The Steel Guitar Forum

Grew up around bluegrass, but always been fascinated with the sound of pedal steel. As I mentioned above, I currently play dobro(have for several years), heavily influenced by Jerry Douglas and Mike Auldridge(who also played pedal steel). Always wanted to either get into the 8-string lap steel world or pedal steel. Starting to play a little 70's through 90's country, and really getting the fever to get a pedal steel or get a 8-string lap steel and put palm benders on it. Really don't have the money to sink into a pedal steel. What would be your all's recommendation on getting into that world? It's a world I'm completely unfamiliar with.

If what you really want is pedal steel, I suggest getting a pedal steel. There are some very reasonably-priced options available these days -

http://www.justicesteelguitars.com/S10%20Jr.html

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=3104308

An 8-string lap steel is a reasonable option also. But by the time you buy benders and install them (or have them installed), it may be in the same ballpark as one of the above pedal steels.

Yes exactly what Dave just said and linked.
and it IS the bending of string phrasing that you are hearing and wanting to make that sound; and it IS a "Pedal Steel Guitar" > get one; you'll never look back and it IS BECAUSE you want to make that SOUND.
Enjoy.
Ricky

I bought a lap steel about 6 months ago in the same boat as you: I'd always wanted to play pedal steel but it seemed like a whole investment and too difficult.

I had it about three weeks and my instructor let me try his pedal steel. I bought one the next week and haven't looked back.

For me it would have been cheaper to skip the lap steel. I'd suspect it'll be similar for you.

Dear Nathan - You sound like you are into this pretty deep. Possibly you need a 10 string single neck steel guitar tuned to an E9th tuning with at least 3 pedals and 4 knee levers. There's only one known cure for that condition.....

Richard Alderson wrote:Dear Nathan - You sound like you are into this pretty deep. Possibly you need a 10 string single neck steel guitar tuned to an E9th tuning with at least 3 pedals and 4 knee levers. There's only one known cure for that condition.....

Exactly! But be aware, the cure comes with side effects. Sleep loss, anxiety, physical and mental fatigue, mood changes, and possibly stress within personal relationships.

Mitch

If you are on facebook, look me up as @dcsteelman. I wrote 2 articles on my transition to pedal steel from bluegrass dobro.

Mike A. was my teacher for both over the years.

Also, If you're attending IBMA in Raleigh next month, I'll be there at the Beard Guitars booth and happy to chat!

cheers

h

Thank you all! Yeah, that's what I figured.

Depending on where you reside in NC, Clyde Mattocks is both an awesome bluegrass dobro and country PSG player.

He's here on the forum. Might want to look him up.

h

I know there's lotsa guys who will disagree, but to me, putting bender(s) on a good lap steel would be akin to putting a trailer hitch on a Corvette.

Get a decent pedal steel; you won't regret it.

Jack Hanson wrote:I know there's lotsa guys who will disagree, but to me, putting bender(s) on a good lap steel would be akin to putting a trailer hitch on a Corvette.

Get a decent pedal steel; you won't regret it.

I like that analogy. Thank you sir.

If you really want the pedal steel sound, bite the bullet and get a pedal steel. I could offer a lot of qualifying prose and discussion and examples from personal experience, but that's the bottom line.

Jack Hanson wrote:I know there's lotsa guys who will disagree, but to me, putting bender(s) on a good lap steel would be akin to putting a trailer hitch on a Corvette.

Get a decent pedal steel; you won't regret it.

Jack is a very wise man.

Nathan, I play both pedal steel and dobro. I added dobro to pedal steel because I love both instruments. As far as brands of pedal steels go, there are a lot of great brands to choose from. I play a Jackson pedal steel, which is a company founded by David and Harry Jackson, the sons of Shot Jackson, who started Sho-Bud with Buddy Emmons. Jackson makes steels for players of all levels.

I like you was a dobro player wanting to get into steel guitar. I bought both a lap steel and a pedal steel. I eventually sold the pedal steel, still playing the lap steel. Two main reasons kept me from keeping the pedal and one main reason keeps me from buying one every time I get a get a bad case of GAS and start thinking about buying one again.

1. The biggest reason is just the sheer mechanics of the thing. I'm not a particularly mechanically minded person. Watching one of Mickey Adams's mechanical tutorials on the pedal steel sends me to the defibrillator. Every time I think I want one, I watch an "unpacking my new pedal steel" video on youtube and I think: there is no way I want to deal with all those mechanics, all those things that can go wrong, all those things that need to be maintained. I like something that is grab and go, and low maintenance.

2. The second reason is a pedal steel sounds....like a pedal steel. It has a sound that is unmistakable but also very specific. I just heard the lap steel sound more in my head, all those David Lindley notes. You just can't get that sound on the pedal steel, unless you are Robert Randolph.

Some folks love the mechanics of the pedal steel. They have "shops" in their garage and love to tinker. I'm not one of those folks. As I mentioned to a forum member the other day: If I could pay someone to change the light bulbs in my house, I would do it. So, be aware of what kind of person you are before deciding.

I hear ya. I actually want the specific sounds of a pedal steel. I want to be able to make a chord minor or 7th with the pushing of a pedal or the knee lever. I also love jazz. I love that you can get a diminished chord just by the pressing of a certain combination of pedals and/or levers. I have always found the sound of a pedal steel to be haunting. Also, the actual tonality of a pedal steel is like none other. I've for years always wanted to get into it. I've sat down behind a couple in music stores, and I think at the time the tuning scared me, and the mechanics of it. It is a lot but I think I'm ready now. I can't get it out of my head.

