New Players Looking For Steel

Bill Howard · From: Indiana, USA

Ok this is sure to be a great little thread:).

If your looking for a cheaper steel(student).
Consider these facts.
You need to buy one that you will no doubt be re selling for one of 2 reasons.
Either you will take interest and need a better steel,
OR...
LOSE interest and need to SELL the steel.
Buy one with a good resale record.
Stage One,Simmons nice little inexpensive guitars.
Stage ones a little cheaper than a Simmons but Stage one's are Single Neck,Simmons has padded rear Neck.
Usually an SD-10 sells a little better than a single but Stage ones sell REALLY fast so...
Watch out for old worn out SLEDS. Some old Sho Buds MSA's,Dekleys that have had the fire played out of them and no one wants them(worn out ones),so some of these guys want to push them off on a new player,some are only single raise or single lower changers which only allow you to do limited things with each string,example 4th string is lowered once and raised 2 times on most steels.
Also don't be dazzled by prior owners.
"This guitar was used to play for Dolly Parton"
SO WHAT.... Worn out as well:)..

, watch it,you don't want most guitars like that,most commonly called a "road Guitar",this means is has been dragged around the country and had the devil played out of it:)been played 6 sets a night probably a cpl Jams 6 or 7 days a week....Do research before you spend several hundred dollars on a steel.
when someone is pushing you to buy usually there IS a reason:).
As I said some of the best cheaper steels are Stage Ones and Simmons,there are also some on the forum that are other brands,MSA sidekicks,even Emmons made some cheaper steels. Be careful what you buy, then you can sell either for within a cpl hundred of what you paid and not lose a ,lot of money,most of the time you going to lose a few dollars on the cheaper steels.
FINALLY if you need a Steel get on the Forum early in the morning as well as several times a day,you may look at 8am and find nothing new then 10 mins later 4 or 5 new steels listed..

I hope this helps someone,it is not intended to make someone mad although it probably will...sorry..

Bud Angelotti · From: Larryville, NJ, USA

Yeah it will make some folks mad - not me Very Happy

The two schools of thought are kinda like buying your first car. You can get one that works fine and won't leave you stranded, or you can get one that needs some work. The benefits are, the ready to rumble steel, of course, start learning how to play the instrument,ie: how to drive. The steel that needs some work, you can learn how the machine works. Some folks are not as mechanically inclined as others. Just want to get playing. Go for it! However,if your machine breaks down on the side of the road, it would be smart to be able to get it up and running and make it home! My first steel was a maverick and my first car was, you guessed it, a Ford Maverick! So now I know just enough about cars and pedal steel to be dangerous.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I really think that most people who lose money on a pedal steel are the ones who paid too much to start with, and this can happen with a Red Baron or an Emmons LeGrande. New buyers should be informed, meaning they should have the guidance of a veteran player when they are buying that first guitar. Of course, if you want something new, you're going to pay a premium, and no player should think they can buy a new guitar of any brand, and then sell it later without a loss. There are a ton of used steels on the market, and it's "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) as it is with anything else.

You gotta pay to play, and I see nothing wrong with that. Why should a pedal steel be different than a car or truck? Most everything depreciates with time and use. The primary reason for buying is to have what you want, when you want it. If your primary worry is about selling, and not having what your heart desires, then you're more a dealer than a player, IMHO.

Dean Edwards · From: Naples,FL & Natrona Hts, PA

Don't ignore the fact that there are good used steel guitars, that will serve you well, as a beginner, or beyond.
I have a BMI, and a Dekley, both of which are fine guitars, even though both are probably over thirty years old.

Dean

Bill Howard · From: Indiana, USA

there are lots of older steels that are good.
I'm talking about the ones you cant add knee levers to without being Howard Hughes,or the worn out ones,
Or somoneone giving 2 grand for some worn out Junk they will be lucky to even sell that was my point.
I know one person bought a well known steel on the forum then tried selling it and I think still has it he gave WAY to much for it..

Jerome Hawkes · From: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

yeah, i fell for this trap when i started out - this was years before the internet and the steel forum, so really, back then, you were on you own.
i had a nice little student Marlen that was perfect, then i found an old Sho-Bud Professional just as you say, rode hard and junked - BUT - it was the SAME model i saw in all the pictures of the stars in the Winston book and on the cover of Scottys Mel Bay method so i sold my nice Marlen, paid TOO MUCH for the SB, hell, the pot metal knee levers were already busted off and they were bolted on and all kinds of other chicken wire fixes, the mechanics completely caked in junk....but that flame maple cabinet sure was PRETTY....and it said "The Professional" on the front Very Happy

needless to say i didnt stick with it for more than a few months after that cause it was never in tune and i couldnt figure out squat about it, plus the parts were breaking/missing.
_________________
'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

most important is what donny says...take someone with you
who has some knowledge and experience.

lots of great older steels for less than newer 'intro' models.

