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Topic: Too many changes detrimental to sound? |
John Goux
From:
California, USA
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Posted 23 May 2016 12:08 am |
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I've heard people suggest that too many changes on a pedal steel degrade the sound.
Sometimes it is in the form of a complement towards a leaner guitar.
What would cause this? Weight? Sustain dampening?
I'm wondering if any of you have experienced this.
Have you added changes, and had your tone get worse? Removed levers or pedals and noticed an improvement?
If so, is there a certain lever or pedal combination that was the culprit? A recommended limit, for getting the best sound?
Anecdotal evidence and debunking welcome.
John |
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Tim Russell
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 23 May 2016 2:53 am
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I think the changes you are speaking of would make a minimal noticeable change.
The sound changes I have noticed of late in viewing many youtube vids. is that a lot of people are using tons of delay/other effects, to the point of overstaurating the sound, and everything is made too "echoey" - at least for my tastes.
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Sierra Crown D-10 |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 23 May 2016 6:30 am
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Too many screws in the body (or screws in the wrong places) can reduce the sustain in a guitar...Ron Lashley said that. As to whether that's a detriment, though, remains debatable. IMHO, how well a player can play is far more important than the subtleties of his tone, or the amount of sustain the guitar has. If you can't play well, it doesn't matter how good your tone is, or how good your guitar is, you're still a crappy player.
The difference between Buddy Emmons and the thousands of Emmons "wannabees" is not tone, sustain, or the kind of guitar that's being used. Would that it would be that simple. |
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DG Whitley
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Posted 23 May 2016 10:49 am
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| Donny or some of you others can correct me if need be, but I've seen Buddy & other top players use steel guitars that had a number of pedals and knee levers too, and never noticed any difference in their performance or sound. Just my 2 cents. Flame on.... |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 23 May 2016 11:18 am
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~
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~ the old screws were better....
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Tom Gorr
From:
Three Hills, Alberta
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Posted 23 May 2016 12:39 pm
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To answer. ..
I have heard esteemed builders and techs mention it. .. and have experienced it when setting up one of my steels. When I put the vertical lever back on. .. the vibrance of that neck was noticeably reduced.
Some guitars are probably affected worse than others.
As for the relationship between talent and tone. ... an instrument a musician is truly happy with is more fun to pay no matter the talent level. |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 23 May 2016 3:56 pm Degrade Sound ?
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It seems logical that a cabinet with more hardware attached could be less resonant, but I'm not sure I could tell a great difference. The weight and mass of said additional hardware may differ by builder as well.
I don't doubt others can hear a difference, and yes, I've heard people state that it makes a difference.
I don't notice a difference between 8&5 and 8&8.
Yes , resonance is quantifiable, but it's a solid body instrument, not a Stradivarius.
I'm thinking other factors have greater impact. YMMV. |
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John Macy
From:
Rockport TX/Denver CO
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Posted 23 May 2016 7:17 pm
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All my guitars are pretty loaded, and I don't feel any difference. On my two Fessenden's, one is a SD10 with 4&8 and the other is a D10 with 9&10--same bodies and pickups, quite a difference in hardware and they sound very close to each other, and sometimes I think the D10 has a hair more sustain...
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John Macy
Rockport, TX
Engineer/Producer/Steel Guitar |
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John Goux
From:
California, USA
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Posted 23 May 2016 9:57 pm
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| Only 10? How many legs do you have? |
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Bobby Boggs
From:
Upstate SC.
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Posted 24 May 2016 7:14 am
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| Quote: |
| "If you can play, it doesn't matter what guitar you use. If you can't play, it doesn't matter what guitar you use" ...Jerry Byrd |
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Dustin Rhodes
From:
Owasso OK
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Posted 24 May 2016 7:49 am
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| Hughey had a loaded set up and I never noticed it sounding bad. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 25 May 2016 5:44 am
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| DG Whitley wrote: |
| Donny or some of you others can correct me if need be, but I've seen Buddy & other top players use steel guitars that had a number of pedals and knee levers too, and never noticed any difference in their performance or sound. Just my 2 cents. Flame on.... |
The differences can range from almost imperceptible to slightly noticeable, but I feel players should probably disregard these types of issues unless they are extremely good (pro level) players. For the rest of us (the other 98% of players), the most serious deficiency is between the seat and the steel, so that's where our attention and effort should be directed.  |
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Dave Dube
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Posted 25 May 2016 7:28 pm
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| Ha. Yeah Donny. I heard that the most common cause for steel guitar tone problems is a loose nut on the pakkaseat. |
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