I need advice on buying a steel guitar

Karen Palmer · Post by **Karen Palmer** » 1 Jun 2016 4:48 pm

I want to purchase a pedal steel guitar for my husband. He is a guitar player and wants to learn the pedal steel. Any advice out there for the beginner.

Jack Goodson · Post by **Jack Goodson** » 1 Jun 2016 5:18 pm

Close

Tommy White · Post by **Tommy White** » 1 Jun 2016 5:47 pm

Hi Karen,
The Mullen Discovery pedal steel may be a perfect candidate for your husband.
Mullen pedal steel guitars are of the highest quality/craftmanship/sound and customer service at a very reasonable and competitive price for the beginner or professional.
I will also say, Mullen pedal steel guitars, especially the Discovery model hold an impressive resale value and are a great choice in that, there will be no need for upgrading for many years if ever.
Good luck in your search!

Kevin Fix · Post by **Kevin Fix** » 1 Jun 2016 7:11 pm

Is the way to go for sure........ Pro line guitar for sure. I own one myself. Been playing PSG now for 35 years. Been playing Sho Buds for years. Just bought a Mullen Discovery about a month ago. I use it on all my gigs now. Great guitar.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 1 Jun 2016 9:53 pm

Where in Georgia are you? If you're not buying from a dealer and you decide on a second hand guitar, try to find a steeler to check it out for you.
Also check here on the forum

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 1 Jun 2016 10:00 pm

Also, what kind of budget? Most decent guitars start around a grand, and run up to lots.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 2 Jun 2016 1:45 am

There are several good entry level steels available. The Mullen Discovery is one. Another is the Stage One, made by Doug Earnest.

A lot of people here have been very happy with these steels. I've never seen a complaint about them.

Henning Kock · Post by **Henning Kock** » 2 Jun 2016 2:04 am

June 2 2016

Hello Karen

Stage One by Zumsteel is praised and recommended by a lot of both pro and beginning players.

You can listen and see it here:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... 91607d775e

The Zumsteel Stage One is not just a student model any more. Now it is a fully grown lightweight ecocomy model with 3 foot and 4 knees, aluminum neck and humbucking pickup and more . . .

You can order it from the builder Doug Earnest here
http://www.stageonesteelguitars.com/
doug@stageonesteelguitars.com

Best regards,
Henning

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 2 Jun 2016 2:55 am

This used Sierra might be your best bet.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=301486

David Nugent · Post by **David Nugent** » 2 Jun 2016 4:01 am

The Justice S-10 is also an excellent choice. Well built, light weight, and quite easy to resell. The two brands previously mentioned are fine instruments as well, choosing one over the other may depend on your budget requirements..FYI: In my opinion, since your husband will be a total beginner, it may be wiser to purchase a new guitar from a builder, or if used, from a reputable dealer. This should guarantee that the guitar will arrive fully adjusted and ready to play. A poorly adjusted guitar or one with an odd set up (most instructional material is written for a specific pedal and lever set up) could prove to be a major stumbling block for a new player. While I would not hesitate to purchase used from most any member of this Forum, if any reconfiguration is required on these units it may be beyond the scope of a novice to perform them correctly.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 2 Jun 2016 4:48 am

Look up John Neff in Georgia. He can help you. Getting some first hand advise and help in person from a pro player might help clear up your questions.

Gary Sill · Post by **Gary Sill** » 2 Jun 2016 7:08 am

I can tell you my experiences through over 40 years of buying pedal steels, just call.
I am a dealer for Mullen steel guitars and others.

217-433-7455

Jeff Harbour · Post by **Jeff Harbour** » 2 Jun 2016 7:12 am

Due to all the moving parts, buying a Pedal Steel really is like buying a car. Your best option is to buy a "newly manufactured" steel. If you wish to keep the cost down a bit, then any of the student models already mentioned will be great. I would also like to add GFI to that list... that's my 'brand-of-choice', and they also make a high-quality student model.

As with a car, if you buy used it's best to buy from a reputable dealer who has the ability to tweak it to the best condition possible.

When buying used from an individual, you run a risk of ending up with a lemon. So, unless your main goal is to learn to service steel guitars, that option is best left to players who have some experience in Steel Guitar tweaking. If you are new to steel playing, that scenario may cause a demotivation to play.

Karen Palmer · Post by **Karen Palmer** » 2 Jun 2016 8:42 am

Lane Gray wrote:Also, what kind of budget? Most decent guitars start around a grand, and run up to lots.

Was going to pay thru paypal so credit limit world be around 2 grand.

James Trout · Post by **James Trout** » 2 Jun 2016 8:45 am

Having went through the same process last year I found that this forum was an excellent resource to locate a good solid beginners guitar without breaking the bank. Determine your budget and let the forum members help you out. I was able to find a used double neck MSA, steel amp, volume pedal, and tone bar for under $2000 and the guy met me and showed me how to set it up and get started. There are fabulous guitars out there and there are some horror stories but using your forum friends can go along way to getting a good quality beginner's guitar.

