Looking closer at the photographs I can see that the guitar is attached to the pedal steel, and the pedal steel has had its legs and pedal rods lengthened so that he can stand up. What else am I missing ?
With one foot on the pedals and the other on the volume control, how does he stand up ?
I know that the 2 in 1 thing has become one of Junior's trademarks, but I really don't see any advantage to it other than giving your back a tiny bit of relief. A stand up steel and a guitar strapped on with a good set of strap locks seems just as effective. Better yet, do what Dick Meis does and have two necks with all the pedals AND knee levers with your 6 string on your lap. (I know for a fact that Junior was well aware of Dick's double duty in Denver honky tonks long before the guitsteel was dreamed up.) I admit that standing up is way more showy to the the folks in the cheap seats though.
Speaking of bad backs, When I knew Junior back in the day, his sciatica was so bad I can't imagine how he can stand on one foot and work the pedals with the other one now. Good chiropractor? Where there's a will there's a way, and I'm sure Junior want's to show everybody that he's been a great pedal steeler all along.
I also wouldn't be a bit surprised if that isn't an E9 either.
For me Jr. Brown is the man with ideas and he makes his ideas come true. The first Guit-Steel was cool and unique. The new Guit-Ped-Steel is cooler than cool.
I wouldn't have ever said in the past that I was a huge Junior Brown fan, but this thing is Ultra Cool!!! I'm looking forward to hearing it!!!
I certainly respect him for taking the steel to a larger audience and putting it out on the front of the stage... where it belongs!!! Hahaha!!!
Do you think that he will continue his monopoly on the Guit-Steel and not allow anyone to build them, except for him. He could probably make a good side income from licensing some form of this instrument.
Waddya think?
Michael T.
Working at Lowe’s full time and performing at the Americana Theatre in Branson, MO six nights a week!
'73 EMMONS D10 FATBACK, '92 EMMONS D10 LASHLEY LEGRANDE, Bray Resonator Guitar,'95 DOBRO F60S, '85 Dobro 60DS, '95 MELOBAR CUSTOM, 1948 National Grand Console D-8, 1951 Supro Clipper S-6. EVANS, FENDER, PEAVEY,
and MESA amps!
David Mason wrote:Well, if entertainment is a goal, I'd personally like to see (someone else) play one with knee levers too!
I agree. Anyone can connect two instruments together and lumber himself with an uncomfortable playing position. He'd be better off with two instruments. I've never seen the point of instruments with two necks, like all those monstrosities with a mandolin and guitar combined, or a 6-string and 12-string guitar combined, or a guitar and bass combined; I would never buy one of those. What's next, a trombone and saxophone combined ? Just have two instruments, and put the one down when you start playing the other. If you really want to do something original, put pedals and knee levers on the guitar. And, yes, I know this has been done, using accelerator pedal cables.
Steel guitarists all over the world have to double on lead guitar from time to time. Here's what usually happens. This is Basil Henriques playing pedal steel with a Fender on his lap, ready for the lead guitar break...
All that Junior gains is about 3 seconds. It's a wasted effort.
Location: Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
Postby David Doggett »
Alan, have you ever seen Junior Brown perform? He has an amazing live act.
He plays guitar from country to rockabilly, all eras of rock guitar, from surf to Hendrix, and intermixes it with great country and Western swing honky-tonk steel, all the while singing. He switches from guitar to steel and back to guitar in a flash, without missing a note, trading leads with himself, while singing. He has a special slot in the git-steel where he stores and retrieves his bar almost faster than you can see. It's truly like a magic act he is so slick about it. He only has an acoustic rhythm guitar backing him, so he does all the lead guitar and steel work himself, while singing. And yet, it is not just a gimmick. It is all incredibly good music. He has a great voice, and is a virtuoso on both guitar and steel. It is just astounding to watch him work. The git-steel is completely integral to his highly entertaining act.
His audio recordings are actually a little disappointing. It's good music, but it sounds like he's just singing and being backed by a lead guitarist and and a steeler; or, you think he dubbed in the parts on separate tracks in the studio (and maybe he does sometimes in the studio). You can't really appreciate what he does until you see him live doing it all at once. He becomes one with the git-steel in a way that can't be believed until you see it. It's not just a guy playing some guitar for awhile and then pushing it aside and playing some steel for awhile. He trades licks with himself from measure to measure, sometimes from note to note.
I can't wait to see him play this new instrument. It looks like it will allow him to get deeper in the steel part of his playing.
Location: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
Postby Dave Mudgett »
I agree with Dave completely. Junior is the real deal, and I think the guit-steel is critical to what he's doing. I also agree that one needs to see him live to really appreciate his scope and depth.
