The Steel Guitar Forum

I hope post this is in the correct area.

I just ordered a Justice S10 Jr. 3x4, w/ arm pad in blue. I am so excited about this! Delivery is mid December. Can't wait - Christmas present.

Just saying Hi and looking forward to becoming part of the community.

Excellent choice.

Congratulations! Have fun!

Thanks, guys! There are so many on-line resources for PSG.

Rick,Welcome aboard,Justice guitars are really great!!

Thanks, Stu! I was hoping I had made a good choice.

You should also pick up a subscription to Hair Club for Men cause you won’t have any left after pulling it out during the first year.

Good choice Rick I received mine 7/7/20 love it. Wes

Justin Emmert wrote:You should also pick up a subscription to Hair Club for Men cause you won’t have any left after pulling it out during the first year.

Not a lot left, just sayin.

Wesley Medlen wrote:Good choice Rick I received mine 7/7/20 love it. Wes

Did you get the Jr configured like the one I ordered?

I order it with 3 &3 E's on left RKL lowers I & 6 to G. Wes

Welcome, Rick! You made a great choice. It is good to start out with an instrument that will just work, so you don't spend more time adjusting and repairing than practicing. Find a local teacher if you can, and feel free to ask questions here. Enjoy!

Received my Justice 3x5 ProLite in May of 2017. My first go at PSG, I picked a good one and Fred is great to deal with. Congratulations on a wonderful Pedal Steel.

Larry Jamieson wrote:Welcome, Rick! You made a great choice. It is good to start out with an instrument that will just work, so you don't spend more time adjusting and repairing than practicing. Find a local teacher if you can, and feel free to ask questions here. Enjoy!

Thanks, Larry! I decided a new PSG would be better to make sure the mechanical components were in new condition. I know I'll have enough challenges just try to play!

Bruce Bjork wrote:Received my Justice 3x5 ProLite in May of 2017. My first go at PSG, I picked a good one and Fred is great to deal with. Congratulations on a wonderful Pedal Steel.

Thanks, Bruce. So excited.

Rick Ortega wrote:I hope post this is in the correct area.

I just ordered a Justice S10 Jr. 3x4, w/ arm pad in blue. I am so excited about this! Delivery is mid December. Can't wait - Christmas present.

Just saying Hi and looking forward to becoming part of the community.

Rick, I did the same as you about a week ago! 3x4 with some minor mods. I did not get the pad but I am aiming to make my own with some aluminum stock and tooled "pleather" vinyl.

I too am very excited. My first is a Carter Starter but I'm looking forward to the upgrade.

Kyler Burke wrote:

Rick Ortega wrote:I hope post this is in the correct area.

I just ordered a Justice S10 Jr. 3x4, w/ arm pad in blue. I am so excited about this! Delivery is mid December. Can't wait - Christmas present.

Just saying Hi and looking forward to becoming part of the community.

Rick, I did the same as you about a week ago! 3x4 with some minor mods. I did not get the pad but I am aiming to make my own with some aluminum stock and tooled "pleather" vinyl.

I too am very excited. My first is a Carter Starter but I'm looking forward to the upgrade.

Kyle, when is the scheduled delivery for yours? I don't play yet. What are good beginner resources? I've played guitar all my life and do understand stringed instruments. But, I know this will be a huge challenge.

Rick: I too have played banjo, dobro and guitar pretty much all my life, PSG only 3 years or so but I’m very happy with my progress.

1. Seat time, try and play an hour a day, scales, two and three note chord positions etc.
2. Lots of YouTube stuff out there, Steel Picking for example
3. Teaching material, Mel Bay “Deluxe Pedal Steel Guitar” is working for me.
4. Start playing out, I host a weekly open mic and bring my steel to back folks up, if they’ll let me. Was asked to join a modern country band (Country Roads) up here in Maine because I play Steel, not my favorite kind of music so I had two months to learn 53 songs that I had never heard before and it has really helped my playing. We’ve got a live free streaming event coming up on Saturday, Nov. 7th 7:00 ET. Cadenzafreeport.com

I had an advantage that you’re missing, playing dobro for many many years gave me a head start on left and right hand technique including palm/pick blocking.

