six stringers or no?

Nicholas Dedring · From: Beacon, New York, USA

I've been wondering about this, and now that I can ask a broader audience: how many of you folks played regular guitar first? Anyone else (besides me) out there go from playing another instrument (other than six string) to steel? From nothing to playing steel? Inquiring minds want to know...

Robert Thomas · From: Mehama, Oregon, USA

Hi Nicholas: I started on a 6 string Hawaiian guitar in 1947. In 1950 I went to a Gibson BR-9, 6 string electric with matching Amp. That's when I started playing for dances. From there I progressed to a double neck Fender Stringmaster and then from there to a Triple neck Fender Stringmaster. In 1971 I purchased new, a D-10, 8 + 4, Sho-bud Professional and proceeded to learn to play a pedal steel. I guess I was fortunate in that I had already been well grounded in the C and A tunings. I haven't had any problems with using either the E-9th or C-6th tuning. About 2 1/2 years ago I rid myself of the Sho-bud and went to a HWP Mullen D-10 8 + 4. I really like it very much and it is not so heavy to handle. At my age things have got to get lighter, including myself. I hope that gives you some info you might be interested in.

Michael Frede · From: Sonoita, AZ, USA

Six string at 7 years old,slide and lap steel at 14,PSG at 41.I am now 44.But hey,it just took me that long before I could afford one.

Ron Randall · From: Dallas, Texas, USA

Hello Nicholas,

I started on a Sears/Roebuck 6 string as a teenager in 1960. Laid up with a leg in traction for about a year. Had nothing else to do. Friend brought me a guitar and a Nick Manoloff book. I learned fast. Soon had a Les Paul, then traded for a Strat. Later played Precision Bass and Fender VI.

Played jazz for fun in college, and rock for money. Started playing dobro many years later, then 8 string non-pedal, then triple Stringmaster. Recently purchased a SU12(8 and 5).

All the music theory applies. Toughest transition has been/is right hand technique. I go back and forth to six string. Always learn something new when I switch in either direction. Position, picking, chord shapes, sounds.

Try hard to find a good teacher. Drive a long way if you have to. Worth every penny to get started on a good foundation. Spend your money on lessons now. You can buy effects and amps later.

Good luck

Ron

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

The obligatory piano lessons at 8 stopped at 14, took up the guitar and learned enough chords to play in a band starting in '64. I was in high school and it did wonders for my social life. Later I used to do the feedback solos, which did wonders for my hearing.....

Jeff A. Smith · From: Angola,Ind. U.S.A.

Nicholas, I read your post as saying that you started on a different instrument besides 6-string guitar. If I'm right, what was your own experience prior to taking up steel?

Like many, I took on steel after having played guitar (almost always electric) since I was 10. 33 years later, in Feb. of 2001, I bought a steel.

Several things happening within a period of about a year conspired to bring this about. Maybe first was an increase in my desire to get more pedal steel-like, country-style bends in my guitar playing. Another significant thing was hearing an accomplished steel player at close range, and being deeply impressed just on the level of pure sound. Then a good used steel popped up at my favorite music store. (ANY kind of steel for sale within a radius of maybe 150 miles from me is rare.) By this time, I had developed a fascination with the steel itself, rather than guitar licks that were derived from it. I expect something in the mechanical complexity of the thing appealed to me as well.

I researched it on the internet for a couple of months, then took the plunge.

[This message was edited by Jeff A. Smith on 16 June 2003 at 10:00 PM.]

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

One day 20 years ago....I said: "I want to play and make the sound of a Steel guitar"...
So I bought one and went for it....and have never played any other instrument before it or After it...
Ricky

Bill Fulbright · From: Atlanta, GA

I started singing first as early as I can remember, Piano at 6, ukelele @ 8, guitar @ 10, stand up bass @ 12, organ @ 12, first band @ 12.

1st guitar @10 - a no name I had to tune with pliers
2nd guitar - a no name mexican also had to tune with pliers
1st good guitar @ age 12 - Gibson LG-1
1st electric - a japanese MAXITONE
1st good electric - Vox Teardrop 12 string (ok, it was the mid 60's, allright?)
1st really great deal - traded the Vox for a Gretsch Country Gentleman @ age 15
Then I got a Martin 000-18 and started writing music @18
1st steel - Sho-Bud LDG in 1983 lent to me from a guy at Board Brothers talent agency in Nashville... only got to keep it for 6 months, and didn't have the time to practice because I was performing professionally 6 and 7 daya a week as a single and a band leader
2nd steel @ age 49 - Sierra U-12
3rd steel @ AGE 52 - Mullen D-10.

yup... playing other instruments first I am sure has helped me

Wow... I never wuda thunk it.

------------------
Bill Fulbright
Mullen D-10 8x7; Gibson ES-165; Peavey Vegas 400;
ICQ# 2251620 My Music Site

[This message was edited by Bill Fulbright on 17 June 2003 at 03:35 AM.]

William Peters · From: Effort, Pennsylvania, USA

For me, it was trumpet first, then sousaphone, followed by 6 string guitar, electric bass, oboe, flute, pedal steel. I always intended to learn sax, but somehow never got around to it.

Bill

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

General trajectory :
Hand percusion, record at 7-8 years old with a wacka doo, wacka doo band " The Lost".
That tape, my father recorded, got them the 1st Boston Teaparty gig, before the Stones and Zepelin and the Beatles played there.

Trombone for several years
Later harmonica & folk guitar.
I traded the trombone for a 12 string and almost imediately after that inherited a Dobro. Still have that one too.

Someone passed out at a harminica gig, I became an electric bass player, since I knew 5-6 chords on guitar.

Switched to electric guitar ; Johhny Winter And / Aerosmith etc., then back to bass, because there was more demand and it works well in the control room as engineer at the same time.
Plus bass is the most versital instrument stylewise I can play tons of different types of music. It almost ALL has need of the bass. Just think the style and go.

Because of always tuning bad players drums in the studio and having a house kit, I became a drummer too.
Tried alto sax for a bit, but it got stolen.
A bit of flute and recorder.
Still played dobro, but then added upright bass, mandolin and lapsteel.

Finally PSG
Still play 6 string bass, but prefer to play
C6 and mandolin.

Ricky Littleton · From: Steely-Eyed Missile Man from Cocoa Beach, Florida USA

Steel is my first and only instrument.

Ricky

------------------
Emmons LeGrande - 8x4
Session 400 Ltd
Dan-Echo, E-Bow, Ibanez Distortion, Boss Comp./Sustain, Ibanez Auto-Wah

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

I forget if my very vague guitar knowledge predates the dozen or so years of piano lessons. But it seems I always could sorta play guitar. And I got pretty decent on keyboards. Had a big falling out with them at around age 25 and have never really touched them since. Now I wonder if a lot of years weren't frittered away with the wrong instrument. Kinda like marrying young and finding out the hard way that there's 'meant to be' and there's 'never meant to be'. Well steel is certainly wifey that I think I'll keep.

Along the lines of what you may have been wondering about, Nick, I consider my instrumental background a mixed blessing. My keyboard knowledge provides a good visualisation tool for all manners of harmonic thinking. But this same asset definitely hampers my ability to think live, and breathe the fretboard. Too often I need to translate. Like learning a second language, you are not truly fluent until you no longer think the thought in your native tongue and then translate. For sure, I'm getting better at thinking on my Pak-a-seat but too often I still depend on the keyboard model in my brain.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

6 stringer at 12
started the 20 stringer at about 24

now at 54

6 stringer
20 stringer
and 4 stringer

tp

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Surveys like this reach the broadest audience in the 'Steel Players' section, so I'm moving it.

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

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: