Newbie for pedalsteel

Ashoke kumar Das · From: West Bengal, India

Well,I want to buy the pedal steel guitar. I'm completely new about that.so I need the advice.thanks.
Ashoke.

Roger Kelly · From: Bristol,Tennessee

You can't go wrong with any of these Brands! Just to name a few....

http://www.justicesteelguitars.com/

http://www.gfimusicalproducts.com/

http://www.mullenguitars.com/

http://rittenberrysteelguitars.com/

http://benrom.com/

https://jacksonsteelguitar.com/

David Matzenik · From: Cairns, on the Coral Sea

Hi Ashoke, while we share similar techniques, this sub-forum does not normally include Pedal Steel subjects. If you go to the Forum index at the top of the page, you will find another forum dedicated to Pedal instruments. Cheers.
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Ashoke kumar Das · From: West Bengal, India

Roger,thanks for information.I have seen the web.somehow I feel it is not for beginners.thanks.Ashoke.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

The Stage One and Encore also are worth mentioning. In India, thousands of miles from other players, I'd urge against a used guitar since parts and guidance on repair and adjustments will be scarce.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Hello Ashoke.

There are a lot of good steels being made today. Brand name is not as important as the number of pedals and knee levers. What you want is one with 10 or 12 strings, 3 pedals and 4 knee levers. Some steels have 4 pedals and 5 knee levers. This is desirable for advanced players, but not necessary.

3 pedals and 4 knee levers is now the standard. This setup will keep you occupied for at least 10 years.

We could give you mores specific advise if you told us how much you are wiling to spend.
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Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
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Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I keep forgetting that.
Justice Pro-Lite and the Mullen Discovery.
There are some excellent economy price models.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Steven Paris · From: Los Angeles

Justice Pro Lite $2600
Mullen Discovery $2250
Stage One (was ~$1100). No wonder they're sold out.
Is there anything else in its price range?
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Emmons & Peavey

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I think the GFI SM-10 is close. DO NOT save your money by only getting two levels, get all 4
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Steven Paris · From: Los Angeles

Yes, the GFI S-10 SM is only $1450. Not a lot of love for this model here on the Forum, though.
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Emmons & Peavey

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

If you have Skype or VOIP, you might try calling Bob Simmons in Trafford, Alabama. He doesn't do email or web.
Well-built pull-release guitars.
Obviously a landline call to Alabama from India would be costly.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Ashoke kumar Das · From: West Bengal, India

Well,stage one or GFI SM10 which one is good? and what is the differace between them? Pls remember I would be completely new guy as a user.thanks. Ashoke.

John Davis · From: Cambridge, U.K.

A little off topic but I sold a Fender Twin reverb to a guy in India and it took 3 weeks to get there from the UK !must have gone by donkey....
I would always say get a pro guitar if you are serious about playing, I know the Pro's can make student guitars sound good but I see it as just another hurdle to jump for a beginner, no matter how good the student model is.
stick with an "all pull" guitar to start with and study how it works its not as complicated as it looks at first glance and most of us that have been playing for a while can repair and adjust.
With our British pound being so down against the US Dollar
you may be better off shopping for a steel in the UK?

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

I think what makes a good pedal steel for someone starting out depends on the situation. Previous experience (including on a non-pedal instrument), budget, musical goals, geographic location, and many other things can reasonably factor in.

The fact that you're in India probably favors buying a new pedal steel simply because it will be hard to orchestrate all the issues in finding and getting a used steel shipped to you from a private party. If budget is no object, one of the premium brands Roger suggested are a good choice, and I'd add Show Pro to that list:

http://www.showprosteelguitars.com/

With that said, considering a used pedal steel opens up many other interesting possibilities, including some excellent brands that are hard or impossible to find new at this point, such as Emmons or ZumSteel. If you really want to buy a "lifetime" instrument, I think these are ones that should be considered.

Beyond this, a good-quality, used, pro-level steel like an older MSA, BMI, Dekley, Sierra, or Carter can sometimes be had at an excellent price in the Forum For Sale: Steel Guitars section. It does require some savvy (or help from other forum members) to evaluate such guitars, but many have navigated this well. But one does need to be careful. If I needed an inexpensive pedal steel, I'm particularly partial to older BMIs. I've had two and they are excellent - and the company is still in business and can supply parts. I'm going to push back a bit on the absolute insistence on 3 pedals and 4 knee levers. 3+3 is a very workable setup, and even something like a 3+2 BMI can easily upgraded as needed. I argue that 3+3 or even 3+2 can keep a new pedal steel player going for quite some time. Again, it depends on one's goals and budget.

I'll also say that the choice of, let's say, a single 10, double 10, or 12-string (either extended E9 or universal E9/B6) depends very much on one's goals. For someone coming from, let's say, a C6 non-pedal background, it may be worth it to just say, "OK, I'll get a double-10 so I not only have the E9 neck, but also can work pedals in on C6 to open up many more possibilities there." A universal E9/B6 might also be a very legitimate choice for such a player. I don't buy the idea that it is so much harder to learn 12-string universal E9 than standard 10-string E9. Yes, it probably does limit the possibilities on the 6th-side as compared to a standard 10-string C6, but I think it would take a very long time for a beginning player to notice, if ever.

