Impressions of Stage One Zumsteel After 2 years

Daniel Policarpo · Posted 11 Aug 2014 5:31 am

Hi Everyone,
This week I will have been at the pedal steel for 2 years. I started learning the evening my Stage One Zumsteel arrived at my doorstep and plugged it into my Laney 50 watt solid state amp. I am now using a 100 watt Fender Mustang modeling amp and it sounds pretty good. With a little tweaking, comparable to the re-issue Fenders to my ears, but not comparable to my old '73 Silver Face Twin, or the other old Fenders. Not at all. But it doesn't matter for now. Someday I'll get a real '68 Twin or check out one of those new Standels, or get one of each!

Either way, I think I'll still be playing my Stage One.

There are lots of steels that look prettier, have sweet chrome end-plates, nice inlay work, exquisite looking changers and tuning heads. To me, nothing beats the look of the old Sho-Buds, ZB's and Clarks. But playing wise, staying in tune wise, functionality wise, I don't have any reason to go that way except to look prettier or get more levers and pedals. I am stuck with the 3 x 4 here, but bar slants provides a lot more flexibility in that area and plenty of range for what I want to do, which is old honky tonk music. I don't care if a never get past VFW hall shows or shotgun beer joints and you can do a lot with slants. Plus, you get a little different sound that way.

Learning this thing, I have not been very easy on the Stage One. Working up my pedal technique, I was really stomping those suckers sometimes, trying out stuff, experimenting with quick bounces as well as slow release and half pedaling. To some degree I did the same thing with the levers. I am not very hard on pedals or levers anymore, but still, the steel held up fine after those earlier months, and except for tuning them, the pedals and knees are as solid as the day I got them. They stop on the dime.

Tuning has been stable, too. I recently switched from GHS Nickel strings to try out some Cobra Coils a fellow member sent, and boy I like those Cobras, but it did mess with my tuning stability for a couple weeks until I took the proper time to sort it out. Apparently, changing your string gauge a little will necessitate a little adjustment there. But no biggie. Tuning is stable again, and another plus is I have not had to spend very much time tuning my knees or pedals over the last couple years, either. Just a little here and there.

The pickup. I was not a fan of humbuckers on 6 string electrics. If I had them on a guitar, they were very low output. But I have gotten over that bias on the steel. These humbuckers are pretty good. Doug let me know he doesn't produce them, but a well-respected name builder does. They respond really well all over the range and I can go up really high on the fret board and have reasonably good sustain there. One thing is- they can be little thin on the higher strings. Part of that may be technique, Lord knows the steel sounds much better as I improve, but after a point I realize there is an inherent limitation there. My picking hand can only do so much, so I adjust the amp and add a little Eq there so as not to whack out the great low end growl and sweet mid-range I have going. The real trick has been using a buffer at the pickup. That takes care of that pretty well. The little bit of thinness is also something that I like and use sometimes. But I mostly keep the buffer going. I just work with what I got and don't worry too much about it.

I love this steel. If I ever get a Jones to expand a little, or get something prettier, I might get something, but I doubt I will ever sell this steel. The light weight makes it ideal for hauling around and I don't worry about dings or scratches or anything like that. I'm not trashing it, but I treat it like a great working tool, not a collector piece. I keep that undercarriage cherry, though. I've kept it as dust free and animal dander-free as possible with 2 dogs and a cat. I've only lubed it once with some Teflon stuff when I felt a little clicking on one of the knees, and the clicking went away. That was over a year ago.

I want to thank you Doug and Bruce for building and designing a fantastic steel. And I want to thank all the forum members who nudged me in the Stage One's direction. I've spent my time learning instead of tinkering the last couple years, and boy, isn't it fun.

much appreciated,

Dan

Carl Kilmer · From: East Central, Illinois

It's looks so good, it makes the player disapear. Laughing

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John Roche · From: England

Value for money it's one of the best steels on the market.
Don't be fooled by it's looks, this is as solid as any of the so called pro guitars that you spend the whole night trying to keep in tune, I know i have had most makes of pro steels in my time but the Stage One is as good as they come...

Jason Putnam · From: Tennessee, USA

StageOne's are great. And so is Doug!! Only reason I got rid of mine is I wanted the halfstop on string 2 and wanted to be able to add and change things. I'm a big tinkerer!! If I can't work on it, I am not happy!! But for someone just starting out, especially a new musician, not being able to tinker is probably a good thing. Plus I just love ShoBuds!!!
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Daniel Policarpo · Posted 11 Aug 2014 7:30 am

I don't think anyone's going to fault you for going to the Sho-Bud, Jason. Laughing

I like to tinker with my Telecasters and Teiscos. And someday I will more than likely get an old steel to tinker with, too.
Do you all use the seventh string raise alot? I'm finding more and more places to use it of late. Especially useful with Ernest Tubb/2 Buddys and Buck Owens/Tom Brumley stuff from the 60's.

I was thinking about the thin sound from the steel I get sometimes. I use a a fender Volume pot based pedal, and note that when i use a use a buffer it is not so thin sounding. Also lots better note separation, which sometimes I like, sometimes I like that everything comes together more. I wonder if others using an optic-based or powered volume pedal note any thinness on the Stage 1 humbucker? Cranking up the amp seems to make it sound fuller, too. ha!

