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Topic: 'Taste is the sole arbiter of beauty' |
Tony Boadle
From:
Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland
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Posted 25 Nov 2013 4:58 pm |
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Back in the early sixties, like many other teenagers, I learnt enough guitar chords to play a fair few hit songs, mostly Beatles and Stones etc. Various guitars came and went over the years, until a chance encounter with Flatt and Scruggs on the Beverly Hillbillies TV show blew my musical mind. Long story short, that led me to the 5-string banjer, and indirectly to the square-neck resonator, and then the lap steel. The PSG was always a distant mystery....growing up in the south west of England meant Nashville was a million miles away.
I determined a long while ago, that one day, I would own a Pedal Steel Guitar. A few years ago, that plan came to fruition when I managed to buy a ShoBud Maverick. Alas, a financial mini-crisis meant that it went not long after it arrived. A little while later, I managed to find a Carter Starter. This time, a health scare meant early retirement, a reduced income, and once again, bye bye PSG.
I'm currently building my very own basic 6-string, it may not be a complex work of art, but I think it'll be the nearest I'm going to get to the real thing.
But I digress. Lately, I've come to realise that my favourite instruments (banjo, reso, PSG) have one significant similarity...the delightful blend of wood and metal! The 'mechanical' mix of engineering and carpentry, giving the owner the opportunity to adjust, modify and customise to any level they wish.
I love the 'feel' of my banjo, my reso and lap-steel. But to me, whilst I briefly owned my PSG's, there was nothing to beat just sitting and touching them....the feel of the ten strings, the shine of the ten tuners, the flashy fretboard, the complexity of the undercarriage, etc. etc. Was there ever a more beautiful and fascinating instrument?
I envy all you owners, keep posting your pics and I'll keep drooling.
And thanks for reading!
Tony (now in Ireland, a little closer to Nashville!) |
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Bent Romnes
From:
London,Ontario, Canada
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Posted 25 Nov 2013 5:26 pm
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Yeah, Tony, I know what you are saying. My favourite part is the keyhead with those shiny tuners. And then the changer..where art and mechanics meet...you can actually tune the pedals and knee levers!
Good luck with your build, my friend!
_________________
BenRom Pedal Steel Guitars
https://www.facebook.com/groups/212050572323614/ |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Tony Boadle
From:
Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland
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Posted 26 Nov 2013 6:37 am Taste etc.
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| Thanks, Mike. I appreciate your humble contribution ! LOL, Tony. |
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Tony Boadle
From:
Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland
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Posted 26 Nov 2013 2:09 pm taste etc.
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And Bent....those photos only serve to prove my point!
What a delightful PSG to behold. Thanks for your kind wishes. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 26 Nov 2013 3:47 pm
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Tony, I think like Jim - you may be just a little "jaded". 
While I may find some steels attractive, I feel they're all sorta plain when compared to a piano. A flat piece of wood or shiny-blocky metal parts only say so much. But hand-carved wood is, IMHO, an altogether supreme and superior creation.
This is what I call "a pretty cabinet"!
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 26 Nov 2013 4:05 pm
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Donny, every year at the NAMM show there is a room full of the most beautifully decorated and carved pianos imaginable. These instruments are not designed to be played. They are museum pieces.
These are not tools for the purpose of creating art. They ARE art.
I will borrow my wife's camera and take some pictures.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Tony Boadle
From:
Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland
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Posted 27 Nov 2013 1:32 am taste etc...
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Point taken re the pianos, guys. But from a practical point of view, isn't there a risk of the piano lid falling on your arms when you're in there sliding the steel across the strings? (LOL)
Seriously though, can we draw parallels here? I'm thinking that if we were auto-fans, we'd be comparing
customised hot-rods and vintage cars.
Both wonderful, intricate creations... but to me, (taste is the sole arbiter, etc), a fully-loaded, chrome-engined street rod with a flame paint-job is more appealing than an all original pre-war Ford.
Could the hot-rod (am I showing my age with that term?) be likened to the PSG, and the vintage Ford the grand piano?
Or is it just time for my nap...... |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 27 Nov 2013 10:09 am
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| Mike Perlowin wrote: |
Donny, every year at the NAMM show there is a room full of the most beautifully decorated and carved pianos imaginable. These instruments are not designed to be played. They are museum pieces.
These are not tools for the purpose of creating art. They ARE art.
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Mike, I've seen dozens of these, but the determination as to whether to play them or just look at them is strictly that of the present owners. They all started out as playable instruments. |
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