Where do you pick?

Ray McCarthy · From: New Hampshire, USA

I usually find myself picking at or just below the 24th fret, but I move up higher when the bar is above the 12th. I've noticed some guys seem to be picking clearly above the 24th, some, like Bobbe, clearly below.
There's a signifigant difference in tone.
Where do you pick?

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

Bryan Daste · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

I agree. A while back, someone on the forum had suggested trying "tracking" the bar hand by picking roughly 12 frets above the bar hand at all times. That's a lot of motion, but the resulting tone is pleasing to my ears. I've found that now I kind of gravitate to a few "sweet spots," one around fret 15 for a "squishier" sound (nice for ballads and delicate stuff). If I want more articulation and punch I'll move closer to the pickup. Experiment! It's fun. And the right hand position really does make a huge difference on tone and feel.

JR Ross · From: New Mexico, USA

Jeff always taught that the fattest tone was had by picking as far up the neck as possible (away from the changer) and having the picks strike
as horizontal to the strings (away from the sides of the picks) as posible.. Try it you see a big diffence in tone. If your like me you have to keep focusing on this because most people tend to pick closer to the changer..

Jay Jessup · From: Charlottesville, VA, USA

I think JR is right, most people tend to pick closer to the bridge---I also think all would be better served by following Bryan and Jeff (via JR) advice and trying to pick about 12 frets higher than the bar as a rule and changing that distance only for special effects! Just MHO!

JR Ross · From: New Mexico, USA

That's right Jay. The fattest tone is had between frets 12 and 15. if you can pick in this area you can sound like Buddy... just kidding!!!!!

Waisznor · From: Berlin, Germany

I don´t like fat tones from a steel guitar Smile

_________________
Horst Waisznor

Johnny Baker · From: Southport, Fla

I pick about 1 to 2 inches to the left of the
pick-up. I find that is where I get the best
sound, for most of my amatureish playing.
_________________
I am currently running a Simmons SD10, Peavey Nashville 400 that's packing a 15" BW, Peavey Delta Fex effects processor, and a Match Box. Best rig I've ever run and the sound is truly incredible.

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

I pick a little bit towards the end of the neck before you get to where the pickup is. To get a ringing steel sound, I usually pick at the right end of the steel, near the pickup with the bar on the first fret. If I want to make the steel cry, I go to the end of the steel near the pickup, a little past the twenty-fourth fret, and for chiming, I do the same thing, although I've seen some players chime around the twentieth fret or below it. The ringing steel sound I like, I do it by putting the bar on the very first fret near the keyhead and picking strings three, four, five and six, I guess, but I guess it's different with other players. To play low steel parts, I use mainly strings eight and ten with the bar on the first or second fret with A and B pedals down, but it kinda depends on the song I'm playing with at the time. To play some endings, I go a little past the fourteenth fret and pick strings four, five, and six with the A and B pedals down.

Jonathan Cullifer · From: Gallatin, TN

Anywhere between the 20th fret and the pickup in normal use depending on the attack/tone I want and the style of song. Nowhere is off limits.

Forum Index > Steel Players		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: