Steel Doom and Gloom

David Weaver · Post by **David Weaver** » 8 Jul 2002 3:49 pm

Someone said there is "Doom and Gloom" for the future of steel guitars. I sure don't see it.

I am out in Washington State and for grins I called a couple of guitar stores to see if there were any steels sitting around in shops. Two guitar shops said that they have been getting calls on steels and they seem to be a "hot seller" right now. True, there is no real venue for steels in the Seattle area in terms of sales, but the guitar shops are talking about them anyway.

I played along with a singer/guitarist at a little party a couple of weekends ago and another musician that was at the party is all hot to trot to come over to my place and play one of my guitars. He sat at mine and messed around with it trying to find how to play. He really loves the sound and wants to experiment some more.

I just think that there is a core and quality to pedal steel that will not go away, ever. It can't be duplicated and the sound grabs people and won't let go. What is the concern?

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 8 Jul 2002 3:54 pm

I believe that the pedal steel is the most prominent instrument in Southern Gospel Music. The Churches that I play in love the steel and if you listen to Gospel music on the radio steel is all over the records. Country might have gone rock, pop or whatever but steel is for sure alive and well in Gospel music!!

Jerry

Tom Diemer · Post by **Tom Diemer** » 8 Jul 2002 4:09 pm

Jerry, where do you find these churches?

Where I live, they like more modern music. Contemperary Gospel I think they call it. George Michael Montgomery music. I'd love to play my steel in church, but country steel sound just doesn't fit. I play electric / acoustic instead in our (Baptist) praise group. I don't know of any church in the area that has a steel player.

I know other styles can be played on steel, but you know what I mean..

Kinda disappointing to me actually.

Tom

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 8 Jul 2002 4:41 pm

Tom, check out this website. I play pretty regularly at this Church and they love the steel guitar. Please click on photos and then also camp meeting and click on photos from the last campmeeting. We have had as many as 6 steel guitars lined up in a row just jamming away on Gospel music. I play with a local group Fairhaven and we play a different Church every Sunday night. We have Southern Gospel radio stations in our area and there is steel on just about every song played.

http://www.springtownchurch.org/2002_cm_photos.htm
Jerry
[This message was edited by Jerry Roller on 08 July 2002 at 05:42 PM.]

Kenny Davis · Post by **Kenny Davis** » 8 Jul 2002 8:10 pm

Jerry, you're right about Southern Gospel using steel, but what disturbs me is the lack of "real" steel when these groups perform. The vast majority of the groups use steel on the session, then perform live to tracks. Some usually use a piano or guitar live, but that's usually all the "live" instrumentation there is.

As far as the posts regarding the future of our instrument, I think it's here to stay. It is an ever-evolving thing - Just listen to pedal steel in the 60's. It will be here as long as there is music. There will never be as many steel players as there are other musicians. The reason is simple: "If it was easy, everyone would be playing one!" It is a little discouraging to see the average age of attendees at the steel shows, but I know there are young people with the interest to take over.

Brian Wetzstein · Post by **Brian Wetzstein** » 9 Jul 2002 2:37 am

Hi David!
I don't feel any doom or gloom for the pedal steel. I do wish I would run across more of them here in Seattle though! I have sold some steels through some shops here, and they seemed to go pretty fast... I am playing with my band at the Rendevous on 2nd in Belltown on wednesday night. I don't play anything super fancy, but I would love to meet another local steel player.
Take care! BW

Andy Alford · Post by **Andy Alford** » 9 Jul 2002 3:28 am

Is it dead and gone on today's country radio?How will it ever grow except in our little steel world?We can enjoy it but this is not the hay day for real country music.Its a bright day for steel guitar and real country music if you play it.Out beyond the steel,country walls where ever they are there is alot of bad rock and roll thats being called country.Go get your real country cds and play that steel and it can be the 50s and 60s again.I only listen to WSM 650 when I want to hear the real thing.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 9 Jul 2002 6:27 am

We don't have a church band per se but I do play my pedal steel in church (Baptist) when requested to do so. We have a kids fair coming up and I will be playing, along with our pastor on regular guitar, for a couple of hours. This is something for the older folks to listen to while the kids are having fun. I did the same thing last year and received a very favorable response. I even got some interest generated by the younger generation. If we keep out there, we will wet people's curiousity and their desire to learn about our instrument. Most people recognize the sound, they just don't know where it's coming from. I also play at nursing homes. You really have a captive audience there. Once they lock the wheels on the wheel chairs, they can't get away!

Uff-Da!

