I been playing pedal steel now for 16yrs. I'm not the greatest player but I carry my own ok. In the past 10yrs I been playing with bands and there always seems to be this problem that I'm playing too loud or not loud enough. In the beginning I played low then I adjusted that to where everyone can hear me. Now they say I'm too loud! hahaha what's with this? am I the only one with this problem or what? I would love to hear your comments. This is kind of driving me crazy... It doesn't happen every time.... no buddy seems to say anything if the drummer bangs on the skins to hard or the lead pretty boy over plays or too loud... what the heck am I suppose to do? I do have an idea but I'll wait to hear from you.....
you r probably not to loud the steel guitar has alot of sustain so u really have to learn how to work the volume ped and when to speak out and when not to maybe just learn where to play remember you r playing bigger chords with more strings play quite but good make em leave wanting more
Come on Airborne, feet and knees together!
Tell those critics to find something else to whine about, because you’re not going to change.
While you’re at it ask them why they think they have the right to pass judgment on you.
Ron Epperson wrote:you r probably not to loud the steel guitar has alot of sustain so u really have to learn how to work the volume ped and when to speak out and when not to maybe just learn where to play remember you r playing bigger chords with more strings play quite but good make em leave wanting more
You maybe right, but very often people don't know that the steel has to have the same, or almost the same loudness than the vocals. Frankly I would be suspicious of these guys, because most steel players know which volume is appropriate.
Many times, it is a simple problem of how an amp is placed. The steel players hears it and the rest of the band can't, or vice versa. Unless the band is mic'ed and using a sound man the amp needs to be heard by all on stage.
I work trio and sometimes have the problem because the steel is far away and I can't hear it, but the crowd tell me it is too loud. I have the drums between myself and my steel/guitar player.
Ray Harrison
Bass/sing/Love PSG
77 Stingray/Kiesel 5 string bass
Telonics , Fender Rumble500, Polytone Amps
D-16 Martin, 1970 Ovation guitars
It's the treble.
Even if you're a great player and are playing at the same volume level as the rest of the band your clean high notes are cutting through and can be irritating.
I hear that all the time. Especially from the guitar picker. Never from the audience though. I've found that some musicians have a thing about steel guitars. The steel can "steel" the show sometimes, and I think that can bother the other folks in the band. A lot of lead guitar pickers get used to being the main instrument and can't take a steel being out front.
After playing as long as you have I'm sure you know about amp placement. I've found that if I get my amp too close to me it can actually sound louder some distance away than what I perceive the loudness to be.
Manny
Maybe your pick’n in the wrong band , you know its sacrilegious to have the steel turned down -- at least thats my opinion
Check this out , it may be the reason .
Set up a video camera in the back of the room where you play; so the camera picks up what the audience hears. I do this frequently, and I am often amazed that what I hear on stage is not what the audience is hearing. You may find that you are too loud, or not loud enough, or that you or someone else is overplaying, or any number of other areas that need to be addressed by the band. By doing this you have something concrete to discuss with your band-mates.
It's the soundman's fault, I know, I used to be one and all the problems we had were my fault (least that's what I was told). Still trying to figure out why they didn't can me.
I prefer to use a mic on my Peavey NV-112 amp so that the volume on stage is low. The other members of the band do the same thing since we all value our hearing.
I find that if I place my amp on the floor, the sound projects straight out, and I can't hear it very well.
To hear my amp clearly, I usually tilt it back at about a 45 degree angle, either against a wall or using a Triad Standback.This little gadget costs about $20 and easily fits in the back of my amp.
Hello to all of you who answered..Thanks for all the feed back on this issue of mine. I tried everything I can think of except the recording live. This might be a good option but I don't know if I'll do it. I do keep my amp very close to me and I notice that's the best way to play so I can control the interaction between me and the others. Last night I did a gig in a medium sized room and I received nothing but compliments YEAH for the pedal steel! no one said boo to the lead! Just love it! I know its all experience on this sound problem I'm having or are the others just plain nuts? what is it with those guys??? they can play loud and distorted but if I try to play loud I'm too loud? you know I'm going to start brining a cattle prod with me! stick it in his you know what every time I hear him complain! hahahahaha
By the way I use a NV 400 with a G sharp possessor...very sweet sound! I also have a NV 112 which is a nice amp for the money but don't have the torque like the 400.
we don't mic anything. We are just a 4 piece band. very plain and very simple. I don't really care to carry anything extra If don't have to, since I run the band.
