The Steel Guitar Forum

I've had this beauty for a few years - mostly in storage. Pulled it out the other day, and felt inspired...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2jLPfsZ-Ws

Nice!

Thanks Anders.

That's cool, Steve. Your Ace looks like it's in great condition. I notice that you have a dobro capo on fret 1. What tuning are you using?

Steve, I really dig your style. The use of open strings is awesome. Dobro players, take note. Also, Sol Hoopii would have loved it, too. And your tone and hands yield a really nice soulful vocal quality.

Steve, I really dig your style. The use of open strings is awesome. Dobro players, take note. Also, Sol Hoopii would have loved it, too. And your tone and hands yield a really nice soulful vocal quality.

Great video Steve.
You are one of the few players that I can tell within a note or two that it's you

Always makes me want to pick up the guitar and give it a spin

Thanks for that

Thanks a lot guys...I really appreciate you giving it a listen.

Yeah Doug, she's in pretty good shape...overall a beautiful instrument.
The tuning is open E...E-B-E-G#-B-E.

Mike, I've always been fascinated by open strings...the way every different key gives you different static "gifts".

This particular track is in Cm, so capoing the 1st fret gives me the root, 4 and 6...and I'll take 'em all!

Jay, I think I'm slowly learning to accept (and sometime even embrace) my sound. I've always felt pulled between the Lindley/Trucks/Sacred Steel kind of style, the Morrell/Jeffries/Bob Dunn western-swing sounds, and my non-steel influences...Prince, Mike Brecker, Jan Hammer, Monk, etc...I guess I've studied them enough to let them come out when it seems appropriate, with as little thinking as possible.

Many years ago, probably mid to late 1970's, I had a pretty blue ACE like that. I also had the matching blue amplifier. As I recall, I sold the set to a guitar player that was passing through, playing in one of the clubs here.

Very nice! It looks like no thumbpick or fingerpicks used?

Just a flatpick and bare fingers.

That is very creative work, Steve. Its really quite beautiful playing.

I'm OK with a pick on standard guitar and sometimes play with a flatpack on steel but I can't get anywhere near the coordination of the pick with the other fingers you achieve, Steve. You have a unique, recognizable style and that's a real gift for any musician. I love the way you use blocking versus sustained notes. The cut kinda reminds me of several '80s fusion guitar players.

That Jan Hammer synth influence with pitch wheel bending shows up in Mike Neer's playing too. It's so cool what both of you are bringing to the instrument.

Thanks guys.
Yeah Andy, Mike Neer is a Fellow Fusion Freak.

Finally got around to listening to this and am sure glad I did. Amazing!

Interesting!
I too am a fusion nut. Here is one of my favorite fusion videos (guitar).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tq3a2K5J6s

Thanks guys!
Yeah Don, that guy can play...sure knows his way around a Lydian mode!