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Topic: Steel, is it getting pushed out??? |
Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
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Posted 22 Jul 2017 12:33 pm |
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| The steel guitar is alive and well here in Pickens, South Carolina. I'm now at seventeen years on steel and I won't stop! I never will forget, I was on Facebook a few years ago, and my friend Danni Leigh, who is one of my all-time favorite country singers posted to Facebook saying, "We need to hear more steel guitar and not less, so I sent Danni a little message, and told her I'm a steel guitarist, and she got very excited! The steel guitar is my passion, always has been, always will be! |
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Rick Abbott
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2017 12:53 pm
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| Mike Neer wrote: |
Gotta roll your own.
I'm a latecomer to steel guitar and when I was coming up as a musician, I didn't even know what steel guitar was. But I have devoted my entire musical existence to the instrument (non-pedal) because I believe in it and I have things I want to say with it.
I feel bad for those who are having a hard time finding work, but there are a bunch of guys I know who are making it happen because they have wide-ranging musical interests and the schmoozing chops to make it happen. |
I wonder how many "older" players go out and network. I have a circle of friends that know me as a blues singer and guitar player, or as a heavy-rock player. I started jamming a bit with a few of them with my steel. That led to being invited to play with a local guy that has been at the center of this scene for 40 years. From there, we have been rehearsing and just played a semi-local open mic that is the entry point to some good paying jobs. At that place, last Wednesday, I was introduced to a guy from Chicago that sets up Country and Western (yes, both kinds of music) shows. He is looking for a non-pedal player and a pedal player. He and I hit it off and exchanged info. The band played two originals and Riders on the Storm, where i used a B9 pedal to cover the organ parts. I have a band forming 45 minutes south of me doing Grateful Dead, alt-country and hippy-country. 4 different bands if they all were up at the same time. I also discovered the names of 3 other steel players I'd not heard of. None of them are Forumites. All three work enough that this guy is LOOKING for another decent player (non pedal, too!)
From where I sit, there's plenty of steel going on in Northern Indiana. I just need to be available, pay some dues, network and play more than 50's and 60's styles.
Now, Off to work on intros and 2nd string licks.
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Wakarusa 5e3 clone
1953 Stromberg-Carlson AU-35 |
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Godfrey Arthur
From:
3rd Rock
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Bob Sykes
From:
North Carolina
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Posted 25 Jul 2017 5:33 pm Americana
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Interesting thread. Those interested or curious about Americana can find some good stuff on internet station Roots Radio
http://www.rootsradio.be
Some great steel. A lot of new music and a few oldies in the mix but not much classic country. No advertisements. No DJs. No voice breaks. Dunno how they do it.
Their play list is up to date and includes the year of the song.
http://www.rootsradio.be/plist.php
_________________
Carters Starter, D10 8+7, SD10
ISO Sustainus Ad Infinitum |
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Bryan Staddon
From:
Buffalo,New York,
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Posted 26 Jul 2017 1:19 pm Make it happen
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Quit moaning, Start a Band, Make let's say, 3 great albums in a row at Beatles or The Kinks or Hank Williams Quality. Meaning incredible,really incredible songs about something that means something instead of Solo cups or Whatever dumb crap these posers are singing about. It could be country it could be metal it could be anything. Kill your producers if they don't listen to the artist,Screw Nashville.Dont do feepy instrumentals of great old songs showing your amazing melody chops, because it still sound like Muzak. Write great great songs and put steel on them. Bake for 1 year, Have the steel player sing and if he or she has a bad attitude,even better.
P.S. I can't do this and if you can't either be happy Steels even exist. It's about the songs!
_________________
You are me as I am you |
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BOBBY JACKS
From:
Fort Madison, Iowa
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Posted 26 Jul 2017 4:17 pm Really !!
