Opinions on GFI Student Model

[Asher Roseman]

Hey all,

I have a pretty big gig coming up in November that I'm super stoked for. However, it's a fly date and I neither want to pay for NOR risk my 70s Sho-Bud in the hands of TSA. As a result, I'll have to bring out my single neck, which, as of right now, is a GFI Student Model. I've played plenty of gigs in bars and dance halls with this guitar, but never anything this professional.

Would it be a bad look to come to the gig with a student model guitar? Should I shell out the cash to upgrade?

Any and all opinions and wisdom appreciated. I'm new to this.

Thank you!

Asher

[Richard Sinkler]

Nobody in the audience will know it's a student model. Unless you're playing to a room full of steel players, probably no less than half will have no idea what a pedal steel guitar even is.

[Doug Earnest]

I agree with everything Richard said.

If you can play everything that can be played on that guitar and play it with excellent technique and taste, you won't need anything else. And no other guitar will make you sound particularly better. If you can do a great job on that guitar your band mates will likely be very impressed.

Good luck!

[Tim Rose]

Just opened for a Nashville act and they didnt even have a bass player but the music did...also could hear banjo , fiddle , keys but they didnt have those either. I asked some random people in the crowd if they noticed these things and none of them did,,,lol

[Larry Dering]

That's sad Tim. I'm quick to notice they use tracks as back up. Sounds like a karaoke crowd.

[Asher Roseman]

thank you all for the responses. I’ve been playing this guitar a while and know it pretty damn well. Thank you all so much for your replies, totally inspired some confidence.

[Greg Vincent]

Asher, I started out on one of those GFI student models, and thought it sounded fantastic! One thing, though: If yours is like mine was, the rods connect to the bell cranks with little rubber O-ring gaskets. Those can dry out and break, just like an old rubber-band —and you might end up with a rod in your lap, which would be terrible at an important gig!

What I did was double-up on those gaskets at each connection point. That way, if one pops, there is a backup still holding the rod. (Most hardware stores should have them.)

Also don’t forget that the E-lowers are pull/release! (Sometimes that’s easy to forget when going back & forth between the student model and a pro model —especially if you’re distracted at a big gig.)

I owe so much to that little GFI student model —a wonderful guitar!

[Greg Vincent]

[Joe Krumel]

That's a fine looking steel. I'll bet it sounds as good as it looks. You will do fine.

[Bobby D. Jones]

If you do your part, Steel players may say, " Listen to the sound and tone he gets out of that GFI Student model".

[Greg Vincent]

Browsed some of your YouTube vids, Asher —nice playing!
Hey how did you get four knees on your GFI student model? (Mine only came with two.) Is that a thing now, or did you add them?

[Dave Grafe]

Years ago I was offered a job with a successful regional band but the bandleader didn't want my student guitar on his stage and I lost the gig. That is the only person whose opinion matters, and that's the only time anyone ever said anything about it. IMHO if you can play the parts with tone, style, and grace, and you can authentically smile the whole time you're doing it, then go ahead on, you are golden!

[Greg Vincent]

Years ago I was offered a job with a successful regional band but the bandleader didn't want my student guitar on his stage and I lost the gig. That is the only person whose opinion matters, and that's the only time anyone ever said anything about it. IMHO if you can play the parts with tone, style, and grace, and you can authentically smile the whole time you're doing it, then go ahead on, you are golden!

I’m surprised that the bandleader knew/cared about the difference between a student steel and a pro model —even more surprised that he thought the audience would care.

[Quentin Hickey]

Its a great guitar to learn on. Nothing wrong with it at all! Dependable, sounds good, stays in tune, you dont have to mess with it, just learn how to play.

[Jim Pitman]

I flipped a GFI student model after making some mechanical adjustments. It played nice and sounded good. The buyer was happy.
Seems I saw a GFI student model being played by a band member in Norah Jones' band. He played well and sounded great.