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Topic: Pedal Steel... Ugly or Elegant? |
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 11:39 am |
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I KNOW the players are ugly... I was just wondering what people think about the instrument itself... Lately my band has been calling my steel "bedsprings".. as in, "Bob's gonna sit down at the bedsrings and play a few tunes"... Is our instrument gorgeous and elegant to others as it is to us.??. Or is it an oddball contraption that gets looks only because its wierd?... Its a scientific fact steel players get less women then guitarists,singers,drummeres,bass guys etc??.. Could the inherent ugliness of the instrument be hurting our love life??...  anyway... I myself think they are gorgeous, especially wood/lacquers, but to the general public, I'm not so sure .. any thoughts? bob |
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Webb Kline
From:
Orangeville, PA
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 11:47 am
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| Clearly depends on the guitar, I think. No one come up and tells me that my green GFI is beautiful regardless how much I love it or how great they say it sounds, and it does get a lot of compliments on the tone. But, when I drag the ZB out, everyone comes up and says, wow, what a beautiful piece of wood! |
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Larry Robbins
From:
Fort Edward, New York
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 1:06 pm
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Bob, You may want to check your facts my friend. Pretty girls are always comeing up and asking about my steel and have all kinds of questions about it, and saying how pretty the wood grain on it is!...of course, I may be the exception to the rule...being very handsome and all... 
But then again its not as much fun as you might think. I dont get treated like a person....just a piece of man candy!!
OH..the things I have to endure....
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Sho~Buds,Fender Steelkings,Twins,Strats and Tele's, Tut Taylor
reso's
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Randy Reeves
From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 1:40 pm
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" man candy" LOL
I believe this is the first time Ive heard that on this forum.
Im rolling on the floor. |
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Dan Tyack
From:
Olympia, WA USA
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 3:01 pm
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| My wife just collapses with laughter any time I describe one of my pedal steels as beautiful. Of course, she is a cellist, and I've got to admit that when you look at a cello next to a pedal steel, the steel looks like a hillbilly science project.... |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 3:08 pm
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| Quote: |
| I KNOW the players are ugly.. |
Speak for yourself dude.  |
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Bill Ford
From:
Graniteville SC Aiken
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 3:28 pm
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Yea, What Mike said..
Bill |
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Larry Strawn
From:
Golden Valley, Arizona, R.I.P.
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 3:37 pm
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I messed up and sent Bob a picture of me,, so I can't lie my way out of it!! LOL..
Now a steel,, that's a different story!! They're all pretty..
Larry
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Emmons S/D-10, 3/5, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 3:52 pm
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A cello's a shapely thing;
Like a beautiful woman, it sings.
But there's nothing like a mighty machine
To get me picking the strings.
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Carl Williams
From:
Oklahoma
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 4:19 pm
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Larry,
Are you trying to tell Bob that our Sho-Buds are "Chick Magnets"?  I know some of us older, more mature pickers are hard to look at and I do have to admit, I've seen better heads on nickel/dollar beer! ha ha
P.S. Bob, have one of your "bedsprings" guys sit behind your axe and see what comes out of it---might sound like an old, rusty bed squeaking! ha
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1976 Sho-Bud LDG, 17.5 TT Pickup, SGBB, Sho-Bud Volume Pedal, NV400 |
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Larry Robbins
From:
Fort Edward, New York
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 4:45 pm
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Carl,
I'm not sure if SHO~BUDS are a chick magnet or if its just the fact that most of the owners are good looking by default!
All I know is That when I think of some of our friends I ALMOST feel guilty!
And besides a SHO~BUD cant hurt!
(sorry Larry S. I saw your pic) he, he, he! |
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Alan Harrison
From:
Murfreesboro Tennessee, USA
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 5:46 pm
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Jeff Newman always said the reason steel players never get the girls is that they never see them. They're to busy looking at the neck on their guitars to notice the skirts. I'm always amazed at the number of people who come up and say that they have never seen one of those things up close!
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Emmons LeGrande II.D-10, 8 & 5, two Peavey 112's, Profex II and Hilton Pedal.
