The Steel Guitar Forum

I just recently found a new love, it's the pedal steel. I plan to buy my first ever steel next month and I am not sure what to be looking for. I have been a working guitar player for years and have always been around the steel but never took the time to really appreciate the intricacies of this beautiful instrument.
I plan to be in this for the long haul so I want a steel that I can grow into and eventually play on stage. If I ever did upgrade it would be for personal preference not quality.
I'm hoping some one might steer me in the right direction. I have several fender tube amps and a couple solid states,any amp info would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
Brad

You will get many replies. All different due to their personal
Preference. There are many great steels out there.
I have owned 5 different brands and for me,
Mullen suits me the best. Good luck

There is a certain degree of objectivity in the choice you make. How much you are willing to spend is usually at the top of everyone’s list. Considering the time you will realistically be able to dedicate to learning to play can sometimes figure into the spending budget...

So learn everything you can about pedal steel before you buy - S10, S12ext, D10, Uni12 - each type of instrument has its own character and level of complexity. Learn what you can about how they work mechanically. Some can have pedals and/or levers added and switched around, others cannot. Just about any new guitar is going to be of excellent quality, regardless of price or name brand. With used instruments, you need to be a little more careful - maybe have someone who knows help you buy. But a used axe can also be the better bang for buck.

If you have not tried to sit down at a steel to see how you fit and how it feels, I suggest you do so. You live in a part of the country where it shouldn’t be too difficult to find players and builders who would love to give you their opinion on what you are looking for.

Amplifiers - anything that will give you plenty of clean headroom and full bodied tone. Your Fenders would be a good place to start. I use a powered speaker and amp models in a Boss GT10 and love it. Others will go on about Everything from a $300 Peavey to a $3000 Milkman.

Ready set go!

Brad,

what kind of music do you mostly play, what kind of music are you planning to play on pedal steel, and what is a comfortable price point for you?

Traditional older country from the 50s - 60s and 70s.

I will be spending in the $4000 range

Brad Cornwell wrote:I will be spending in the $4000 range

Sounds like a brand new Mullen, maybe?
https://mullenguitars.com/guitars-and-prices

Brad, For the music you want to play, an E9 single neck is what you need. It can be a single neck E9, wide body E9
(see Williams web site), or Single double ten (double wide body with only the E9 neck and a pad to rest your arms on.
3 pedals and 4 or 5 knee levers will keep you busy for as long as you play it. You will need a volume pedal ($300 for a Hilton) and a good bar $75 to $100 for a BJS, and if you have a Twin Reverb you are all set. I Like Mullen and Show Pro, but most of the guitars being built today are well made and play well. Get together with steel players in you area to see and try their guitars. Look at the builder web sites as listed in the "Links" at the top right corner of this page. Feel free to ask questions here. Have fun!

Here's a deal that you will like...Can't go wrong with a Mullen

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... highlight=

When you say you like the country music of the 50s through 70s, do you include western swing, such as Bob Wills and Spade Cooley, Asleep at the Wheel, early Commander Cody, etc.? If the answer is yes, you may want to consider that a lot of that music is played on the C6th tuning.

It's a lot simpler and less intimidating to go with a single neck E9 guitar, whether on a single frame or double frame, but if you want to learn to play swing, a D10 might suit you better.

So many choices.

I'm a Bud man for sure. I also own a Mullen. My advice would be a Mullen, and that is because they still are in production and they are very supportive. Been playing Buds for 35 years now. Love the tone. Spoiled. Mullen is great for tone also.

I'm a little bit more liberal than others when it comes to gear choices. My suggestion? First, lighten up! Don't be wringing your hands and worrying that you'll buy something that won't last the rest of your life. Your needs and tastes may well change in the first few years, and also as you progress. I'd try to think more about the "right now", and not be worrying about where you'll be five or ten years down the road. The money you've allotted will buy something very good.

Next, since you have several amps, I'm sure at least one will suffice for awhile. Get your feet wet in the playing end first, and then later you'll be more able to judge what you're looking for in a separate amp, should you decide to go that route.

Lastly, IMHO you don't need a fancy or expensive volume pedal to start with, but just something that was designed for pedal steel. As with a guitar or amp, you may find your taste or requirements will change down the road.

Welcome to the fold!

Paul Sutherland wrote:When you say you like the country music of the 50s through 70s, do you include western swing, such as Bob Wills and Spade Cooley, Asleep at the Wheel, early Commander Cody, etc.? If the answer is yes, you may want to consider that a lot of that music is played on the C6th tuning.

It's a lot simpler and less intimidating to go with a single neck E9 guitar, whether on a single frame or double frame, but if you want to learn to play swing, a D10 might suit you better.

So many choices.

Since you have $4000.00 to spend, I would certainly recommend a D10. According to what you've said,That C6th neck will be very useful in the future.

Mitch

Brad - you have $4 grand to spend on a pedal steel. You can get a HELLUVA great pedal steel for $4 grand. I strongly suggest that you be VERY PATIENT in your search. Take some real time - listen to folks on this forum, but don't necessarily believe everything you hear. Including me!

