The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm very new to the forum. This may have been covered before but maybe your views have too. What impact do you think will be had from the introduction of the Harpos lap steel guitar? Could it bring new interest to the lap g'tar as a first instrument?

Dear Bill,
Thanks for your interesting question.

My name is James Baecker. Sage (Harmos) and I are business partners in Harmos(t.m) Music, Ltd, which makes Harmos Steel Guitars. I think Sage is at his parent's cabin this week, so I thought I would provide some quick background to your question.

Sage and I are surprised by the number of Harmos Guitars we've sent to players "new" to steel guitar. About 30% of our sales have been to players new to steel guitar. We don't know what the ratio is like for other Steel Guitar builders, but as builders of a higher priced Steel Guitar, we think this percentage is pretty strong. Much of the thanks for that success goes to this forum, where we have received much support and encouragement.

Also, Harmos is in the process of developing a Standard Electric Guitar that incorporates the Harmos carbon fiber space frame. Once the Electric Guitar is ready, sounding good and artist endorsed, we believe it can bring new carryback interest to Steel Guitars as well.

Mr. Baecker: Do you and Sage see the steel guitar as an obscure instrument with a very narrow customer potential (as I do)? If so, do you have any plans to widen the market?

Hi I have looked at these Steels and they are really nice looking got a lot of eye appeal. Might have to consider one in the near future.

Judging by James's post, it sounds like whether they are shooting for it or not, they are expanding the base if one in three is going to a new player. That sounds like an impressive number (unless you have only sold three and one of them went to a newbie )
I'm really wanting a stand-up, strap-on steel but my budget just isn't there at this time. But I would love to have an opportunity to play a Harmos some time.

As a Harmos player, I can say that they sound as cool as they look. They record crystal clear and sound equally at home in Rock, Hawaiian or Country. I just played mine with the New Boston Orchestra Project for a concert in Jordan Hall in Boston and it was well recieved on all levels (it turned a lot of traditional musicians heads and they all thought it sounded great)
I got the Harmos people to build one for Joe Perry (Aerosmsith) and he used it on their last tour for their new blues CD. That alone should get a bunch of younger players thinking about playing Lap Steel.

Hi Mike...Which model do you have, and what pick ups are in it?
I am thinking about one, and have talked to Sage several months ago, but I can't decide about pick ups.
Thanks....Terry V

They have a bunch of choices enoungh choices to make your head spin best bet read here http://www.harmosmusic.com

Sorry to take so long to get back to the forum on this string. I was off-line over the weekend.

Jon, Harmos total sales are still small closer to 3 than anything. Over the past 2 years, our shipments to new players is about 14. (I'll let you do the reverse math).

Mike, thank you for your resounding endorsement. We continue to appreciate your support.

Of the Harmos Steel Guitars sold to new players, about half came from Robert's supporters. (That does not include Sacred Steelers, they are not NEW players.) About ¼ came from Joe Perry and about ¼ from Jerry Douglas. Some of those were Dobro players expanding their range.

Bill, with regard to the overall outlook for Steel Guitars. Who can say? Yes, the Steel Guitar is a marginal instrument at this time. All of our endorsers except Bobby Ingano and Lion Kobayashi play Steel as a secondary instrument. As with others on the forum, we think it will probably take a headline Steel player to bring a rejuvenation of the Steel Guitar - possibly Robert Randolph or some youthful unacceptable musician. In the mean time, this forum helps keep the instrument alive.

Mr.Baecker: My question was not rhetorical. I am positioned to see things differently from (probably) anyone else on this forum: I'm a non-musician, a non-player. I won't go into the details of how I ended up here. Too many words for a forum such as this. But-- suffice it to say that I'm on the outside looking in. I'd love to be able to order a cool new-age Harmos and play the hell out of it. But alas, the very industry most likely to benefit financially-- offers me scarce few resources to make that dream come true. I think it's "possible" to transform lap steel (and then pedal steel) to a far greater level of popularity. But those in the steel guitar industry would need to look over the wall. We're out here with cash in hand.