The Steel Guitar Forum

Most of todays steel players are using more and more effects.and a lot of steels sound the same.I listen to some of the older players with just a little reverb,and you knew if it was a Emmons Shobud or some of the other brands.Maybe we should just play our steel without all the effects we might be surprised what our steel sounds like.

I don't use a lot of effects-I just play my Jackson at the Clean Steel setting on my Nashville 112.

Brett

Steel-guitar into volume pedal into Nashville 112. Simple. I like it that way. (The NV112 does have the Ken Fox upgraded chips, which I really like.)

Steel. Izzy Plus. Volume pedal. Holy Grail. Amp.
I will use distortion 3 to 4 songs a night.
Phase shifter about the same.
If I have the LTD and they play some hippie rock, I will use a tremolo.
For the most part, I want my steel to sound like a steel.

I like a Telecaster type sound... clean and bright.

Depends on my condition.. It can sound like angels singing, or a cat being run over by a bicycle..

Ken, the best Tele sound I've ever gotten was that MSA Classic I just sold to Nathan Powell.
I don't know whether to credit the construction or that original single coil, but if you picked between poles and changer, it didn't go thin and brittle, but just barked and twung like you reached down and pressed the Brent Mason button.

There're times that effects are nearly essential. I was just listening to Don Walser's "Hot Rod Mercury."
Without overdrive, the steel's answer to "hear that mercury roar", as well as the steel ride, would be lacking.
As would Buddy Cage's Kick in the Head (I wish he hadn't had so much pick noise)

Shobud Fingertip to shobud pot pedal to Fender twin with 15" JBL K130, amp reverb only. Occasionally, I use a delay pedal.

Just a tiny bit of delay and a little less reverb. Enough to keep a clean sound and sink into the mix easier.

Derby into the Sarno Black Box, into the 112. Goodrich VP in and out of the pre-EQ loop, DD-3 delay in the post EQ. All George-L cables. No reverb at all lately. Best sound I ever had.

I forgot--the 112 has the Fox chips.

For me it depends on the band and the music we are playing. I was with a country rock band for 25 years, I used dist-compression-phase-flange-leslie-dobro settings. I felt like a Tele player most of the time and actually thought (tone wise) like one.

Now with this 1950-1960 country band I just use delay and rev and the great sound of my PP's.

Larry Behm

Topic: What does your steel guitar sound like?

- Harley James or Larry Behm playing it = killer
- Me playing it = poop

It's the most "vocal" sounding electric instrument There is, IMHOP. Having a good day and having it "all together", the steel reflects that. Having a "bad" day, a frog in the throat so to speak, the steel reflects that as well. So to me, the steel sounds like a voice, plus you can play more than one note at a time! A little electricity is a wonderful thing.

Do not let Tony fool you, he and Harley and I all grew up learning and playing together along with Mark Simpson, we were always steeling his licks and tricks.

Larry Behm

I use a '76 Emmons P/P through an Emmons or Hilton pedal to a Peavey 112. I use a Bosstone (little old black box) for distortion. I use the "dirty" sound for certain rock songs and because Jeff Newman told me how to get a violin and viola sound from it. It works well with a large band. About 95% of my playing is done with a some reverb and nothing else.
I still haven't found the talent setting on any of my equipment.