Pedal steel

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 26 Dec 2019 6:58 am

https://craftsmanship.net/bicycles-peda ... frontiers/

The latest in PSG construction?

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 26 Dec 2019 7:02 am

Yep, that's Ross.
Built my new Sierra, and it's killer.
After all, bikes and pedal steels are both loosely machines,,,

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 26 Dec 2019 7:06 am

The article did not mention Sierra. Did he build for them?

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 26 Dec 2019 7:14 am

He is THE builder right now.
He's on the Forum (a Sierra thread in the PEDAL STEEL section), and he's on youtube (Makin' Chips videos).
b0b owns one, and mine is #12. These are works of art.

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 26 Dec 2019 7:33 am

Ross is the best!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 26 Dec 2019 7:52 am

Nice article! I especially like the part where they write that the PSG "has been most commonly used in jazz, country music, black spiritual music, a little Rock 'n Roll, and the old, big band music of Lawrence Welk."

Hah! Since when did jazz, lead the list of genres, even ahead of country? Must be in some parallel universe! (Not so far fetched; it's use in 'black spiritual music' was essentially - until recently - in a parallel universe...)

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 26 Dec 2019 7:57 am

I'm not sure Ross had any particular pecking order in mind, Jim.
However, isn't it nice to see jazz listed first? Perhaps that was to catch someone's attention that would normally never think of jazz and pedal steel in the same sentence.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 26 Dec 2019 7:57 am

Jim Cohen wrote: Hah! Since when did jazz, lead the list of genres, even ahead of country? Must be in some parallel universe! (Not so far fetched; it's use in 'black spiritual music' was essentially - until recently - in a parallel universe...)

Jim, take it as a compliment...maybe he only has your CD's?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 26 Dec 2019 7:59 am

Daniel Morris wrote:I'm not sure Ross had any particular pecking order in mind, Jim.

Well, Ross didn't write the article, so it must have been the author's (or editor's) idea. In any case.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 26 Dec 2019 8:06 am

Donny Hinson wrote: Jim, take it as a compliment...maybe he only has your CD's?

Hah, right...

Reminds me of Buddy's great line after opening a set with a couple of hot jazz numbers. Before kicking off a pretty country tune, he'd say, "This next song is for those of you who think that the steel guitar is only a jazz instrument..."

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 26 Dec 2019 8:48 am

I remember reading that Buddy Emmons was doing a recording session with Ray Price and he threw in some jazz licks and he was worried how they would go over.
Ray liked them!!:D
Erv

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 26 Dec 2019 2:28 pm

Great article. I met Ross last year when my new Sierra U-12 was completed.

Daniel Baston · Post by **Daniel Baston** » 26 Dec 2019 2:32 pm

I got a couple good laughs in there. The author clearly had never heard of a steel guitar. The Hawaiian connection to pedal steel is not at all surprising to anyone who plays one (or is familiar with steel guitar music)! It's pretty funny thinking of it as an "arcane" instrument too. I guess it is a niche instrument, but slight humour and exaggeration intended in Ross' description of the instrument was lost on the author?

Regardless, that was a great read, Ross' commitment to creativity and exploration is inspirational! Really cool to see his shop and tools etc. And some great stories. And as a cycling fan, it was neat to hear about the Salsa stuff too. Thanks for sharing!

Ron Shalita · Post by **Ron Shalita** » 26 Dec 2019 2:50 pm

How do you get ahold of this fella.. i would like to get one of these..

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 26 Dec 2019 3:01 pm

Ron Shalita wrote:How do you get ahold of this fella.. i would like to get one of these..

Www.sierrasteels.com

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 26 Dec 2019 3:57 pm

"Apotheosis." Good word, I had to look that one up.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 27 Dec 2019 5:30 am

Ross is a wonderful person,I'm proud to call him my friend.

Ross Shafer · Post by **Ross Shafer** » 27 Dec 2019 8:38 am

"...the best", "....a wonderful person"....aw shucks y'all....

I've always considered this article the least accurate and most exaggerated ever written about me. The author worked hard to keep things factual and accurate. He fact checked everything with me...then the editor got to it and decided to spice it up with some creative writing/interpretation of his own. My personal attempts to correct/tone down some of the things he came up with proved unsuccesful.

At the end of the day, I'm just a a schlub with a bad tool acquisition habit and a out of hand jonz to be making stuff. I was very lucky to recognize my passion for designing and making stuff at a fairly young age, and feel supremely lucky to have been able to make a living doing things I love for the last 44 years.

Any and all y'all are always welcome to visit me here on the Rockin' Bar L Ranch if ever in the SF Bay area.

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 27 Dec 2019 8:53 am

Whether it was 10 or 12 train cars you pulled down the track at the end of a chain, you are still my hero (been admiring & digging your vids for as long as you've been presenting them).

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 28 Dec 2019 8:55 am

Ross,thanks for summarizing the content and history of this article.

Ross Shafer · Post by **Ross Shafer** » 28 Dec 2019 8:59 am

You're welcome Don, It gets my goat when journos take a perfectly nice story and set of facts and decides to "improve" them. I found myself making apologies to a couple/few or my bike world peers for the overblown claims.

Daniel Baston · Post by **Daniel Baston** » 28 Dec 2019 12:13 pm

Well, if it helps you're amongst friends here! We 'get it'

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