The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm another newbie here and am looking for a good PSG store with good sales and service in So Cal. After my narrow escape from disaster on Ebay, I've decided to take a different approach to purchasing my first pedal steel. I've been fooling around with a C6 lap steel and GMajor dobro for a couple of years, and want to try something with pedals. I have heard that Blackie Taylor's in Riverside is about the only store around here. Any suggestions? By the way, thanks for all the folks who advised me and helped me out during the Ebay fiasco (the infamous $1,000 Maverick)--you guys saved me from flushing a grand down the john.-----Dave<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Dave White on 14 November 2005 at 03:41 PM.]</p></FONT>

I think Jim Palenscar has a store in San Diego.

Dave Z

Jim Palenscar's "Steel Guitars of North County". Jim's a member here.

Yep, used to be my ol' stompin' grounds. At least it used to be on my way to Rancho Bernardo for sessions.
Do go see Jim. He's a good man, & he'll treat you right.

Dave White The only thing I can tell you is the samething Everyone is saying GO SEE JIM in Oceanside. He is the best bet for your money.I have dealt with him and he will not do wrong.

Dave W ... if you stiil want a Marverik I have one .. its $ 900.( jokeing)
WElcome to the Forum
Herman
Dave ckeck out the Steel chat Room

Dave,,
Welcome to the Forum, and check out Jim P. store down in Ocean Side..

Larry

I haven't made it down to Jim's yet but have heard good stuff. Blackie also has some nice stuff in a funky old store/house and is a good guy. He's buddies with Gene Fields and seems to specialize in GFI's although he's also a good one for fixing old discontinued guitars - seems to get a prretty penny to do so, though.

Chris Burke in Signal Hill doesn't sell guitars usually, but is a local guy who I hear does a great job of servicing/repairing steels.

Dave, thanks for posting that URL. Previously I did a search and came up with nothing.

I'm a total newbie. Never even touched a PS! However, lately I find myself listening to country tunes just for the PS parts.

By now I think I've surfed every maker and dealer. It would be good if many of them put a little more info on their sites as Carter does. Also it would be good if they put up a sound sample like the home page of the Emmons site. What a purdy sound, brings a tear to my eye!

Best regards,
Joe

Both Blackie Taylor and Jim Palenscar are good people who are dedicated to the steel.

Sooner or later you're going to meet both men and check out both stores. I suggest you make it sooner.

Thanks for the info guys. I'm planning a trip to Oceanside very soon now. I liked Jim's site and it looks like just the kind of place I'm looking for. Too bad it's 60 miles from home, but if I get a good deal it will be worth it. Joe, I know what you're talking about with that "purdy" sound and all. First time I heard Pete Drake's solo on "Behind That Locked Door" by George Harrison, I got a little wet in the eyes myself, and I still think it is one of the best PSG solos on a rock album I have ever heard--------------------Dave

Dave-don't complain about 60 miles!

If there is a store in Northern California that has something besides a Carter Starter or the dreaded Maverick, I would like to know about it. Those are about the only steels I have seen in any music store in this region in the past couple of years, along with the occasional lap steel. Not that I have been to every music store in NorCal, but I have been to a fair amount in my travels for my job.

This strikes me as odd, because of the population here and the idea that the Bay Area in particular has had a strong music community for many years.

------------------
Mark
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 15 November 2005 at 09:00 AM.]</p></FONT>

60 miles, I wish...
Geographically challenged? Try 180 to 240 miles.

Ray-I'll stop whining after this post...525 miles from where I live north of San Francisco down to Jim Palenscar's place in Oceanside.

------------------
Mark

Jeeze--60 miles is a walk in the park--didn't realize good "steel stores" were so hard to find. I'll be heading down there soon. Thanks again--------Dave

Dave, Blackie Taylor is just over the hill from you in Riverside.

Mark--

I worked in a local music store, here in the
East Bay, during the late '80's. We had for
a couple years, three working steel players on the payroll and not one steel for sale on the floor.

Sad.

Joe.

60 miles???? LOL.....

It's a far piece from Kimgman, Az. to Oceanside,,,,but I'll gladly drive it again as needed!!!

Larry

------------------
Emmons S/D-10, 3/5, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

Thanks for the nice comments- I appreciate them. In another thread someone was talking about Tom Bradshaw talking to himself and the guitar he was working on. It must come with the territory as I do the same thing, although occ. !@#% comments are known to eminate from my lips as progress stalls. I remember, years ago, telling my mom that it really would be best if she didn't hang around when I was working on cars in the back yard as I didn't want her to hear what her son was capable of saying .It really is interesting working on some of these guitars as there is so much history in them- the bars they've been played in, the hours and hours that the players have spent working things out on them, the different folks that they've been played for. It really is a priviledge and I respect that.

Doesn't Larry Petree have a steel shop in California?

------------------
God Bless,
Steve Stallings
D10 9x7 Rains (On order)
D10 8x10 Emmons (Black Beauty)

Larry lives in Bakersfield. He doesn't have an actual commercial shop, but he does repair work in his garage. I heard somewhere that he was an authorized Mullen dealer, but I have no way of knowing whether or not that's true.

On those occasions when I've visited him, he always had a guitar being worked on in his garage, but I don"t recall seeing any for sale.

BTW he can really pick. I had the pleasure of playing lead guitar behind him while he played steel, and his playing was simply delightful. I hope to do it again soon.

Jim is an excellent dealer to work with, I just closed a deal with him toay, Fri. 18 Nov 05. everything was as smooth as it could be, on time and in touch. art

Mark,

Tall Toad in Petaluma often has second-hand pedal steels. Music Biz in Santa Rosa has old lap steels.

Jim---I love that last post. A) the creativity of language that is generated by the plunging of an especially sharp tool into the flesh of a human appendage is truly one of god's wonders and B) the mojo embedded in a steel guitar that has seen its share of years and abuse is indeed special. Man, I love it all.