No more cute names. We need to call it a pedal steel guitar.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Last week I attended a great performance by one of our members who is a fabulous guitarist. Although this was primarily a guitar concert, the man brought his steel and played it on a couple of numbers. He played quite well but called our instrument an "electric cheese slicer."

The problem is that there were people in the audience who had never seen a steel before, and who didn't and presumably still don’t know what it is.

I think we need to tell our audiences that our instrument is called a pedal steel guitar, and not some cute or humorous name.

When my classical music trio performs, I always give a very short (20-30 seconds) lecture, telling the audiences that it's called a pedal steel guitar, that it's a steel guitar because it's traditionally played with a steel bar (at which point I mention that my bar is made from a different material) and that it's a pedal steel guitar because it's played in part be depressing the pedals and moving the knee levers.

Then I play the 5th string and open and them hit the pedal so they can hear the pedal change, followed by hitting the 4th and working the E raise and lower knee levers. I also mention that they won't be able to see my feet move, but they can watch my knees to see how it works.

Since we play for classical music audiences who are unfamiliar with our instrument, these people really appreciate the brief explanation. (The key is keeping it as brief as possible.)
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Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Tell a player of an electric guitar that he plays a "canoe paddle." That oughta shut him up.

Actually, an electric guitar could function as a canoe paddle much more effectively than a steel guitar could as a cheese slicer.
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Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Wouldn't the designation of "steel-guitar" properly identify the instrument in all of it's configurations?
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Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

ok mike...we'll call it a pedal steel guitar...cause it's played with a steel bar , except that it's not!

James Mayer · Posted 15 Aug 2009 10:07 am

My instrument is made out of aluminum. When I say "it's a steel guitar", some people assume that it's made out of steel.

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Hi Mike, I respectfully acknowledge your experience in presenting the steel guitar to the unknowing.

I regress back to about 1947 when I bought my first Sears (or was it a Wards}. Because it was different from the instruments that my comtemporaries were playing, virtually no one knew what the instrument was or how it was supposed to sound except a few WWII vets who had visited Hawaii, and a few Bob Wills fans.

While I was learning to play this hybrid instrument, I was subjected to much deserved ridicule about "cats tails caught under a rocker", etc, but for awhile I had the pleasure of being the only one in my world who played this unique instrument.

I subsequently played a steel guitar in all of it's evolved configurations for many years, but, the questions about the instrument never seemed to become more informed. I suppose that is the legacy of this strange musical instrument that doesn't really fit in any category.
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Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

According to legend, Maurice Berlin of Gibson called Les Paul's first solid-body electric guitar, "the Log", a "broomstick". Smile

I agree, Mike. One could call it simply a "steel guitar", which would be correct. But I think it's more descriptive to call it a "pedal steel guitar." There are also lap steel guitars and console steel guitars, and they're all steel guitars. I prefer to tell people exactly which variety of steel guitar I'm playing.

Mike Baldwin · From: Watsonville, Ca. USA

Watch out with the names. Les Paul himself called his most famous instrument "The Log"

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Guitar steel pedal.

Pedal guitar steel.

I dunno. I think we'd be shootin' ourselves in the foot tryin' to get people to remember a 3-worded instrument name (our society today wants everything to be quick). Why not just "pedal steel"? After all, a baby grand piano does just fine referred to as a "baby grand". The "piano" thing at the end is sorta superfluous. They finally dropped the word "chord" from "electric chord organ", and "Hawaiian guitar" works pretty well for "Hawaiian steel guitar".

For me, it's always just been a PEDAL STEEL. Very Happy

Besides, I don't really think the association with a regular guitar is needed or even helpful. I vote we drop it! Razz

Steve Broatch · From: Newcastle, England

What Donny said.

In my experience most folks don't even recognise it as or believe it to be a guitar. Even when you tell them!

Besides "Pedal Steel" sounds a bit more mysterious. Very Happy

David Doggett · Posted 15 Aug 2009 2:52 pm

I don't mind calling it a pedal steel for short, especially around musicians. But the real name is pedal steel guitar. First, it is a type of steel guitar. It is not a type of steel - that's the thing you hold in your hand and play it with. There are lap steel guitars and console steel guitars, and this contraption is a pedal steel guitar. And that's the way it should be introduced to anybody who asks. Like many other things, it has a formal technical name. And that can be shortened to pedal steel, or steel guitar, for informal use. We should respect people's sincere questions about what it is, and give them the straight formal name when they ask, so they will be correctly informed. Then, if you want to make a joke and say some people call it an electric cheese slicer, or an ironing board, or sewing machine, or whatever, well, everybody likes a joke. And a whacked sense of humor seems to be inherent in everybody who plays it. Winking

Bent Romnes · From: London,Ontario, Canada

Here I agree with Mike wholeheartedly. Pedal Steel Guitar is to me the best way to refer to our instrument. Steel Guitar or just pedal steel is fine in the right circles..say among other steel players. But PedalSteel Guitar so adequately describes our unusual instrument. The word Pedal also features the main thing that separates the pedal steel from more regular Steel guitar or the enhancement factor of the Steel guitar.

People just deserve to know the full name because they don't have a clue as to what makes our instrument work the way it does.