I'll also say that there are personal issues that can affect the choice of a pedal steel. I'm tall (6'4" with out-of-proportion long legs and arms) and really have come to the conclusion that I can't really deal with a smaller-frame single-10 guitar. IMO, ergonomics matters a lot.

Choices, choices ... I strongly recommend seriously thinking about what you want, and be patient. Take your time, get all the information you can, and think about the options carefully before you pull the trigger. Again, coming from India, it might be tougher to recover from a mistake.

My opinions.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Jack Rydeen · From: Texas, USA

Dave, I am also thinking about getting into steel guitar. I notice you talking about being tall. That is also my problem. I'm 6'5" with long legs/arms. I also have been reading this forum for 6 months and many have said you need a sturdy guitar and to stay away from student models and "starters" as they are light weight and not as stable as a pro model.

Also, would one need to have extensions for the legs and rods?

Thanks, Jack

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Jack - yes, I am of the opinion that a tall player with real long arms and legs should think twice before buying a smaller S-10 guitar, as are most of the student-model and starter guitars. I've owned a couple and sat behind a bunch. Some of them were very light and flimsily-made, and every time I hit a lever, the guitar moved around under me. Some were well-made, but still too small for me, even when I raised them with a lift kit. The smallest guitar I now own is a Zum single-12 universal, raised 3 inches. It is wider than the smaller S-10s I've seen (there are some exceptions), and I think it's about the narrowest pedal steel I can be comfortable with.

For me, a "standard-height" pedal steel is just too low. To fit under one, I have to lower the seat to the point where it's uncomfortable for me to make the required pedal and lever movements. I typically need to raise a standard-height double-wide pedal steel 2 inches to be comfortable. My Franklin D-10 is about an inch lower-than-standard, and 3 inches seems about right. As I said, with the single 12 Zum, raising it that extra inch to 3 inches seems to compensate for the reduced width. The reason is that the pedals angle out to the front, so raising that S12 an extra inch pushes the pedals a bit further out where they're more comfortable to me. It's not only the absolute distance from where I sit, but also the distance/angle relation between the pedals and where the knee levers sit.

I think someone who's significantly taller than average, and I imagine someone who's significantly shorter than average, should pay careful attention to how they're going to fit a guitar to themselves, rather than try to force-fit themselves to a standard-height guitar. I started out doing the latter, and it severely stunted my progress much more than any potential lack of knee levers could have possibly done. In fact, for the first couple of years on a standard-height steel, I could barely physically work the knee levers at all. I had to contort myself to the point where it just didn't work.

I think these ergonomic issues are very personal. What works for me may well not work for another tall player. I think it's useful to get behind a steel and see how you fit, and what, if anything, you need to do to make it comfortable. Try some different seat heights (I use an adjustable drum throne), make measurements, take your time. This is advice from someone who made some mistakes along the way and wound up going through some steels before finding a few that really worked for me.

Jack Rydeen · From: Texas, USA

That's why I plan on taking my time finding the right steel guitar. I attended my first event in March, TSGA Jamboree and was lucky enough throughout the 12 hours I spent there to talk with a couple of veterans. One thing that seemed to be unanimous was to find the steel that "fits" you and to seriously look at SD10 guitars. Not only for the fit with long arms, but for the stability of the instrument.

They also said not to be afraid to buy a used pro model from a trusted member of this forum. Their best advice: research, research and more research.

Ashoke kumar Das · From: West Bengal, India

Well Mike, ur completely right. I will not get any parts or technician for pedal steel.Not only that I would be the first buyer in INDIA. Anyway money is the matter to me. I will invest the minimum money for ever. I can't afford the money for the next time.If I get any pics about guitar I will be comfortable. Thanks.Ashoke.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Indian classical music is not chord based, and players like Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Debashis Bhattacharya play on non-pedal instruments. Is the same thing true of the popular music of your country? Are you interested in playing music that is based on western harmonies? If so, you will need 10 strings, 3 pedals and 4 knee levers.

You want something you can grow into, not something that will frustrate you as you learn about some new change, and find that your guitar doesn't have it. It's better to have stuff on your guitar that you don't need (yet), than to need something that you don't have.

You also want a high quality guitar that will not require a lot of maintenance.

I think the best guitar for you would be a Mullen Discovery, with the optional split screw assembly. This guitar has all you will ever need, and although you won't know what to do with all the stuff on it now, as you learn more, you will have everything you learn about at your disposal.

Mullen steel guitars are of the highest quality. These are first class instruments, and this guitar will serve you well for the rest of your life.

It may cost more than you want to spend, especially when you add the shipping, but 30 years from now the money would have been gone anyway, and you'll still be enjoying a fine instrument.
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Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
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Ashoke kumar Das · From: West Bengal, India

Thanks Mike, what will be cost of Mullen pedal? Pls send me the pics.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Here is a link to Mullen's web site. http://www.mullenguitars.com/

I do not play a Mullen, and am not involved with the company in any way. I play MSA guitars. My recommendation is based on what I think will best suit you. The Mullen discovery is a relatively low-cost entry level guitar that is good enough to use professionally.

Human nature being what it is, everybody recommends the guitars they play. I love my 2 MSAs, but these are much more expensive and have a lot of bells and whistles that you don't need.
_________________
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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