The Steel Guitar Forum

This has been the topic of discussion amongst some of the more thinking members of the forum, to whom I am indebted for their insight.
If you have a well thought, heartfelt opinion on something, whether it be string gauges, tone, players, recordings, etc., I would like to hear it expressed without apprehension.
Apprehension about what? About being called on the carpet, being expected to produce some sample of your own expertise before your opinion can be deemed "valid". It's been a prevailing theme on the forum here; "oh yeah, well until you can outplay Paul Franklin (or insert any other big league player here ______), your opinion means nothing to me".
I think there's alot of people on here who have very valuable comments to make, who will never play like ____ (insert your hero here). Too often people have felt pressure not to express their gut feelings on something here for fear of being asked to cite "The last time they played the Opry", to produce a sample of their playing for public execution, or some other such nonsense.
Speaking only for myself, I like to read heartfelt, constructive comments from all of you. I don't care if your plans tomorrow night include the Ryman Auditorium or the wood-panelled room in your basement.
For what it's worth,
-John

"For What It's Worth"

One of the finest tunes written a sang by Stephen Stills and company , that being Buffallo Sptingfield. Then of course it eventually migrated into Kind Woman, with Rusty Young on Pedal Steel, then the big split,Poco, Loggins And Messina,Manassas and the entire generation of West Coast Country Rock bands which produced Buddy Cage, John Call, Rusty Young, Al Perkins, Dan Dugmore, Sneaky Pete and probably counteless others that in mnay cases influenced many of us Steel Players today, including me.

Of course this is just my opinion ...mind you...but what do I know..I play a Carter !

Merry Christmas all
tp

John, I hope you don't mind this "heartfelt opinion" too much.

Well, it gets increasingly hard for me to just stay here on the Forum, and try to help people out. If I weren't pretty "thick-skinned", I'd have been gone long ago.

As an example...

I did a post about a week ago about the new MSA. Had I realized how much "crap" it would have started, I would never have done it. Just for giggles...go back and re-read my original (unedited) post.

Nowhere in that post did I say it was "better than an Emmons" (or any other guitar).

Nowhere in that post did I even say "it's as good as an Emmons" (or any other guitar).

Look, I'm a "nobody". I don't sell guitars, I don't play with a big band, I've never made a hit record, all I've done is play. I'm just an "average joe", as they say. I just gave my personal impression of the guitar, and listed all it's positives (and a few negatives). It was intended (if you notice the first line in the post) for the people who were interested in the MSA. I also got people who were there just to run me, the guitar, and "the man" into the dirt. Not only here, but on other forums as I'm told, they showed up in great number to argue everything I'd said. Yes, all the "deriders" came out of the woodwork. People who never played, heard, or even saw one up close.

Look, I don't really care <u>what</u> you play...I notice how you play! I'm not a great player, but I do know one thing, though...

"You can't throw dirt on someone else without getting a little on yourself."

Have a nice Holiday!

Yeah, I got clubbed over the head too. I had just stated my opinion of two fellow players who I happen to admire and stated I respected their opinion. I was cursed at and called a "schmuck". To be fair, the guy who did this apoligized to me, but I wish it hadn't happened so he wouldn't have had to. I too am a "nobody", but I've been playing long enough and have played with enough smokin' musicians that I think that I have valid opinions on many topics. I've been wrong before and will be again, but I'd like to think I'm correct more often than not.

i'm glad people have different opinions or this world would be mighty bland.
Unfortunately some just like to DooDoo unto others as they would like us to DooDoo unto them.
Don't let it get you down Donny, there's more Good Folks than Bad Ones round here. Capt b0b runs a good ship and i like it like that. OK Crew ? Man your Posts !




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Steel what?

Donny - Your post about your new guitar was excellent. It was well balanced, informative and dignified, unlike some of the responses that it received. There will always be guys out there who are going to knock anything that Reece is involved in. Let's just be grateful that we are relatively spoiled for choice in the different makes of pedal steel that are out there now. Just enjoy your new MSA and leave the snipers to wallow in their petty jealousy's.

Golly Donny, I thought your post about the guitar was excellant...I sure hope that my smarta-- remark about "fins" wasn't taken the wrong way! I was only emphasizing how positive you are about the new MSA. I love Reece and support his new venture...good grief, in the distant past we both rode Merl Lindsay's old school-bus with the funnel in the back! (inside joke) www.genejones.com

If only pros played steel guitar, would it even be financially feasible to manufacture, service or sell them? Pardon the rhetorical question, but the point is that the steel guitar industry depends on the amateur. His or her opinion isn't worthless, it means success or failure to many businesses.
That said, there is such a thing as manners. In a thread the other day, I saw Mr. Webb of Webb amps, listed as a new member, respond to a question about his product. Shortly thereafter, someone chimed in to say how much he hated Webb amps. What a gentlemanly way to welcome a new member!

John, I agree with your observation. There are respectful ways to share opinions, and also to respond to opinions expressed by others. And valuable opinions and observations come from every level of the steel guitar "food chain". A Forum "conversation" is not one which occurs around a table at the back of some barroom - it is a public conversation, which needs to be conducted with civility and respect. Most of the time, I think those qualities are present. From time to time, though, people with legitimate things to say get in effect, shouted down by a small handful of grandstanding bullies. And that kind of bullying behavior, which is present to some degree everywhere one goes in this world, does act as a disincentive for people to share their ideas freely. Sometimes I wonder why the threads that seem to hang around the longest are the ones that are being dominated by just such behavior. It is not hard to tell when someone is being a bully. And it is hard to know how to deal with a cyber-bully - if you call them on it, they just act out more, and effectively pollute the environment even more. But one thing that must not happen is for the non-bullies (most of the Forum community) to let themselves be driven away by the bullies.

There are some people who open their mouth and turn into a horse's ass. There are some people who are accustomed to joking face-to-face to their friends and don't understand that often the sarcasm or friendly bantering doesn't translate well to the written/electronic word. Some mean well . . . some DON'T . . . some get booted off the Forum (yea b0b).

On the other side, some people are extremely sensitive when their opinion is questioned or disagreed with -- particularly when not done diplomatically. We all know examples of wonderful people who LOVE the steel guitar and are close friends with the SG community, but who can't stand the heat.

Fortunately (I think) I don't fall into either category, so I can stand the heat (altho I usually stay away from the heated topics when possible) and not get my feelings hurt so badly I have to decide whether to lurk and not post or just give it up 'cold turkey' as some have.

It takes all kinds -- and we certainly have all kinds here. I personally enjoy watching and participating so much that no sharp tongued criticism or attack could drive me away (I don't THINK it would anyway).

Most of us understand ourselves pretty well and know our own shortcomings. Respect is a two-way street. I think that we should all try to recognize when something we plan to post is hurtful or inappropriate and save that for Off-Topic or Bobbe Seymour's no-holds-barred forum, where that sort of thing seems to be the rule rather than the exception.

Well, FWIW, that's MY opinion.

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<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro

I'd like to say this one more time. Opinions are like belly buttons...everybody has one.

And I think everyone should be able to express their's in a respectful way if they want to. I've always thought thats what the Forum was for.

Learning I had to hold my thumb straight out was hard for me. Also to curl my fingers under a little. Once I got this through my thick head I started sounding a little like a steel player.

So when someone is learning and asks a question, I enjoy telling them that. Not because i'm a great steel player, which i'm not like other folks have said, but to help them.

I also think some people don't understand that a lot of members ain't got a lot of education and to please keep that in mind when forming an opinion on what someone says.

Bob.