Bill McCloskey wrote:I like you was a dobro player wanting to get into steel guitar. I bought both a lap steel and a pedal steel. I eventually sold the pedal steel, still playing the lap steel. Two main reasons kept me from keeping the pedal and one main reason keeps me from buying one every time I get a get a bad case of GAS and start thinking about buying one again.

1. The biggest reason is just the sheer mechanics of the thing. I'm not a particularly mechanically minded person. Watching one of Mickey Adams's mechanical tutorials on the pedal steel sends me to the defibrillator. Every time I think I want one, I watch an "unpacking my new pedal steel" video on youtube and I think: there is no way I want to deal with all those mechanics, all those things that can go wrong, all those things that need to be maintained. I like something that is grab and go, and low maintenance.

2. The second reason is a pedal steel sounds....like a pedal steel. It has a sound that is unmistakable but also very specific. I just heard the lap steel sound more in my head, all those David Lindley notes. You just can't get that sound on the pedal steel, unless you are Robert Randolph.

Some folks love the mechanics of the pedal steel. They have "shops" in their garage and love to tinker. I'm not one of those folks. As I mentioned to a forum member the other day: If I could pay someone to change the light bulbs in my house, I would do it. So, be aware of what kind of person you are before deciding.

I actually want the specific sounds of a pedal steel.

Then there is your answer. If you want the sound of the pedal steel, no amount of palm levers, string pulls, or other tricks are going to be satisfying. And if the mechanics don't intimidate you, go for it.

Bill McCloskey wrote:

I actually want the specific sounds of a pedal steel.

Then there is your answer. If you want the sound of the pedal steel, no amount of palm levers, string pulls, or other tricks are going to be satisfying. And if the mechanics don't intimidate you, go for it.

I think the mechanics do unnerve me a little but, I'm willing to learn as I go.

To be honest the mechanics are only complex when you are changing a setup. If are worried buy PSG that has been setup already and you won’t need to tinker until you are ready. My first PSG was a 3 pedal one lever shobud. You certainly don’t need more than that for a long while.
There are a number of new options which only have a simple setup and this makes it cheaper and less daunting. Upgrading options, when you are ready, are there.

Thank you sir. I'm looking forward to it.

John Hyland wrote:To be honest the mechanics are only complex when you are changing a setup. If are worried buy PSG that has been setup already and you won’t need to tinker until you are ready. My first PSG was a 3 pedal one lever shobud. You certainly don’t need more than that for a long while.
There are a number of new options which only have a simple setup and this makes it cheaper and less daunting. Upgrading options, when you are ready, are there.

Hi Nathan I'm also from NC. I play Pedal Steel Guitar...and want to learn the Dobro. One of the great things about this forum is the great folks here are always ready to help. Some of the nicest and best Steel Guitar pickers are reaching out to you in this topic. The link that Dave posted is A great place to start...Fred Justice is A very good Steel picker...and he knows what A steel guitar should perform like. He builds A great Guitar...not to mention he is one of the nicest guys in the business. Ricky Davis is A super Picker and could probably write A book on Sho Bud Guitars. If I could just play Rickys mistakes I would be A happy man. So any advice these guys give you...you wont go wrong. Btw. do you give Dobro lessons.

LOL. I wish I had time. Plus you may want someone who has the ability to focus better than me. I'm a scatterbrain and a half. I appreciate the insight!

Bill Sutton wrote:Hi Nathan I'm also from NC. I play Pedal Steel Guitar...and want to learn the Dobro. One of the great things about this forum is the great folks here are always ready to help. Some of the nicest and best Steel Guitar pickers are reaching out to you in this topic. The link that Dave posted is A great place to start...Fred Justice is A very good Steel picker...and he knows what A steel guitar should perform like. He builds A great Guitar...not to mention he is one of the nicest guys in the business. Ricky Davis is A super Picker and could probably write A book on Sho Bud Guitars. If I could just play Rickys mistakes I would be A happy man. So any advice these guys give you...you wont go wrong. Btw. do you give Dobro lessons.

Hey Nathan - not sure if you're decision is made yet but you might also want to pose your question over in the Steel without pedals section of the forum. There you'd get some additional opinions from the lap steelers, many of whom also play pedal.
All the best.

Thanks John, I'm now leaning towards getting a lap and a pedal steel. I want to get into the C6 and E9 world(which I'm leaning towards lap for C6 and pedal for E9 - since I can't afford a double-neck at the moment). I'm a huge Junior Brown fan and love his lap(and pedal) steel work. Also want to see more shows where he uses his "pedal guit-steel" but can't find too many.

John Watson wrote:Hey Nathan - not sure if you're decision is made yet but you might also want to pose your question over in the Steel without pedals section of the forum. There you'd get some additional opinions from the lap steelers, many of whom also play pedal.
All the best.

Sounds like you have the best of both worlds now. I tuned my 8 string lap to the lower 8 strings of the common E9 pedal steel. With slants and behind the bar bends you can get a definite country flavour and a few cool pedal steel licks. Can also get some good sounds by using a few open strings in the mix too. However, if you've got a pedal steel, may as we'll play the real deal and not spend all your time working on the slants and Bar bends.