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Topic: Newbie needing some advice |
Chris Mittlesteadt
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2011 7:59 am |
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Hi All,
I've decided to learn to play steel. I'm not interested in becoming a virtuoso, but I would like to be able to be musical with it. I'm a multi-instrumentalist with my primary instrument being guitar. I'm 42 and I've been playing for 30 years. I want to be able to do the steel parts for Pink Floyd as well as some Dire Straits and Eagles tunes. I know that Gilmour uses a 6 string lap steel tuned to G for much of his stuff. I know that the Eagles and Dire Straits stuff is mostly PSG. I'm wondering if I buy a PSG, will the typical tunings lend themselves to the Gilmour-related stuff as well as the more country-inspired Eagles/Dire Straits tunes? Would I need to retune to make the bluesy stuff work?
I don't want to buy a cheap instrument. I want to invest in something that will not hold me back and also maintain value. Any suggestions? Thanks for helping an ignorant newbie.
Thanks!
Chris |
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John Turbeville
From:
Carlsbad, ca
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Posted 27 Apr 2011 11:17 am
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| chris: i was in the same boat as you, I have played 6 string for over 40 years and wanted to learn PSG. I would look at a single neck E9 tuning, with 3 pedals and at least 2 knee levers 4 are better. I would look for a used but pro level PSG, the forum here has lots. I learned the most from a 10$ lesson from this guy Scott grover, you can pick it up on ebay its like 2 hours long and gives you a good start. The guys a little weird but funny and he gets flamed on this board generally, but his course was great for me. let me know how it goes. John T. Carlsbad CA |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Chris Mittlesteadt
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2011 11:31 am
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Hi Guys,
Thanks for the help! What do you think about 10 vs. 12 strings? If I'm dealing with 4 more strings than I'm used to, shall I just jump and deal with 6 more? Will the added 2 strings allow some useful rock/blues voicings that may not be as easily attainable with a 10 string?
Thanks!
Chris |
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John Turbeville
From:
Carlsbad, ca
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Posted 27 Apr 2011 11:36 am
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| i would stick with 10 strings as its more common, others are more knowledgable than me about that. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2011 11:52 am
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| I would say 12 string. As a guitar player, you will really miss having the Low E root. I did! Played 10 string guitars for 10 years, before I got my Kline Uni. Thought to myself; "Darn! This is what I've been missing!" Very handy in small bands to be able to play chord voicings with the low roots like 6-string guitar. Lots of other rhythmic possibilities that are also handy in a small band. |
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John Turbeville
From:
Carlsbad, ca
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Posted 27 Apr 2011 11:59 am
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| try to get something that doesnt weigh too much to move easily. I originally bought a D-10 and modded it to a sd-10 as i take it lots of places. it weighs like 35# by itself and 52# in the case. |
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Chris Mittlesteadt
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2011 12:13 pm
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Ok, cool. Can I modify a Remington S12 to make it a universal tuning? If so, can I do it myself? I'm pretty handy with my existing instrument setups although I know that this is a different animal entirely.
Thanks!
Chris |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2011 12:26 pm
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| If the Rem is in Extended E-9th, I'd just start there. |
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Chris Mittlesteadt
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2011 12:42 pm
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Is the Remington SD12 a pro-quality instrument? I don't need or want high-end, but I don't want someone else's problems either. Does anyone have any experience with them?
Thanks!
Chris |
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Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 27 Apr 2011 1:40 pm
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| I owned a Remington S-12 for a while. It was definitely a pro-quality instrument. I could be set up as an extended E9th or a universal. I would leave it as is until you have played a while. There is a certain amount of technique you need to learn, and that takes some time. You can learn it using any guitar. As far as "some one else's problems" you might get that with any used guitar. Something you have to remember, the pedal steel guitar is a mechanical device, it has to function correctly. I've bought quite a few used guitars, and most need to be adjusted, some needed major set up work. It will be frustrating if you have to correct stuff like this before you can even attempt to learn to play. If you can get some advice from a local player, maybe some instruction too, that will help. The Stage One is a good, reasonably priced guitar. Buying one new would get you on the right track. Good luck, whatever you decide. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2011 1:55 pm
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"Buying one new would get you on the right track."
I agree,,,, to a certain extent. As a guitar player, you will be frustrated not having those low root notes. I wish I had started with a 12-string! |
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Elton Smith
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2011 7:21 pm
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Chris,6 string lap steel tuned to g is a blue grass dobro tuning.Pedal steel E 9th is a whole new animal.C 6th is even more off the chart.It depends on the flavor of the intrument and sound you are looking for.
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2011 8:13 pm Re: Newbie needing some advice
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| Chris Mittlesteadt wrote: |
| I want to be able to do the steel parts for Pink Floyd as well as some Dire Straits and Eagles tunes. I know that Gilmour uses a 6 string lap steel tuned to G for much of his stuff. I know that the Eagles and Dire Straits stuff is mostly PSG. I'm wondering if I buy a PSG, will the typical tunings lend themselves to the Gilmour-related stuff as well as the more country-inspired Eagles/Dire Straits tunes? Would I need to retune to make the bluesy stuff work? |
The note combinations that David Gilmore plays aren't dependent on the tuning. You can play those parts in any tuning. Getting the sound that he gets - well that's an advanced topic for the Electronics section of the forum!
I've been told that all of the steel parts on Eagles tunes are E9th. They are fairly easy to play.
Paul Franklin played some real virtuoso stuff with Dire Straits. Most of it is E9th, but Paul plays a D-10 and can switch necks whenever he wants to. If you hear him go below A, he's playing C6th. Paul has a pedal that lowers his E9th B string to A, and that's his lowest note on that neck. I never noticed him playing C6th with Dire Straits, but I can't say that he didn't do it.
If you're approaching pedal steel strictly as a lead instrument, you don't need any more than a 10 string E9th. The "pedal steel sound" that you hear on record - the sound that producers want to hear - that's all 10-string E9th. The C6th and U-12 stuff, the advanced chords and extended bass, all of that is steel guitar players scratching their personal itch. It's not necessary at all if you're a multi-instrumentalist. If you're learning steel to play Pink Floyd, Eagles and Dire Straits, you really don't need anything more than a standard 10-string E9th.
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