Daniel Policarpo · Posted 12 Aug 2014 4:06 am

I notice there aren't very many demos of the Stage One out there. I'm not too hot on the steel yet, but I got a couple moves. I think I might put a video demo up. Plus, I'd like to show how a Mustang III sounds with a pedal steel when the settings are tweaked a bit.

Hey Carl, with any luck, the Stage One's excellent visual style will allow me to also disappear on video, as it did in the photograph. Laughing

Any requests?

Curt Trisko · From: St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Here's a couple demos:

http://youtu.be/esqvFsLvOkQ
http://youtu.be/XiVMzYhHGjg

The only reasons I can think of to get a new steel after this one is: 1) 2 more strings, 2) variable copedents, 3) shinier look for if I'm playing in public.

You'd think the availability of these guitars would bring down the price of used pro guitars, which is needed IMO. I doubt that it's competing against new pro-level guitars, just the used ones that people expect to sell for close to what paid for it.

Curt Trisko · From: St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

And even when I get a new steel, I'll be very tempted to hold to my StageOne too.

George Buechley · From: Indiana, USA

Hey Daniel,
After playing a GFI Expo for three years, I jumped to a Sho~Bud, too. The BL 705 pick up on it is fantastic. I'm keeping my Expo. It seems like a good progression to start with a steel that lets you work on your technique and not have to worry about the actual set up too much. To quote our favorite teacher, "Keep doin' what yer doin'"!

George
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Pre WWII Dobro, Sho~Bud Pro II Custom, Peavey Session 115, GFI Expo, Roland Cube XL80, Lil Izzy

Steve English · From: Baja, Arizona

I think I'm going on about 3 years with my Stage One and still loving every minute. I was reading a thread on key changes last night and had a sudden urge to play one of my favorite songs that modulates, so here's my SO directly in to Zoom R24 with all the warts included....obviously no pitch correction or editing, and I never play the same thing twice.... Confused

I did try to play all over the neck, so that compounds the problem a little more...

http://picosong.com/c85A/
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Edward Rhea · From: Medford Oklahoma, USA

Thanks for sharing Steve! I thought your use of a volume pedal was very tasteful! Smile

and so was your use of harmonizing "swoops"
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Steve English · From: Baja, Arizona

Thanks for the comment Edward!

Here's one more I want to learn properly in the near future. I just heard JD Souther's acoustic cut of this last night and had it in my head all day. A few different textures on the Stage One.

http://picosong.com/c8UR

I'm hoping I'm not driving any business away from Doug Whoa!

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Always remember you're unique..... Just like everyone else

Daniel Policarpo · Posted 13 Aug 2014 12:20 am

Nice, Steven! You've got a great sound. I also like the way you recorded and mixed that. That Zoom R24's not too shabby.

Curt, that blows me away that you can play barefoot. I agree that some things seem kind of high, but still the demand is there for certain brands and models, especially when builders have months, or in some cases, years, on back-orders. As we know how long it takes to even be able to tie your shoe on this thing, in pedal steel years, the long waits aren't much. Its a good thing Sho-Bud built thousands of guitars.

Daniel Policarpo · Posted 13 Aug 2014 12:26 am

George Buechley · From: Indiana, USA

Daniel,
I agree. That's why I'm keeping my GFI. The 'Bud weighs in at about 90 lbs and that's another reason I'm keeping the lighter guitar. I think the main reason I wanted the Sho~Bud was just to feel what it could do and have that sound available to me. There is a difference. The neck on the 'Bud is perfectly aligned and the quality of the old wood does come through in the sound. I own some older guitars and I notice the sound in my Dobro and my Martin D-18. There's something that comes through with age and if you still have the ears you can definitely hear it. JMHO

George
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Pre WWII Dobro, Sho~Bud Pro II Custom, Peavey Session 115, GFI Expo, Roland Cube XL80, Lil Izzy

Daniel Policarpo · Posted 13 Aug 2014 8:52 am

I am totally with you on the age/wood thing, George. I have a Telecaster, which while it is only about 15 years old, something changed after about year 11 where the sound became a little more hollow or airy in the highs, and a lot richer in the lows and mids. It was almost an overnight change. I didn't even have to bury it at the crossroads or anything.

I wouldn't have believed it until I heard it happen with my own ears. I just figured that older guitars were built better. There is another argument there, but this was just a production model, alder wood Telecaster, and the shift was significant. I can only imagine what an instrument with that inherent quality will sound like in 30 or 40 years.

Edward Rhea · From: Medford Oklahoma, USA

You don't play barefoot, Daniel? I'm a little shocked! Thought that was a requirement...being in Oklahoma, and all? Cool

Oh well, once in while, someone "breaks out" of the norm and starts a trend...doubt that it catches on Razz

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Daniel Policarpo · Posted 14 Aug 2014 3:47 am **Re: barefooted**

Edward Rhea · From: Medford Oklahoma, USA

I've never had the opportunity to play the stage one. I have spoken w/Doug though. Nice guy for sure. Formite Jack Ritter was kind enough to let me play on his Zum D10....a super nice steel and he's a really good player! I can see why you guys are favoring them, especially if they play anywhere near as good as that D10.

Good thread. I've enjoyed the clips/videos. You guys are really making me humble and inspired.
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Curt Trisko · From: St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

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