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 9 Jul 2002 8:36 am

Brian in Seattle.......you probably already know this but the Western Swing Society there in Seattle is one active group and their various bands number between 5 & 7 musicians. One group "Mended Heart" has a very active schedule including a big Silver Eagle Bus to take them on their rounds.
Stan Remick is their steel man, a great player, friendly guy and loves to talk steel guitar. Look him up. The band has a great web page.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 9 Jul 2002 9:10 am

Brian.......again
Ms. Lou Bischoff is Pres. of the organization there in the Seattle-Everett area. The group name can be found at
Eagle032@aol.com
SHE can be reached at LouBischoff@aol.com
Stan Remick, the steel man can be found at
stan.rosalie@verizon.net
GOOD LUCK in finding a fellow picker in your area.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 9 Jul 2002 9:12 am

Brian once again.... the organization holds dance-showcases regularly in your area. They say that the 2nd Sunday each month will find them at the Everett Eagles Lodge between 2-6 Pm.
Good Luck some more!

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 9 Jul 2002 9:31 am

How will it ever grow except in our little steel world?

It will grow if/when more players take the steel to OTHER worlds. In addidion to recording classical music, I play steel (frequently with distortion) in a blues-rock band. We don't play any country or even country rock. We play Hendrix/Stones inspired hard rock and roll. My steel playing in this contest more closely resembles the slide guitar work of Robert Johnson and Duane Allman than it does the more traditional Nashville style. (Although I get in a little of that too on some of that too on the occasional ballad.)

We play to an audience that for the most part has never seen a steel before, and whenever we do, some guitar player in the audience comes up to me to ask about the onstrument. I always let them sit down at it and try it.

If more people would step outside the wall we have built around ourselves and take the steel into new areas of music, our instrument
can only benefit and grow.

I'm not saying EVERYBODY has to do new and different things, but those of us who are, should be encouraged.

RON PRESTON · Post by **RON PRESTON** » 9 Jul 2002 10:35 am

Hey, Mike,
I guess Ol' Dr. Bobby Seymore taught you to spell.

No wonder there are VERY FEW Steel Players in the World......
I guess you could call it an
"ONERY ONSTRUMENT".....

[This message was edited by RON PRESTON on 09 July 2002 at 11:36 AM.]

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 9 Jul 2002 11:59 am

Just recently installed the Dish-500, sattelite T.V. in my house, up in the mountains.They have three country music channels, that play music, all day with no commercials. The classic channel plays all the old standards, the pop- country channel plays the radio mix, but, the new country channel knocks my socks off. There are many new artists, I've never heard of, with tons of steel.Some are not as polished as others, but the sound of the steel is DEFINITELY there. I had my worries as of lately, about the future, but, I really think it is secure. We just have to get our local radio stations to start playing more of this venue, instead of their usual play lists.

Randy Pettit · Post by **Randy Pettit** » 9 Jul 2002 12:31 pm

As usual, Mike P. has nailed it. In our church praise team, we play very little country or gospel music - mostly contemporary and rock/blues/R&B-tinged tunes - and the steel fits right in perfectly (why wouldn't it?). While helping set up for a Sunday service recently, one of the set-up helpers recognized me and said, "Oh yeah, you play that cool thing, don't you?" (referencing the guitar, NOT my playing ability).
I too, hear plenty of great steel on the local "Nashville play list" radio stations. I was turned on to steel in the mid-70's by rock steelers like Rusty Young and John David Call - not the usual Nashville heroes - and I grew up in Texas! IMHO, much of the hue and cry we hear about the demise of steel is more "good ol' days" syndrome than reality.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 10 Jul 2002 3:42 am

Hey,I spel az gud az the next gi.

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 10 Jul 2002 5:58 am

I play in three bands.

One is STONE COUNTRY -- I'm the youngest guy in the band and a new song is a George Strait song from the 80s. We play Eagles, VFW, and American Legion gigs to packed houses of 'blue hairs'.

One is ALT.COUNTRY with rockabilly, blues, and truck drivin' overtones. We play bars, roadhouses and parties. We also do 50% or more original music.

One is ROOTS ROCK, with everything from Chuck Berry to Stones to Hendrix to Lou Reed, with some surf music thrown if for good measure. We play upscale brewpubs and parties.

I LOVE THE VARIETY. Each band averages about one gig a week and that keeps me plenty busy with a fulltime career outside the music business. In some ways I prefer the rock band over the other two because it makes me think outside the box. Ray Price licks do not work on Rolling Stones tunes, so, like Mike said, you gotta think slide or rock guitar. (which isn't too hard for me since I've been a rock guitar player for 40 years)

Mike is 100% correct. If we limit ourselves to the old tunes and the old paradigm of fiddle 'n' steel with moth eaten arrangements from the 60's, THAT STYLE will disappear within 20 years or less. If we incorporate some of that style with newer sounds and become comfortable with that -- much as Paul Franklin, Bruce Bouton, Robert Randolph, Greg Leisz, and others have done, our beloved instrument will live forever.

My personal prediction is NOT doom -- it's REBIRTH and INVIGORATION with new ideas.
Steel guitar is NOT A COUNTRY INSTRUMENT. It is thought of as one only because of history and habit.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 10 July 2002 at 07:04 AM.]

Roger Mullennex · Post by **Roger Mullennex** » 10 Jul 2002 6:16 am

Tom come the road to Akron we have two
steel players in our church.

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Steelin' For Jesus