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Topic: Superficial Enticement |
Bill Hankey
From:
Pittsfield, MA, USA
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Posted 25 Jun 2006 6:22 am |
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Could the wavering of enticement account for the hesitancy, that is at times, the hallmark of newcomers interested in the steel guitar?
Bill
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Steve Hitsman
From:
Waterloo, IL
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Posted 25 Jun 2006 7:36 am
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| . [This message was edited by Steve Hitsman on 25 June 2006 at 01:27 PM.] |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 25 Jun 2006 7:52 am
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I'd say the Cost of a PSG, amp and accessories causes more hesitancy in newcomers than any wavering of enticement.
So the wavering of Accounts accounts for the hesitancy, that is at times, the hallmark of newcomers interested in the steel guitar. |
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 25 Jun 2006 9:21 am
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I think it's the waivering of CHOPS
that accounts for the attrition rate. |
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Eric West
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 25 Jun 2006 9:37 am
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Bill.
Enticement never wavers.
The tragedy is that Enthusiasm soon gives way to Safety in Live Situations.
Myriads of great playing are sucked into Mediocrity.
They can play Raisin the Dickens in a year.
Then go on to fighting their way through Truck Driving Man for decades.
EJL |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 25 Jun 2006 10:52 am
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I think the talent account wavers:
'Do I really have the talent to play this instrument that's going to cost too much?'
Indeed, the enticement always exists like the mimsy Sirens.
Fear of lack of chops rules here, as David L said.
But what a great question. |
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Larry Robbins
From:
Fort Edward, New York
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Posted 25 Jun 2006 10:56 am
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AS we all know, mediocrity is rampant.
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72 Professional 8&5,73 PRO II 8&4, 79/80 PRO III 8&4,Fender Steelking, Hilton pedal, USA Tele, Fender Twin,Peterson tuner,Tut Taylor Reso's and Twang to the Bone!!
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Alan Rudd
From:
Ardmore, Oklahoma
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Posted 25 Jun 2006 11:25 am
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| The cost of the instrument was what deterred me for a long time. If I'd had the money I would now have about 20 years on the instrument. As of now, I only have about a year and a half. |
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Roy Ayres
From:
Riverview, Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 25 Jun 2006 6:02 pm
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Bill,
Good to see you posting again.
I agree that the cost of a pedal steel is one of the primary deterrents -- especially if the newbie is unsure of his ability or tenacity to stick through the learning process. However, in my opinion, the logical route is to start out on an inexpensive non-electric Hawaiian guitar. If you buy a used one and take care of it, you can get your investment back -- and by the time you are ready to dispose of it, you will know whether your ability justifies the cost of a pedal steel.
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Visit my Web Site at RoysFootprints.com
Browse my Photo Album and be sure to sign my Guest Book.
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Russ Tkac
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Posted 25 Jun 2006 6:11 pm
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| Never mind.... [This message was edited by Russ Tkac on 25 June 2006 at 07:26 PM.] |
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Bob Martin
From:
Madison Tn
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Posted 25 Jun 2006 9:44 pm
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Hi guy's I hope you don't mind if I jump in as a newly confessed student of the steel guitar. After 30 years of playing the guitar and loving the steel I have decided to start learning the steel.
I would have to say that money was a small very small part of the reason for not starting earlier but only by a few months. Let me explain I was off work due to a pretty serious illness for a few years and as I started to recuperate I knew that I was finally ready to take up the steel. So If I would have had the cash I might have started a few months earlier than this. Now also keep in mind that I still haven't purchased a steel but I am in the financial position to do so.
So thats why I say money was a factor but only for a few months. I guess the main reason why I've waited so long to learn steel is I've been busy making a living playing guitar all these years and it's a dog eat dog world in the area that I work in so I was a little worried that if I took the time off of guitar to practice steel that I might lose my edge on guitar which I practice religiously daily and have all the way through my career (if you call what I've been doing a career)hee hee!
So I just kept trying to learn new modernized stuff and stay contemporary and try to stay in the guitar game. Well now I'm not playing guitar for a living anymore so I feel like I have 100% of my practice time to give to the steel so for me it was a career thing.
Maybe that will shed a little light on the subject at least from a gigging guitar steel player wannabe!
Bob
(dog gone fat fingers)[This message was edited by Bob Martin on 25 June 2006 at 10:49 PM.] |
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Ernie Pollock
From:
Mt Savage, Md USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2006 4:20 am
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I would say that Doug hit the nail right on the head, cost is just way out of line to try & start a 12 year old kid out on steel.
Ernie 
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Bill Hankey
From:
Pittsfield, MA, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2006 4:27 am
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We are surrounded by a society that is culture conscious; in a musical sense. Steel guitar should share a much greater part in the teaching of the aesthetic value that can be realized, in the pursuance of the instrument.
Bill [This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 26 June 2006 at 05:43 AM.] [This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 26 June 2006 at 08:15 AM.] |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 26 Jun 2006 5:17 am
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I really think it's the weight...
D-10: 50-60 lbs
Nashville 400: 60 lbs plus
Seat, Effects box, etc, another 20-50 lbs.
This is usually much more that a 12 year old weighs. |
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 26 Jun 2006 7:51 am
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I think most 12 year olds who take up steel,
had an immediate and local influence,
that encouraged them AND provided access
long enough to see if it would take.