Karen Palmer · Post by **Karen Palmer** » 2 Jun 2016 9:04 am

Henning Kock wrote:June 2 2016

Hello Karen

Stage One by Zumsteel is praised and recommended by a lot of both pro and beginning players.

You can listen and see it here:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... 91607d775e

The Zumsteel Stage One is not just a student model any more. Now it is a fully grown lightweight ecocomy model with 3 foot and 4 knees, aluminum neck and humbucking pickup and more . . .

You can order it from the builder Doug Earnest here
http://www.stageonesteelguitars.com/
doug@stageonesteelguitars.com

Best regards,
Henning

Thank You so much. I trying to learn to get thru this forum myself, but, I realy thank you.

Karen Palmer · Post by **Karen Palmer** » 2 Jun 2016 9:11 am

James Trout wrote:Having went through the same process last year I found that this forum was an excellent resource to locate a good solid beginners guitar without breaking the bank. Determine your budget and let the forum members help you out. I was able to find a used double neck MSA, steel amp, volume pedal, and tone bar for under $2000 and the guy met me and showed me how to set it up and get started. There are fabulous guitars out there and there are some horror stories but using your forum friends can go along way to getting a good quality beginner's guitar.

Thank you I will take your advice. I want to get him some thing that will stay with him for a lonk while. He is a perfectionist when it comes to instruments.

Karen Palmer · Post by **Karen Palmer** » 2 Jun 2016 9:14 am

Thank You all. I see that this family of players and dealers are the best. Thanks again for all the replies.

Karen Palmer · Post by **Karen Palmer** » 2 Jun 2016 9:25 am

Bob Hoffnar wrote:Look up John Neff in Georgia. He can help you. Getting some first hand advise and help in person from a pro player might help clear up your questions.

Thank you sir. I will try that.

Jeff Harbour · Post by **Jeff Harbour** » 2 Jun 2016 9:43 am

Karen, one more thing that is fairly important (that I don't think has been addressed yet)...

Be sure that the Steel you pick has at least ten strings, three pedals, and three knee levers. If you get any less, then your husband may encounter some roadblocks with most current learning materials.

Here is GFI's Student Model that I mentioned earlier:
http://www.gfimusicalproducts.com/studentmodel.html

Karen Palmer · Post by **Karen Palmer** » 2 Jun 2016 9:43 am

Lane Gray wrote:Where in Georgia are you? If you're not buying from a dealer and you decide on a second hand guitar, try to find a steeler to check it out for you.
Also check here on the forum[/quote

Hey thank you for your reply. I am outside of Atlanta west side about 20 miles.

Karen Palmer · Post by **Karen Palmer** » 2 Jun 2016 10:01 am

Jeff Harbour wrote:Karen, one more thing that is fairly important (that I don't think has been addressed yet)...

Be sure that the Steel you pick has at least ten strings, three pedals, and three knee levers. If you get any less, then your husband may encounter some roadblocks with most current learning materials.

Here is GFI's Student Model that I mentioned earlier:
http://www.gfimusicalproducts.com/studentmodel.html

Thank You for the advise.

Karl Paulsen · Post by **Karl Paulsen** » 2 Jun 2016 10:19 am

Karen,
What a nice thing you're doing for your husband! My brother just did the same thing for me.

If you have 2k to spend, perhaps you will want to go one step up from the Zumsteel "Stage 1". My brother purchased the Zumsteel "Encore" model for me and I am extremely happy with it.
http://www.stageonesteelguitars.com/zumsteel_encore
Others can better explain how it is an upgrade, but it was very well reviewed here on the forum and my teacher (a professional player) has been extremely impressed by it.

IIRC, the cost was about $1600 with the options I chose which is notably less expensive than similarly equipped instruments. That would leave you more than enough cash for the other accessories you will need
-Volume Pedal (probably a low profile one.
-Finger and thumb picks
-Tone Bar
-Maybe a specialized seat, though this is negotiable.

For the time being he should be able to use his guitar amps, though at some point he will probably want to purchase a pedal steel specific amp.

There was some discussion around the selection of my gear that you might find useful here.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=

One last thing to note. If you go with a new Stage 1 or Encore and can't find one at a dealer you may have to wait for it to be built. This is not a bad thing since it will allow you to pick the color, but it is something to take into consideration.

James Wolf · Post by **James Wolf** » 2 Jun 2016 11:01 am

Hi Karen! I live about an our south of Atlanta. Feel free to contact me if you need.

Ronnie Boettcher · Post by **Ronnie Boettcher** » 2 Jun 2016 1:22 pm

A few things that have not been addressed to you yet. If your husband is tall, you will have to get a guitar that he can sit under it. If his knees hit the bottom of the guitar, he will have trouble. Then you also need a seat that is higher than a normal chair. Easy fix for that is a folding keyboard seat. Under $50. I am 6 foot tall, and I had to raise my steel about 1 inch. Tommy White is steering you in the correct direction. If this is no surprise to your husband, take him with you. He might discover something that you would over look. Good luck.
Ronnie

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