Has a better guitar made you a better player?

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 3 Dec 2005 11:05 am

I've had 4 steels, in my tenure, as a steel player. The first one was a basket case, the second was a ShoBud Maverick (quite good for it's time ), my third was a S-11 Rusler ( was, and still is, a great steel ). But, I bought a brand new S-12 ZumSteel, two years ago, and I can honestly say that, my whole overall feel and sound has gotten better. (Just my opinion, of course) I'm not trying to sell a brand to anyone, but, the newer steels have a better mechanical ability to them. Tripple raises and lowers, multiple access points on the bellcranks for easier and balanced pulls and a multitude of pickups to color "your" sound. The manufacturers have even gotten around to almost removing the detuning effect from cabinet drop, by using compensators and strenghtening the undercarriage. Yes, the older steels do sound fantastic and if that's what you like to play, then have at it. An older ShoBud, Emmons, Marlen and the rest have their own unique classic tone. There's no getting around that, even, my old RusLer has it's own sweet tone, but my new steel has sewn some new life into my playing. I feel it has made me progress to another step closer to my liking.

James Cann · Post by **James Cann** » 11 Dec 2005 3:46 pm

[This message was edited by James Cann on 11 December 2005 at 03:50 PM.]

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 11 Dec 2005 4:46 pm

If you can obtain suitable equipment, and you like your equipment, you will feel good about practicing. But you still have to practice to become a player. Lousey equipment will make you quit, or at least turn you into a mechanic, and you won't feel like playing. All you need is suitable equipment. You can always upgrade when you get better.

Buck Grantham R.I.P. · Post by **Buck Grantham R.I.P.** » 11 Dec 2005 7:55 pm

YES, the new Mullen helped me to recharge my batteries and now I practice more and enjoy it more. New great equippment gives me a thrill like driving a new car around town.

John Lacey · Post by **John Lacey** » 12 Dec 2005 2:00 am

A great guitar removes any excuses you have about playing badly.

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 12 Dec 2005 4:43 am

A nice footnote in Reece's Writings:

I believe the mind is by far the most powerful and amazing creation in our universe. Continually exploring and expanding its awesome power is God's will, His gift to each of us, and opens the door to inner peace, happiness and success.

If a better steel can increase my peace of mind and clarify the limits of my abilities, better playing will result.

Delivery of my MSA Classic should reveal whether this is just a theory or has some truth to it.

Ron Scott · Post by **Ron Scott** » 12 Dec 2005 8:36 am

New Strings on my Steelguitar make me want to play more.RS

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Franklin Guitars

James Cann · Post by **James Cann** » 13 Dec 2005 3:30 pm

My LDG shows me daily just how much I hadn't known (and don't know yet), so, frankly, others would have to determine if I'm a better player.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 13 Dec 2005 5:38 pm

Let me answer the contrapositive (which I'm sure you know is logically equivalent). Will a worse steel make it more likely that I play worse? The answer is categorically yes.

Of course, there are diminishing returns on "how good" the steel needs to be. But I have no desire to go back to the student model steel that I tried to play for the first few months. I went from that to a professional Sierra S-10 - what a difference.

Al Carmichael · Post by **Al Carmichael** » 13 Dec 2005 8:25 pm

Amazingly, the more I practice and play on my old steel, the better it seems to sound!

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 13 Dec 2005 9:50 pm

I would rather play well maintained vintage 60's/70's pedal steels than any of the modern brand steel guitars out there today. Mine are maintained in new condition, and sometimes better than new. I find that the tones out of vintage Sho-Buds, ZB's and Emmons are unmatched by today's guitars. They make me a more inspired player. I've had the popular modern guitars and they left me feeling sterile.

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 13 Dec 2005 10:27 pm

I hate to be disagreeable with so many who believe that getting their new steels made them better players, but my feelings are NO.

More time spent practicing and playing out makes you a better player.

The exception is, if you're playing a piece of junk instrument with tuning, mechanical or playability problems etc. or with a very bad tone and upgrade to a very good one, of course you will probably be able to play better, or at least you will probably sound better, and that might inspire you to play better.

If getting a new steel inspires you to play and practice more, you will be a better player from the practice, not from the instrument itself.

I suppose that could be attributed to the better steel, but in my thinking it's an indirect result.

