The Steel Guitar Forum

Hey all,

I've been doing research for about a year now on 5 top pro model steels. I've got brochures, player's comments, on and on etc. Now, ask me if I know which guitar to buy? Well, on second thought...don't ask, cause I still don't.

I'm sure most of these guitars are fine but I'm finally convinced there is really only one way to find out. Here is the best advice I've gotten so far....."Take my time and play them all".

I may have to hit some of these convention shows after all. I'll be in Nashville again next week anyway. Maybe, I can find at least one NEW psg to test out.

Sincerely,
Brett

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..they're all good, and on any given day a different one will sound the best...sell your house and buy them all...

Unfortunately, there is NO "Consumer's Report" magazine for PSG's!!

In all likelyhood there never will be. Just not enough interest nor funds to support such an in depth review of the few steels being made in the world.

This I can tell you. There are some fine PSG's out there. There are also some bad ones. Yes there are some bad ones. Fortunately over all they are much better today than ever before. The reason is time has eroded a lot of bugs out of them. And more and more of them are built quite similar.

The best advice I can give you is NOT to say which PSG I think is best, but to suggest you go to one or more steel guitar shows and actually sit down to them and play them. Do not at all be embarrassed about taking time to do this. Ask as many questions as you can think of.

Also remember, to take the words of the builder lightly. NO builder is ever going to say ANY thing but nice things about his guitar.

As you sit behind each steel notice and begin to compare. Make mental and possibly written notes. And do go back and sit behind that same one again. Even again if you are not quite sure.

If you happen to sit behind one and it feels "right" from the beginning and has a sound that really catches your attention, buy that sapsucker.

It may be a while before that happens to you again.

God bless you in your attempts,

carl

Brett,
the advice given before this is quite sound...take your time with your decision but by all means sit with and play as many different models you can. Try and keep all of your variables a constant e.g. amp, settings, special effects, etc. Even when you decide on a specific model, each one may feel and/or sound different. I have been playing on a '68(?) Emmons D-10 off and on for twenty years and bought a new D-10 Derby from Billy Cooper this past summer....he has loads of different models, new and used and Billy is a great person to work with in that he is a fine steel player and technician as well...he provides great service and support!!I love the Derby and saved considerable bucks..Good luck and enjoy your search it's a huge investment!

I strongly urge you to try Fessenden. I firmly believe them to be the best deal out there.

Regards,
HH http://www.fessendensteelguitars.com/HH.html

I think all steels today sound pretty good! I'm more the type that would concentrate on "how it feels" than "how it sounds".

You can change tunings, pedals, strings, amps, pickups, and effects...and do a whole lot with the "sound".

But how the thing feels and responds (the mechanics) is something that was largely "designed in", and you'll have a hard time changing that substantially.

Brett,

Don't worry about it to much. Just buy a great steel and get on with playing it.

Your "ultimate" steel concept will change as you progress as a player anyway.

Bob

That is very true. You have no real way of knowing where your musical thinking and playing will be a couple of years down the road. This is one reason why almost everyone eventually ends up buying another steel.

Since you've already narrowed it down to "5 top pro model steels", buy the one that looks best to you. When just looking at your guitar makes you feel good, you will play better.

Amen, to what b0b said.

Lee, from South Texas

Hey all,

Thanks for all your comments recently about steel brands etc. I've been in Nashville this past week working and hitting the Honky Tonks and other bars at night. I heard some nice steel playing while I was there. A few of the players were really great. I talked to most of them and they were pretty helpful. All friendly folk too. Cool.

Brett

Oh, what the hell.

1st choice ZUM
2nd choice Derby
I play an Emmons 11 and I love it.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

you never know,at least I don`t.
Emmons p/p, too stiff,my foot hurts after few songs.
ZUM, sound too tiny,no bottom,no volume.
Carter,uhu,no thanks,
Sierra, great mechanic but no tone,
Excel,too expencive for what you get
Mullen,best pedal action but no tone
to me,Sho Bud is OK but not a Super Pro(no tone),pro I and II and older Sho Buds
I have right now `84Legrande,with short key had,all pull,with BL710 on E9 and GL L66 on C6,very smooth pedal action,fast with a modern sound.Good guitar.Don`t like new Legrande`s II,for some reason.But that`s me,different strokes for different folks.
My 2 cents

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http://hometown.aol.com/damirzanne/damirzanne1.html

Damir my man!

You either got to lighten up a tad...or go get yourself a black Fessenden. Life's too short!

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Sho-Bud Pro II Custom, Sierra Artist S-10, Fessenden S-10, Session 2000

Fessenden?huh,sorry,not my cup of tea.
I tried`em and didn`t like`em.

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http://hometown.aol.com/damirzanne/damirzanne1.html

<SMALL>Emmons p/p, too stiff,my foot hurts after few songs.</SMALL>

Damir, wasn't it you that just had to have a push pull Emmons for $1500 about a month ago?

Damir:
If find your comments amusing! You managed to trash quite a number of pedal steel manufacturors. I marvel at Joe & David Wright playing a Sierra and Billy Phelps on the Carter.
Whew! Each one to his own!
Len Amaral

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huh,I`m sorry if you understand that that way.Let me try it again,all of these guitars are great professional guitars and I wouldn`t be affraid to go on the stage with any of these guitars.They are all high dollar instruments.I just saied that I`m still trying to find that perfect guitar I`m looking for.I play banjo also and after few Gibsons i decide to go with Stelling and that is THE banjo I was looking for.So I apologize if I expres myself wrong way.
Nothing wrong with these guitars,they are just not what I have in my mind and what I dream about.We all have that sound we are looking for and I`m still looking.This Legrande I have right now is very close to what I want tho.So once again I appologize and didn`t mean to put down those instruments even tho it might sounded like I did.
p.s.
Jim,I didn`t had to have nothing,I had one and it`s sold because I didn`t like it.
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http://hometown.aol.com/damirzanne/damirzanne1.html <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Damir Besic on 27 February 2001 at 08:59 PM.]</p></FONT>

give it up guy`s,all of us who are hard on hearing and don`t play Fessenden should listen mr.Cole and give up.There is so many players working for a major acts who play Fessenden that I don`t have enough room here to list them.Also every studio musician In Nashville can`t walk in the studio without Fessenden. ...uhu

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http://hometown.aol.com/damirzanne/damirzanne1.html

FWIW,
I think it's great that Damir gave us his opinion. And I play a Zum, so he wasn't doing me any favors. It's just that, when someone is complimentary all the time, then it's a useless opinion. It's like asking someone what they thought of a movie when all they ever say is "the movie is GREAT". It's like everyone in a class getting an A. It means nothin'. Everyone takes criticism of their guitars personally and trashes those people who offer those opinions. It may be politically correct to just say positive things and never anything negative, but it also has little value.

hey Jeff thanks,
I didn`t mean to trash any of these guitars,like I saied they are all pro,high dollar instruments,I just saied what was on my mind and if someone doesn`t like or thinks that my Legrande is not for him that`s cool,it is good (IMHO) that there is so many different steels out there at least we can choose where to spend all those thousands of dollars.

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http://hometown.aol.com/damirzanne/damirzanne1.html

I understand what you're saying Damir! theres a very famous quotation that says...

<SMALL>I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend with my life your right to say it.</SMALL>

Voltaire, maybe?

Tommy white told me several years ago that he owns several guitars from several builders.This way depending on the playing situation,he has a guitar to fit it.I hope that my next guitar will be a 78 push pull and black.I absolutely love the sound of the bottom end.