The Steel Guitar Forum

The survey of 409 steel guitar players showed an average age of 50. Only ten of the 409 players is 25 years old or younger. I have two questions I'd like answered.

1. Is this just a reflection of the forum, is the forum a place that attracts older steel players?

or

2. Are steel players a dying breed? Are there enough younger players out there to keep this instrument alive and vital?

I'd especially like to hear from the younger players themselves to get their perspectives on this issue.

Stephen, I'm Brett Day, a new steel guitarist with cerebral palsy. I am now 19 years old, and got my first steel at eighteen. I love to play steel. My first steel is a singleneck Emmons student model made in 1974. It has ten strings, three pedals and one knee lever. It's a rosewood color Emmons. Brett Day, Emmons S-10

"1. Is this just a reflection of the forum..."

If Steel Conventions are any sign, it seems that the amount of folks who show up for the Forum Picture repesent less than 10% of the entire crowd.
If I recall correctly, Russ Rask (owner of Steel Guitar World magazine) estimated that there are approx 40,000 steel players world wide. If that is true, that means the resent survey represents approx 1% of the steel playing population world wide.
40,000 seems high to me. I'm guessing 10,000 world wide would be more accurate.
It's more representitive of the Forum population.

"Are steel players a dying breed..."

These days it seems like there are more Steel Conventions (and people attending them) than ever before.
I predict there are more steel players on the planet today than any other time in the history of the instrument.

"Are there enough younger players out there to keep this instrument alive and vital?"

There are enough that some steel shows have a segment dedicated to younger steelers.
(ie Chattanooga).
If you asked this question in the '70's the answer would be an overwhelming Yes!
But these days, Alive?... Yes.
Vital?... In my opinion steel makes songs and singers sound better, so I predict that steel will remain a vital part of popular music for the forseeable future.
I force myself to listen to the new country station and watch CMT for a few hours a week, and from what they play while I'm listening, there is steel on almost every song.
In addition to country (new and old), folks like Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Cheryl Crow, Beck, Kid Rock, and many other Pop, Rock, Classical, Alternative, and even Bluegrass groups are using steel also. So if anything, the use of steel in modern music is growing.
Strictly my own point of view based on my own perception of the random distribution of reality .
-pete (12/10/63)
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Pete Burak on 25 July 2001 at 10:23 AM.]</p></FONT>

Well, I teach here at my home, and I have a couple of young guys taking lessons. There's this one kid who is going to be a great picker. He has only been playing for three years, but he has a lot of talant and he is learning fast. I don't think the steel will ever be main stream, but there will always be young people that will take it up.

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Playing PSG keeps you on your toes.

Pete, I really appreciate your comments and viewpoints. I think you make a good case for the health of the steel guitar world and I expect you are right.

Brett, I'm really interested in your story. How did you come to be interested in playing steel guitar? What players do you listen to? And what goals do you have for playing steel guitar?

thanks to you all

Joe, you slipped in while I was responding before. All I can say is, "More good news". I am really interested in hearing about these young players and what they are listening to and what is motivating them to play. Perhaps some of your students could reply on this thread. Thanks for your interest.

b0b mentioned one time that the registered users on the forum is only a small percentage of the steel pickers. And, probably not all the registered forumites took the poll, which leaves even a smaller percentage.

There's probably some general trends that can be interpolated out of any poll/survey. Depending on how the questions are asked, and the answer options available, can also have an affect on the outcome.

In the last 15 years I could probably count on one hand the number of people I personally saw playing a Sho-Bud, but it was one of the top brands.

But, the results, from the ones that responded, is interesting.

Stephen, I've always loved country music and wanted to play an instrument besides singing. I was interested in guitar, but couldn't handle it, then I moved on to keyboards, playing by ear, but I decided keyboards wasn't enough, so I said "hey, I love country music, so I decided to play my favorite instrument, the steel guitar, since I couldn't handle guitar. So I'm playing steel now. I listen to Buddy Emmons, John Hughey, Paul Franklin, and Bobbe Seymour to name a few players. Brett. Emmons S-10

My goals are to someday play steel in a country band and gospel band and maybe play the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

Brett, I'm glad to have you here telling us about yourself. You're listening to the best and I'm sure you're going to do well.

Good luck and keep on playin'.

Stephen,

I'm not young anymore (2/28/1972), but as far as I know I'm the youngest Pedal-Steeler in Germany

My interest in PSGs shurely was influenced by Country Music. I used to grow up with punkrock and new wave and slowly growed into more, err, country-influenced music. We call it alt. country or americana over here, Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, stuff like that really got my attention. The reason I play is: I heard Eric Heywood, at first with Son Volt, later with Richard Buckner, and he was the first one who could blend very emotional playing with rock music and that did it for me.

I play drums for 17 years now and my aim with Pedal-Steel and Dobro is the same with playing drums: playing live as much as possible. I used to work for a label in Germany (and will work again in a few weeks! Yep!) and since then I know, as a german musician in the rock-music-genre I will NEVER get a record contract not to speak of make a living no matter how good I am. So I do it for fun.


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martin abend Pedal-Steel in Germany
s-10 sierra crown gearless 3 x4 - Regal RD45 - fender hotrod deluxe

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Martin Abend on 25 July 2001 at 01:13 PM.]</p></FONT>

Thanks, martin. I sure was interested to hear from some of our european players. It sounds like you're taking the steel guitar in some interesting directions. Do you have any music posted that we can listen to over here?

