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Topic: Non pedal and pedal? Which first? |
Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 16 Apr 2014 12:35 pm |
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Just curious as to how many of you play both pedal and non pedal and which was your first love?
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GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal. |
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Wayne D. Clark
From:
Montello Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2014 1:04 pm
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Non Pedal, National New Yorker 1945. First Pedal 1975. Their two different instruments, Enjoyed both.
Last edited by Wayne D. Clark on 16 Apr 2014 1:08 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 16 Apr 2014 1:06 pm
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| I started on straight steel then move to a Fender 8 strings pedal steel than a MSA U12 pedal steel and I found that its too much mechanical for me and Im back to straight steel and my goal is to play anything with my C6 steel and standard G dobro. |
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Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 16 Apr 2014 1:27 pm
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I'm trying to learn pedal now, like it but it is a bit mechanical and somewhat noisy...love the simplicity of the non pedal.
_________________
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal. |
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John Burton
From:
Manassas, Va
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Posted 16 Apr 2014 3:12 pm
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Got into steel because I enjoy the real early country stuff. Hank Williams, etc. I also love listening to recordings of old time, golden age radio, and really like the steel on those old Country Western shows, etc.
From listening to that, I didn't know anything about steel, and assumed it was all pedal steel. When I learned the difference, I started learning lap steel.
After a few years, I bought a pedal steel, and took some lessons, etc....
but...in the end, I just lost interest in the pedal steel and sold it here on the forum...used the proceeds to buy another fiddle (my other obsession). Now I'm back goofing around with non pedal.
I just really prefer a lap steel and the sound of the old time steel. |
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Wayne D. Clark
From:
Montello Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 17 Apr 2014 6:53 am
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As I mentioned Earlier, Started on the National New Yorker, 6 string. Loved the Sound of the Pedal, but never got real good at it. Had a Fender double 8 after the National. Have a Melbert 8 now, It will be the last one.
I am surprised how many play a 6 or 8 string lap steel these day. It still has a large following. I think we should remember most Pedal players probably started on a 6 string lap steel. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 17 Apr 2014 7:15 am
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| I started on an Oahu lap steel, graduated to an electric Gibson, then onto a T-8 Fender Stringmaster when I got into the different tunings and then ordered a fingertip Sho~Bud from Shot Jackson. I am basically a "chordal" player and wanted the pedals in order to get the full three string chordal grips. |
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Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 17 Apr 2014 7:24 am
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I'm kind of on the fence about the pedal steel. I would love to be able to play one, but every time I start really putting an effort into it I wonder if I really should just devote all my efforts (and limited practice time) to the non pedal. There is just something wonderfully simple and intimate about getting music and emotion out of the guitar with just your hands. These thoughts after just sinking a thousand bucks into a pedal steel. As a matter of fact a couple of days before buying the pedal steel I saw someone list a beautiful 8 string Stringmaster console on the forum for the same money. I saw it right after the listing went up so I could have snagged it right then and there...kind of wonder if that would have been a better route to take. Oh well, guess I can always make a rather close stringed 8 or 10 string C6 non pedal...
_________________
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal. |
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Deirdre Higgins
From:
Connecticut, USA
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Posted 17 Apr 2014 7:52 am
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| Jim Williams wrote: |
| These thoughts after just sinking a thousand bucks into a pedal steel. As a matter of fact a couple of days before buying the pedal steel I saw someone list a beautiful 8 string Stringmaster console on the forum for the same money. I saw it right after the listing went up so I could have snagged it right then and there...kind of wonder if that would have been a better route to take. Oh well, guess I can always make a rather close stringed 8 or 10 string C6 non pedal... |
I don't know about pedal steel, but couldn't you just play the guitar without using the pedals? I think I read once that Jerry Byrd removed one of the strings from his Sho-Bud and made that neck into a 7 string.
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Jerry Byrd Fan |
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Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 17 Apr 2014 8:02 am
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Yes, you could but would probably need to re string it and change the tuning a bit. There is an E9 tuning for non pedal but I'm not sure how much it varies from the pedal tuning. On the particular guitar I have I really don't see anything preventing one from restringing it to C6 either though...like I said would just be very close string spacing. The spacing / scale might cause slants to be a bit of an issue on some things though. How's your playing coming along Deirdre??
_________________
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal. |
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Erik Alderink
From:
Ann Arbor Michigan, USA
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Posted 17 Apr 2014 8:31 am
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I play both. And I play them both in a similar fashion.
I have my own pedal setups, and I use both my Modified E9 and c6 necks. I have always made a point of switching back and forth between the 2. Non pedal helps my pedal playing, and pedal playing helps my non pedal playing.
