Zane's WARNING LABEL "Listen At Your Own Risk"

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 5 Oct 2013 4:34 pm

Take a listen if you like the steel guitar being played a bit differently.

"Z BlueZ" (I call it this because I grew up near Beale Street in Memphis. If the music they play there is Blues then I'm definitely close to blues with this tune. JMO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuQ1DL0AAS4

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 6 Oct 2013 4:24 am

Yikes! It's a song! Much, much better...

That's a good overdrive you have there - I think what makes it "muddy" is just the steel needs to be louder in the mix, the keyboard is drowning out the steel. Shoot the piano player?
Just remember -

LOUDER - ALWAYS LOUDER

and we'll make a rock star outta you yet!

(Around 5:26 you launch something inexplicable!)

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 6 Oct 2013 5:20 am

Thanks David. I appreciate you saying that about a "song". That's exactly what I was trying to get to after the earlier post similar to this. I actually agree with you about the "mix". I did it fairly quick. You probably know this, but I played the keys on it too. LOL. At any rate, I am remixing it and I think it takes care of some of the "muddy"....but that's still going to be there somewhere due to the settings of the overdrive. It's a balancing act because you want those long sustaining notes (especially the ones I do up higher) but when doing the "raking" effects it does indeed get a bit muddy there. That's just part of the sound "effect" there to some degree. This, of course, is just a demo and honestly just for fun.

Thanks for the response!!!

Richard Damron · Post by **Richard Damron** » 6 Oct 2013 5:42 am

Re: - Another thread. This ain't "Mansion On The Hill" or "Crazy Arms" but maybe this sorta thing will get some of the kids to listening. Might even displace some of those so-called git-tar players and their perpetual noise.

A rebirth of the pedal steel guitar - in a rock-n-roll band, no less! Whooda thunkit!

Richard

Wally Taylor · Post by **Wally Taylor** » 6 Oct 2013 5:46 am

Wish I were talented enough to play something like that just for "fun"!

Jan Oelbrandt · Post by **Jan Oelbrandt** » 6 Oct 2013 6:14 am

You asked to comment, so I do.
I didn't like it, and he're why:
- way too much notes.
- the word "muddy" has been used here, I'll add to that: the high-gain setting causes for every note attack to have a sort of clicking sound. Very annoying.
- this has nothing to do with blues nor rock.

I agree with you that the steel can play a role in lots of music styles. I agree that the pedal steel is certainly as hip as an other guitar.

I've uploaded this video this week. Your turn to comment.

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 6 Oct 2013 7:24 am

Jan - thanks for your comments. I don't really want to engage in this conversation because you obviously didn't care for it. Leave well enough alone.

I don't think everyone understands how I do this or why I do it. I just simply turn on a video camera and play. It's all about just making a moment. I'm not trying to win a grammy here. So I get that it is not "mixed" nor "polished". Not many of my videos are for that matter. I don't work to present these things as a piece of art. Which takes a ton of money by the way. You don't even want me to start in on the economics of that argument. That all said, I still think there is value in what I do with my You Tube channel. Some seem to think so anyway.

It's no wonder that more professionals don't come on here and open themselves up to the criticism. Geez, people give a guy a break for trying something different. I ain't trying to go "outside the box" here....I'm just trying to make the "box" a bit bigger.

Oh the fun we are having now.

Kevin Mincke · Post by **Kevin Mincke** » 6 Oct 2013 8:25 am

So what's the OD you're using?

John Lacey · Post by **John Lacey** » 6 Oct 2013 8:48 am

Zane I agree that some of the folks can sound a little grating when it comes to comments on this forum. You lay your butt out there and along comes a knife. Steel players generally are still a reactionary lot and extremely opinionated, often to the extreme of almost insulting. I enjoy your forays into the unknown and applaud you for having the guts to lay it on. I've been dragged kicking and screaming into the world of rock and roll over the years because I've chosen to be a professional and that's what you have to play sometimes during the night to contribute. The fun starts when you research it a bit and start to get good at it and it spurs you on. Keep it up, pal!

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 6 Oct 2013 4:16 pm

I liked it! Shredding on the steel without any of the usual clichÃ©s. Well done.

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 6 Oct 2013 4:31 pm

Changed the link above with a new mix. It might be a bit meaner now. Still folks keep in mind this is done thru a camera sitting on a tripod! Don't crucify me.

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 6 Oct 2013 7:33 pm

Boy! Zane you really farted in Sunday School with this one

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 6 Oct 2013 7:42 pm

Yeah, ain't that the truth Stuart!

I got a bunch more videos coming so hopefully I won't get kicked completely out of Sunday School!

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 6 Oct 2013 7:43 pm

Thanks Georg! It's still a bit heavy on the distortion overall. It's a balancing act for sure. If I were doing this for a performance of some sort I would dial in a bit better. Thanks for listening and taking time to comment.

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 6 Oct 2013 7:45 pm

John L - thanks for commenting here. What you said means a lot and I completely agree.

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 6 Oct 2013 7:45 pm

John L - thanks for commenting here. What you said means a lot and I completely agree.

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 6 Oct 2013 8:43 pm

Move over Robert Randolph!

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 7 Oct 2013 5:21 am

Awesome Zane, a lot of these comments seem to be confusing the style of music with the level of talent required to make it. You refuse to be categorized by the instrument...I love that about you.

Michael Hummel · Post by **Michael Hummel** » 7 Oct 2013 10:57 am

I think this is quite fantastic. Whether or not it's "your style", you have to admit the level of ability on display is pretty impressive.

The backing tracks could be better, but the steel playing can teach everyone at least something.

Cheers,
Mike

Kenneth Kotsay · Post by **Kenneth Kotsay** » 7 Oct 2013 2:55 pm

Get use to it, the future of pedal steel guitar has arrived, no more "Danny Boy" songs.

Think outside the box

KEN

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 7 Oct 2013 6:51 pm

Jan Oelbrandt,

I listened to your video link. Sounded very nice and your approach seemed to fit the piece very nicely. I would love to hear play some more stuff. The other 2 videos on your channel wouldn't play for me. Seems like you should leave your stuff up longer. For me, I have discovered that an audience is built by being able to find you long term. Just my opinion. What works for one may not suit another.

Keep on pickin'

Kind regards,

Zane

Larry Lorows · Post by **Larry Lorows** » 8 Oct 2013 5:47 am

This is a great, no super great piece of music. I only wish I could play like that. I started playing steel because of Buddy and Jimmy behind Ray Price, but you playing is absolutely the best that I've heard in a long time.

What distortion pedal were you using? I mentioned to my wife, that I'd like to get something for distortion. Do you plug it in after other effects, or before?

Thanks for posting this. Larry