Jerome Hawkes · From: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

in the poor Sho-Buds defense though - i did make a common fatal newbie error...being the guitar was so filthy and caked up, i decided to take it apart and clean it up and make it all nice a "purty" again....big mistake for a newbie with no understanding of steel mechanics..."now where do these little thingies go?"
even if you get everything back in the right place - thats just the beginning of getting the thing to play
_________________
'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I always try to look at things from different angles. Let's say a "budding beginner" bought a Maverick or 'Baron for $750, and when he tried to sell it two years later (to get something better), all he could get was $450. Yeah, he paid too much. Embarassed

So, if he's like some players, he gets all bent out of shape because 40% of his original investment is "gone". However, another way to look at it is that he has had a guitar for two years, one he could play, one to fool with, and also to learn about guitars in general. And, that "bad choice" has now set him back the princely sum of exactly...

(insert drum roll and cymbal crash here)

>

uhh...forty-two cents a day! Very Happy

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Beware. There are many steel guitars being sold out there that have been fooled with by basement tinkers. They mess them up, put them out of regulation, then throw them on the market for sale. When buying used I always ask:

1) When was the guitar last cleaned and adjusted?
2) Who did the work?
3) What exactly was done to the guitar?

Old Sho-Buds are notorious for worn out parts and pot metal. You can see all the help questions on the Forum from people who refuse to spend the money to get their guitars setup and regulated by qualified mechanics. Their loss.

David Beckner · From: Kentucky, USA

What gives me a laugh is when you see Mr. Star Player who wants to sell his 'like new, never on the road, or out of the house" steel guitar for $BIG MONEY..THEN you turn on something like CMT or RFD and guess what? There he is playing the exact steel that he wants to sell..Sometimes I want to ask " How did all the band and camera crew fit in your home?" Laughing

_________________
WILCOX SD10 (love the white mica)
WALKER SEAT
NASHVILLE 400
BEHRINGER RACK TUNER
CUSH CASE RACK
PEAVEY DELTA FEX
PARTS CASTER.Gospel and Classic Country Music
http://www.dbupholstery.yolasite.com

Bill Lowe · From: Connecticut

maybe he has two of the same guitars
_________________
JCH D10, 71 D10 P/p fat back, Telonics TCA 500C--12-,Fender JBL Twin, Josh Swift signature.

Joseph Barcus · From: Volga West Virginia

lets see junk is Carter Starter, Sho-Bud Maverick, MSA sidekick, about all older Marlens,
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvuH7H8BajODaL_wy3_HSJQ

Bill Howard · From: Indiana, USA

i have an older Marlen, Mine is an all pull guitar.
I owned 2 sho buds,1 fender,1franklin, 1 Emmons.1 simmons ,1 marlen total of 7
and as I have said I have never had a more quality guitar than I have right now. I will not resort to running other peoples guitars down... but I would not trade my marlen (PLAYING WISE),for any other steel I EVER owned, my marlen plays easier and sounds better than anything I have ever played bar none.
this post was about guys getting gypped on steels.
Mavericks and Sidekicks all have they're places,I learned on a Fender student and it got me to the level I now play, No way could I have afforded an Emmons at the time or franklin

David Beckner · From: Kentucky, USA

I think today there are some manufacturers who are more about quanity than quality. I remember a couple years ago purchasing a steel - wont name names - but I think it was $795.00 ,broke strings , wouldnt tune - very frustrating for a new player. I got rid of that boat anchor the first chance I had and got a better guitar.Lesson learned you may get what you pay for but if you shop around you can usually find a better deal - sometimes it takes patience but it will come ..
I have owned several guitars myself, including Sho -Bud, Carter , and Simmons. I now play a Wilcox and I will say that for the money and playability Chet builds a quality psg that fits my needs.
_________________
WILCOX SD10 (love the white mica)
WALKER SEAT
NASHVILLE 400
BEHRINGER RACK TUNER
CUSH CASE RACK
PEAVEY DELTA FEX
PARTS CASTER.Gospel and Classic Country Music
http://www.dbupholstery.yolasite.com

Bud Angelotti · From: Larryville, NJ, USA

I miss my old Maverick. It was green. Learned how to change the plugs, oil, and fluids. I moved up to a toyota, or so I thought. Had so many gadgets and buttons. Ripped my hand up trying to get a bolt off. Ran that one down too! Oh guitars! Not Cars! Yeah, I miss that old maverick. Learned how to change strings and keep it oiled up. Never played it till I bled though. Also learned how to get a sound out of the thing cause all the notes ARE in there.

