PSG Players and the Steel Guitarist magazine

Bo Legg · Posted 7 May 2008 12:01 am

Well I just received my Steel Guitarist magazines I ordered from b0b.
I pulled out the last issue and the whole thing was so interesting I couldn’t put it down.
The article about PSG killers, you know people who move from chord to chord and pump the pedal that raises the B to C# and call it playing steel and in particular the rock guitar players who try to play a little PSG in their rock recordings.
An article where Mr. Emmons states his frustration with playing in minors on the C6 and how he was going to chunk the C6 altogether and just do studio work until he heard another PSG players approach to C6.
An article about a big flap over trying to get players to except a different style of music, other than country.
That one didn’t fly and caught lots of flack about how everything was going away from traditional country.
There were things about Emmons, Hughey, Franklin, Jeff Newman and just about all the Icons of PSG.
Then I started looking at the ads and notice that my Session 500 was listed as a new amp and I thought that can’t be right. At that time you could buy a new ZUM for around $1200
I looked at the date on the magazine and it showed May 1981. I couldn’t believe it. All the articles seemed to cover the same issues we presently debate on the Forum and praise the same PSG icons. The PSG instruments looked pretty much the same.
My god this magazine was written 27 years ago, long before I started playing PSG and not much if anything has changed.

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

John McGlothlin · Posted 7 May 2008 5:43 am

I can remember when I got the last issue of Steel Guitarist back about 1981...it was featuring Paul Franklin and also Tom Bradshaw was pushing the album called "Honky Cat" by Bobby Black and Bob Barry. Everyone got a copy of it in the mail with the option after listening to it , to either return the album or keep it and send about 5 or 7 dollars. I listened to it and then packed it up and sent it back because at that time I would much rather have listened to a goose pass gas. A lot of people kept the album because of a legal something or other ...that if a person receives something in the mail that they did not ask for....it is automaticly theirs to keep. So after that....there were no more issues of Steel Guitarist ever and ever again Sad

Barry Blackwood · Posted 7 May 2008 7:14 am

"All the articles seemed to cover the same issues we presently debate on the Forum and praise the same PSG icons."

Bo, I'm sure you know - "The more things change," etc.
Winking

Bo Legg · Posted 7 May 2008 12:05 pm

Mark, John and Barry, glad you confirm what I read. For a while there, reading the mags, I thought I was in the Twilight Zone.
The Steel guitar Forum is kinda like the magazine and you can get your info daily and not have to wait a month.
What I feel bad about is that I was one of those PSG killers the mag pointed out. I went around with my head up my, you know what, playing my Tele and playing a little steel, mostly B to C# pedal stuff and thought I was so good that I didn't need a bunch of old hokey steel pickers telling me anything and I was not going to buy a Steel guitar mag or get any tab or for that matter even listen to a steel player. God, I wish I had all those years back.

Jim Sallis · From: Arizona, USA

Instant nostalgia: I used to write for Steel Guitarist, and still have the volume pedal Tom gave me in payment for something or another I wrote or edited for him back then. I was sad when he called and said he was ending the magazine, but it was great while it lasted. Hard to believe it was that long ago.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

used to see the little square ad for zumsteel...then i bought one in 82...$2400 + volume pedal and case..9+8 blue mica.... set up for my weird copedent, still works great, plus have extra parts cause i ordered more than i needed at the time...what do new custom steels cost now??

Bo Legg · Posted 7 May 2008 4:09 pm

Chris, the d-10 8&4 Zum was listed for $1,350 in the Sept. 79 issue. I have no idea what that included.

Jack Dougherty · From: Spring Hill, Florida, USA

Strings...... Laughing

Bo...I have all the issues too.
Great article BE did on "pockets"

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

Tom's and Russ's mags were great,glad I got them all when I could,Sure wish we had something like that today,I for one would pay a premium price for it.DYKBC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

William Fraser · From: New York, USA

I think the lesson materials & advice from the players ,are priceless ,a new player ,or any player ,would be hard pressed to find better reading material, & what a nice gift to give or recieve. Bill
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Billy Lee ,Pro-II,, Session 400,Session 500 , Supro , National, SpeedDemons,& too many Archtops & Stratotones.Lots of vintage parts for Kay ! etc.

Don Sulesky · From: Citrus County, FL, Orig. from MA & NH

I bought all the issues when they came out and I also paid for the albums.
I'm so glad I did.
Don

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

Great Steel Magazine. Wish tom could keep it going. I signed up for a subcription and contributed some articles on tunings, etc. Well, it is nice to have the Forum now,But there was something about that Magazine at the time......al. Smile

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Michigan (MSGC)Christmas Dinner and Jam on my 80th Birthday.

My Email.. almarcus@cmedic.net
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

If anyone wonders what we're all talking about, just click "MAGAZINES" at the top right corner of any Forum page. I still have "a few" left! Winking

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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video

John Sluszny · From: Brussels, Belgium

I got them too (from bOb) Very Happy

,too bad it's been discontinued ! Sad

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

I too have all the issues and read them over and over again.

It seems to me that there are a lot more steel guitar players and enthusiasts around now than there were 30 years ago, so maybe the magazine would be more viable now than it was then. I think I'll run a thread asking how many people would subscribe if it were available.

For those of you who are not aware of it, Basil Henriques publishes a magazine on Hawaiian music called Aloha Dream, which is an excellent periodical.

http://www.waikiki-islanders.com/

Jeff Evans · From: Cowtown and The Bill Cox Outfit

Bo Legg · Posted 14 May 2008 10:59 am

Like b0b said, just click "MAGAZINES" at the top right corner of any Forum page. Like I say, Get em all! it's a bargain! Not even 30 bucks! You'll be a FoBro with info! Then you to can be in the know and jump in on this topic. No I don't get a commission.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

i think alan's right...a mag like tom bradshaw's now would probably survive....i supported tom from the beginning and have all the mags and bobby black's honky cat lp!
there is much more commercial buying power now as the forum has grown.
somehow, forward thinkers like bradshaw and b0b should get some acclaim!

that inflation site makes it clear that your basic $50 gig should now be a minimum of $130..still not enough to pay for gas!

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