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| I Play in Traditional Country Bands and We have been voted one of the most popular bands and have been selling out clubs we play at,, So I would have to say Steel Guitar Is Alive and well In IOWA ,, I Have Been told how nice it is to have a pedal steel guitar in the band,, and please come back,,,, nice to hear also, |
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Rich Upright
From:
Florida, USA
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Posted 26 Jul 2017 7:09 pm
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Steel guitar HAS been typecast as a "country" instrument, but there are a few people (Mike Perlowin & Susan Alcorn to name a couple)Who have taken steel to places where most have never DREAMED it could be taken (Visit Mike's website to hear some really amazing "Outside-the-box" recordings)
Well that's all well & good, the problem is what band other than a country band is gonna PAY a steeler to play for them? Sure, you can sit in & jam with any band out there, but when it comes to paying gigs...the steeler is relegated to country, which is why I also play guitar,5 string banjo, bass,guitar synth, & sing. Might as well try & play banjo in a death-metal band.
_________________
A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag. |
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 26 Jul 2017 7:53 pm Why Don't More People Play Steel Guitar?
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Looking at this from a different angle... why don't more people play steel guitar? Can we do anything to inspire others to join us?
Some say it's too expensive. I know... it is expensive, but I don't think that's the main reason. People play golf, buy boats, shoot guns, ride motorcycles, fly drones, all manner of expensive pursuits. A vintage Les Paul costs more than a good bolt-on P/P or Franklin D10.
Hard to learn? It's not easy, and some give up for that reason. But once we are touched by "that sound" more of us are hooked, and we soldier on.
I played pedal steel with my band at a community event a few weeks ago. At the end of the first set a 7-yr. old girl came up to the bandstand, all wide-eyed, staring at my guitar, and asked me, "WHAT IS THAT?" For the next 10 minutes I answered her questions, and showed her how it works. It was awesome! |
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 26 Jul 2017 8:37 pm
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Godfrey, that was a good read! Nice to see Dan Dugmore mentioned. And Russ Pahl really puts it out there with,"The steel guitar is waiting for some young kid to come along and be its Jimi Hendrix.†|
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 27 Jul 2017 2:01 am
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Back thru the entire 80's all we heard on records was the out of phase Strat sounds with chorus added, THAT was the style and everyone used it.
Gone from the sessions and records were the Don Rich licks
until
Now I'm not saying this guy mentioned below actually caused the changed , but it certainly didn't hurt !
Brent arrived on the scene with clean Tele picking on the early K Whitley recordings with great phrasing, flashy licks and true Telecaster tone. Then all of a sudden sessions started using the Telecasters again, out front, dominant.
We all woke up when we started hearing Brent on those early K Whitley records. It was fresh, really fun to hear, but it wasn't really NEW, it had just been absent. Sure he brought his own unique style but it was really reminiscent of the earlier sessions..pre 80's.
Things changed again, maybe not because of Brent, but those sounds that we heard now starting showing up on records all over the place and still are !
Point, gone are the 80's Strat tones with Chorus pedals which was literally filling the airwaves, and it has NOT returned.
Add that the electric Skaggs band was making a very strong statement as well as artists like Emmylou were still having great success, sure not on the Country charts , but people were listening and taking notice.
Todays touring players, as David S mentions way back near the top, do many things, music has changed, requirements have changed , players have changed, bands have changed expenses have changed...
and the younger audiences have changed .
45's are gone, cassettes are gone, reel to reel tapes are gone , LP's are gone ! 3 on the tree is gone, 4 speeds are gone, and on and on.
there are plenty of people struggling to find a way thru the forest , us Steelers are only a very small part of the equation.
Country Music along with Steel guitars is not dead, it's just been pushed sideways out of the way.
We need to change with the times, the phone is not going to ring for us to play Steel in a 60's Country music band.
Find a way, MAKE your own way . Adjust to whats going on around us.
someone is listening somewhere 
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website
Last edited by Tony Prior on 27 Jul 2017 6:02 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Rick Abbott
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 27 Jul 2017 4:23 am
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| Dan Robinson wrote: |
Godfrey, that was a good read! Nice to see Dan Dugmore mentioned. And Russ Pahl really puts it out there with,"The steel guitar is waiting for some young kid to come along and be its Jimi Hendrix.†|
And if a guy like Robert Randolph shows up and plays in a way contrary to "the way it's supposed to be done," he usually receives a cold shoulder from the Establishment. Just like Jimi.
