The Steel Guitar Forum

Here's a light-hearted hypothetical question:
Would you rather have, say $100,000, to ONLY spend on steel guitars for the rest of your life, and abstain from alcohol? Or the vice-versa of an unlimited bar tab but you must never pick up a steel guitar again?
bOb's definition of "anything played with a bar" stands.

Also, music is not the same as steel guitar. So you could be manning the still with a banjo.

You answer first, Todd.

If I were on a desert island, and had to choose between beer and a C6 lap? Beer, knee slaps, and working on my beat-boxing technique sounds like an excellent way to pass the time... Also, I've always needed an excuse to work on my whistling (or Tuvan throat singing). But I'm not an alcoholic. Those dudes go to meetings.

I've already abstained from alcohol (medical reasons) and continue to be surprised at how little I miss it. And, on the rare (holiday, family) occasions where I do raise a glass, the buzz is either negligible or slightly ugly. Not really ugly, like hearing myself play steel guitar, but certainly not exhilarating enough to be the foundation for a robust addiction.

Easiest money I ever heard of.

But the steel guitar provides neither hydration, nor caloric intake...

Ish iszzzz a shilllly cweshunnn,......

When I started I needed lots of coffee to learn to play. Now it's beer to keep me patient. As sad as it is alcohol and music go together well.

Neither.
My steel playing has driven me to drink so they basically support each other.
It is neither one or both for me.

This is an easy one for me. I drink very little, maybe three beers a month, never at home, only on gigs, and I don't drink hard stuff at all. Never did. I'll take the steel and I couldn't care less about alcohol.

I used to drink. Then I noticed that getting drunk made me grumpy. And I prefer to be my cheery, if slightly sarcastic, self. So I don't have more than one or two a night.

Medicaly I'm not supposed to embibe. A couple of beers a year IS About it. But I have as much fun as I.ve always had but feel fine the next day.

Yep Lane. maybe 3 or 4 if I've heard a song that I really want to get into... LOL But in the end my Steel will always win out !

life is one big party to me,
i voted for free sex and free energy!

What is this - national false premise week?

The choice for me was life or alcohol. Easy one. I chose life 20 years ago and I still have my steel guitars.

40 years ago this would have been a tough question. But sometime in Sept. 1982 the booze stopped but five years before that the steel playing stopped. Started back playing in 2008.

Easy for me.. I'm 40 and I've had a total of 8 or 9 alcoholic drinks in my life... Taste like cough medicine and it gives me a stomach ache. Never understood the appeal. Coffee would be a tougher one....but I would still choose steel.

I gave up heavy drinking and drug use 24 years ago because my girlfriend wouldn't put up with it. I loved her and besides that, she had a good job lol ! We're still married and I know I made the right choice !

I'm another who had no choice but to give up the booze, so I didn't vote. Pedal steel is easier (or at least less hard) with a clear head, although I've maybe just swapped one addiction for another. The neighbours? Maybe they preferred it when I drank, but they're too kind to say.

I've never had a problem with alcohol,Haven't had a drink since April 10th 2000,I have been taking a friend to AA meetings lately.

I didn't vote because one of the choices wasn't "Hmmm... need to think a minute...."

Seriously, it's a no-brainer (tho I'm not sure what that means).

I chose alcohol.

I gave up drinking almost 23 years ago, and I don't really miss it.
If the $100-grand deal included lessons as well as gear, that would make it a real "no-brainer" for me.

For some members, a choice between pot and steel guitar would be harder.