, using the pedals and levers,(like bending strings on a regular guitar),that an "All pull" changer lacks.
Of course I can only speak for myself and my old 73,D10, which I sincerely miss.
Tony Arrowood, (see youtube), has a beautiful Marlen, but I think he might have the All-Pull changer.
Regardless,IMHO,he makes the "tone breathe"

BTW: I learned the "hard way". Hands on !
It's always preferred to have someone teach you some basics, to save frustrating hours,and sore knuckles. But....living at the Jersey Shore, at the time, I was pretty much alone.
Thanks to the posting advice of Ricky Davis,Richard Burton and the Forum in general, I got 'er up and runnin' sweet!
Soooo many choices to make. Take your time, and pick a "good one"
Rick

I'm one of those new guys...bought my first steel 3 mos ago...a new GFI student model..3 pedals,2 knee levers...with a nice case for $1000...It's so far seems very solid and I'm really pleased with it...

I agree, Rick. My pull-release Marlen was a great guitar. Its only flaw was the lack of a back neck. I wanted that C6. Hell, even my Dobro is an 8, tuned to G6.

A few weeks ago I asked for 1st pSG advice here. Was told by several members to get a BMI that was fs here. Did it for $900. It works great and I have been able to correct a few small bugs myself. I'm getting the basics and having a blast! I should be faking my way through some gigs here in the next month! Thanks.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSA-Professiona ... 734wt_1162
Hope no one here bought this one. I guess there might be $500 worth of parts. Love how he wrote that he was messaged this was not an MSA, but assured it indeed is an MSA with home made body.

Dave Harmonson wrote:http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSA-Professiona ... 734wt_1162
Hope no one here bought this one. I guess there might be $500 worth of parts. Love how he wrote that he was messaged this was not an MSA, but assured it indeed is an MSA with home made body.

An ignorant seller dealing with two foolish bidders. Tragic.

There were two suckers born the same minute.. who ever bought that POS got robbed..

Here's an example of another one that's waiting, with lube in hand, for the suckers. And he's a forum member, I figured I'd call him out on it! He knows better than to ask $4900 for that 'Bud on here!

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=214539

I'm a newbie as well and getting a cheaper steel to start on isn't easy, especially If there's no teacher near or you don't know anyone who plays. Experience is what you need, but don't have any of it!

I came across mine in a private ad online and I bought it because it was so cheap. In time, I'll get something better but for now, while I'm going through the pains of how to play, it'll do the trick.

There's a few on the forum from the UK. I'm sure some will be happy to give pointers. Hopefully some are close to you.

Mark, here's the link to the British Steel Society Forum
http://www.thebritishsteeliessociety.co.uk/index.php

as to the subject, a newbie nowadays, has it a lot easier than many of us did 20 & more years back
builders, vendors, steeler's sites & this forum are plentiful ressources

i'm often surprised to see newbies go for the rather obsolete models than the good & reliable present day models
they often think they're savin' $$$ & gettin' a good deal
we often see them come a cryin' later
some do's & some dues

Thanks for the link CrowBear!

There sure is more info nowadays. Just a matter of sifting through the good and the bad!

This brings back memories. I was just finishing up college in Fayetteville Arkansas and playing bass in a local band. I had discovered Lloyd Green and Panther Hall while learning songs for the band.

The city jailer offered to sell me a steel guitar for $100. It was a half breed 8-string permanent with no identifiable brand name parts. The best part was that the body was covered in red shag carpet...

I bought a bar stool at Walmart and an old steel amp from a pawnshop and played that combination for two or three years. I think I sold it to a pawn shop when I found a S-10 BMI to buy.