Have fun

Bruce Bjork wrote:Rick: I too have played banjo, dobro and guitar pretty much all my life, PSG only 3 years or so but I’m very happy with my progress.

1. Seat time, try and play an hour a day, scales, two and three note chord positions etc.
2. Lots of YouTube stuff out there, Steel Picking for example
3. Teaching material, Mel Bay “Deluxe Pedal Steel Guitar” is working for me.
4. Start playing out, I host a weekly open mic and bring my steel to back folks up, if they’ll let me. Was asked to join a modern country band (Country Roads) up here in Maine because I play Steel, not my favorite kind of music so I had two months to learn 53 songs that I had never heard before and it has really helped my playing. We’ve got a live free streaming event coming up on Saturday, Nov. 7th 7:00 ET. Cadenzafreeport.com

I had an advantage that you’re missing, playing dobro for many many years gave me a head start on left and right hand technique including palm/pick blocking.

Have fun

Bruce, thanks for the advice. That dobro headstart is huge! I guess that I could wear finger picks when I rehearse 6-string to get a better comport level with the right hand.

Can I just use my Fender tube amps at 1st? I hate to go out and buy another amp right out of the gate.

Thanks again

Fender Tube Amp is fine for Pedal Steel, search the forum for advice on your particular amp. Dobro playing technique teaches you how to get comfortable with finger picks but more importantly intonation and locating strings without looking at your right hand.

Rick Ortega wrote:

Kyler Burke wrote:

Rick Ortega wrote:I hope post this is in the correct area.

I just ordered a Justice S10 Jr. 3x4, w/ arm pad in blue. I am so excited about this! Delivery is mid December. Can't wait - Christmas present.

Just saying Hi and looking forward to becoming part of the community.

Rick, I did the same as you about a week ago! 3x4 with some minor mods. I did not get the pad but I am aiming to make my own with some aluminum stock and tooled "pleather" vinyl.

I too am very excited. My first is a Carter Starter but I'm looking forward to the upgrade.

Kyle, when is the scheduled delivery for yours? I don't play yet. What are good beginner resources? I've played guitar all my life and do understand stringed instruments. But, I know this will be a huge challenge.

Rick, I'm scheduled for approximately the first week of December.

I have taken a couple lessons locally with a guy who's played for 50+ years, a lesson with Jon Graboff (Ryan Adams, Neal Casal, Zephaniah Ohora, many others) virtually and will soon be taking some lessons with Pat Lyons (from Colter Wall's band). With all the BS and nonsense going on in the world right now, one minor silver lining is that some really great musicians are available for music lessons lately. I'd rather they be on the stage, well paid and happy, but getting to meet and be instructed by them is quite the rare privilege under normal circumstances. I'd suggest looking up Pat on @patlyonsmusic on Instagram or Facebook and messaging him.

Also, I am also working through this book which came highly recommended by Jon Graboff.

https://amzn.to/3212Ziu

Jon's suggestions to me on lesson were:
- Practice the 4 main 3-string grips/chords (easy to find by googling or the book)
- Use a metronome to arpeggio through them to the metronome, plucking each on a count and palm muting each on a count
- work my way up the major stops to the octave and then back down with the metronome
- DON'T use bar vibrato or volume pedal for these exercises
- this will help left and right hand accuracy and enhance the ability to work your way up and down the neck and change grips without having to look

Let me know if this doesn't make sense.

Kyler Burke wrote:

Rick Ortega wrote:

Kyler Burke wrote:

Rick Ortega wrote:I hope post this is in the correct area.

I just ordered a Justice S10 Jr. 3x4, w/ arm pad in blue. I am so excited about this! Delivery is mid December. Can't wait - Christmas present.

Just saying Hi and looking forward to becoming part of the community.

Rick, I did the same as you about a week ago! 3x4 with some minor mods. I did not get the pad but I am aiming to make my own with some aluminum stock and tooled "pleather" vinyl.

I too am very excited. My first is a Carter Starter but I'm looking forward to the upgrade.

