Why more than one pedal steel ?

Don Sulesky · Post by **Don Sulesky** » 24 Dec 2007 7:59 am

I own two and only because I use one for my students when I'm teaching steel.
I have seen a couple on this Forum who own 30-40 steels and like to show them off. To me that seems a little bit of bragging because you can't possibly play them all. Now if you are a collector that's another story. $:\$

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 24 Dec 2007 9:20 am

I need one for each way to tune it correctly.
OR like owning 25 cats.. its just something we all do.
Meeowie Christmas.
Ken

Mickey Adams · Post by **Mickey Adams** » 24 Dec 2007 10:07 am

Switching guitars for me has always had a positive effect on my playing and my ear. I think its essential to switch regularly. I do like the tone of my G2, but I like the P/Ps too...When coming back to the mullen, I have a slightly different perception, temporarily..
The electrics too...I have 5 primary electrics, and 3 acoustics...Love'em all, and all very different...

Mike Jones · Post by **Mike Jones** » 24 Dec 2007 12:15 pm

I had one stolen from my car back in 1974 and it was my only guitar. I found out you can't play if you don't have a guitar. Thanks to Weldon Myrick who sold me one of his guitars I was able to work the Opry that next weekend with Charlie Louvin. (My gig at that time) Since then I try to have at least one extra guitar at the house. This summer I flew to Denmark with Connie Smith and my guitar that I flew stayed an extra day in Amsterdam. The airlines brought my guitar to me the next day but I used my push/pull on a demo session that was book for that day. That is why I have three guitars at this time.

Cookie

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 24 Dec 2007 2:44 pm

Richard, I just have the two, and you've done your magic on both of them

That's the Carter and the Sho-Bud....both universals!! Nice having the "Vintage" one in the form of that old 'Bud, that has done some miles, and also to the "Newer" model in the form of the Carter, that has done some miles too. I love them both dearly. Sounds like a love story don't it ?

If I had the money, there would be a third!!! Hope you enjoyed your "Dram" I'll be on mine tomorrow at Jess's folks place where I'll be for Christmas dinner

Micky "scars" Byrne......about 86 miles from Richard Burton

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 24 Dec 2007 4:15 pm

i've got three plus a bakelite rick...i love to just wallow in their presence...hey dick, is that really your given name? how cool....and richard b. , say hi to elizabeth taylor for me..

actually, having alot of steels will come in handy when the american dollar becomes totally worthless!

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 24 Dec 2007 5:15 pm

One day after Georgia and I had been married about 5 years, she asked me : " Are there steel guitars in all those cases in our spare room? I kind of mumbled around and finally said yes. She replyed; " Why do you need 8 steel guitars?". Before I could think about it I said."Well thats one for each day in the week and a spare". She failed to see any humor in my statement. Now I am down to 3. Jody.

Tommy Young · Post by **Tommy Young** » 24 Dec 2007 5:58 pm

I OWN SEVERAL BECAUSE I HAVE TO HAVE A SPARE TO SELL AT ALL TIMES I THINK, BUT AT THIS TIME I ONLY HAVE 3 AND A HALF SO MAYBE BY THIS WEEKEND I'LL HAVE THE OTHER HALF BACK FROM THE CABINET-BUILDER-PAINTERS THEN I'LL HAVE 4, SHE MY WIFE DOESN'T GRUMBLE UNLESS THEY ARE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE BACK ROOM GETTIN MODDED HAHAHA

TOMMY YOUNG
MAX-TONE MODIFICATIONS
WHEN YOUR GUITAR HAS TO BE ITS VERY BEST

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 24 Dec 2007 6:59 pm

Hey Tommy, are you left handed, because you put your name and the town name in lowercase and the body text of your post in UPPERCASE ?

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 24 Dec 2007 8:14 pm

yes, i find that inneresting also....perhaps it's a shouting mod!

Scott Henderson · Post by **Scott Henderson** » 24 Dec 2007 8:22 pm

I have a uni that I put the first scratch on. I have a JCH becasue it sounds and plays great and now of course in light of recent events I couldn't get rid of it. I have a D-8 that was a gift from dear friends. I guess what I am getting at is each of these guitars have been too big a part of my life. The memories I get whe I set down to these guitars is very important to me. One mans trash is another mans treasure I suppose.

