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Topic: What sort of Steel for Newbie |
Peter Hawkin
From:
Northumberland, UK
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Posted 12 Jun 2009 8:18 am |
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Hi Guys,
I currently play piano and hammond in a country / americana / folk band in the UK. I can play guitar too. The songs we play are quite soft and melodic, with fairly standard chord progressions. In terms of keys, the usual D, G, A, E, B etc. Nothing jazzy!
I was considering getting a steel to play as an alternative to the hammond for some songs - I don't envisage becoming a great picker any time soon, but I hope to be able to swell in chords on some of the slow numbers. I have a strong understanding of musical "theory" and can identify chord progressions by ear etc.
So the simple question is...
A) LAP or Pedal
B) What tuning?
thanks in advance,
Peter |
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Robert Harper
From:
Alabama, USA
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Posted 12 Jun 2009 9:59 am 3&2
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Any quality S10 SD 10 with 3 pedal and 2 levers will do what you want. Caution be very careful. The darn thing becomes very addictive. I personally think it needs a warning sign for thoes who lean toward obssessive/compulsive tendencey
_________________
"Oh what a tangled web we weave when we first begin to deceive" Someone Famous |
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 12 Jun 2009 12:16 pm
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Hi Peter, I think a nice lap steel tuned to C6th with a volume pedal will enable you to do what you want without spendin a lot of money. Consider this, a lap steel will cost less money, be more lighter and portable than a pedal steel and you can probably get by with a smaller amp too. you can learn the basics of steel guitar with this setup and make a lot of beautiful music too. Later on you can decide if you want to take on a pedal steel.  |
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Brandon Ordoyne
From:
Needville,Texas USA
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Posted 13 Jun 2009 7:15 pm
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I would recommend a used S10 or SD-10....
_________________
'74 Emmons D10 P/P 8x5,'15 Rittenberry D10 8x5, Peavey Nashville 112, 400 & 1000, Fender Twin Reverb Tone Master, Hilton, Goodrich L120, Boss DD-3 and RV-3 |
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Steve Broatch
From:
Newcastle, England
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Posted 14 Jun 2009 1:57 am
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| Peter come and try a pedal steel if you like. I live nearby. I've sent you a PM. |
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Peter Hawkin
From:
Northumberland, UK
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Posted 14 Jun 2009 11:54 am
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Thanks for the advice guys. I've arranged to see Steve and try out his pedal steel. Who would believe that you could post on a forum hosted 6000 miles away and get a reply from someone 20 miles away within 24 hours? The world is such a small place
Peter |
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 14 Jun 2009 8:05 pm
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I think a good selection would be one of Gary Carpenter's Carp Steels. They are not expensive but play and sound like the high dollar steels. Check him out on you tube.
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Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Ned McIntosh
From:
New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 15 Jun 2009 3:23 am
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Peter,
After trying out Steve's pedal-steel I guess you'll have a far better idea which way to go (pedal or non-pedal), but living in the UK you can probably find another steeler who has a good steel for sale which will save you the expense and risk of importing from the CONUS.
For a single-neck pedal-steel, the standard is E9th, 3 pedals 4 levers, 10 strings. Gilding the lily somewhat sees 4 pedals and 5 levers (usually the Franklin Change is on the 4th pedal). An S10 is the lightest, and SD 10 is only a bit heavier. If you ever think you might get interested in playing the C6th tuning as well as E9th, then a D10 is the way to go. Older D10s weigh about as much as Jupiter (old MSAs, or an old Marlen for example) but modern D10s can be surprisingly "luggable" (Carter, Magnum etc).
That said, I'm guessing you'll probably go for an S10, in which case you might find a good one somewhere in the UK. You have a good builder there (Bennett) and a search of the "For Sale: Instruments" forum might yield a result. If not, either the Stage One, or the Carp Steel seems to be getting the nod on the forum ans best bang for the Pound Sterling. The older "student" steels of yesteryear (Sho-Bud Maverick etc) are guitars whose day has come - and gone.
I'm a bit biassed, but the only steels I've ever owned were D10s. Anyway, good luck with your search, and once you're hooked, there is no cure.
_________________
The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being. |
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John Allison
From:
Austin, Texas, USA
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Posted 15 Jun 2009 6:11 am
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If you find PSG a little confounding or intimidating - a definite possibility with picks, steel, volume pedal, pedals and levers to figure out all at once - you might consider an 8 string lap or console to start. The C6 or C13 (b7 on the bottom) or A6 or A13 will give you easy-to-understand access to all the chords you're likely to need and it's a great tuning for single note playing and harmonized runs and melodies. It might allow you to get a handle on pick, bar and volume technique before venturing into pedal and lever territory. You might find it handy to have a more portable option for small gigs, too, even after you eventually get a PSG.
Have fun on your new adventure!
J A
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John Allison
Allison Stringed Instruments
Austin, Texas
www.allisonguitars.com |
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Bob Simmons
From:
Trafford, Alabama, USA
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Posted 17 Jun 2009 4:39 pm give this a try
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genesis by simmons $995 3 pedals, 4 knee levers, case
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Bob Simmons
From:
Trafford, Alabama, USA
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Calvin Walley
From:
colorado city colorado, USA
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Posted 17 Jun 2009 5:28 pm
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i own the guitar in the picture Bob just posted ,
feel free to contact me about how well the guitar plays ph # 719-214-7299
_________________
proud parent of a sailor
Mullen SD-10 /nashville 400
gotta love a Mullen!!!
Guitars that i have owned in order are :
Mullen SD-10,Simmons SD-10,Mullen SD-10,Zum stage one,Carter starter,
Sho-Bud Mavrick |
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Dick Sexton
From:
Greenville, Ohio
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 17 Jun 2009 6:27 pm Re: What sort of Steel for Newbie
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| Peter Hawkin wrote: |
I currently play piano and hammond in a country / americana / folk band in the UK. I can play guitar too. The songs we play are quite soft and melodic, with fairly standard chord progressions. In terms of keys, the usual D, G, A, E, B etc. Nothing jazzy!
I was considering getting a steel to play as an alternative to the hammond for some songs - I don't envisage becoming a great picker any time soon, but I hope to be able to swell in chords on some of the slow numbers. I have a strong understanding of musical "theory" and can identify chord progressions by ear etc.
So the simple question is...
A) LAP or Pedal
B) What tuning? |
To answer your questions directly - you are playing a lot of the same kind of stuff I'm playing - I play pedal steel and guitar in a strongly folk-rock/Americana/country setting, and work with a B3/piano player most of the time. With this in mind, I think a pedal steel with some type of E9 tuning (10-string, extended 12-string E9, or 12-string universal E9/B6) on it would be most appropriate. This way you will have option to play both pedal style and nonpedal style - remember that a pedal steel guitar is a steel guitar - you don't have to use the pedals. E9 is a remarkably versatile tuning - I can't really imagine any style of music that can't be played on it.
Exactly what pedal steel to get is a complex question with a lot of wrinkles. There's a concurrent thread here addressing that issue - http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=160719 - if you do a search on the string beginner pedal steel (be sure to punch the button "Search for all terms"), you'll find lots of older threads on this exact topic.
In fact, you'll find that there is a lot of diversity of opinion on what is the "best" pedal steel for someone starting out. But there's no point in going into detail about all of this until you answer the two questions you posed - I think you're asking exactly the right questions. |
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