The Steel Guitar Forum

Hello all, I'm new to this forum and new to pedal steel. I have some experience playing bottleneck guitar and lap steel, but I'm looking to obtain my first pedal steel. I was wondering if I could get some feedback from you folks. I'm considering two guitars. One is an older Sho-Bud Maverick and the other is the Carter Starter I've seen advertised at musiciansfriend.com. Any thoughts on a decent guitar for an absolute beginner? Thanks for your input.
Frank

Between the two, get the Carter-Starter. It has 4 knee levers, while the Maverick (unless it's been modified) only has one. You can do a lot more with the Carter.

Hey Frank,
I agree that the carter guitar will let you do more, but. My story, I bought a single neck guitar and within 2 months was looking to trade it in on some double neck guitar. I should have waited to find a double neck guitar. Best advice is to keep checking the Buy/Sale listings and you'll find one. I like the vintage stuff so you know where I am coming from. Skip

Hi Francis and welcome to the Forum,

The Carter Starter is an excellent choice for a beginner learning E9. I do recommend getting a teacher for private lessons from the very start. It's much better to develop good, solid traditional technique than to unlearn (or forever try to unlearn) poor technique.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm leaning heavily to the carter-starter. Right now a double neck is beyond my budget. Again, thanks for your responses.
Frank

The Carter Starter is a very good choice, in my opinion. Sho-Bud Mavericks are very limited with only one knee lever.

I agree about the personal instruction.

I, too, am new (and thoroughly enjoying it) and invested in a 4 hour lesson with a well-known instructor. The investment was a good decision.

Another 4 hour session is scheduled soon.

Get the Carter Starter.
I bought a modified Sho-Bud Maverick. 3/3 and the cabinet drop is just horrendous when using the knees.
This thing is really giving me a bad start and I will be looking to get another guitar soon.


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I have a carter starter that I am about to sell.
I think its a perfect first instrument, stays in tune wonderfully and I have been going thru instructional materials and have yet to find a change that is not on the guitar.
I am just waiting for my mew sho-bud Pro II, the carter is in perfect condition, only setup and torn down about three times and never gigged, I also have the hardshell case for it. Email me if your interested. I also have a bunch of starter instructional material I could part with, maybe we can make it a package deal.

Jesse

The only thing you would want the double neck for is to play C6th stuff. There's more than enough E9th material to keep you interested for 346 years. After that, you can get a double neck and spend the same number of years on C6th. Then you'll need to spend a few years remembering what you learned on E9th, and then.......

Well, buy the Carter Starter.

gs

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• Gary Shepherd
• Sierra Session 12
• www.16tracks.com

I would look for a usedCarter Starter in good condition. Instruments depreciate quite a lot as soon as they become used, but depreciate very slowly after that. If you treat it with respect, you can probably get what you paid for it later -- or even more.

Francis, i started out w: a Maverick
if i had to start again today i would go w: the Carter starter since it does have 4 knee levers like JimC mentions
Roy's got it right too
Good Luck to ya !

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Steel what?

Well thanks to everyone for the feedback.
Jesse and Roy, I got antsy and sent off for a new Carter-Starter. So now I'll probably be pestering you folks when I get the new guitar.

I live in the North Jersey area, does anyone know of any teachers near here?

I really appreciate all the help I've gotten on this forum. Thanks very much.

Francis, good choice..You will not be disappointed.

Good Luck

TP

Right Place at the Right Time ? http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum3/HTML/016795.html <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by CrowBear Schmitt on 26 April 2003 at 04:24 PM.]</p></FONT>

Francis, I recently sold the Carter Starter I purchased in DEC 02. Purchased a professional model PSG. The only problem that I had with the PSG was that the LKL did not have a definite stop to it. Solved that by making an adjustable stop and mounting it in the undercariage where I could get a definite stop with the lever. I also have short legs and my left knee would barely touch the end of the LKL so I just made another longer lever out of angled aluminum and replaced the original with it. Hopefully you won't have that problem, or the other problem for that matter. You can't make changes to the pulls on this guitar but there are enough pedals and knee levers to keep a beginner busy for a long time. I really liked the sound/tone of the guitar and it did stay in tune very well. b0b sells string sets for the Carter Starter here on the Forum. I replaced the strings shortly after I recieved the guitar and this made the sound/tone even better. The guitar comes with the nickel strings. Hope you enjoy you new PSG.

David

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David,
Thanks for the info...I'm eagerly awaiting delivery right now. I should be getting the guitar any day now.

Francis,

It appears that you and I are embarking on the same journey at the same time! I'm also eagerly awaiting the arrival of my first PSG. It'll be nice to know someone else is out there reading, "Chapter 1: Setup"
I know a guy who swears by his Carter Starter. I almost bought one myself, but I know my tendency to not be able to leave well enough alone, and I bet I'll end up with some wierd tuning not possible on the Carter. Good luck and let me know how you're doing (so I can compare your progress to mine, of course)

Tony

Well...I got the Carter Starter last night. I was intimidated at first...watched the set up video...finally got somewhat in tune and hey..it sounds pretty good. I'm using a volume pedal that is designed for an electric guitar so I may need to either change the 250 ohm pot for a 500 ohm pot as Carter suggests, or get a new pedal. I put it through a Fender Pro Reverb.
Also I think I need a different tone bar...I'm using a Stevens Steel right now. Any suggestions or preferences for tone bars?
Thanks to all for their replies.

Francis, you definitely need a different tone bar. A Stevens just won't cut it for pedal steel. (It will place your left hand in the wrong position, and it does not sound as good as a round bullet-nosed bar, IMHO.)

I probably wouldn't start out with an expensive bar like a BJS. If you want to save yourself some money for instruction material, or any other of the innumerable steel accessories, find a man with some machine shop experience, and get him to make you a bar. With a metal-working lathe, he can make a bullet end on a solid bar of steel, (either 7/8" or 1", you decide; even both so you can figure out which is better for your hands), and then you can take the bar and polish it with sand paper, and finally very fine emery cloth. This will be a bar you can use for a long, long time.

This is what I did, and I am still using this bar after nearly two years.

Hope this helps.

Lincoln Goertzen

...or if you want to cut to the chase & get a WONDERFUL bar at a GOOD price: http://www.bulletbars.com/

Good advice as usual on this forum. I went out and got myself a round bullet nosed bar today. 1" diameter, 3 3/34" long and a pretty hefty 11.5 oz. Much better sound from the guitar, although I kind of miss the Stevens style grip on the sides which I am more used to playing lap style with.

Francis, the Shubb-Pearse #2 bar has the Stevens-like grip and a bullet nose that is good for pedal steel (you want to move on and off those top stings when you are not using them). But it is lighter than a round bullet nose and so doesn't have quite the tone.

You should get a volume pedal made for pedal steel. It is a hugh part of the sound and nothing else will have the exact action and "throw" as a pedal steel volume pedal. You can find used pedals on the Forum frequently. If you get one with a pot, be sure to get a Matchbox - by matching the impedance of the pedal and amp it greatly improves the sound, expecially at low volumes. You can get those used also. Good luck woodshedding.

The BJS bar is one that would last you a long time,,it is the one you need to get use to and there would never be a reason to change. Look up Reggie Duncan on the forum and he can put you in one of these baby's for the right price, and if your not satisfied with it, E mail me and I will buy it from you.