Owning more than one Steel, thoughts

Dan Robinson · From: Colorado, USA

The ShoBud 6139 in my avatar is waiting patiently for some attention while I use a Carter 4x5 SD-10 for gigs and practice. The ShoBud has just two knee levers, but would be adequate for band rehearsals, where we show up knowing our parts, and focus on making the band tight. Avoiding the setup and break-down would be a huge time saver, especially since rehearsals are on week-nights (a.k.a. work nights).

I'm not sure what I'm waiting for. Well, gotta run... I want to spend some practice time with the Carter, lol,

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

I have two Zum Hybrid D10's which are setup identically and are my two working guitars, one is always setup in my studio/practice area and the other one usually in the case ready to go! I rotate them occasionally.

I also have a MCI Rangexpander D10 which is setup the same as the Zum's, I have just finished restoring this guitar and haven't decided whether it will get to do some more gigs again or stay at home - I have had it since new so it's 31 years old.
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14'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
08'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
94' Franklin Stereo D10 9+8
Telonics, Peterson, Steelers Choice, Benado, Lexicon, Red Dirt Cases.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Bill L. Wilson · From: Oklahoma, USA

I can only wish for another pedal steel. It ain't happening.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

I have three guitars right now waiting on Mullen to finish a G2 for me,I have a GFI D10 8+5 set up in my practice room along with various recorders to receive,and send mp3 parts to friends.I have a Desert Rose Sd10 4+5 always ready to gig with,and Another Desert Rose SD10 4+5that is too pretty for words!
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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Tommy Detamore · From: Floresville, Texas

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

"One's too many and a hundred's not enough."

--Nat (Howard da Silva, "The Lost Weekend")

Oh, yes: four.

Jeff Harbour · From: Western Ohio, USA

I own a few steels and a few guitars, but none are really duplicates of another. Each serves a different style and purpose. Admittedly, I have in the past thought about what it would be like to have a second D-10, so that one is always 'road-ready'. But, for me it has helped me musically to force my mind to practice with an S-10 (with a different lever setup), or my 12-string non-pedal for C6 stuff. It has forced me to be more alert, and less reliant on rehearsed runs. Also, though I don't like being confined to only E9 most of the time, I have kept the S-10 around because it is very convenient for tight settings (such as diners). Even between two acoustic guitars, one is a nylon-string and the other isn't. That's just the way I've always been. Once I have a particular instrument, I just stick with it and try to get as much out of it as I can.

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

I have 4,accumulated over the years.They've all gotten a good amount of stage time,but my RP U-12 is the one that goes to work now.The others are a '78 Sho-Bud Super Pro,a'75-ish Mullen S-110 3x3,and a '70 MSA Classic.I'd like to play them all more,but there isn't enough room to set up more than one at a time

Darvin Willhoite · From: Roxton, Tx. USA

You always need more than one steel, I'm down to 11 pedal steels, and a truck load of 6 stringers: 40 I think. At the height of my collecting about 6 or 7 years ago I had 113 guitars and steels and 27 amps.

Here's part of the "amp wall" in the studio my son and I had. Some of these guitars and amps have new homes and others have moved in to take their places.

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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, as well as some older MSAs, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Recently added a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored blue Rose, named the "Blue Bird" to the herd. Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic again that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also added a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks.

Bill Cunningham · From: Atlanta, Ga. USA

I can't imagine a carpenter with only one hammer, level, or circular saw. On second thought I've seen some work where it was pretty obvious the carpenter didn't own a single level. Laughing

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Bill Cunningham
Atlanta, GA

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Tony Oresteen · From: Georgia, USA

I've just returned to the PSG world after 40+ years so I'm not sure how many steels I will need. Right now I'm in a learning stage so my S/B 6139 3+1 is set up in my studio/practice area.

My plan is to keep the 6139 in the studio and once I figure out what tuning/set-up I will use then I will purchase another PSG for travel & keep them set up exactly the same. I just placed an order for a bunch of parts (rods & barrels etc) from Michael @ PSGPARTS.COM so that I can set up my 6139 to C6 & other tunings fairly quickly and give them a whirl. A U12 interests me; after I've figured out the S10 I'd like to try the 12 string.