Kyle, when is the scheduled delivery for yours? I don't play yet. What are good beginner resources? I've played guitar all my life and do understand stringed instruments. But, I know this will be a huge challenge.

Rick, I'm scheduled for approximately the first week of December.

I have taken a couple lessons locally with a guy who's played for 50+ years, a lesson with Jon Graboff (Ryan Adams, Neal Casal, Zephaniah Ohora, many others) virtually and will soon be taking some lessons with Pat Lyons (from Colter Wall's band). With all the BS and nonsense going on in the world right now, one minor silver lining is that some really great musicians are available for music lessons lately. I'd rather they be on the stage, well paid and happy, but getting to meet and be instructed by them is quite the rare privilege under normal circumstances. I'd suggest looking up Pat on @patlyonsmusic on Instagram or Facebook and messaging him.

Also, I am also working through this book which came highly recommended by Jon Graboff.

https://amzn.to/3212Ziu

Jon's suggestions to me on lesson were:
- Practice the 4 main 3-string grips/chords (easy to find by googling or the book)
- Use a metronome to arpeggio through them to the metronome, plucking each on a count and palm muting each on a count
- work my way up the major stops to the octave and then back down with the metronome
- DON'T use bar vibrato or volume pedal for these exercises
- this will help left and right hand accuracy and enhance the ability to work your way up and down the neck and change grips without having to look

Let me know if this doesn't make sense.

Wow, that's a lot. Thanks, Kyle! I'm so used to right finger guitar picking I know there's a learning curve. Ordered some finger picks today. Thanks!

Kyler Burke wrote:

Rick Ortega wrote:

Kyler Burke wrote:

Rick Ortega wrote:I hope post this is in the correct area.

I just ordered a Justice S10 Jr. 3x4, w/ arm pad in blue. I am so excited about this! Delivery is mid December. Can't wait - Christmas present.

Just saying Hi and looking forward to becoming part of the community.

Rick, I did the same as you about a week ago! 3x4 with some minor mods. I did not get the pad but I am aiming to make my own with some aluminum stock and tooled "pleather" vinyl.

I too am very excited. My first is a Carter Starter but I'm looking forward to the upgrade.

Kyle, when is the scheduled delivery for yours? I don't play yet. What are good beginner resources? I've played guitar all my life and do understand stringed instruments. But, I know this will be a huge challenge.

Rick, I'm scheduled for approximately the first week of December.

I have taken a couple lessons locally with a guy who's played for 50+ years, a lesson with Jon Graboff (Ryan Adams, Neal Casal, Zephaniah Ohora, many others) virtually and will soon be taking some lessons with Pat Lyons (from Colter Wall's band). With all the BS and nonsense going on in the world right now, one minor silver lining is that some really great musicians are available for music lessons lately. I'd rather they be on the stage, well paid and happy, but getting to meet and be instructed by them is quite the rare privilege under normal circumstances. I'd suggest looking up Pat on @patlyonsmusic on Instagram or Facebook and messaging him.

Also, I am also working through this book which came highly recommended by Jon Graboff.

https://amzn.to/3212Ziu

Jon's suggestions to me on lesson were:
- Practice the 4 main 3-string grips/chords (easy to find by googling or the book)
- Use a metronome to arpeggio through them to the metronome, plucking each on a count and palm muting each on a count
- work my way up the major stops to the octave and then back down with the metronome
- DON'T use bar vibrato or volume pedal for these exercises
- this will help left and right hand accuracy and enhance the ability to work your way up and down the neck and change grips without having to look

Let me know if this doesn't make sense.

The Winnie Winston book is good but check out Mel Bays "Deluxe Pedal Steel Guitar Method" I find it more structured and it starts out easy and progresses nicely to more difficult stuff.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Steel Guitar, and oh BTY, the craziness that just seems to part of it!!!

Bruce, I'm from the northeast too. I've had many a gig with singer songwriter Dan Walker.
Have you heard of him in your local?
I mentioned this because Dan has a tune "Coast of Maine" that I think is extraordinary. Look it up. I played on his Both Sides of the Sea CD.