I'm inclined to agree with Joe Smith, here. I don't think the steel will ever be "mainstream", or popular like it was in it's "hayday". (Though must of us talk like steel's hayday was the late '50s and the '60s...the real hayday was around the '20s & '30s...when they had hundreds of people taking lessons in every large city!) But, it will continue to evolve and change, and it will be around for a long time. The same things that made the steel more versatile (more tunings, strings, and the advent of pedals) have narrowed it's appeal for beginners, but that's the price you pay for innovation. The same thing could be said for TV sets, if I could use that crude analogy. Most everyone used to troubleshoot and fix their own TV's, but as they got more complex and technologically advanced, the drug-store tube testers, and the ubiquitous corner TV-repair shops disappeared.

I would imagine that a good many of the newer, younger, players think guys like me are "old fossils and curmudgeons", and that might be why we don't see more of them on the FORUM. Their interests lie totally outside the Country/Hawaiian genres, so they find little of interest here...where we talk more about Emmons and Franklin than we do about Jerry Garcia and Sneaky Pete.

Sales of starter-steels are high, though, and that's encouraging for us all! <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 25 July 2001 at 03:01 PM.]</p></FONT>

I am 23 and have been playing for several years. My main influence is Franklin, although I do have a few local heros such as Mike Bagwell, Bryan Hudson, and Bobby Boggs. I plan to pursue a career in music while I am still fairly young because I've got the whole rest of my life to work!

-Bryan

Thanks, Timberjack. Just curious to know if you find others your age interested in the steel guitar?

Sorry, but the only person that I have met that was close to my age and was serious about the instrument was Randle Currie, who is playing w/Brad Paisely.
-Bryan

<CENTER>
<A HREF="http://www.steelguitar.com/customer/fee ... llifer.htm" TARGET=_blank><FONT SIZE=-1>Jonathan Cullifer
10 years old - 1998</FONT></A>




<A HREF="http://www.steelguitar.com/webpix/showp ... c00in.html" TARGET=_blank><FONT SIZE=-1>Jonathan Cullifer gets a lesson
from Paul Franklin
12 years old - 2000</FONT></A>




<FONT SIZE=-1>Jonathan Cullifer
Summer NAMM
13 years old - 2001</FONT>




<A HREF="http://www.steelguitar.com/webpix/showp ... l0108.html" TARGET=_blank><FONT SIZE=-1>Carl Smith III
9 years old - 2001</FONT></A>




<FONT SIZE=-1>Carl Smith III and friends</FONT>
Orlando Sacred Steel Show - 2001




<FONT SIZE=-1>Steve Miller
17 years old
Winter NAMM - 2001</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=-2><u>Background Left to Right</u>:
John Fabian and Billy Phelps</FONT>




<A HREF="http://www.steelguitar.com/webpix/showp ... l01in.html" TARGET=_blank><FONT SIZE=-1>Lamar Nelson
20 years old - 2001</FONT></A>
Orlando Sacred Steel Show
</CENTER>


<FONT SIZE=-2>Ann Fabian
Carter Steel Guitars
617 West Kearney Street
Suite 101
Mesquite, Texas 75149 USA

PlayPSG@SteelGuitar.com

1-800-969-7332 orders (accessories and steels)
972-475-2324 international PRO model sales
1-972-288-9100 technical info
1-972-288-9169 FAX
www.steelguitar.com
The Steel Guitar Information Resource
www.steelguitarINFO.com
OnLine Steel Guitarists Directory
www.OnLineSteelers.com

</FONT>


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ann Fabian on 25 July 2001 at 03:48 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ann...that's great!

Yes, Ann, thanks for the pictures. It sure brings a smile to my face. Anybody else got pictures of the next crop of players?

Thanks for the publicity, Ann! Stephen, I have some more pictures on my Website, www.cullifer.com.

Me at Scotty's
Brett Day, Bill Ferguson, and Me
Me in Saulda

Jonathan

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www.cullifer.com

Martin, are you returning to Glitterhouse? That's great. I don't think there is anything in their catalog that I wouldn't want to have. I think you should use your clout and get forum members a a nice discount
You mentioned listening to Richard Buckner. I like him a lot. Gauzy Dress In The Sun is one of my favorites, with absolutely beautiful PSG voicings all over it. I think it was Lloyd Maines playing on that.

Hi to Jonathan and Ann. I'll see you in St. Louie soon. I just wanted to mention that there is a big movement in alternative rock to use the lap steel. I guess they like the sound and figure any idiot can play it! (my leetle joke) Anyway, I imagine some of those players are going to cross over to the pedal steel once they hear what they're missing. All it will take for a resurgence is some players getting attention, and some big pop records with steel (Robert Randolph??). Glad to see the Carter folks at the Sacred Steel Convention, that's a largely untapped market and Carter is a quality instrument made by good people.

Hi Geoff,

I won't return to Glitterhouse since they refuse to move their operation to Berlin for me , but I found a great little label called "Ulftone" that was looking for someone who starts their mailorder and writes newsletters and web content a.s.o.
The label was founded by David Lindley (yes, THAT David Lindley) and Ulf Zick. It's main purpose was to distribute Lindley's CD in Europe but they have some great CDs by other artists. The last two John Prine CDs were released there, all tree Pat Mcdonald albums as well as some other great stuff.

Discount for Forum members... I'll keep that in mind

Gauzy Dress In The Sun is a really great song, the steel is indeed by Lloy Maines. Do you know Buckner's CD "since"? That's the one with Heywood.

Stephen,

I don't have anything recorded yet, but I'll let you know if there's something. Speaking of new directions: Do you know Susan Alcorn? Now that's a new direction... phantastic music.

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martin abend Pedal-Steel in Germany
s-10 sierra crown gearless 3 x4 - Regal RD45 - fender hotrod deluxe

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ole Dantoft on 26 February 2004 at 10:35 AM.]</p></FONT>