Joseph Meditz · From: Sierra Vista, AZ

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Bill, a lot of those old MSAs and Dekleys just need competent cleaning.
And what guitar is single raise, single lower? Those Sho-Buds ain't!! You could put a puller and barrel on every cross-shaft if you wanted to.
The biggest thing is for all newbies purchasing their first guitar is get someone who's been playing awhile to test drive it, so they'll have a better idea of what's on the table and whether they should bolt or buy, and whether that guitar needs a lot of bench time.
(I'll happily do this for anyone between Topeka and Kansas city, BTW)
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Gil Berry · From: Westminster, CA, USA

Because of poor health, I just today parted with three psgs....Jim at North County Steel Guitars bought them from me....One was an old D12 MSA, another a U12 Sierra. Both of these guitars have been played and played and played...and either of them is a better guitar than most of the newer guitars out there. After Jim gets through detailing them out they will definitely be as good as, or better than most "modern" guitars. They are heavy, sure, and because of that not in demand...but for quality, you'd be hard pressed to find a better new one....and they are a hundred times better than so-called "student" guitars....read that JUNK. Simmons? Are you kidding me? Over a Shobud, or Emmons, a MSA, a Sierra, or even a Marlen? Not to this old man.

This an edit: In reading my own post I sound like a know-it-all running down modern axes. I'm not and I apologize. My only thought was that that MSA D-12 that went to Jim today I purchased new in 1972. I have played that thing for forty years - and I mean thousands of hours - and it's still as smooth as butter, no apparent wear to the changer or the underside (admittedly sure needed cleaning and adjusting). How are your light weight modern guitars going to sound in 2052? Yeah, I know, most of us won't have to worry about that, but that is what I mean by quality.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Gil, there's nothing wrong with keeping quality in mind. It does, however, lead some players to exasperation. They feel they will never play their best without having the "best" guitar. In truth, though, most uf us (myself included) play far below the capabilities of the instrument. We get so hung up on "things" that we forget the biggest element in the playing is the player. Concentrating on playing yeilds far better results than concentrating on the guitar, IMHO. There's a point in the search for any instrument when we should realize that "good enough is good enough", and further expenditure will do little or nothing to improve our playing.

This is a tinkerer's instrument, and as Kevin said, there is a tendency for some players go on "adjusting and correcting" until the instrument is untunable and unplayable. Whereupon, they deem the guitar is the problem, and promptly buy another, only to repeat the process. Laughing

No beginner should buy a guitar (new or used) without the advice of a seasoned player...preferably one who has nothing to gain from the transaction. And if possible, that player should not be one who is "hooked" on a single brand-name.

Jamie Frost · From: Spokane, WA

Amen, Donny.

Kevin Hatton, I've never heard anyone refer to a guitar as being "out of regulation". Does that mean "overtuned"? Just wondering...

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Bob Mainwaring · From: Qualicum Beach Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

Bill,and all the folks out there.
The only thing that I have to say is, "If man made it - it can be remade" meaning exactly what it says.
My old SD10 Z.B. has been an absolutely "fabulous" instrument with just a few minor mechanical changes over the many years that I've owned it,plus adding a 5th lowering knee lever.
My D10 Z.B. hasn't had anything done to it as I don't play it as often as the SD10.
As yet, the steel guitar is a mechanical musical instrument, meaning who knows what might be achieved in the not-too-distant-future with all the electronic know-how that's out there today.
For instance,my first tuning device apart from a piano, was a single note tuning fork and look how far we've come forward with all the electronic tuning devices out there now.

All Z.B.est.

Bob Mainwaring.
Vancouver Island.

Tony Williamson · From: North Carolina, USA

you could do like me...buy a beautiful red superpro and if you never learn to play it looks dang pretty sittin in your living room...

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Just to echo what Lane Gray had to say;
Some look at rack and barrel Shobuds changers, and think, "Single raise, single lower." That's just not the case! You can do anything with them, and can make changes in a matter of minutes. You're only limited by how many racks, or lever mechs you can fit underneath. They're sort of infinite raise/lower guitars. My favorite Shobuds!

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