How To Get Started?

Eric Ibarra · From: Tyler, Texas, USA

Hey y'all, I am new here. Joined in hopes of maybe getting some pointers about the steel guitar. I am 22 years old and wanting to keep the steel guitar tradition going in country music.
Any advice how to go about buying my first one? Is there a beginner type of steel guitar?
I know I want to play the instrument and it is favorite sound in music, but I am just not sure where to even begin. I wish they weren't so dang expensive, as well! But oh well, good music don't come cheap.

Thanks,
Eric

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Eric,
Where are you in Texas ? If you are near Austin come on by ! You might get a better idea of what's up by checking things out for yourself.
_________________
Bob

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

My suggestion is to look around here and find some of the members that are in your area that participate in the forum discussions and let them help you.

There are players all over the place in Texas, but you don't state your location. Go out to see some of them play and pick their brains.

There is no substitute for one on one and I'm sure many of them would be willing to help you get started.

Lots better than going in cold by yourself and/or wading through a ton of mixed reviews in this section or online IMO.

Eric Ibarra · From: Tyler, Texas, USA

I'm in Tyler in the east Texas area. I don't know of any steel guitar players in this town. I will have to do some looking around here to see if anyone is in the near by area

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

The East Texas Steel Guitar Association is located in Tyler.
http://www.etsga.org/
You'll probably find a lot of people who are much older than you, but don't let that stop you Cool

Karen Sarkisian · From: Boston, MA, USA

I started with a stage one steel guitar that i bought here on the forum (See Doug Earnest), the Winnie Winston book, and Bruce Bouton's homespun video. that kept me busy for a while ! Do you play other instruments ? I came from guitar and bass with a good theory background which was helpful.
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Emmons PP, Mullen G2 and Discovery

Chris Templeton · From: The Green Mountain State

Eric - A bar and picks and a nut extender (to raise the height of the strings) an acoustic or electric guitar, and you can explore if the steel is for you. For $20-$30.
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Excel 3/4 Pedal With An 8 String Hawaiian Neck, Tapper (10 string with a raised fretboard to fret with fingers), Single neck Fessenden 3/5
"The Tapper" : https://christophertempleton.bandcamp.com/album/the-tapper
Soundcloud Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/bluespruce8:

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I think David Mitchell is close to you, and is quite knowledgeable, and may well know someone with a guitar for sale.
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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

Larry Jamieson · From: Walton, NY USA

Donnie Stephens has a GFI for sale now on the Forum for $1050. That would make a good learner guitar and you could probably easily re-sell it if you decide to move up at some point.

Don Barnhardt · From: North Carolina, USA

Cheap and expensive are relative terms. You You can probably find a very basic lapsteel for as little $100. You can probably get a decent one in the $300 range. You don't state your musical experience. If you already play a stringed instrument you can probably make an intelligent choice. I purchased a Peavey 400 Nashville amp last year from The Guitar Center in Tyler; my guess is that it came from a local owner check around he might be able to help you.

Richard Alderson · From: Illinois, USA

To the original poster:

It's true. Pedal steel guitar is not cheap. But its not expensive either. If you want to find a $200 six string electric guitar, you can do it. It might be used or a cheapo or a knockoff, but you can find one. And it will work. For pedal steel guitar there is no such thing as a $200 pedal steel, there just isn't. It does not exist. But there are options with 8 strings around $600; and after you get up to $900 to $1,200 you can find a fully functional 10 string guitar. And for $1,500 - $2,000 you can get something that will last you for life .... it won't be new, but it will be a fully equipped professional instrument.

In my own case I started play acoustic slide instruments (dobro), and then a six string lap steel, and then an 8 string steel with no pedals, and then 8 strings with pedals,and then finally a 10 string instrument with pedals. So I don't know what it's like to just start out with 10 strings. I can't tell you about that part. But for a full 10 stringer, forget about anything for less than 900 or 1000.

You CAN get a lap steel, or an 8 string steel, for $250 - $500, and there are posts are in the section on non pedal steel for lots of stuff there. But for a 10 string pedal steel, you mostly need a mill to get in the game.
After that threshold, its not so steep really.

Good luck, and its a fantastic journey you are considering.
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Derby SD-10 5x6; GFI S-10 5x5; GFI S-10 5x5; Zum D-10 8x7; Zum D-10 9x9; Fender 400; Fender Rumble 200; Nashville 400; Telonics TCA-500.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I went straight from 6-string Dobro to ten string pedal steel. The only things they have in common are palm blocking, fingerpicks and the bar.
My Dobro teacher was the Dobro teacher in my dad's band, and he started adding pedal steel on two songs every album (starting with "The New Seldom Scene Album"), and after "Girl In the Night" I asked him to find me a guitar.
He three times talked me out of a student model
If you want to play the pedal steel you hear on records, get a full 10/3/4
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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

Bobby Nelson · From: North Carolina, USA

Eric, I'm new to steel too. I used to play Sleep Walk and a couple other tunes on a 6 string lap tuned to open E back in the 80's, w/a band I was in but, that's the limit of my steel experience. I have just recently decided to make the move to pedal steel. The fellas on this forum and the internet have been very helpful and informative.

One thing I have heard from more than one person is to stay away from student models if at all possible. To me, there is more brain work w/a steel than w/a 6-string, which, in my opinion (especially with arthritis setting in haha) is more physical. The hardest part for me, is the right hand. What I have done, till I can afford a new PSG, is purchase an 8 string console (or lap, if you like) steel from Ebay to get started working on my right hand and get used to the different tuning of a steel. I bought an old 40's-50's era National Grand Console for $800.00 but, you can find a lap for as little as $68.00 to get you started. Like the other guys said, you can find a relatively cheap PSG as well - that's not a student model.
I had a student model in the 80's and didn't like it very much - it had a plastic body haha. Anyway, good luck. Maybe both of us will be getting fairly good at the PSG in a couple years.

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