Ever try playing Pedal Steel Standing Up?

W. C. Edgar · Posted 16 Sep 2009 10:10 am

I've been thinking about this a long time and finally did it. Face it, steel players are hard to please because we're all really picky about our sound. I now play my Sho Bud Pro 2 standing up and use all eight pedals and re-set up my knee levers so I have all I need to get by on my left knees. You can't use a volume pedal but you can have a volume control on the end of the guitar such as a Martin VTC (Volume Tone Control) that just plugs into your guitar and then adjust your attack and your touch on the strings to fit the song. I know I'll get folks that say why not just hire a sit down player? I need to cut corners on the road between my Sho Bus insurance, storage, upkeep and high diesel fuel prices and crooked agents I need to retain every cent I can. This is a business and I have to treat it as so. I play guitar also (not very well) and have an endorsement with Martin for my HD-28 Acoustic. I also carry a great guy from Stinnett Texas on Tele (Greg Downey). Solid drummer from Amarillo and a fantastic Bass player and singer from my Nashville days Eddie Thompson who now resides in Benton Kentucky. Eddie had been fronting for Keith Whitley before Keith's tragic death and had a few Billboard top 100 releases in the 90's. Anyway, back to my Sho Bud. I am about 6' 3 so I had to raise it up so it's 42" from the floor to the strings on my front neck. I had to make 8 rods, bend the hook on the end and thread them to get this height. Then I had to extend the knees quite a ways so I can still bump them. It looks a little weird and at first it felt really strange trying to play and sing while standing and trying not to fall on your rear. I practice at least four hours a day at it. After being out of the spotlight and not playing steel in over two years live I gave it a shot last night with a C6th Track in the basement. I would like to thank Porter Wagoner's steel player Don Warden who gave me the idea of playing a pedal guitar standing up and singing at the same time and for taking the time to speak with me at Scottys last year. So here ya go, mistakes and all. But I'm having a blast doing it! And Keeping Steel Guitar ALIVE:D
WC Edgar

Here's the link to the Youtube Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jphksd0A1s

www.wcedgar.com
www.myspace.com/wcedgar
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Barry Blackwood · Posted 16 Sep 2009 10:35 am

Steve English · From: Baja, Arizona

You done good! Looks like it's gonna be fun.
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Charles Curtis · Posted 16 Sep 2009 11:21 am

Back in 1962, I sat in a band in Hong Kong and the steel guy let me pick his ax. After a couple of beers I became bored with what they were doing. I played one instrumental and the American Sailors in the audience really enjoyed it. He asked me to play one more then leave. Oh well, it was a lot of fun. And yes you had to stand to play it.

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

W.C. there's just some things that men can do standing up and women have to squat to do. I admire your innovation, and especially your firm stand (no pun intended) on having steel guitar in country music. You sound great man, keep up the good work. Smile

W. C. Edgar · Posted 16 Sep 2009 11:38 am

Thanks for the kind words. Playing like this you have to put all of your weight on your right leg. I used to have kind of a trick knee on that leg so I hope to hell it doesn't decide to jump out of place in the middle of Workin Man Blues at about 180 BPM some night and I take a spill. Ha! Surprised

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

I'm still trying to play it sitting down !

t

c c johnson · From: killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.

Yes' after hearing and watching the guy that used to play with Jimmy Heap and the Melodymasters. It was a complete disaster to say the least. cc

Chris Schlotzhauer · From: Colleyville, Tx. USA

It's a great idea especially if you plan on fronting. It does look like all your weight is on your right hip, which after a few tunes would be painful.
Also, no use of knees or volume pedal.
How would you be able to play E9?

John Drury · From: Gallatin, Tn USA

The #1 reason I chose pedal steel is because you get to sit down while playing it.

What you are doing makes no sense whatsoever.
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W. C. Edgar · Posted 16 Sep 2009 3:31 pm

Tell Jr Brown that playing pedal steel while singing and standing up makes no sense whatsoever and get back to me on what he tells you. I front my own show. You can't front a band sitting down unless you're playing a laid back lounge or perhaps a nursing home. I play acoustic also so on the songs with no steel I get a little break but keep the picks on. I practice 4 hours a day so between the changing off to guitar and breaks my hip is no problem. I have all the knee levers I need on my left knee which
Raises 4&8
Lowers 4&8 & I raise 1 by pulling it behind the bar.

Non pedal players didn't usually use a foot volume pedal. They used the volume control on the guitar and relied also on their attack and touch like I mentioned above unless you don't have either and then this may not work for you.

