The Steel Guitar Forum

I am watching Asleep at the Wheel on the Circle and the steel player is switching between a D-8 console guitar and D-10 pedal steel. What can be on a console guitar that can't be done on a pedal steel?

Tone, brother.

The last time I saw the "Wheel", Big Jim Murphy was playing a triple eight string, no pedal Fender. Jimmy played more on his Fender than I could ever play on my D10 Emmons with nine pedals and seven knee's.
I guess it's all in who's picking the strings.

I've done it, plenty of times. In the end, I decided that my Zum universal or any one of a number of D10s did the non-pedal B6/C6 thing just fine. I play on relatively small stages a lot, and I often don't have much time to change guitars between songs in a live situation.

However, I admit that I'd love to just shove a pair of early long-scale Stringmaster pickups or a 10-string version of the Bigsby-style pickup that's on my Clinesmith cast-aluminum 8-string lap steel on one of my D10s.

I've been taking a Supro lap steel, tuned to C6th, to most gigs, along with a D10 pedal steel. The Supro just sounds different in a good way for some songs. With an overdrive pedal it really screams.

Dave Mudgett wrote:I've done it, plenty of times. In the end, I decided that my Zum universal or any one of a number of D10s did the non-pedal B6/C6 thing just fine. I play on relatively small stages a lot, and I often don't have much time to change guitars between songs in a live situation.

However, I admit that I'd love to just shove a pair of early long-scale Stringmaster pickups or a 10-string version of the Bigsby-style pickup that's on my Clinesmith cast-aluminum 8-string lap steel on one of my D10s.

Lollar has made a 10 string humbucking stringmaster-type pickup before, bet they’d do it again! I was scared off by the custom-shop price...

Curt Trisko wrote:Tone, brother.

You are absolutely right. Even if you don't engage any pedals and don't use the top 2 strings, the sound of the C6 neck on a pedal steel is completely different tonally from the sound of a non-pedal. I'm pretty certain I could identify the difference from a recording.

I've always said us steel pickers look for a sound to please ourselves, not the public.

I try to use the right tool for the job. However, stage space limits and aversion to hauling gear can be a factor for sure!

With what gigs pay in Florida, they're lucky I show up at all!

Be smart like Fox not dumb like Ox is my motto.If I could walk into a gig with only a throw pillow and my guitar I would.

If it’s Eddie Rivers playing, he plays the leg steel standing which allows him to play sax easily. He normally plays the leg steel and not pedal steel w AATW. When they did Last Of The Breed tour, I believe Eddy played pedal steel as well on some numbers. The Fender that Eddie plays (which I believe belongs to Ray) sounds great in the capable hands of Mr. Rivers.