I am primarily a guitarist and have over 100 guitars in my home studio.

I have backups for every tuning/setup I use. We recently bought a condo in LA (that's Lower Alabama for you Californian folks Smile

) and I have a mini studio set up in the bedroom where I can quickly record an idea or work on a song etc. Rather than haul a bunch of guitars every time we head to the beach, I built a set guitars that have the different tunings that I use. Along with a regular HH guitar I keep these at the condo.

These are all Epi SG Specials with one vol & one tone that I prefer. The non-standard tunings I use are 5 String Open G, Open E, Drop D, Celtic, Eb

All have upgraded pickups, tuners, bone nuts and are are gig ready - my tech has gone through them all. I also keep a Johnson bass at the condo that I rescued from a pawnshop & rebuilt.

So I think every PSG player who gigs or records needs to have a back-up steel. If a part breaks, how long will it take to get it fixed? Always have a plan B!
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Tony
Newnan, GA

Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster T8 black
PedalMaster D8

Dale Foreman · From: Crowley Louisiana, USA

Dale Foreman · From: Crowley Louisiana, USA

I have two steels at present, a Mullen Pre RP and a Rittenberry Prestige SD 10. Since hardly anyone in my neck of the woods plays swing anymore, I use the Rittenberry as my gigging guitar and the Mullen is my rehearsal guitar. I think I have like 7 amps, 4 Tele's and 1 Strat. I'm waiting on Gary to build me another Ritt and then I will probably sell the Mullen with emphasis on MIGHT!!
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Rittenberry Prestige(2)

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

I have 2 D-10s, an Emmons LeGrande II & a Mullen HWP. Both identical setup, except the Emmons has the split. I rotate them like this: I play 1 steel until the strings are shot, then I change strings & play the other until THOSE strings are shot, and this way I have each one in the rotation. My main reason for 2 steels is in case of a mechanical problem that I can't resolve, I have a backup. They both sound similar, although the Mullen is a lot easier to play, so when I go from the Emmons to the Mullen, I tend to overplay a bit.
Luckily, I have never had a mechanical issue that I couldn't resolve my self, or over the phone with a couple helpful forumites. These issues are few & far between.
As far as rehearsal or practice, I never do either, but I keep both steels setup at home, to foil any would be burglar who manages to get past my attack chihuahua & my S&W .38.

Guitars & amps?? HELL; I got lotsa those!

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A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

Got one of these, too!

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A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.

Howard Steinberg · From: St. Petersburg, Florida , USA

2 steels for me a Justice pro-lite and a d-10. The E9 neck on the d-10 is set up exactly the same as the pro-lite. I'm using both for gigs (not at the same time),and during a busy period the pro-lite is generally in it's case, near the door of my house. Often, both are set up, at home, and get played a lot. I've been fine with one psg in the past and have owned as many as 4. I have way too many armpit guitars, which is my preference.

The thing about multiple steels is that the foot print of a steel is big, thus you need the space to keep them ready to be played. A guitar can hang on a wall or sit on a stand next to a wall. Not so much for a steel.
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Justice Pro Lite (4-5), Justice D-10 (8-5)x2 , Quilter Steelaire, Hilton Pedal, BJ's bar.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

My "problem" which I don't see at ALL that way is non-pedal tunings. I KNOW the argument about just pick one tuning and learn it well, just like I KNOW the argument about picking your very favorite food and eating that only, picking out your very favorite musical NOTE and get really good at it. My SuperSteels are currently set up with ten strings in A6th and C6th, the A one's "normal", the C one's got a retrograde "D" string on top. I also have a Melbert 8 in A6th and a Fouke Industrial in A boogie - steply arising 3-5-1-3-5-1-3-5. Yes you can be careful(er) and play igno-boogie with muting your 6th's but why bother? Neither Duane nor Debashish ever did and they sound O.K. And a D-10 console Pedalmaster non-pedal Very Happy

in... tunings too. Lotsa underarmers too, but I buy CAREFULLY and what else I've got is: a substantial down payment for my next car. Your green cash money stored in the bank is quite steadily and always will be depreciating*, I'd rather play with toys and I can (at least) break even when the old Toyota finally goes tits-up on me. It's the most fun & noisiest bank account I can devise.