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Wakarusa 5e3 clone
1953 Stromberg-Carlson AU-35 |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 27 Jul 2017 9:48 pm
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"The steel guitar is waiting for some young kid to come along and be its Jimi Hendrix.â€
Just be careful with that lighter fluid. |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 28 Jul 2017 3:03 am
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we had great music and songs with tons of Steel thru the 90's even into the 2000's, then agreed, it backed off. It's not like it has been gone forever. Just the last decade.
another Alan Jackson or George Strait will come along , again...then producers will be interested to put it back in the mix because the music is popular, again.
I am wondering though, as good a player as many are here on this forum, and there are many, is the expectation to land a good paying regular Steel gig just because of how good we may be ?
Just asking, what we are expecting ?
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 28 Jul 2017 5:02 am
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| It almost seems like the better you play, the harder it is to find a gig. If you can just barely play some slide guitar licks, the typical hack band is satisfied. If you know enough to play the songs correctly, and actually care how they sound, and try to move the band in that direction, they won't be willing to do the work to accomplish that. I'm not talking about professional bands, but the typical weekend warrior cover bands that most us us deal with. My experience anyway. |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 28 Jul 2017 8:11 am
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| Bill Moore wrote: |
| It almost seems like the better you play, the harder it is to find a gig. If you can just barely play some slide guitar licks, the typical hack band is satisfied. If you know enough to play the songs correctly, and actually care how they sound, and try to move the band in that direction, they won't be willing to do the work to accomplish that. I'm not talking about professional bands, but the typical weekend warrior cover bands that most us us deal with. My experience anyway. |
Ka-ching! I agree. The hobby band attitude is the scourge of the local music scene.
Hobby Band Attitude is going to the name of my next band. |
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Mike Holder
From:
Alabama! Home of the great “Don Helms” & his singer “Hank Williams”!
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Posted 29 Jul 2017 9:09 am
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There's the " music business" then the " business of music".. They've never had the same criterium or there wouldn't be a Blue Jade, At E's, Altered Ego, More Ways To Play, Look At Us, Chicken Picken, pedalman, Play by Play so on & so on. When you heard it, it spoke to you so you got one and you learned to play one as best you could...do you still love it? Every instrument comes in & out of favor so does every musician, it's not a bad thing just reality. All forms of steel or slide guitar are here to stay and a staple of our cultures music. It will be reinvented and rediscovered for years to come.
_________________
I thought Nashville was the roughest, but I know I’ve said the same about them all.
I received my education, drivin through the Nation listenin to Paul!.. ( Franklin that is! ) |
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 29 Jul 2017 7:17 pm
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| Bill Moore wrote: |
| ... If you know enough to play the songs correctly, and actually care how they sound, and try to move the band in that direction, they won't be willing to do the work to accomplish that. I'm not talking about professional bands, but the typical weekend warrior cover bands that most us us deal with. My experience anyway. |
Bill, I agree that it's a tough battle. After 20 years of inactivity, I resumed playing with a band just a few months ago. I don't feed my family through music, maybe I'm just a hack. But I care about the end product, and I'm in it to get "that sound" in front of real people whenever I can.
I'm pushing hard for the quality and attention to dynamics needed for the steel to shine. When it happens, the entire band shines. It takes a lot of work, and even more patience. But it's happening, and the response here has been gratifying.
I believe we make our own future. I could (and sometimes still do) bemoan how it was "back in the day." Nevertheless, whatever youthful energy I still have is focused on delivering a worthy musical result, and pedal steel is used in all of it.
When someone asks "what the heck is that thing?" that's a chance to raise awareness.
When someone says they liked the steel guitar, I smile. We've touched another soul. Add'em up, it becomes inspiration for more. |
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Rich Upright
From:
Florida, USA
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Posted 30 Jul 2017 12:45 pm
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"gone are the 80's Strat tones with Chorus pedals which was literally filling the airwaves, and it has NOT returned."