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 24 Dec 2007 11:14 pm

I have 3 Sho-Buds because when I was on the road and playing in Rock Springs WY. or Bum Fu__ Egypt you don't just run down to your local music store and pick up some steel parts when you break down so I take 2 of them with me except when we flew and then I would send my Super Pro and some spare parts. When I was home the 2 steels were pack on the bus or the van ready to travel I needed one to practice on at home so the need for the 3rd Sho-Bud.
I inherited a D-8 National Steel on a tripod and a Sierra D-10 when my father the Reverend Bishop Dwight Moody past away. These 2 guitars I use and they stay in the studio. I don't feel right taking either of those steels to a Night Club. Then I have a S-10 no name pedal steel I bought on impulse. I've never even played it. One Marlen D-10 thats in peaces in the case. Now that I'm not on the road I'm going to sell most of them real soon except for my fathers and my Super Pro.

Whip Lashaway · Post by **Whip Lashaway** » 2 Jan 2008 8:22 pm

I have one set of equipment on the bus ready to go, one set of equipment setup at the house, and one set of equipment at the house in the cases ready for a pick up gig or studio. If I can think of more excuses that my wife will buy I'll get some more equipment!!!

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 2 Jan 2008 9:28 pm

I used to have 3 or 4, but am down to just 2 now, but thinking of selling one, my really nice Mullen Wood lacquer S12 and keep the Sho-Bud, that's all I need at this point in life.....al.

:)

Ray Kedge · Post by **Ray Kedge** » 3 Jan 2008 3:30 am

Richard,
I have one, but another being built at the momment, I have had my D10 Bennett 8x7 for 25 years, just recently taken early retirement had a bit to spend and have opted for a complete change of set up to get my chops going again.
It will be a whole new challenge and learning curve.It's another Bennett would not go anywhere else for a guitar

RK

Jon Kostal · Post by **Jon Kostal** » 3 Jan 2008 4:12 am

I've been playing for a long time, and have had only one pedal steel at a time. I find them much to individual an instrument, no 2 are the same. So I make it easy on myself and use only 1. I have 2 non pedal steels, and 5 6-strings. These are much easier to adapt to. Just me, I guess.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 3 Jan 2008 6:26 am

I buy different guitars (whether steel or 6-string) primarily for tonal differences; with steel mechanical difference enter into the picture as well - I have several pedal steel guitars; some have basically the same setup but different tone, and one (my GFI Ultra) has a completely different copedent AND tone.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 3 Jan 2008 9:00 am

So many reasons.

Because I can.

Because "One is the loneliest number."

Because J D is correct.

Because I have different steels set up differently for different things.

Because, if I'm gonna do any serious practicing, I need one set up at home and one in the case ready for gigs.

Because I have a lightweight S-10 for traveling, but sometimes I want more.

Because even if a lot of the tone is in the hands, each steel feels and plays differently to me and that matters too.

Because when something goes wrong with one, it sometimes takes a while to fix - they are more complex than a 6-string guitar and I don't know anybody around here besides me to fix it.

Because they're fun and they look cool.

There are probably more. For guitars and amps, there's more tonal variation, to me, which is what lead me to be a vintage guitaraholic for so many years, to the point of opening a vintage guitar store when that was still fun.

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 3 Jan 2008 9:10 am

Like B0b, I keep telling my wife they're an investment.

I'm a collector, always seeing something I need to add to my collection.

Brian LeBlanc · Post by **Brian LeBlanc** » 3 Jan 2008 12:46 pm

I play ShoBuds

...so there's a relative probabilty = 1, that one played fine last nite, will not play in tune the next nite; however, probability = 0 of both playing out of tune the same nite...

Casey Lowmiller · Post by **Casey Lowmiller** » 3 Jan 2008 1:30 pm

I have 4 pedal steels.

In the order I got them:

Fender 800- 6X3

LaGarritt- 4X5

Z.B. Custom- Setup to be determined

Sho-Bud Pro-1- 3X3

All four of them have different sounds/tone. All four of them were bought because they were good deals & visually move me. I love them all & I really don't plan on getting rid of them.

Casey

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 3 Jan 2008 2:26 pm

Why own several steels?
As an antidote to the psychic pain suffered when I had no steel.
Comfort level stays elevated knowing that I can really screw one up by monkeying with it, and still fall back on old faithful (the Emmons SD-10) to flail away at.
The D-10 Dekley is so heavy that it cannot be lifted off the floor....

Dan Beller-McKenna · Post by **Dan Beller-McKenna** » 3 Jan 2008 2:43 pm

Scott Henderson wrote:I have a uni that I put the first scratch on.

Now, I like that reasoning!! I'll try it on my wife ("Honey, I put a bar ding in my steel, I need to buy a new one.") Hey, it's worth a shot (and that's probably what I'll get if I follow through on it).

Dan

Ricky Newman · Post by **Ricky Newman** » 14 Jan 2008 1:12 am

It's just good old greed and avarice in my case, I think. Anyone else?

The Steel Guitar Forum

Why more than one pedal steel ?

Why Have more than one!

How many Steels

One pedal steel

Probability Issue...