Like I said, this is what works for ME and I love it. Some guys are too large body wise to even think about doing this as you have to be right up against the guitar with your body while playing E9th and face it, you have to have good balance to boot. While playing C6th I always did sit (or stand) back more away from the guitar. All I ever really used on the C6th was one knee anyway and I can get around that. And yes I can play "Nightlife". All in all I can play anything I need to play on the setup I have. I have had guitars in the past with 8 pedals and 10 knees but more isn't always best as I found out real quick. Like I said, unless you can equal or exceed what I'm doing please don't criticize my effort in promoting steel guitar and hard core honky tonk Country Music in America & beyond.
Smile

Thanks, WC

www.wcedgar.com

www.myspace.com/wcedgar

www.universalvisionentertainment.com

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

If you're using your left foot on the pedals, and also the knee levers, you're balancing your entire weight on your right leg. That sounds like a way to get tired very quickly. I guess as long as you're young and fit, but I wouldn't last ten minutes in that position. Shocked

Jeff Hyman · From: West Virginia, USA

W.C.

Would love to see some pics. Got any to post? I viewed the YouTube link. I assume you're playing the C6? I'd like to hear some E9 if you can spare a few chops :-)

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

I've been thinking about doing that for awhile and after seeing that, I think I'm actually gonna do it! Seems fun and easier for double duty Tele/steel gigs, which I seem to do a lot of.
Thanks!
Dave
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Robby Springfield · From: Viola, AR, USA

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Tracy Sheehan · From: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

I am going back quite a ways but Bob White who played for Hank Thompson Played a pedal Bigsby as i recall.I seem to remember him standing on his volume pedal ,using it while using pedals with his left foot.He used the pedals for chords.
He showed me how he did the big fat ending on Tears are Only Rain.I was going to ask him if Bigsby made him a special volume pedal that would bear his weight but forgot to.I have always wondered about this.Any one remember for sure?
IMHO i believe now days it might be a good idea to learn steel standing up even if they had to stop using pedals.As Tom Bradshaws article stated 40 years or so ago,steel players are the least exciting musician on stage,sitting ,staring at thier hands,ect.
And as music died out a few years back and became all show the steel players could then do like the rockers.Put some fire ants in thier drawers and join the rest of the music world. Laughing

Also years ago Freddie Gates who played for the Horton Bros and the old Skylite club in Compton,Ca.used a bar stool to appear to be standing
and played pedals.I did the same thing at times when on the road.It does look good to the audience.Tracy

Joseph Barcus · From: Volga West Virginia

I take the 8 string out now and then and play it standing up no pedals just play it the good old way lol.
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Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

As I recall, Sierra briefly made a steel to be played while standing. It had hip levers instead of knee levers.

Does anybody else remember these guitars?
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Allen Peterson · From: Katy, Texas

Hey WC do you have any pictures of you playing standing up? I am trying to imagine how this works.

Sorry, I didn't see the link for the youtube in your original post.

Very cool!

Allen Peterson
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Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Jerry Fessenden had one he built, at the ISGC this year. I didn't look closely enough to see if it had any KLs but it was an S-10 with 3 pedals. I assume E9. Not sure if it was still a prototype or if he's ready to build these commercially for folks.
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Per Berner · From: Skovde, Sweden

Can't figure out how playing standing up would save a single cent. Can't be good for your back either.

Drew Howard · From: 48854

WC,

Good on ya for making the video and bringing the topic up.

I, too, front bands sometimes and hate sitting down when everyone else is standing. Lose the chair.

More of my gigs are non-pedal these days SO it's got me thinking about playing pedals standing up.

I've seen pix of Jerry's stand-up guitars! They look very cool.

Don Warden is THE MAN and I would love to have just a simple two pedal job like his. Can make a ton of music that way.

I would want a single ten and so the question is copedent. I'd want a sixth tuning of some sort but with the E9 AB pedals in there.

????

Let's keep the topic going.

thanks,
Drew

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

I have an old Fender 400 with B6 and AB style pedals. It's really fun. The adjustable legs from my 1000 fit so I can get the height. I just need to center the pedal rack under the guitar somehow and extend the pedal rods. 10 strings would be better but this will work for experimenting. Very Happy

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Robin Archer · From: Califon, , USA

In the 70's I played a Gibson Electra Harp (pictured). Just to make a chord change and depress the pedals I had to stand on them. I got a lot of interesting effects and dropped the bar a lot.
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Greg Gefell · From: Upstate NY

To each his own...
I tried pedal steel standing up and it got too fatiguing on the limbs and joints.

I did play some non pedal standing for awhile though - and that IS enjoyable.
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