Thank GOD! I really hated that sound. In fact, I rewired my '72 Strat to get every pickup combination possible, just so I wouldn't hafta use that sound!
"It almost seems like the better you play, the harder it is to find a gig".
When I first moved to the Tampa bay area about 20 years ago, the first drummer I ever played with here said to me about the music scene here "The better you are, the less you'll work". I thought he was smoking some powerful stuff.
Come to find out it was 100% true. In my early days here, I was fired from a few bands for being TOO good (& replaced with players MUCH less accomplished than myself) The reason being that the bandleaders here did NOT want any hot pickers in their band; they wanted only adequate pickers. Seems great players stole their "thunder", or so they thought. Major ego & sensitivity problem with many players here. Which is why most of these bands were mediocre at best.
After all this time, I have learned what bands & bandleaders to avoid here, plus many of the steelers here have died, or got smart & left, & now I am one of only a small handful of players left in the whole area. Now I pick & choose who I play with, and am lucky enough to play in the best band in the area.
_________________
A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag. |
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Paul Stauskas
From:
DFW, TX
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Posted 30 Jul 2017 1:56 pm
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| Bill Moore wrote: |
| ...It almost seems like the better you play, the harder it is to find a gig... |
| Rich Upright wrote: |
| ...In my early days here, I was fired from a few bands for being TOO good... |
Sorry, I don't believe that these are examples of honest self-assessment.
_________________
My site |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 30 Jul 2017 9:45 pm
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| Paul Stauskas wrote: |
| Bill Moore wrote: |
| ...It almost seems like the better you play, the harder it is to find a gig... |
| Rich Upright wrote: |
| ...In my early days here, I was fired from a few bands for being TOO good... |
Sorry, I don't believe that these are examples of honest self-assessment. |
May you never endure the experience. |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 31 Jul 2017 3:47 am
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I also find that Bob's and Rich's statements are often true but luckily not always. One example: Albert Lee played in E.C.'s band for quite a while.
Idealy for me would be players that are slightly more accomplished than me, but not to much.
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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Jonathan Lam
From:
Brooklyn, NY
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Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 1 Aug 2017 4:23 am
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| Jonathan Lam wrote: |
When someone says "you're too good"
usually it means, "You're playing too good while I'm singing or when other people are supposed to be playing".
Playing good is serving the music, how would someone get fired for that? |
If that were true, there would hardly be any bands that included a "Lead Guitar" player. Actually, it's not about being fired, it's about finding other musicians that actually want to "serve the music". Pretty hard to do in many areas. I think if you are a mediocre pedal steel player, playing in the average weekend band, you are probably the best musician in that band. And you probably will have more time, money, and effort invested in your music than any of the others. If that doesn't apply to you, count you blessings. |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2017 6:34 am
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| Bill Moore wrote: |
| Jonathan Lam wrote: |
When someone says "you're too good"
usually it means, "You're playing too good while I'm singing or when other people are supposed to be playing".
Playing good is serving the music, how would someone get fired for that? |
If that were true, there would hardly be any bands that included a "Lead Guitar" player. Actually, it's not about being fired, it's about finding other musicians that actually want to "serve the music". . |
Excellent follow up, Bill. This is not a provocative point of view, though I can see why it has been misconstrued by players who are fortunate enough to never have found themselves in the situation. Hopefully your comment clears things up a bit. |
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Jonathan Lam
From:
Brooklyn, NY
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Posted 1 Aug 2017 8:51 am
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A lead guitar player still doesn't mean, "play all the time."
There is no more lead instrument than the pedal steel, when its time to be play its time to play and and heard, it is about as useless as a saxophone as a rhythm instrument.
Someone is always going to be better, I guess if someone is TOO good, they might make other people feel weird, but thats not anyones problem but their own.
Bottom line is, serve the music.
_________________
Http://www.jonnylam.com
http://www.honeyfingersmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/honeyfingersmusic |
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