I have had many fun moments the last few months while building these 2 latest ones and neighbors, friends, relatives and strangers have stopped by the shop. wondering what I am up to. Yep.. some recognize it as a steel guitar, some think its a Hawaiian guitar, one even insisted on calling it a keyboard. NOBODY called it a Pedal Steel Guitar. That's where I start having fun, first telling them the correct name, then turning the beast upside down, plucking a string, pushing a knee lever and bending that note 3 or 4 times in a row. That's when I see the look of recognition in their eyes..."Aha..oh yeah!! it's just like that "thing" that Bob Lucier played on the Tommy Hunter Show!"
While I have their attention I explain the wonderfully intricate way that the changer works and how you just can't pull a string at random...no you actually have to tune the pull to a note.

Luckily I have had my prototype standing in the shop all thru the latest building project so I can show people at any time.

There is no doubt in my mind that Pedal Steel Guitar is the only name to call our instrument of choice. A VERY adequate description indeed.
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Archie Nicol R.I.P. · From: Ayrshire, Scotland

Mike, we both play a `Millie` and she's getting fed up with the all the transatlantic travel. You can have her. The missus is gettin' pretty close to finding out anyway.

Arch.

p.s.
Don't give her any vodka after 6am. It just gives her jet lag.

Awwrabest,
Arch.
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Barry Hyman · From: upstate New York, USA

I played gigs for years with a country guy -- a real hill country guy -- who played acoustic guitar and sang. One night we were drinking, after maybe three years and 300 gigs together, and he asked me, in all seriousness, "Why is it called a goose stick?"
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I give music lessons on several different instruments in Cambridge, NY (between Bennington, VT and Albany, NY). But my true love is pedal steel. I've been obsessed with steel since 1972; don't know anything I'd rather talk about... www.barryhyman.com

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Tommy Shown · From: Denham Springs, La.

I am in total agreement with you on this Mike, also. There's this one guy at work that calls it a "slide guitar". And that gets my blood boiling. why because people that call a particular instrument other than the proper name are ignorat. In my humble opine. The rich,mellow and the warm tones that this beautiful instrument produces is far more than a "slide guitar". I was playing one night at a place, when this "gentleman", and I use the term loosely called my steel a "slide guitar". I had to politely set his ignorance straght.
Tommy Shown

Mike Schwartzman · From: Maryland, USA

Actually,if it's described as "an electric cheese slicer"...I think you could correct their knowledge of culinary terms.
There is a device (not commercially used much anymore) called a mandolin, which is used to manually cut vegetables in larger quantities quickly. So an old kitchen dog like me would use the more accurate "Electric Mandolin" At least that gets closer to the correct number of strings as vs. the cheese slicer, and makes it even more confusing Laughing

.

Nah really...If people ask, I generally use "Pedal Steel Guitar".
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Gary Richardi · From: SoCal, USA

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

I get the question "What is this?" or "What is that instrument you're playing?" a lot (like everyone else). I always begin by carefully enunciating "It's a pedal steel guitar". If, as happens more often than not, I get the blank "Whaaa...?" reaction or the quizzical "Guitar???", I say, even more firmly, "pedal steel". They usually still nod vaguely and turn away, wondering "What did he say??" but I hope that at some point they'll see "pedal steel" in some concert review or some album's liner notes and make the connection. Oh Well

If they don't turn away I really enjoy explaining "It's called that because you use these pedals--like this"...play triad and press A pedal...then the ace in the hole: "and you also have these levers that you push with your knees"...they bend down and look...and now they're in awe of my ability to play this weird contraption, while unaware that I'm a total hack! I'm king for a moment! Very Happy

Jack Dougherty · From: Spring Hill, Florida, USA

WOW!!!!

In that case, is an electric guitar really electric Question

John Allison · From: Austin, Texas, USA

It's always going to be confusing to describe this instrument (alomg with the non-pedal console steel) as a guitar. People know what guitars are - they have a body - solid or hollow -that sits upright in front of your belly and a neck sticking out to the side with frets that you put your fingers on. Ask any stranger on the street what a guitar is and he'll do a quick air-guitar solo for you.
The original designs for electric "Hawaiian" steel guitars kept the frets and the curvy guitar shape, but the pedal steel has evolved away from it's guitar roots entirely. There are no frets to stop the strings which run essentially the full length of the cabinet-like body and the way that the pitch is manipulated bears no resemblence to it's lute-family ancestors.
Technically speaking, the pedal steel is a zither...And the way the pitch is controled is a cross between a concert pedal-harp and a classical Indian veena. I don't advocate calling it a zither - it just doesn't sound cool at all and it would be way more confusing. I just don't usually call it a guitar(I don't think I've ever heard a dobro player refer to his instrument as a guitar, even though it really looks like one).
Fortunately, here in Texas pretty much everybody knows what a pedal steel is. Now a bassoon or a Renaissance arch-lute...those'll require some explainin'. Smile

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Allison Stringed Instruments
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www.allisonguitars.com

Paul Norman · From: Washington, North Carolina, USA

Mine will only slice cheese about a half inch deep.
Then the fretboard stops the cheese.

Don McGregor · From: Memphis, Tennessee

I call mine Sybil.

John Phinney · From: Long Beach California, USA

I tell people its an Electric Table Harp, but Pedaled Console Zither has suddenly struck my fancy! Laughing

Seriously when people ask, and they always do when I play out, I tell them its a Pedal Steel Guitar. To which they often reply "How'd you learn to play the pedal slide?" Rolling Eyes

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