I had a brand new Gibson Super 400 CES (expensive hand-carved top hollowbody jazz guitar, for those of you who don't know) when I was 17 years old. I can now play rings around what I could do then, on any playable instrument. Getting that Super 400 didn't make me a better player. Time spent practicing and playing did.

I bought so many expensive and exotic guitars, probably unconsciously thinking eventually I'd find the special one that would just resonate with me like magic and sound and feel so right that I'd play it like I never played any other guitar before. What a waste of money.

That Super 400 I had sells used now in the neighborhood of $10,000. My main guitar these days is a relatively cheap Korean-made Washburn J9VG, list price was about $1200 but you could buy them new discounted to about $800, and I play it better than I ever did my Super 400, and it sounds great. My steel is an old MSA, likewise.

I have also met or heard many other pickers playing top of the line gear who believe that because they have gear equal to the best players in the world, therefore they sound as good. They don't.

I've heard many players play on gear that looked like junk and in most players' eyes probably was, and they tore your heart out with their tone and playing.

I think this applies to all instruments, and the drummer in the band I'm now playing in has even proven to me that it applies even to drums, which most of us seem to consider a bunch of noise.

Most musicians I've worked with in the U.S. have top-notch gear, including drummers.

The band I play in now has a drummer that knocks me out, the guy just is a natural and has so many tasty licks and does them with such ease it appears to be almost a game to him.

Last night I sat behind his drumset on a break just to have somewhere to sit down. I used to play a little drums when I was younger, and wasn't too bad if I may say so. I checked out his set while I was behind it, and was shocked at what a dilapidated mess it all is. His footpedal on his bass drum barely works, most of his hardware is patched together with duct tape and bailing wire, his sticks look like they've been used for years, chipped, full of dents. There's about a 1/2 inch round hole in the head on his snare.

This kid's drumming would blow you away and his tone is excellent.

Would a new set make him better? Maybe, but I don't know how. He sure doesn't have any problem with his junky set.

As someone else said, if a new instrument does things that your old doesn't, yes you might get better. If not, my 2-cents worth is, it's all in your head. If imagining a new instrument has made you better, it just might, to some degree.

I still believe practice and experience is what really makes a musician better, not his instrument. As the original question also mentioned motivation, yes a new instrument may do something for you there, if you didn't particularly like your old one.

[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 13 December 2005 at 11:14 PM.]

Harold Parris · Post by **Harold Parris** » 14 Dec 2005 7:30 am

A good stable, smooth working guitar is an asset to any player, amateur or pro. I think it is as stated in some previous articles, the more satisfied and comfortable you are with a guitar, the better your playing will become. The main element is practice.You will practice more if you are happy with the rig you are using. It is highly unusual for a player to become accomplished in a short period of time. It usually takes years for most pedal steel players to reach the peak one has to climb to be an accomplished player. I've known a few exceptions where a person advances rapidly on the pedal steel and I'm sure some of you know of a case or two. Being comfortable, confident, and playing experience usually make the player better.

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EMCI Double 10 Guitar, Nashville 400, Session 400, and Evans FET 500 HiVolt, and Gretsch Nashville Pro Steel Amp, Keith Hilton Digital Sustain pedal and Seymour Duncan KTG -1, Hughes&Kettner BATT
Harold Parris email hparris9@aol.com

john widgren · Post by **john widgren** » 15 Dec 2005 11:13 am

...yes...

Terry Edwards · Post by **Terry Edwards** » 15 Dec 2005 11:27 am

A better guitar ALWAYS makes you play better. If it were otherwise, their would be no reason to convince your wife to let you upgrade!!

Terry

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 15 Dec 2005 11:18 pm

Well, I just got a brand new PSG and it's one of the best available, however; I don't think I'd be able to make it through even one night successfully at the present time and I've been playing PSG since about the mid-’50's! On my E9-Tuning, I ordered all the changes reversed from the positions I've been playing them and on the other neck I have a tuning that I've never used pedals on before! I hope it doesn't take 50 more years to catch up to where I was before this guitar! If that's the case, I won't be playing here on earth, but; I will be enjoying it! Someone told me that I can't take it or anything else with me when I go! Is this true? I had better get busy right now!

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“Big John” Bechtel
Burgundy D–10 Derby (w/6 &

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’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15” Eminence.
Current Equipment

Pat Kelly · Post by **Pat Kelly** » 16 Dec 2005 4:50 am

I've got a real good guitar but it sure as hell don't make me sound any good.