He switches from guitar to steel and back to guitar in a flash, without missing a note, trading leads with himself, while singing.
And he sings great. The living embodiment of Ernest Tubb cool. He's a complete package the same way Jimi Hendrix was, but of course in a different way.
Junior is a great player & even greater entertainer. This is a really cool/fresh/NEW idea! I especially like the matching Bud fret-markers on that six-stringer
Yep all true. All you have to do is see Junior Brown one time to really appreciate what he does and you'll see that there's no part that's a "wasted effort". There's no comparison to Junior playin his guitsteel and someone sittin behind a steel with a guitar hangin from their neck
Have you seen Terry Christofferson, who played with Buck Owens in his later days? He plays full-fledged pedal steel, knee levers and all, sitting, with a Steinberger guitar (the absence of a full-size guitar body is a MAJOR advantage), hung high on a strap, so he doesn't have to move the guitar "out of the way" when he plays steel. He's great on both instruments.
Not to take ANYTHING away from Junior. He's a wizard!
i agree with david and dave...doggett and mudgett that is...junior is amazing and a wizard and i recently listened to this interview http://americanroutes.publicradio.org/a ... nior-brown
and junior talks about the guit-steel...and about how having both of them there keeps him "warmed up" on both of them and how the guit-steel has allowed his brain to connect the two instruments instead of having them be separate in his mind...there are lots of guys who can play guitar and steel in the configuration like the pic shown in this post. i do it with electric banjo and steel and frankly, it has never been really comfortable and there is the issue of the neck of the banjo getting in the way as you go up the neck on the steel...and at least to me in the pic shown, it looks a lot more uncomfortable than what junior is doing...just my two cents...yeah all he did was connect them, but if you watch him play, he has made it his own thing and it works, the guy is a wizard and my hat is off to him, i hope he gets the recognition he deserves for all he packs into his performances...plus why carry two instruments and cords and all the stuff associated with that, when you can have one instrument that has both necks, AND, only have one amp that i might add sounds killer on both, using only one cord...and yep, it is a fender twin...this guy is more than your average picker who doubles on steel and tele(no offense intended to anyone anywhere, just trying to give him credit for what he does)...or your above average picker for that matter...i think he's getting ready to go off into his own territory with this new thing he has cooking and people are gonna see some fur fly...and we would be wise to pay attention...i'm inspired by what he is doing and it makes me wanna stop reading all these posts and practice my scales...lol...
We opened for Jr last April. It was the third time but he was on fire more than the times before. It was unbelievable! I do a lot of double duty gigs (not nearly as exiting and mind blowing as Jr) and thought it might be time to try something like the guit-steel, like maybe making and adjustable clamp on bracket that attaches to the steel that the Tele can rest in. I recently bought a thinline tele to wear while I sit at the steel and it works a little better since it doesn't weigh much. The other half of the battle is learning to play tele with thumb and fingerpicks or play steel with a flatpick.
Also I've been thinking for awhile that playing pedals standing up would be fun and a little easier when wearing a Tele. I have adjustable legs for my Fender 1000 that fit my S-8 Fender 400. That would make a good guit-steel rig.
Thanks for posting those great photos!
Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps
No, I've never seen Junior playing live; I've just watched his videos. He's obviously a great talent, and I love his voice, which reminds me a lot of Tennessee Ernie. I'm just questioning whether he would be any worse off having two separate instruments.
Alan, it's just like having two necks on a steel. One of the most fun guitars I ever played was a Dano with a regular 6-string neck, and a baritone neck. I could play them both in the same song. Switch back and forth, effortlessly. Etc........
Location: Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
Postby David Doggett »
Alan Brookes wrote:I'm just questioning whether he would be any worse off having two separate instruments.
Well, I suppose we can sit on the sidelines and raise that question. But if Jr. thinks a combined instrument helps him, I'm more than willing to trust his judgment. I'm sure he tried doubling the usual way before he invented the git-steel.
Mike, Great job with the guitar portion of the steel. This is the last project Duane Marrs and I did before his death, so it's very special to me. Let me know if you guys need anything. Jeff
When I knew Junior back in the day, his sciatica was so bad I can't imagine how he can stand on one foot and work the pedals with the other one now. Good chiropractor? Where there's a will there's a way, and I'm sure Junior want's to show everybody that he's been a great pedal steeler all along. 
Looking closer at the photographs I can see that the guitar is attached to the pedal steel, and the pedal steel has had its legs and pedal rods lengthened so that he can stand up. What else am I missing ?
I have one of his cat can steels.