How many steel players are they in the world

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 30 Mar 2008 3:51 pm

how would we find out how many people play the steel guitar?

Ron ! · Post by **Ron !** » 30 Mar 2008 6:42 pm

There were a couple threads on the forum before and the estimates(if I recall this right)were around 50.000.There are a lot registered steel players but there are many more we never heard about.
My estimate is 50.000-150.000 but I could be wrong.

Ron

Rick Nicklas · Post by **Rick Nicklas** » 30 Mar 2008 8:20 pm

Announce a raffle for a new G-2 and they should all surface.

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 31 Mar 2008 12:13 am

John, one way would be to go to the "world wide steel players" site, but it would take you a few hours to mentaly/physically write down all the players listed in all the countries. Be assured though that the amount of steel players would be a drop in the ocean compared to 6 string guitar players, where I imagine the figures would run into millions

I think we are a rare breed really

Micky Byrne United Kingdom www.mickybyrne.com

clive swindell · Post by **clive swindell** » 31 Mar 2008 2:21 am

In my notes from one of his seminars in around 2002, Jeff Newman put an estimate of 25,000 players worldwide.

Larry Behm · Post by **Larry Behm** » 31 Mar 2008 4:02 am

I heard Scotty had a list of 32,000 plus. With all of the bedroom players I would more than double that.

You would be amazed at how many people own a steel and do not even know where to buy items related to steel other than what their local music store sells them.

Larry Behm

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 31 Mar 2008 5:01 am

Would there be a record of all steel sold, how many did ZB/Sho-Bud and others make. This would be a more accurate way to calculate how many steel guitarist out there..

Ernest Cawby · Post by **Ernest Cawby** » 31 Mar 2008 4:57 pm

If you stay with pedals but 6 string steels, Nan and I had three between us, most likely 6string steels would run several thousand.

ern

A. J. Schobert · Post by **A. J. Schobert** » 31 Mar 2008 6:30 pm

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 31 Mar 2008 10:00 pm

Judging from all the older guitars like Sho-Buds and MSA's that we have for sale on here the number of players must be pretty good. The above mentioned 50,000 sounds like it might be the figure.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 1 Apr 2008 1:40 am

Back in the late 70's in Ct when the Steel thing was really happening, I asked this exact same question to the reigning Steel player at the time in our area.

I asked, "How many Steel players do you think there are in the CT/NY area" ?

he said.. " 8 , the other 192 are Steel OWNERS "

I never asked him which category he thought I was in...

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 1 Apr 2008 1:53 am

Don't steel makers keep a record of how many pedal steel they have made?..

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 1 Apr 2008 6:05 am

John, I guess you'd have to ask Reece Anderson, David Jackson, Bruce Zumsteg, Emmons guitar Co etc etc

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 1 Apr 2008 6:31 am

Bent I will.
Reece Anderson, David Jackson, Bruce Zumsteg, Emmons guitar Co etc etc how many pedal steel have you made to date.
Even if we get a few of the companies to reply we would get some idea of the volume that has been make,I'm sure it would not be that hard a task for them.
Reece , John Fabian, Tom Brumley , and other members connected to the Steel manufacturers should be able to help...JR

Tommy Mc · Post by **Tommy Mc** » 1 Apr 2008 10:12 am

John Roche wrote:Don't steel makers keep a record of how many pedal steel they have made?..

That figure might give us an estimate on how many steels there are but how many players own more than one?

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 1 Apr 2008 11:44 am

About the only thing that gets passed around more than Playboy or Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Edition, are steel guitars.

Attempting to count those under beds, in attics and closets, pawn shops and the like would be a pretty difficult task. Toss in those that are in the process of rebuild by all the mechanics in the world whose lives are dedicated to tearing up and screwing up what might otherwise be an excellent musical instrument.....

I'd say perhaps.............

Frederic Mabrut · Post by **Frederic Mabrut** » 1 Apr 2008 12:10 pm

Today april 1st, exactly 32548 and a half according to the FOSGAAZ (French Obsvervatory of Steel Guitar Activists Around Zeworld)

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 1 Apr 2008 1:47 pm

Frederic
...and that's no April Fool!

David Hartley · Post by **David Hartley** » 1 Apr 2008 2:04 pm

Put me down for a 10, whens the raffle?

Duncan Hodge · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 1 Apr 2008 3:10 pm

Frederic, I think that we can use your very scientific number of 32548. I believe that this number actually signifies the total number of pedal steel guitars in existence in the world. That would make the number of players in the world 548 + 1. From what I can gather, 548 individuals own a pedal steel and a gentleman in Texas, named Randy Gilliam, owns the other 32,000 pedal steels.
Duncan

DISCLAIMER!!! 1) I do not know Mr. Gilliam 2) I was just trying to make a funny. 3) From all indications Mr. Gilliam is a great guy and a wonderful man to buy, or sell a pedal steel from/to. 4) I generally make posts without any considering whether it is a good idea first, so In advance I'd like to apologize to any individual I may have offended, to the great Republic of Texas and all Texians past present and future, any infringement of copyrights and finally to the people who have to listen to me play the pedal steel. AND Lastly 5) I'd like to apologize for liking Jerry Garcia's steel playing.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 2 Apr 2008 9:54 am

thre's probably more of 'em than we think considering, all them lap steels, console steels, psgs, dobros & diddly bows 'round da world

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 2 Apr 2008 3:17 pm

Crowbear , I was asking pedal steel only..

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 2 Apr 2008 4:37 pm

The question by John Roche...

how would we find out how many people play the steel guitar?

At what level do you define a player?
A person who owns, borrowed or stole a Pedal steel. One who did or didn't learn to play and put the steel under the bed. A person who plays great and a person who plays a few chords not so great. What is the benchmark to be called a pedal steel player?

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 2 Apr 2008 4:50 pm

Post subject: How many steel players are they in the world ... how would we find out how many people play the steel guitar?

In actual point of fact, you asked about "steel players", not "pedal steel players".

There's a helluva big difference. If you're talking only pedal steel players, I would guess a lot less than 50,000.

There are around 7,000 members of this forum. Many of these are clearly not pedal steel players. Suppose even conservatively that only 2,000 are nonpedal only, leaving 5,000 pedal steel players. Are you going to argue that this forum represents only 1 in 10 of all pedal steel players? I honestly doubt it. I'd guess a factor no more than 3-4, and perhaps less. Of course, I have nothing specific to base that on except sample evidence. For example, most of the pedal steel players in my area are members - some are not. But not even anywhere near 3-4 times the number of members, I think.

So I would guess not more than 15,000-20,000 pedal steel players.

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 2 Apr 2008 6:25 pm

Dave, sorry, but you are horribly low in your guess, no, I'm glad you are wrong

, If you only add up what I have sold in 28 years, what Sho Bud, Emmons and MSA have sold in the last 40 years, you have many more times than the figure you have posted, and think of all the other builders, and the one to twelve off guitars. Then think about the thousands, possibly millions of lap steels the world over.
I think I can show where the answer is closer to "millions", most of whom you will never hear about,

Dave, I'm looking forward to your next visit to Nashville, get by to see me here. I'm looking forward to it.
Your friend,
Bobbe

The Steel Guitar Forum

How many steel players are they in the world

How many steel players are they in the world

hi

Hard to calculate...............

Hi Rick