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Topic: Steel and Country road trip stops & where to buy a Steel? |
Erik Roos
From: Sweden
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Posted 24 May 2024 8:29 am
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Hi! Don’t know if this is the right place for this post but I’ll give it a try!
Me and my wife are traveling to the U.S. from Sweden in the beginning of June. We’ll be over for 5 weeks. We’re gonna be covering some serious distance in the car. Basically driving from Nashville over to the west coast, taking a detour down to Austin
Aside from me being a steel player we are both HUGE country music lovers. Which places/bars/honky tonks are an absolute must?
Aside from the obvious touristy stuff I’m also really hoping to buy a new (for me at least) pedal steel. Since we are driving through a decent part of the country I’m hoping my chances of doing so would be pretty good? Do you have any recommendations of where to look? Are there perhaps even a store or a builder stocking a couple somewhere? I’m currently playing an early 70s Emmons push/pull and looking for something more modern. Preferably an SD10, somewhere south of $4000.
Would maybe also like to get myself a lesson from one or two more experienced players. Any recommendations there would also be much appreciated.
I’m really grateful for all tips and recommendations!
Thank you
//Erik |
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Leon Champion
From: Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
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Posted 24 May 2024 8:57 am Steel
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Eric, while youer in Nashville see Johnie King . HE has nice steels for sale and he'll treat you RIGHT . You can find him in the steels for sale section here on the forum , and you can see some of the nice steels he has. BEST person in Nashville to buy from. |
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 24 May 2024 11:41 am
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If you are going to california, you'll want to see Jim Palenscar. Billy Coopers in Virginia is a must stop kind of place. |
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Dan Kelly
From: Boston, MA
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Posted 24 May 2024 11:58 am
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Well, that trip sounds like a lot of fun! It should be a blast.
If you are going to end your trip on the West Coast... in the San Francisco area, I would recommend a visit to Sierra Steel Guitar Company in Petaluma, I believe. Contact Ross Shafer. He may want to give you a tour and you may be able to play one of his seriously world class PSGs. Here are some pics:
http://sierrasteels.com/gallery/new-pedal-steel-gallery.html
Makin Chips Shop Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW6GEBUEquQ&ab_channel=SierraSteelGuitars
Contact Ross at: Sierra Steel Guitars <sierrasteelsinfo> _________________ blah, blah, blah.
Hey You Kids! Get Off My Lawn!
blah, blah, blah. |
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Ricky Davis
From: Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 24 May 2024 2:29 pm
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Well we play the Broken Spoke in Austin every Tuesday night 8:00pm to 11:00pm.
I play steel guitar but I don't give lessons anymore I live an hour and a half north of Austin at our family ranch but the Broken Spoke is on Lamar Boulevard South Austin, and just down the road from the Broken Spoke is a place called South Austin music ,,they always have lots of steel guitars for sale( I know this because they call me in there all the time to fix and set up still guitars for them that are there)
That's the best I can do for someone that doesn't live in Austin anymore..ha..lol I don't have a clue about anything else. Hope you have safe travels.
Ricky _________________ Ricky Davis
Email Ricky: sshawaiian2362@gmail.com |
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scott murray
From: Asheville, NC
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Posted 24 May 2024 2:54 pm
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I recommend the Emmons store in Sevierville TN... plenty of used steels available and of course the new Emmons guitars as well.
you can't go wrong with Johnie King either!
for hearing steel in Nashville, I always seem to have the best luck at Nashville Palace and Music City Grill which are located in the same shopping center over by Opryland _________________ 1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster
Last edited by scott murray on 25 May 2024 12:22 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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John Larson
From: Pennsyltucky, USA
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Posted 24 May 2024 4:44 pm
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Bill McCloskey wrote: |
If you are going to california, you'll want to see Jim Palenscar. Billy Coopers in Virginia is a must stop kind of place. |
Billy Coopers is a must. He and his wife were so kind and hospitable when I was first looking into playing pedal steel. _________________ Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Give praise to the Lord with the harp, chant unto Him with the ten-stringed psaltery. Sing unto Him a new song, chant well unto Him with jubilation. For the word of the Lord is true, and all His works are in faithfulness. The Lord loveth mercy and judgement; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
- Psalm 33:1-5 |
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Bob Hoffnar
From: Austin, Tx
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Posted 24 May 2024 8:20 pm
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Get in touch about when you will be in Austin. I have a steady Thursday at the broken Spoke and live downtown sorta. It’s a great fun town with a pile of steel players working every night. _________________ Bob |
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Erik Roos
From: Sweden
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Posted 24 May 2024 8:44 pm
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Thank you all so much! Can’t wait to get over there. For pedal steel there’s really no place on earth like the U.S.
I’ll definitely give Johnie King a visit! Jim Palenscar and the Sierra factory seams really cool to. Bill will be tougher since we won’t be going east of Nashville this time, but it sure sounds like a great stop.
Does anyone m know if the Show Pro in Nashville tends to have any inventory? I’ve been drooling over there guitars for awhile but got the idea of actually ordering one far to late haha. |
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Erik Roos
From: Sweden
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Posted 24 May 2024 8:53 pm
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Bob and Ricky, thank you so much! I’ve been reading a lot about Broken Spoke. Seams like the kind of place you just have to visit. Great to hear that there’s still some good live pedal steel to be heard in Austin!
South Austin Music seams like a must as well! |
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Bob Hoffnar
From: Austin, Tx
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Posted 24 May 2024 9:35 pm
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The White Horse and Sagebrush usually have a couple steel players per night and then there is Sam’s Town Point which has a steel guitar event every Monday. I’ve got one of the new Emmons wrap arounds if you want to check it out. _________________ Bob |
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Steve Cattermole
From: California, USA
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Posted 25 May 2024 10:07 am
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If you make it to San Diego see Jim Palenscar at Steel Guitars of North County, he's a great guy and has about 25 pedal steels for sale. He also gives lessons |
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Randall Palmore
From: Albany,TX USA 76430
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Posted 25 May 2024 11:29 am Trip
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Erik- If you’re passing through Ft Worth, TX? Most bands at The Longhorn Saloon in the Stockyards and The Stagecoach Ballroom usually feature steel players? Might as well check out Billy Bobs Texas while there? Lamb’s Music is good place to purchase a steel guitar. Happy Trails |
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Bob Sigafoos
From: San Clemente, Calif. , U.S.
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Posted 25 May 2024 5:25 pm
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I’ll second Steel Guitars of North County. I’ve bought and sold 6 or 7 guitars thru Jim’s shop and was always pleased. One thing you might want to do your homework on is how to get this 60# unwieldy box back to Sweden. Packing, shipping , customs etc. This could be challenging and expensive possibly. |
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Erik Roos
From: Sweden
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Posted 30 May 2024 11:01 am
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Lots of great stuff here! Thank you so much! I’m saving them all, hoping to get to as many of these places as possible! |
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 30 May 2024 12:21 pm
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I'm sure you've been told, but just in case. The US is HUGE!! In many ways each state is like it's own country. Sometimes europeans have trouble grasping the vastness and think they can cover much more than they physically can drive in the time allotted. plan accordingly. The entire country of Sweden fits into just part of our north east and would cover only from Maine to Virginia. |
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John Poston
From: Albuquerque, NM, USA
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Posted 30 May 2024 4:19 pm
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Feel free to DM me if you're passing through Albuquerque, NM. |
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