*(nowadays even THAT'S non-existent!)

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Dave, if memory serves correct, Alvino Rey used 10 different tunings, and came up with the idea if a system of pedals to change tunings.

The E9 tuning is capable of WAY more than country music.
It can handle just about any kind of music, including jazz. (As demonstrated so aptly by Randy Beavers.)

Some people prefer to use both E9 and C6, and more power to them. But in my opinion, anybody who truly masters the E9, can play anything.

As I mentioned before, I call it the Mozart tuning.
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Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Although we have heard it many times that the E9th is a predominately Country Music or Major Key neck, as stated above , that is clearly incorrect.

But, there are some things that matter, the E9th neck although very capable of pulling out those so called " Jazz Tunes" and progressions, it draws them from different positions while down south on the lower ten that tuning is built around more accessible scales and chord shapes with limited bar movement. At the same time, the E9th tuning offers accessible chords and phrases which may not lay so well with a C6th tuning.

No different than on a 6 string guitar, some scales and chord shapes are easier than others because of the TUNING.

In the words of a very famous Doug J, he said something like this, " when playing , try to use as little energy as possible" . Translated means, Don't work so hard to find the music !

We can dig big deep holes with a Construction Shovel, no doubt, but I prefer a Back Hoe !
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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

David Mitchell · From: Tyler, Texas

The 30 years I played steel for a living I owned one steel at a time and barely could afford to own one. Sometimes the band leaders would have to buy me a steel so I could play for them. Now that I quit playing music for a living I buy as many as I want now. I like their looks better than furniture in the house and I built special rooms to play them in.
I got a little bit of everything now. I have 7 pedal steels (Sho-Buds ll & lll, Emmons LG, PP, 2 EMCI, ZB) just in one room as I write.
There is 6 string collectors why not pedal steel collectors?

Joe Goldmark · From: San Francisco, CA 94131

Two pretty identical Zum's. I'm in the camp that believes you should practice on the same (almost) guitar that you gig on, especially since the steel is such a touch instrument.

A few years back I got a wonderful old restored ZB, but soon realized that it felt so different that I wouldn't be playing it much, and I sold it.

Joe

Kevin Fix · From: Michigan, USA

I have 2 Pedal Steel Guitars. I have a Sho Bud Super Pro D10 8+5 and Mullen Discovery 3+5. I play which ever one I feel like playing. It is a surprise for the band. It will be either one or the other.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

In thinking about what Mike P. said about my slightly-divergent non-pedal tunings, yes, I could combine... three of them to one with pedals and knees. But I really dislike cliches and those pulls to unison and 2nds pulled to 3rds and 5's & 6's - I just don't WANT that sound. It's like a wah-wah pedal or whammy bar for an underarm guitarist - there goes the neighborhood! Yes there are people who transcend the E9th cliches, Mike being one of the VERY best at that; Mozart too I guess? And 6th-ish Dave Easley is WAY past... tunings, whatever, any measurable thing - doesn't even matter, play "music not tunings." David Phillips, it doesn't MATTER what his tuning is. The cliches don't pop up in 6th tunings as much anyway, but:

I would really only prefer it if the pulls could also LOCK and STAY PUT. Each one, up to ALL of them, or not.

Has that EVER been approached?

Also my spinal discs are screwy, so there's hideous creeping anti-musical EVIL associated with HOLDING some contorted 2-knee 3-pedal combination too. Every time I underestimate & mistreat the boogers they kick my ass. I do even have an unassigned 8-string Hipshot Trilogy that's been making goo-goo eyes with my Fouke for some time, but, all of these puppies are rigid enough - I CAN just TURN the pegs. Manual labor, how ghastly. I don't feel pressure to have MORE... JUICE(?) for playing with others, there's still hidden worlds - Galaxies - UNIVERSES in ye juicy olde:

E
C#
A
F#
E
C#
A
F#
D
A

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