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Carlos Polidura
From:
Puerto Rico
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 6:47 pm
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hi bob,
let me tell you that i'm very handsom,,, ha-ha, my wife told me so about 27 years ago. i think psg are very preaty, and exciting as well, my emmons pp and excel superb are no exception. are they weird? you bet, people tell me so, but lets face it... what other musical instrument in the world can sound and play like it? if i ever find another instrument more exciting than the psg i'll switch for the other. i'll let you know. in the mean time psg is for me.
i think, we steel guitar players are most fortunate. perhaps "THE MOST FORTUNATE"
carlos |
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Nathan Delacretaz
From:
Austin, Texas, USA
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 6:50 pm
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I started playing steel right around the time I turned 30, which was interesting for several reasons... the most notable of which was: I just loved the idea that I could stop worrying about looking cool and start worrying about playing right notes!
And let's face facts: it IS a fun little bonus to show off this weird instrument to the uninitiated... |
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David Cobb
From:
Chanute, Kansas, USA
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 7:46 pm
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A well kept steel is a handsome, although somewhat industrial looking thing.
I'll gladly take that look any day over a black plastic electronic keyboard on a stand. |
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Carlos Polidura
From:
Puerto Rico
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 7:50 pm
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you are so right, david.
pedal steel guitars are so unique.
carlos |
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Carlos Polidura
From:
Puerto Rico
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 8:04 pm
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THEY ARE ELEGANT MACHINES...BOB
CARLOS |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 8:16 pm
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Honestly, I don't think the majority of the population even hears (as in "distinguishes" ) the thing or knows what they are hearing.
I just noticed (on my road trip) that there is a Carl & Pearl Butler tune ("You Were The Orchid") where there is some absolutely gorgeous chiming taking place, swelled into (can't hear the pick attack) but it's in competition with the piano in the mix. To the unknowing it would be impossible to identify the source of the beautiful noise.
Great prose, Charlie M. [This message was edited by Ray Minich on 29 September 2005 at 11:16 PM.] |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 8:28 pm
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| Most of the time I prefer a beautiful wood guitar like an old Sho-Bud,or ZB or my Desert Rose,but you have to be close up to realy see the grain and finish.A couple of years ago I wound up at the Grand OLD Opry in the upper deck,I like to sit up there in case somebody hits a foul ball,Anyway Charlie Pride came on with Ronnie?I forgot his last name on a red GFI guitar,and the lighting people had some serious red spots on his guitar it was glowing,It was like a UFO just beautiful. |
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richard burton
From:
Britain
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 9:26 pm
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 [This message was edited by richard burton on 29 October 2005 at 03:53 AM.] [This message was edited by richard burton on 29 October 2005 at 03:55 AM.] [This message was edited by richard burton on 29 October 2005 at 03:56 AM.] |
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Ron Randall
From:
Dallas, Texas, USA
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 10:28 pm
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Elegance. Big Word. A grand piano with all the mechanical things, is elegant.
A Concert harp, with the pedals and strings, is elegant. The curves and shapes are strong where they need to be.
Both these instruments are beautiful to look at and beautiful to hear.
The steel or the pedal steel is not elegant by these standards. (the sound is). The instrument is still new. It is made in a practical way with wonderful materials, and workmanship.
A cello, a trombone, a mantlepiece, a Jaguar XJ8 are elegant in my eye.
A 1927 National TriCone is close to elegance. IMHO.
Ron |
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Pat Kelly
From:
Wentworthville, New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 11:17 pm
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If this thread is about elegance: (IMHO the PSG is possibly the greatest contibution to music from the good old USA) This is the most elegant of intruments as those who have spent the time to discover its secrets will aver. If it still looks like a PSG then so be it. Elegance (like beauty) will turn out to be in the eye of the beholder! However, yes! Carluccci.... Throw your thesaurus away.
RGDS PK |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 11:33 pm
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"Hillbilly Science Project" is pretty darn funny imo
if the playin' is good why elegancy should stand out even more |
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Pat Kelly
From:
Wentworthville, New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 29 Sep 2005 11:47 pm
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Could the inherent ugliness of the instrument be hurting our love life??.
Carlucci: get a life. |
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Jim Phelps
From:
Mexico City, Mexico
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Posted 30 Sep 2005 12:31 am
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| I've never thought of the steel as ugly. |
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