Who is it that tells you you're too loud? I'd believe someone in the audience over anyone in the band.
I always set my amp in the same relative position to me and always keep my volume set the same. The stone country bands I play with sometimes tell me to turn up, but the guys in the louder rock-type band I play with almost always tell me to turn down.
I think the country bands want the steel out front to define their sound, but the rock-type band doesn't want to ruin their image by having too much steel get through the mix.
It first started with my band...they said it was too loud...so I turned down....then @ a gig I was told by the bar tender I wasnt loud enough...so I turned back up.... my lead player had a baby so I turned back down...and this BS goes on.. but last night and the previous gigs I didnt hear any one so I'm assuming all is well...
I'm with Dave M -- if I have my preference I'll just use my rig as a stage monitor -- usually beside me pointing ACROSS the stage. No problem getting the sound I want so I can hear it better than anyone else, and 90% of the steel sound comes out of the PA. I use a direct box between my amp and speaker so the PA gets exactly what goes out to my speaker. My DI has a Jensen transformer that closely matches the characteristics of a musical instrument speaker. We usually don't have a dedicated sound man, but our relative levels stay more or less the same from venue to venue.
Interesting post.....
I play lead and steel in my band... honestly, I play steel TWICE as loud as I play my telecaster.. I get nothing but smiles from my band mates every time I let the steel peel the paint...
Emmons Legrande III SD10
Emmons Legrande III D10
Session 400
Fender guitars
Fender amps
I think most of us has had this in our playing carrer at some point in time. The 15 inch speaker if you are using an amp, has a 'Shotgun 'effect. If you are sat close it dosent sound loud but away from the amp it exspands out as it is constructed to do so.
All players hear differently so nobody can give you a solid answer over the web.
To illiminate this problem, because i also had it, i went to a PodXT 7 years ago and i work in a band that has no amps on stage, but have a huge road rig P.A and a soundman. I also understand that this is not the case for every band, and my suggestion is this;
Put your amp facing you as a wedge monitor on low volume with a tilted amp stand, keep levels low to protect your ears, volume can close the ears up as a protecter over the 4-5 hours gig and knob tweaking is a human nature. Resist this temptation if you are like me
MIC the amp and let the complainer do the Soundman gig. This is what i did a few years before i went pre-amp only and it kept a lot of people happy.
I Played with two bands That Didn't know Any Thing About playing With A Steel The Guy Over The Band I Was Always To Loud. The Other Guy Over The Other Bans Was The Same He Was The Lead Picker.He Never Did Get It How To Play With Steel. But Boy You Could Him.Some Lead Players That Don't Know Don't Like Steel It Show's Them Up. SONNY.
In the new band I am in I am trying my best to play quieter than the vocals and guitar player. This puts me to far back in the mix, but my augmolished and demented licks get in their way and they have a harder time with vocal pitch. Now I have also taken to playing one and two note lines, pedals up and pedals down on one fret, just to have the sound of a steel in the band and leave lots of room for others to play.
Boy it is the hardest job I ever had, trying not to play. The guys are great and the money is good and jobs are hard to find so I am ok. I played a ton of steel with my 23 years with Cross Country so I guess it is time to rest and kick back.
Larry Behm
'70 D10 Black fatback Emmons PP, Hilton VP, BJS 3 1/2” long bar, Boss GE-7 for Dobro effect, Zoom MS50G, Quilter Toneblock 202 and Quilter TT 15 cab with JBL K130, Joyo Ebow.
Fred Kelly D3-H-8 Delrin speed pick (White), Dunlop finger picks-.0225