Look, you can get a nice used D10 Zum for $4 grand, IF YOU'RE PATIENT. Or a nice used D10 Mullen G2 for $4 grand, IF YOU'RE PATIENT. Or an SD-10 of either of those brands for around $3000, IF YOU'RE PATIENT. A good one of these is a lifetime guitar. I have one of each, they're lifetime guitars.

I do agree with Donny that it's not essential that you get the "lifetime" steel right now. You can get an excellent older pro-model pedal steel for a LOT less than you have to spend right now, and save your $DO-RE-MI for when you have a real idea what you want. For example, if you were on your toes, you could have had this Dekley for $1000 - https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=333482 - excellent pro-model S10 E9 steel. But this one seems to still be availalbe for $1500, which is still, IMO, a good deal - https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=333327.

Other good, solid S10 pedal steels in the $1000-1500 range are BMI, Sierra, and MSA. I have seen nice old Sho Buds from the 70s in the $1400-2000 range, in nice shape. If in good shape, these are solid machines that will take you several years before you would need to think about anything else.

Take your time, and check in here and ask questions when you see something you're interested in. Don't rush it, there's always another guitar around the corner.

Again - be PATIENT. Patience combined with SMARTS is rewarded.

In 1996 I spent a few grand on a brand new Carter D-10 and spent the next year barely getting a grip on the E9 and using the C6 as an armrest - to the point where I removed the C6 pedals and rods. In a year I sold it.

in 2006 I bought another Carter, an S10, gave it a second go round and lasted an uncommitted year. I sold it.

In 2017 I bought a verrrrry used BMI for a grand or so, have been playing it 2-3 hours a day (and I have a day job) and have progressed leaps and bounds past my prior attempts.I couldn't be happier with my choice, and it has less knees than the Carter S-10 did (3 and 3).

If I make it a year I may upgrade; I like the BMI so much I will get another BMI.

My suggestion is to find a good used steel here on the Forum, perhaps invest in Franklin's course, and buy your lifelong instrument when you have a better handle on what you want to do with your music. My $0.02...

Where do you live in West Virginia?
I live in the Fairmont area. I know of some steels for sale in the Fairmont/ Clarksburg area. If you want to look at them and take them for a ride before you buy. Send me a personal E-Mail through the Steel Guitar Forum to make contact. Welcome to the wild world of Steel Guitars.

Brad Cornwell wrote:I will be spending in the $4000 range

you don't need to spend that much. I'd spend 2000-ish on a second hand Carter (theres one for sale now) and put the rest in the bank for the next one you buy, which needn't be for another 10 years

Is there any chance you could "borrow" a Pedal Steel from a local player/instructor, or maybe rent a Pedal Steel locally???...
...that would buy you time for the bigger purchase decision.
I know how it is when you just want to have an instrument at your house
fwiw, I was in 11th grade, and my Dad bought me a used Sho-Bud 3x1 for $350. I still play licks I learned out of the Winnie Winston book that I learned on my first day!

Take you time and try several out. I started out with a well used Sho Bud LG model. Then I went to the Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis--tried them all out. Went back home and played the Sho Bud another year--then went back again to the St. Louis Show and tried them all out again. I chose a Williams Single on a Double neck with pad. I'm still a wannabe but enjoy playing along with rhythm tracks and learning from Jeff Newman Instructions. Took the three day course from Jeff several years ago before he passed on. Look up the Williams on the net and even call Bill Rudolph--he's good people and makes a fine pedal steel--you will like the patented way the strings are attached at the base; if one breaks, you don't have to look for the end of it down in the body.

Bob Jennings

You're a working player.
Weight matters. A lot. D-10 means hauling around the weight of two guitars so you have one to play. I was sure I needed both necks. I was seriously wrong. Going out today to look at an S-10.
Make sure whatever you get is an all pull changer. Period.
Ease of, and noise with, pedal operation is an issue. The ease issue is bigger than the noise issue, because when the band is playing you won't hear the clicks. My cheapo S-10 requires quite a bit more force to get the pedals all the way down than my good (Carter) D-10.
Lots of working musicians wind up with two psg's, one to leave set up for practice and one to haul around.
I just started in March this year, so these are all observations from a guitar playing PSG beginner who is a (very bottom end) working musician.
Go for it. PSG is beyond wonderful.

I have ordered a new steel guitar and will receive it in about two weeks. Just wondering what Tone bar I should start out with and what would be recommended for a beginner thanks

If you're a REAL steel player, you'll buy a real nice one,love it,play it for a couple years. Then you'll sell it and get something else! Haha.

Hi Brad. Welcome to the world of steel guitar. You can spend a lot or a little on a tone bar.

Here's a link to Jim Burden's handcrafted Bullet Bars. Excellent craftsmanship and high quality materials. These are hard to beat for the price.

You may decide to go for one of the higher end bars in the future, but I can promise you Bullet Bars will fill the bill.

The most popular size for pedal steel guitars is 7/8" dia. and around 3 1/8" to 3 3/8" or so in length.

If you decide on one of Jim's bars, he can tell you which length is the most requested and desirable.

http://www.bulletbars.com/

There are also off the shelf bars like Dunlop etc. and the John Pearse bars that b0b sells here in the steel guitar shopper.com store. Sales from this site helps support the forum. See link at top of page.

Best of luck on your steel guitar journey