The Steel Guitar Forum

Watched the Wilburn Bros. show Sat. evening and never could catch the steel players name. Anyone know who it was? Thanks, J.R.

didn't see that particular show but I believe Don Helms was first, followed by Hal Rugg, then Curly Chalker.

I think Saturday was Don Helms.

RC

Rick, I kinda thought that also but still unsure. He had the glasses on that he all ways wore. But he was playing a Sho-Bud guitar. I never knew he played one and with pedals. J.R.

Yes, and if you noticed he wasn't using a round bar. He was using a dobro type bar.

RC

Actually,I went to play a gig in Virginia Beach while still in high school and I'd never seen a pedal steel guitar before,So I became facinated with the Wilborn Brothers tv shows that were on at the hotel,It took me a while to figure out what kinda instrument this was.I also remember meeting some pro wrestlers in the lounge where I was gigging,and a "Waffle House"which I thought was amazing.

Stu Schulman wrote:Actually,I went to play a gig in Virginia Beach while still in high school and I'd never seen a pedal steel guitar before,So I became facinated with the Wilborn Brothers tv shows that were on at the hotel,It took me a while to figure out what kinda instrument this was.I also remember meeting some pro wrestlers in the lounge where I was gigging,and a "Waffle House"which I thought was amazing.

Yep.The firest steel guitar I ever saw in person was the first one I bought myself. Waffle House is alive and well, traditional country music, not so much.

RC

Definately Don Helms. Told me he had a garage full of pedal steels
But preferred old Red.

Don Helms played non pedal steel on all the Hank Williams recordings that he played on. Hank died new years day 1953 and in that same year the pedal steel made its debut on a record "Slowly" . That was the beginning of pedal steel for country music.
Don played a few more years with Ray Price after Hank's death. It was probably during this time that he and many other players switched to the pedals. Don said he played the pedal steel for 35 years. The Gibson non pedal was under his bed for most of that time. On all the Youtube videos I have seen of Don on the Wilburn Brothers show and live concerts with the Drifting Cowboys he is seen playing the pedal steel. This was in the years from about 1965 to 1990. It was after this that Don went back to playing non pedal and said he was going to stay with it. I guess he did.

Thanks to all for the input, J.R.

I saw The Drifting Cowboys at a fair in the 1980’s and Don was sitting down playing a first generation MSA.

Only crossed paths with Don once. 1967 or 8? He was touring with Hank Jr. He played a D-10 MSA.

I was playing with Don Helms and the Malpass Brothers some years back in Liberty, N. C. and a fellow brought out one of Don's old pedal steels for him to see. It was a Sho-Bud, nine string. I never saw Don play that steel, but he apparently did on some the Drifting Cowboys reunion shows. Anyone else have any history on that guitar?

Clyde Mattocks wrote:I was playing with Don Helms and the Malpass Brothers some years back in Liberty, N. C. and a fellow brought out one of Don's old pedal steels for him to see. It was a Sho-Bud, nine string. I never saw Don play that steel, but he apparently did on some the Drifting Cowboys reunion shows. Anyone else have any history on that guitar?

Now that you mentioned that Clyde, I think the Sho-Bud he played on The Wilburn Bothers Show may have been a 9 string.