just had my first lesson today

Calvin Walley · From: colorado city colorado, USA

as all of you know that are following my posts, a few days ago i was ready to give up because it just wouldn't sound right . ...well today i had my first real lesson. i took my carter starter over to my teachers house and as soon as i took out my amp he knew what a big part of my problem was ... not knowing any better i had bought a little side kick guitar amp. its a ity bity thing but when i bought it i thought all it does is make the strings louder right ??? WRONG... my teacher checked to make sure that it was in tune, then he played my guitar with my amp it had the same pitiful sound ...then he connected it to his amp and did nothing else, i could not belive it was my steel he was playing , there was that beautiful sound that i had been trying so hard to get . it was in the steel along but my tiny amp just could not bring it out. so the first lesson i learned today was to get the right amp or it will never sound right .

Rick Schmidt · From: Prescott AZ, USA

Calvin...glad to see youre persevering on the road to playin' that steel of yours!

An amp is an important part of your sound to be sure, but as you'll see, not the only part. All the great's put alot of stock in their rigs, but most all of them can turn right around and pull what's really important out of almost anything. I myself have many times looked for miracle cures for my doldrums through new equiptment, only to be disapointed that I still didnt sound quite like I had hoped for. There's no panacea to replace the basic effort needed to play like you want. Sometimes though, a new piece of gear will inspire a person to put out that effort a little more readily.

Absolutely get the amp, but in the meantime there's alot for you to work on...if you see what I'm getting at.

[This message was edited by Rick Schmidt on 16 November 2003 at 02:46 AM.]

Olivier Dufays · From: Lyon, France

Hi Calvin,

Happy to see you're still here !!!

Can you tell us what amp does your teatcher use please ?

Regards,
olivier

Calvin Walley · From: colorado city colorado, USA

he has a couple of amp one is a peavey with twin 12'' speakers and one is a fender with single 15'' speaker at least that what i think they are . my little one only has a 4-5 '' speaker and it kinda reminds me of a toy panio compared to a real one as far as the differance in sound was. make no mistake when my teacher was playing, my steel it was in the hands of a pro to be sure. i know that i have a VERY long way to go to even start to sound that good . but even when i sat down at it hooked to his amp i wasn't playing worth a hoot but at least when i rarely did hit a note right the sound was there that drew me to the steel in the first place . my point is this ; rank beginers like myself simply don't know any better .

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

Calvin, I'm glad you spotted the problem. When you "like" your sound, it really makes you want to play. You will really make progress now!!! Have fun!!!

Bob Watson · From: Champaign, Illinois, U.S.

Calvin, this may sound funny, but I think having a steel seat is also important. I used to use whatever chair was around for years and when I got my first steel chair it really helped my playing. Most chairs have you sitting pretty low. Steel seats have you sitting a little higher and I think that having the consistancy of sitting at the same chair everytime you play is a good thing. Not quite as important as the amp, but something to think about.

[This message was edited by Bob Watson on 16 November 2003 at 01:19 PM.]

erik · Posted 16 Nov 2003 4:18 pm

If you can't play a large amp in your home you may think about buying a amp modeling effect box and use headphones, and/or run the line out to a home stereo. This way you'll get a more realistic tone at low volume levels. You can find them used for under $100.

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

Calvin, part of what you noticed is that the speaker is big enough to reproduce the frequency waves made by the steel.

It isn't necesary to have the most watts available, but a decent sized speaker matched with a reasonable amount of power will do fine till your out playing with a loud band. Even then you can put a mic in front of it. As long as you can hear yourself on stage, that's usually enough.

Lloyd Green did his latest album with a small Fender, and the sound is fantastic.

If you can take your steel to the store and try a few amps you can find the best choice for your budget, that will give you a sound you can really get into.

Also try for tone on all strings at all positions, don't worry about speed or fancy licks, trying an amp is about the tone you create.

And also try adjusting the tone controls and volume settings to see what you can get from it.
A good volume pedal is also important, but when testing an amp use it direct so you hear the amp and not the tonal changes created by the lower cost pedals. The great pedals cost as much as a small amp, and you don't need one yet. But without the pedal you can hear the amp and the steel tone.
Then try it with the pedal.
Good Luck.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 16 November 2003 at 06:06 PM.]

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