In that nurturing an environment,
the child will not be subject to
"cost fear", and such.
Since the young are generally less
embarrased to make mistakes,
they progress quickly.
Most school band instruments cost much less
than a Carter Starter, if you add on amp
and other neccesaries.
But if you can get a youngster in this position with drive and talent,
you can end up with a Paul Franklin...
if you're VERY lucky.[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 26 June 2006 at 08:52 AM.] |
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Terry Edwards
From:
Florida... livin' on spongecake...
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Posted 26 Jun 2006 9:54 am
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It's like the waivering of tuning methods that's like detrimental to prospective young steeler's inquisitiveness.
JI ?
ET ??
Oh heck, just gimme that 6-string. Besides, girls really like how this electric geetar looks on me!!
Terry
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Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2006 10:35 am
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| When I was a kid I learned there were these guys called rock stars who played electric guitars, rode in limos, threw tv's out of hotel windows and scored all the babes. I vowed to become one or die tryin (damn near did...die tryin, that is). I am 39 years old now. I had never even seen a pedal steel guitar until this year, let alone a steeler riding in a limo, throwin tv's out of hotel room windows and scoring hot chicks. whatever..... [This message was edited by Ben Jones on 26 June 2006 at 11:36 AM.] [This message was edited by Ben Jones on 26 June 2006 at 11:38 AM.] |
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Bill Hankey
From:
Pittsfield, MA, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2006 3:05 pm
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Consider the missing link that detracts from any promotional effort to popularize the steel guitar. It can be observed at numerous music stores where dozens of 6 string guitars hang on the walls. Not a single steel guitar can be found on the floor, or packed away. The full potential of the steel guitar has been sluggish, due to this apparent oversight by various musical outlets. Hopefully, an entrepreneurial individual with managerial ambitions, will teach a lesson long overdue in marketing the steel guitar. |
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Eric West
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 26 Jun 2006 3:27 pm
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Well Bill.
Two things.
One is that 6 stringers have been around a dozen times longer. give them a few hundred more years.
When the perspective neophite does any research on the tuning....
EJL
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 26 Jun 2006 3:51 pm
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I admit that cost deterred me back in the 60s and 70s. Back then, you could pick up a nice Strat or Tele for $100-200 but even a starter steel cost a lot more and a pro steel was in the thousand or more dollar range - an astronomical amount, given the value of a dollar.
But I don't think the cost is any longer prohibitive on a starter steel, or even some older professional grade steels. I see lots of parents, or kids using their own earnings, come into music stores (such as the one I owned in the 90s) and drop anywhere from $400-500 and $1000 for an electric guitar and amp. A used Carter Starter and reasonable amp can be gotten for this kind of money - even a new one at the outer level of this. Sure, this kind of outlay requirement thins the herd a bit, but I don't think cost is the biggest issue. I used to sell the occasional Maverick and Emmons student model for $300-400 ten years ago when the typical Strat or Tele ran between $300-400 for a Mexi/Japanese model or $600-700 for an American one. People came in and marvelled at a steel, but bought the guitars.
I think the problem is much more that pedal steel is not a mainstream instrument. Most kids see guitar players at concerts and on TV - they emulate Jimmy Page, Steve Vai, Yngvie Malmsteen, Brad Paisley, Joe Satriani, or whatever genre "guitar hero" catches their interest. We need some "steel guitar heroes", and RR looks like about the only candidate I see.
If, by chance, someone does take a shine to the pedal steel and gets one, it is clearly an instrument that requires a fair amount of musical maturity. I'm sure glad I had played guitar for a long time before I started - I think hitting this instrument cold would have been tough.
In addition, the culture tends to emphasize instant results - not exactly the kind of thing that helps you if you need to practice bar control, picking, and blocking for hours on end. Kids pick up on this culture, to their great detriment.
I think pedal steel will probably always be a specialty instrument for people who are very dedicated to the sound. |
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Howard Tate
From:
Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 26 Jun 2006 6:12 pm
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I defence of music stores, six string guitars are a lot easier to hang on the wall then pedal steels.
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Howard |
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ebb
From:
nj
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Posted 26 Jun 2006 6:50 pm
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| guitars are phallic. as my killer tenor sax buddy recently lamented "all my groupies are old men". it will be interesting to see if there is a robert randolph affect on sales |
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Bill Hankey
From:
Pittsfield, MA, USA
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Posted 27 Jun 2006 4:41 am
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Dave
Role models who pass the steel guitar "litmus test" are not difficult to find. To emulate the heroes of steel guitar would keep a student busy for years. It is doubtful that the surpassing of established steel guitar heroes will be readily seen.
Bill
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 27 Jun 2006 5:13 am
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| Quote: |
| I think pedal steel will probably always be a specialty instrument for people who are very dedicated to the sound. |
I think probably that's because there are so many ways you can do it wrong...
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 27 Jun 2006 5:29 am
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The enticement is subtle, in a way.
To me, the study of steel guitar leads to a feeling that it is a sound that is always there, from its beginnings through improvements in the instrument that make this sound a lasting thing.
More than any instrument, you hear that sound and want to tap into it--you hear it, and you want to do it, as if--unlike a piano, where you create a note by playing it--the note is already there and will go on, if you can just enter it at the right time.
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