The reason I like the pedals is the reason why folks started using them in the first place. Having more tunings available in one guitar. It's not uncommon for me to play an entire song, or even a couple of songs using no pedals or holding one pedal down the whole time. As a rule though I make sure that I can play any song in my repertoire on either. Playing on non pedal requires more slants pulls and implied chords. More fun! Or more work depending on the situation...
The biggest difference between the 2 for me is more a result of my different guitars than anything else. My ShoBud sustains forever, so I have to play much cleaner and be better with blocking than on my Rick or Console Grande.
I've never viewed steel as an "either or" endeavor.
Being a fan of history, I have made a point of trying to understand the progression of tunings, and copedants while striving to find a style and voice of my own.
I'll let you know if I ever find it!
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 17 Apr 2014 8:45 am
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Started on a MSA student model, quickly graduated to a 3x2 Pro I, and then to a D-10 push-pull that I gigged with for several years.
Took a trip to Hawaii, and was mesmerized by a guy named Tommy Au, who played a beat-up old Ric Fry Pan at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Purchased a Ric B-6 and a Maui Maid (Weissenborn) from Rainbow Guitars in Honolulu.
Discovered Sol Hoopii. Purchased a square-neck 1929 Style 1 from the late Pete Alenov in Saint Paul. The D-10 went in the closet. Played only the National in high-bass A for the better part of two decades.
Still have all of the above instruments with the exception of the Sho-Bud and the MSA. They both served their purposes, but ultimately proved to be inferior.
The D-10 came out of the closet about a year and a half ago, and it's been a challenge relearning that wonderful instrument.
Have since added a GS-10 and a few lap steels to my collection. My current favorite is a late '40s Gibson Century like Doug Beaumier's.
To answer the original question, I play both pedal and non-pedal. I started on a pedal steel, and worked my way up to the lap steel.
No regrets.
Last edited by Jack Hanson on 17 Apr 2014 8:54 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 17 Apr 2014 8:48 am
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| I started playing non-pedal on a home-made lap steel in 1963. I couldn't afford a pedal steel until about 2004. |
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Deirdre Higgins
From:
Connecticut, USA
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Posted 17 Apr 2014 11:35 am
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| Jim Williams wrote: |
| How's your playing coming along Deirdre?? |
Hi Jim, My playing has slowly improved some, not making nearly as much odd noises while playing
I just changed strings on one of my guitars to A major tuning, and started Jerry Byrd's course from page 1. From his first practice lesson alone I have been able to get more understanding on muting, I like the A tuning it's quite different than open E except I don't know any songs yet so practice is more or less just drilling. I am determined not to move on until I master each practice lesson.
Jim I think it wonderful that you have a PSG! there may be more mechanics to it, but the sound is very beautiful for sure. What an accomplishment to learn it!
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Jerry Byrd Fan |
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Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 17 Apr 2014 1:17 pm
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That's great Deirdre, I have got to break down and invest in that course and go through it. There is just not enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do with the steels these days. Yes, learning that pedal will be an accomplishment when I do, but right now it produces some very objectionable sounds at times.  Thankfully I have a wife who plays guitar as well and also doesn't hear all that well
_________________
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal. |
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Wayne D. Clark
From:
Montello Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2014 6:14 am
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| Jack Hanson mentioned playing his National in a High Bass "A" tuning. Man does that take me back. I had total forgot about 'High Bass A' tuning. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2014 6:45 am
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I learned steel guitar in the A high bass tuning.
I still tune most of my 6 string lap steels to that tuning, including dobro. There was a dobro player on the Grand Ole Opry that did the same, I wonder if it might have been Cousin Jody, or maybe Bashful Brother Oswald. |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2014 7:08 am
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There were two Oswald instrumentals on the classic "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" album from 1972. "Sail On To Hawaii," and "The End Of The World":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkfTvvcqghc
Both were played in high-bass A tuning. |
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Wayne D. Clark
From:
Montello Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2014 9:42 am
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| Thanks Jack, for that step back in time with Brother Oswald. Saturday Night up here in Wisconsin listening to the Grand Old Opry on WSM [the 50,000 watt clear channel station from Nashville Tenn.]with Roy Acuff on the fiddle and Bashful Brother Oswald on his "Do Bro". "The Wabash cannon Ball" "The Great Speckled Bird" Just to name two. Let me get out the Kleenex. |
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Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2014 10:55 am
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I was playing bass in a country rock band in 1975 and became enthralled with the sound of a pedal steel. I got a Dobro and then a Fender Champ six to start, but within 6 months was playing pedal steel. After that, I still played my Dobro with friends and family. I played pedal steel until the Hawaiian bug bit me. Since 2005, I've been playing "lap" steel, primarily. I'm in Hawaii this month, siting in with friends and playing at festivals. I sit down at my pedal steel once a week so I don't forget where al the changes are. My lap steel playing keeps my chops up.
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Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8 |
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